The Volokh Conspiracy - More Fun With Comcast:

Readers may recall the following from a post of mine last year:

I called Comcast to set up cable installation. They sent a complete moron, who wanted to run a cable from the third floor to the first floor, by way of staircases and hallways. I called Comcast, and they offered to send a new technician two days later. No one showed up. I called Comcast, and was told the technician must be running late. He never showed. I called again, and was told that the previous two folks were wrong, that no one was coming to my house that day, that someone would call me that day to set up an appointment later in the week. Someone did. And then didn't show up for the appointment. I decided we can live without cable.

My wife has now decided she wants cable in our new house. I urged her not to bother with Comcast, but she insisted. Someone was scheduled to show up on Wednesday between noon and 3. He actually showed up at 12:15. But when he noticed we needed an outlet to be installed in one room, he claimed not to have a drill with him, and said he would go get one and be back within an hour. We seriously doubted that cable installers drive around without drills in their van, and suspected he just wanted to go to lunch. Wrong. He never returned. We called Comcast, which had no record that anyone was sent to our house, and, even after a consultation with the dispatcher, claimed to have no idea who had showed up, or why he didn't return. We left a voicemal message on the installer's cell phone (he had called us earlier before his brief appearance). At around 5:00 pm, we decided to take our kids to a neighborhood playground. On the way there, we spotted the installer in his Comcast van driving in the direction of our house. Maybe he was returning after all? We rushed home, but he never showed.

Phone complaints to Comcast resulted in no sympathy, very meager, prospective compensation (a small credit to our future cable bill), and a promise that someone would come to our house Sunday afternoon to install the cable. You can guess the rest: no one showed up, there was no record of who, if anyone, was supposed to show up, and so forth.

I really wonder how Comcast manages to stay in business, even with its monopoly rents--after all, there is some competition from FIOS and satellite.

	[David Bernstein, May 25, 2008 at 10:23pm] Trackbacks More Fun With Comcast: Readers may recall the following from a post of mine last year: I called Comcast to set up cable installation. They sent a complete moron, who wanted to run a cable from the third floor to the first floor, by way of staircases and hallways. I called Comcast, and they offered to send a new technician two days later. No one showed up. I called Comcast, and was told the technician must be running late. He never showed. I called again, and was told that the previous two folks were wrong, that no one was coming to my house that day, that someone would call me that day to set up an appointment later in the week. Someone did. And then didn't show up for the appointment. I decided we can live without cable. My wife has now decided she wants cable in our new house. I urged her not to bother with Comcast, but she insisted. Someone was scheduled to show up on Wednesday between noon and 3. He actually showed up at 12:15. But when he noticed we needed an outlet to be installed in one room, he claimed not to have a drill with him, and said he would go get one and be back within an hour. We seriously doubted that cable installers drive around without drills in their van, and suspected he just wanted to go to lunch. Wrong. He never returned. We called Comcast, which had no record that anyone was sent to our house, and, even after a consultation with the dispatcher, claimed to have no idea who had showed up, or why he didn't return. We left a voicemal message on the installer's cell phone (he had called us earlier before his brief appearance). At around 5:00 pm, we decided to take our kids to a neighborhood playground. On the way there, we spotted the installer in his Comcast van driving in the direction of our house. Maybe he was returning after all? We rushed home, but he never showed. Phone complaints to Comcast resulted in no sympathy, very meager, prospective compensation (a small credit to our future cable bill), and a promise that someone would come to our house Sunday afternoon to install the cable. You can guess the rest: no one showed up, there was no record of who, if anyone, was supposed to show up, and so forth. I really wonder how Comcast manages to stay in business, even with its monopoly rents--after all, there is some competition from FIOS and satellite.