Business

Can Comcast Create a Ghost Internet Account for You and Then Demand You Pay?

If you are one of the fortunate Americans who has traded in life as an office cubicle farmer for working at home, Comcast has good news for you: business class internet is available for your residence. It is called a Teleworker account, and the internet connection itself is apparently excellent.

Now the bad news: Comcast may also set up a make-believe residential account in your name, and then turn it over to collections, over and over again.

Can Comcast Create a Ghost Internet Account for You and Then Demand You Pay?

Consumerist is reporting this story of an unnamed Comcast subscriber. He/she tells it best:

“For the past few years now, I’ve been receiving harassing calls from Comcast Residential Services Collections Department telling me that I have an unpaid balance for internet service. This happens every 2-3 months (3 calls a day, 7 days a week), and when I follow up with Residential Services, it is always a new account they create, trying to charge me twice for my service (once for my Teleworker account, and once for the bunk Residential account). The Teleworker account has no outstanding balance, and is paid on time.”

Allegedly, to fix the issue takes several hours with customer service, and aggravating collection calls start coming again during the next billing cycle. It never seems to get fixed by Comcast Business Services, despite promises to the contrary.

Comcast reminds us of an important truth — monopolies are just un-American.

Comments (49)

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  • TheGreyPiper
    Posted on July 9, 2011 at 1:48am

    Hmm. I have Comcast and rarely have any tech problems. The times I do, I’m taken care of -well, adequately, I suppose. The support people are usually friendly and patient. I wish it could be cheaper, but I wish that of everything, these days.

    Now T-Mobile…..

    Report Post » TheGreyPiper  
  • mred33
    Posted on July 8, 2011 at 8:31pm

    Comcast quit sending monthly billing to everyone on my town about a year ago. Now it you don’t pay by the third week, they send someone to your house and threaten to turn you off if you don’t pay and they change you $25.00 for sending that person out. The person they send is an independent contractor that only collects the bills due and has nothing to do with Comcast. Out of the $25.00 fee, the contractor gets to keep $8.50, so you can see the advantage of sending them out. The last time they sent someone to my house to collect was on a Sunday AGAIN and my billing wasn’t due until Friday. Sending someone to my house a week early and cutting me off is the last thing they wanted to do to me. I told the collector to tell Comcast what they could do with their service and if they wanted me back again, I was NOT going to pay the re-connect fee, the service fee for collecting the bill and they would have to send me a bill in writing. So far it has been a month and I have yet to hear from them and I no longer have Comcast to worry me about paying a week early and collecting a $25.00 fee every time they send someone out a week early to collect it. The first time they tell me they are sending a collection agent out to collect what I owe, I will refer them to my lawyer.

    Ed

    Report Post » mred33  
  • dannyvabchva
    Posted on July 8, 2011 at 8:27pm

    Begining with the next billing cycle the unnamed Comcast subscriber should tell whoever he is talking to that he is recording their conversation. They will tell him that they are recording the conversation already. He should then tell them he wants his copy to give to his lawyer. Next ask the person he is talking to for their name, the companys name and a 1-800 number so his lawyer can call them if needed. He can explain the problem to them and tell them not to call again or they will here from his lawyer next time. Then hang up and see what happens. Another thing he could due is get a local TV station involved.

    Report Post »  
  • KissMyConservativeValues
    Posted on July 8, 2011 at 7:16pm

    I made the mistake of signing up with Comcast for cable when we moved into our new house two years ago. I have never delt with such worthless customer service in my life. It took weeks to get service cancelled, they charged me $530 for equipment that I had already returned and told me that I had to pay it then they would issue me a refund the following month. I asked the lady if she was crazy. They after a month long ordeal, they continued to call me no less than 13 times to find out why I cancelled my service and to see if they could get me back. I finally ended up screaming at lucky 13 and told them to quit harrassing me. I would love to see them go out of business.

    Report Post »  
  • Atrocities
    Posted on July 8, 2011 at 6:10pm

    I’ve had to deal with Comcast in the past and I can tell you that is why I switched to Qwest DSL. I spent two years fighting them for billings for service that I didn’t subscribe too six months after I canceled their service. They just kept billing me over and over again even though I didn’t have service through them. I became so tired of collection calls and negative reports on my credit file I finally had to use the law to force them to prove the debt. They could not and thanks to my states Attorney Generals Office – and Federal Laws governing collection agencies and credit reporting agencies. As I said it took a while but thanks to the AGO and the Federal Laws I was able to clear up the mess that Comcast caused. Now Qwest has sold out and this new company has started billing me twice a month now. So you cannot win when the Government is broke. as companies know that they can screw you and there is nothing that you can do about it but pay them. Its really boils down to how much justice can you afford to pay for. Thank you Mr. Obama for all the regulations that do nothing but screw the little guys.

    Report Post » Atrocities  
  • zoro51
    Posted on July 8, 2011 at 5:34pm

    thieves robbe4rs LIARS cheats where oh where ahs our under dog gone……. this riff raff needs to be punched in the nose

    Report Post » zoro51  
  • mrsmileyface
    Posted on July 8, 2011 at 5:06pm

    Thank GOD no Communistcast out where I live however if my provider starts doing this monkey crud with me Im already wired for Satellite. I have no loyalties to any one brand.

    Report Post » mrsmileyface  
  • Uncle Sammy
    Posted on July 8, 2011 at 3:52pm

    Well, I am glad to have read this. I was actually planning to switch from Dish to Comcast for TV and possibly from ATT to Comcast for internet / phone. The irritating thing with Dish is that they will argue with you that no way does the signal go out in a rain storm. Horse hockey. I have tested it on a TV hooked to both Dish and Cable. During a storm, theDish drops, cable is crystal clean. But, I’ll stick with Dish rather than deal with crappy customer service from Comcast. I don’t know how Pepsi got involved in this thread, but I’m not boycotting it, that is my favorite cola. BUT, if it makes everyone feel better, I’ll promise to look rather harshly at the next can before I open it..

    Report Post »  
    • tnalp
      Posted on July 9, 2011 at 1:11am

      I also have ATT and Direct TV. I think they the worst service and worst customer service of any company I have ever dealt with. Overcharged every month tv will go out at the slightest rain. Internet is very slow and not reliable. They threaten to charge you 200.00 dollars to send someone out to test what is wrong and then they can’t fine out whats wrong so you are left with the same problem. Eve the phone service is lousy, sometimes it only rings one time and the caller is still there. Calling then is lousy, it takes about 10 minutes to get a human then you reboot the computer and router numerous times, even though you have done that already. The all are c r a p.

      Report Post »  
    • keithff
      Posted on July 10, 2011 at 5:19am

      I like your comments about Pepsi, I have had prepaid broad band, this is the best that Im able to get at my location, I hate credit, have no credit cards or accounts, everything is cash or prepaid

      Report Post »  
  • Endstatism
    Posted on July 8, 2011 at 3:39pm

    There are many options under the law if you are one of those being harassed by Comcast for accounts you never had. First you have the right to demand proof of the debt If they do not provide written proof, they must cease collections or they can be sued under federal law. They cannot call a “debtor” multiple times on the same day for that is also a violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. You have the right to sue a creditor if they violate any provision of FCRA. In nearly all cases they will offer to settle since it will cost them more to fly their attorneys in and fight. You also have the option of contacting your state attorney general`s office or the FTC. And if you want to get rid of a collector real fast, tell them you do not give them permission to record the call. They will drop that call like a bad habit.

    Report Post » Endstatism  
  • Buzclip
    Posted on July 8, 2011 at 10:41am

    Since April 2010, when I changed my Cable TV/High Speed Internet subscription to a High Speed Internet only subscription with Comcast, Comcast has over charged me and gotten my billing statement wrong nearly every month since then. During January 2011, Comcast advised me that they did not have the proper billing codes to process my monthly billing statement correctly. Any one with direct payment from a banking account with any Cable Company Service should ensure that they are not being over charged or over paying for any Cable Company service. Someone should turn a larger collection agency loose upon Comcast.

    Report Post »  
  • Grey Matter
    Posted on July 8, 2011 at 10:36am

    I left Comcast a few months ago. When the $99 triple-play ended up costing me $165 a month I was just a little pissed off. Goodbye forever!

    Report Post » Grey Matter  
  • rdwhitaker
    Posted on July 8, 2011 at 10:07am

    When a someone, even a corporation, gives you something without your knowledge, consent & approval, its called “A GIFT!”

    Report Post »  
  • InversionTheory
    Posted on July 8, 2011 at 10:03am

    Speaking as a work-at-home employee… I have seen all kinds of problems from my fellow employees who have a different residential and business ISPs. It seems that it NEVER occurred to the ISPs that you wouldn’t have BOTH products from them, and therefore, their computers can’t handle it. C’mon folks! Let’s modernize! You can have your cake and eat it too in this case, but only if you fix that little loophole in the computer and stop bugging the customers for your incompetence.

    Report Post »  
  • SingerGuy
    Posted on July 8, 2011 at 9:29am

    I left Comcrap years ago and will never go back. The character limit precludes me from sharing my reasons, but they were legion. I have Digis microwave service now. I get 10MB down and 5MB up for $29.95/month. They have some bandwidth throttling (to prevent people from running a media sharing server in their home) but I can watch two Netflix movies per day and not hit their cap, so it never affects me.

    Report Post » SingerGuy  
  • Jim in Houston
    Posted on July 8, 2011 at 9:17am

    What would one expect when the top guys in Comcast are big fund raisers for our communist in chief. We were without cable, phone or internet for a couple of weeks after Hurricane Ike, but they couldn’t have cared less. It was only after I emailed the VP Operations and threatened to have our condo change providers that they became interested and contacted me within two hours. Comcast sucks!

    Report Post »  
  • Cheetosareus
    Posted on July 8, 2011 at 8:57am

    @Judg724
    I am also boycotting Pepsi. They traditionally sponsor the “gay pride parade” in San Francisco.

    Have nothing to do with Pepsi Cola.

    Fire Comcast!! How long does it take “unamed consumer” to realize he is in an abusive relationship.??

    Report Post »  
    • keithff
      Posted on July 10, 2011 at 5:11am

      You must be one small minded person. If we all had to boycott companies who support things that we don’t agree with, there would be no business. I would boycott and company that said anything or employed anyone who was anti gay. wake up, are you still with yr first wife or did you divorce. If you have remarried you are an abomination, if you wear clothing of mixed yarn, you are an abomination, if you have bacon and egg, you are an abomination, Get your facts straight and love others as God told you too. stop playing lip service to yr religion and start practicing Love as commanded by Jesus.

      Report Post »  
  • Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
    Posted on July 8, 2011 at 8:39am

    Sue `em. Never trust a corporate promise of “We’ll get that cleared up for you right away.“ or ”Your call is important to us.” The only thing Comcast is gonna understand is a lawsuit. They have their contracts. They have their billing statements. The judge will not have to think hard to make a just ruling and spank Comcast to get them to act right in these cases.

    Report Post » Lesbian Packing Hollow Points  
    • bane73
      Posted on July 8, 2011 at 9:42am

      @“Lesbian Packing Hollow Points” (as one of the Libertarians here on The Blaze, just want to say I appreciate seeing you here… everyone has a right to be themselves and still stand for basic core-American principles… I’m not an atheist, but sometimes the heavy-dose of non-libertarian conservatives here is hard to stomach)… now on to my actual reply…

      You have it absolutely right. Several years ago I tried altering my service with Comcast but ended up being sold something different. After *NUMEROUS* phone calls and letters, I finally sued them in small-claims court. 2 days before the court-date I rec‘d a check from their attorney for my court fees and the amount I’d already paid that I shouldn’t have owed. The billing-problem was corrected and the harassing phone calls stopped. All it took was about $100 or so and 1 trip to the court to file a 1-page form to start the suit.

      People, if we expect gov’t (by which I mean, the legislatures) to solve every problem for us, we will continue to be unsatisfied. When appropriate, VOTE WITH YOUR FEET — and in other situations, SUE IN COURT! Suing companies like this in small claims is one of the most effective tools we have, but practically no one knows how to do it. LEARN.

      Report Post »  
    • Jim in Houston
      Posted on July 8, 2011 at 1:34pm

      If your call is important to them, why don’t they have more people to answer the calls? And, of course,the call is monitored or recorded for quality and training purposes – no to cover their butt.

      Report Post »  
  • Ialmostforgot
    Posted on July 8, 2011 at 7:41am

    I like collection agencies. You get to mess with them on the phone. Lead them to believe your gonna pay, then, WHAM, they don’t get anything. When they say they will take you to court you say, “OK, let’s go there!” They always stop calling after that.

    Report Post »  
    • Cheetosareus
      Posted on July 8, 2011 at 9:01am

      But they will get even by ruining your credit by reporting you to all the credit reporting agencies.

      Report Post »  
    • ds9kicks
      Posted on July 10, 2011 at 2:18am

      What if your credit’s already ruined? I believe ialmostforgot is in the same boat as I am and the bill has already been reported to credit agencies anyway. Life IS possible with bad credit!

      Report Post »  
  • stonepigs.com
    Posted on July 8, 2011 at 7:33am

    Time Warner is no better: they are apparently run by avowed communists! http://stonepigs.com/?p=479 Based on their own testimony, I can come to no other conclusion. I have vowed never to send them another dime of my money if I can help it.

    Report Post » stonepigs.com  
  • MrObvious
    Posted on July 8, 2011 at 7:15am

    Comcast is notorious for bad customer service.
    This new story takes it to a whole new level though.

    Most cell companies now offer 3g/4g internet services.
    They compete with each other; so, prices and service are reasonable.

    Report Post »  
    • CatB
      Posted on July 9, 2011 at 2:12pm

      Yes .. TRY to put Comcast on vacation hold ..they will bill you for the HOLD and then for the serviice you are NOT receiving .. I have had this happen EVERY year I have puti it on hold …

      Report Post »  
  • Alfredo2131
    Posted on July 8, 2011 at 7:14am

    Considering the number of times said consumer has had the same problem, I hope s/he had the common sense to ‘tape’ each call made to Customer No-Service, after having dealt with the problem the first time.
    Otherwise, file a complaint with the local Better Business Bureau, States Attorneys Office, or even with a local news station that airs a ‘consumer advocacy’ segment where they report on any waste/fraud/unfair practices conducted by local businesses, governments, landlords, etc.

    Report Post » Alfredo2131  
    • momsense
      Posted on July 8, 2011 at 1:44pm

      FCC would be a good idea, if the weren’t attached to Obama at the hip.

      Report Post »  
  • dizzyinthedark
    Posted on July 8, 2011 at 7:08am

    Exactly Thunder4570! Service for your dollar or move on and buy as much American products as you can!!

    Report Post » dizzyinthedark  
  • thunder4570
    Posted on July 8, 2011 at 6:23am

    I am a big believer in service for your dollar, If you are not getting your moneys worth or being harrassed while doing business go some where else for service! That is the only way to get your message through to these bad companies, if enough people drop them because of bad practises sooner or later they get the message!

    Report Post » thunder4570  
    • J.C. McGlynn
      Posted on July 8, 2011 at 11:29am

      Or the opposite, get a lawyer and sue for harrassment.

      Report Post » J.C. McGlynn  
    • the_ancient
      Posted on July 8, 2011 at 9:37pm

      There is no competition in Net Services……

      People claim there is, but if anyone is in the tech business and uses their connection for anything more than checking the Blaze, or email, then you know that Cable Internet has no comptition in 90% of the market….. The only viable alternative is FioS or other FTTH services.

      DSL, 4G, 3G, or any other connection is not serious competition in to the lastest DOCSIS 3 service

      Report Post » the_ancient  
  • judg724
    Posted on July 8, 2011 at 2:28am

    If I were being harassed by these stupid thugs, I certainly wouldn’t be using a Comcast “business class” internet connection. There is higher speed DSL, satellite, and many wireless companies offering service, that I would patronize, and kick Comcast to the curb. People just need to be more active in their lives and tell their family, friends, and neighbors of their trauma and encourage others to seek business elsewhere as well. For example, I’m boycotting Pepsi because “Dozens of pro-life groups are calling on pro-life Americans to boycott PepsiCo because it has contracted with a company that uses fetal cells from babies victimized by abortions to test and produce artificial flavor enhancers.” http://www.lifenews.com/2011/05/25/pro-life-groups-boycott-pepsi-for-using-aborted-fetal-cell-lines/ How any company can do this is just unreal, and pure EVIL! Why would they make a decision o do such a thing? Well, first, they couldn’t care less about unborn children. But, from a business standpoint, they have probably calculated that people are so selfish and concentrating on other things so much that they just don’t really care. And ya know what? Pepsi’s right! People just don’t care. Sad, very sad. http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/news/31059-pro-life-groups-boycott-pepsi-after-abortion-revelation

    Report Post » judg724  
    • teddrunk
      Posted on July 8, 2011 at 7:07am

      I didn’t know about this disgusting practice by PepsiCo. I already dumped them when they made obvious pro-Obama move with their logo change. I dumped all their companies for good.

      Report Post »  
  • glenng2
    Posted on July 8, 2011 at 2:08am

    Well what do you expect from leftwing operations they always expect something for nothing at someone else’s expense. Cancell your comcast accounts and Go sattelite.

    Report Post »  
    • Bearack
      Posted on July 8, 2011 at 9:18am

      A short story of my experience and it wasn’t pleasant and of course, no longer a customer. First, I noticed my broadband was getting slower and slower. I actually attributed that to maybe my PC getting older and my cluttered but soon after, I started losing channels on my cable. At first I didn’t pay much attention to it because it was channels I didn’t frequent but soon after, it was channels like History and Discovery which I frequent often. I called them and after 5 DIFFERENT specialist, they finally concluded (after about a month of research) that a line about a block away near the proxy had broken. They advised me it would be $2000 to have it repaired….. I was “what are you talking about? It’s impacting everyone and I didn’t break it”. They said the only way it were going to get fixed was if I were to pay the service fee. I told them to take their crap with them and get out of my house. Direct TV has been a blessing every sense!

      Report Post » Bearack  
    • tower7femacamp
      Posted on July 8, 2011 at 12:15pm

      http://www.infowars.com/fbi-claims-oklahoma-city-bombing-tapes-missing/

      Report Post » tower7femacamp  
    • Carl1 Supports Israel
      Posted on July 8, 2011 at 3:30pm

      That’s why i told COMMIE CAST to go f— them self

      Report Post » Carl1 Supports Israel  
    • SteveZ
      Posted on July 8, 2011 at 6:51pm

      I recommend keeping good records on your communications with the cable company and then, if you don’t get your problem resolved, file a complaint with the FCC.
      http://www.fcc.gov/guides/how-file-complaint
      File the complaint with the FCC and copy your cable companies business office.

      Report Post » SteveZ  
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