How is your service from Comcast? (Phone/TV/Internet)

[Slow But Steady]

Dear Friends,

Since I'm recently retired, I have less income and more time to comparison shop. I'm considering changing my phone (Windstream) and my TV (Dish) to a bundle from Comcast, which provides my internet. I think I could save $100 per month or more.

Are you happy with the product? With the customer service?

We would be getting a DVR. Does yours work well?

When you get their phone service, does the phone signal somehow find its way into all your house wiring so you can use the same phones?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Big_Hitter]

when I lived in htown we used comcarp - it was okay. Interweb was lightning fast - I used to play a lot of PC games online

your deal is probably an introductory offer

 

[Slow But Steady]

It looks like I can save $150 or so during the introductory period. After that it would be $100 or so. I don't have all the details yet, though. But I'm paying a lot to Dish and Windstream.

 

[Midpack]

I've had Comcast/XFinity internet only for more than 10 years, and it's been very reliable. I've only used customer service twice, and it was fine after answer all the stock questions/routine diagnostics (many users issues can be solved by the routine stuff).

I've looked at bundled packages and to my surprise none of them have ever matched what I can get buying separate. There are deals to be had on internet, TV and mobile, but you have to seek them out - you'll never get them otherwise. Threatening to switch and being prepared to follow through by citing a competitors better offer has worked for me with Direct TV and Dish. And with Comcast and Verizon just saying 'this last price increase is just too much' what are my cheaper options revealed options I'd never seen before (and you're unlikely to find them yourself no matter how long you search). It's amazing how deliberately convoluted all the internet, TV, mobile, etc. websites are!

And as you probably know all internet services are not created equal by any means, so make sure you're comparing apples to apples. Many people don't realize Comcast alone has 10 different levels of internet services, widely varying speeds and prices.

http://www.xfinity.com/internet-service.html

 

[athena53]

I've had Comcast/Xfinity for 1.5 years and am very happy. I wasn't thrilled the time we called them out to replace a badly-worn connection that shouldn't have been used when they installed it and they charged $70 for the service call- but it's been very reliable.


Having said that- I do plan to shop around at some point. With DH gone, there's no longer a need for the networks so he can watch sports, and since getting Netflix, I'm beginning to wonder if I could be entertained only with that. My brother tells me MagicJack is just fine for his landline so I could drop that part, too.

 

[Aerides]

When it works it's fine. When you have a problem... there's a reason they have one of the lowest customer service ratings in any industry.

Comcast rates will vary but if you call and firmly want to cancel, they will come down. A lot. Repeat that yearly and you could do well. We were ready to unplug cable and keep internet only, but they gave us a deal to keep both that was a no-brainer, then re-upped again last year when we did the same thing again.

 

[MichaelB]

Are you happy with the product? With the customer service?

My experience with TV and internet service providers is both product and customer service depend a great deal on the options you have. Specifically with Comcast, if your service area has additional offerings, Comcast service levels are also better.

What are your non-Comcast options?

 

[CaliKid]

We had the cable/internet/phone package for years and been very happy with all aspects. No major complaints with Comcast. In fact I can't even think of a minor complaint. We switched our tv to DirectTV recently and it's ok but I really prefer Comcast. Everything comes through one router and then splits: 1) wi-fi, 2) phone, 3) cable tv. All your current stuff works. Plus, caller ID shows up on your TV screen and even your computer screen if you want. We have lost the TV caller id now that we switched to Directv.

 

[Slow But Steady]

My experience with TV and internet service providers is both product and customer service depend a great deal on the options you have. Specifically with Comcast, if your service area has additional offerings, Comcast service levels are also better.

What are your non-Comcast options?

My local phone company is Windstream. They have a new TV service called Kinetic, and Sugar Land, my Houston suburb, is one of the few places where they offer it. I was considering going with them, but the fastest internet they could offer me was 15 Mbits/sec. My plain jane Comcast connection is now doing almost 60, and they would upgrade me to 200.

Windstream will also bundle with Dish, my current TV provider. But the slow internet is a deal-breaker for me.

 

[Slow But Steady]

We had the cable/internet/phone package for years and been very happy with all aspects. No major complaints with Comcast. In fact I can't even think of a minor complaint. We switched our tv to DirectTV recently and it's ok but I really prefer Comcast. Everything comes through one router and then splits: 1) wi-fi, 2) phone, 3) cable tv. All your current stuff works. Plus, caller ID shows up on your TV screen and even your computer screen if you want. We have lost the TV caller id now that we switched to Directv.

Do you just plug in phones all over the house like I do now?

 

[easysurfer]

For my internet, I switched from AT&T DSL to Comcast (basic internet, no package) about a couple of years ago. I've had very little problem with Comcast. I say service goes down once to twice a year but gets brought back up pretty quickly. I have the slowest speed basic internet and even with that, I have no problems watching streamed movies on my Amazon Fire TV. Overall, happy with Comcast and no plans to look for an alternative.

Update: I must have been jinxed by this thread. Almost exactly after I posted my reply, my Comcast connection went down. But only a couple of hours, and now back up. But the coincidence is a bit creepy.

 

[CaliKid]

Do you just plug in phones all over the house like I do now?

Yes.

 

[Bamaman]

The service reps at our local Comcast office are some of my best friends, but they're not given the authority to offer the best deals. To get the best deals, you have to talk to foreigners working the midnight shift across the world--and their English is broken.

Comcast's tv signal is fine, as is the quality of their internet.

When I moved earlier this year, I got internet only--going with Dish's special deals on television. My internet wouldn't work. I finally traced the problem to a coaxial cable stuck in the dirt outside, and no one would come out without my paying for a service call. After I got the coax hooked up to my modem, I still wasn't getting service---week after week. Customer Service had a home in another city with my same address getting my service.

When I had Comcast television, they kept billing me month after month for pay for view never watched--4 to 5 movies at 12:00 midnight at the same time ($50). We never do pay for view.

Now I only have their internet, they keep charging me $10 monthly for a modem rental--when I have my own modem. We go round and round every month about the charge that they never get right.

Comcast is such a hassle that I understand why their customers are dropping them in mass.

I also despise AT&T as a company after past poor service and quality of their television and telephone business. But their new generation internet service is blazing fast, and I understand their television package is priced competitive on a a teaser rate. I would suggest going with them if their top line service is available in your area.

 

[Slow But Steady]

No AT&T in my area, unfortunately. The buzz is that they have the coolest stuff around, for now.

 

[GrayHare]

When it works it's fine. When you have a problem... there's a reason they have one of the lowest customer service ratings in any industry.

+1

 

[pb4uski]

We have Dish at home and Comcast at our winter condo.

For TV, both have their merits. I like PrimeTime Anytime, Hopper and the 30 seconds forward/10 seconds back remote buttons on Dish... all of which Xfinity lacks. On Xfinity, I really like the voice command feature.

Cost wise, like some others I have always found it cheaper to buy separately then bundle. Our current Dish (TV), DSL internet and Ooma (VoIP phone) costs about $127/month (no promo credits). At our winter condo, basic Xfinity is part of our HOA fee.. adding internet, a DVR and cable modem rental costs about $70/month.

For us, the Xfinity internet is blazing fast compared to DSL at home, but DSL is plenty fast for most of what we do.

 

[Dawg52]

At my previous location, Comcast was not that reliable. Perhaps old wiring. It would sometimes take 2 weeks to have a repairman come out. No kidding. I've been at this location(newer neighborhood) and my connection has been very reliable. Comcast is my only option here.

Not to get off topic, but have you thought about going internet only? I'm a 'cord cutter' and use Playstation Vue for tv(via internet) and an antenna for local channels. The two work great for me and is much cheaper than cable. I don't have a landline, just a cell phone.

 

[broadway]

I have Comcast's basic cable and slowest speed internet.
I would like to switch to higher speed internet, but I am afraid to rock the boat. Whenever you make a changed, "strange" things happen to your bill, and then you have to waste valuable time talking to their CSRs.

I still have a landline, and it is with Verizon.
Verizon is incompetent as well, so I am in no rush to try FiOS.

 

[W2R]

At my previous location, Comcast was not that reliable. Perhaps old wiring. It would sometimes take 2 weeks to have a repairman come out. No kidding. I've been at this location(newer neighborhood) and my connection has been very reliable. Comcast is my only option here.

Not to get off topic, but have you thought about going internet only? I'm a 'cord cutter' and use Playstation Vue for tv(via internet) and an antenna for local channels. The two work great for me and is much cheaper than cable. I don't have a landline, just a cell phone.

I agree that this sounds like a really good time for the OP to consider dropping TV and landline phone service.

I dropped both 2-3 years ago, saving about $150/month, and honestly I don't miss either. Right now I'm thinking of moving to a cheaper cell phone and cell phone service than my present iPhone on Verizon. All this is not so much for me to save money, as to get the most value for my money. YMMV

 

[Another Reader]

I hate Comcast.

The internet goes down for hours at least once a month. The speed is nowhere near what it is supposed to be. If there's a problem that they can't fix by resetting your modem, it must be in your wiring and they want to send out a tech in a week for a ridiculous service charge.

I have voice plus the medium speed internet. All in, $78 a month. Why google can't put fiber in their own backyard is beyond me. Comcast needs the competition.

My phone number is apparently in the name of someone else with the same last name. How is that possible? Tried to get that corrected twice. Maybe that person should be paying the bill.

I hate Comcast....

 

[Dawg52]

Right now I'm thinking of moving to a cheaper cell phone and cell phone service than my present iPhone on Verizon. All this is not so much for me to save money, as to get the most value for my money. YMMV

Look into PagePlus. They use Verizon's network which is the best imo. If you don't use your cell much, you can just buy blocks of minutes or you can buy a monthly amount. I buy month to month right now. You can set it up where it is automatically done on a month to month basis if you don't want to fool with it yourself. You can also buy Papeplus minutes through Callingmart which is a little cheaper than directly with Pageplus.

https://www.pagepluscellular.com/

 

[Slow But Steady]

We're not ready to cut the cord on the TV yet, and if I'm going to do TV and internet, the incremental cost for the phone is small.

We're not really cell phone lovers, either. We both have smart phones that we connect using Ting. I guess our usual bill for two phones is about $40-$45, which isn't too bad. We're not heavy users, and with Ting, you pay for what you use.

By the way, I think you can connect your Verizon iPhone through Ting, if you want.

 

[Gotadimple]

Comcast service reliablity: excellant.
Customer Service - not the best.
Stability of rates charged: among the worst. That $100/month after the introductory period won't stay at $100 for very long. Rates that tend to remain stable: basic cable.

So you may want to consider: basic cable (especially if you cannot use an antenna to get your local channels - big problem in hilly Seattle). Get your internet somewhere else, same for your phone service. Use higher speed internet and a Roko, or Chromecast, or Amazon Fire Stick, etc. to stream the programs you want to watch.

You'll soon discover that you don't really need to see some favorite program on the same night it is broadcast. But if you have to watch sports: game over.

 

[Slow But Steady]

Comcast service reliablity: excellant.
Customer Service - not the best.
Stability of rates charged: among the worst. That $100/month after the introductory period won't stay at $100 for very long. Rates that tend to remain stable: basic cable.

So you may want to consider: basic cable (especially if you cannot use an antenna to get your local channels - big problem in hilly Seattle). Get your internet somewhere else, same for your phone service. Use higher speed internet and a Roko, or Chromecast, or Amazon Fire Stick, etc. to stream the programs you want to watch.

You'll soon discover that you don't really need to see some favorite program on the same night it is broadcast. But if you have to watch sports: game over.

There is no other good internet option where I live.

We don't care about watching the shows on the nights they're broadcast, we always watch on DVR, and skip the commercials. We hate watching commercials.

I have the impression that most of the streaming programming still has commercials. Is that correct?

 

[Lsbcal]

Our Comcast service has been very reliable. High internet speeds. The X1 box has a good user interface and the audio search works pretty good.

Like others, I have to call Comcast every so often to revert back to the best cost package when the deductions they give fade away.

We don't have phone service with them. The cable modem with the phone service is a different one and perhaps that could be a source of some people's issues. I bought my own cable modem but after 10 months started having internet issues. So I use theirs now. If one has a problem with the web, perhaps just swapping out the modem on your own is a good tactic.