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Unread 03/04/2009, 04:37 PM   #1
SLOreefer
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OT: Anyone have an extra modem fs for comcast? also any opinions on surewest?

I need to get a modem and thought I'd see if anyone had an extra aying around for sale for a decent price, otherwise I will just rent theirs.

the approved/disaproved list is on this link.
http://media2.comcast.net/anon.comca...c/cmclist1.htm

Also, does anyone have any opinions on the quality of Surewest?

Thanks!


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Unread 03/04/2009, 04:42 PM   #2
Ballageddon
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I have Surewest and can't really complain. I have had them for 3yrs and I had the modem die once,..but they replaced it for me. Nice and fast in my book.


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Unread 03/04/2009, 04:55 PM   #3
Bamm Bamm
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I believe Surewest got bought out by Verizon? I could be wrong...
I have comcast and it works 100% of the time have never had a problem (except once when I forgot to pay the bill=)I haven't had surewest service though


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Unread 03/04/2009, 05:11 PM   #4
RonMidtownStomp
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Funny, Comcast is installing at my house tomorrow between 2 and 4pm. I figured I'd just rent their modem for $36/year and if anything happens to it, they can give me a new one.

Ron


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Unread 03/04/2009, 05:21 PM   #5
Reefugee
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Being a techie, I'd probably purchase a cable modem modem rather than rent one. Advantage of renting is that if something goes wrong, they are more likely to support you. IMO - Comcast support isn't very good. (Ok - they suck! But so does AT&T DSL.)


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Unread 03/04/2009, 05:29 PM   #6
funman1
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Yep I'm the smae way I just rent it for $3 per month..
If if breaks they replace it..
That's my thoughts..


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Unread 03/04/2009, 05:38 PM   #7
Bamm Bamm
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Oh yeah I forgot to say we rent ours also..it's cheap and if there ever was an issue I'd rather call comcast then the tech support for a modem company that is probably being outsourced overseas..


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Unread 03/04/2009, 06:09 PM   #8
funman1
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Plus if Comcast has an issue they can just blame it on your modem and there's no way to prove them wrong.


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Unread 03/04/2009, 06:30 PM   #9
Bamm Bamm
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LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL


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Unread 03/05/2009, 02:42 AM   #10
Trevor S
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Go surewest if you can.. Comcast has too many outages.... I have had surewest back when it was roseville telephone, and with their new fiber service its great!! Never need a modem again! 20MB down 50MB up... with my 100$ month package.

I maintaint several other comcast accounts, and modems go out about once a year, and its a pain to get provisioned again, usually have to send tech out the 2nd time to "troubleshoot", usually because they give you a faulty modem


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Unread 03/05/2009, 11:18 AM   #11
Larry Robison
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I have Surewest (fiber) and have NEVER had a problem. It is wicked fast, too. I hear that Comcast is now just as fast, but I have never had them, so I can only comment on Surewest & ATT (had DSL for a couple of years - yuck!).

Larz


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Unread 03/05/2009, 11:33 AM   #12
shiveley
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I just signed up for Comcast yesterday...wish me luck!


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Unread 03/05/2009, 03:10 PM   #13
funman1
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Depending on the quality of equipment and cables in the ground in your area you will either,

A) Love Comcast and think they are the best and fastest ever
OR
B) Hate Comcast and it will never work right.

I have found you are 1 of those two, but not much in between


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Unread 03/05/2009, 03:56 PM   #14
Reefugee
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I hate Comcast, but I am debating on switching over to them because my DSL is so slow, and they won't upgrade me. For the longest time, Comcast would cut people off for exceeding a magical bandwidth limit, but they wouldn't tell you what the limit was. Now at least they advertise 250GB. When HD movies come out, you'll hit that limit very quickly. *sigh*


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Unread 03/05/2009, 05:49 PM   #15
funman1
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Trust me Mihn I go over that limit each month!
I have done extensive reading on that subject, and they basically say unless you are REALLY misusing the service by going WAY over 500+GBs per month they won't even bother.

I go over by 50-75BG per month over that 250
My router reports monthly bandwidth so I know how much I'm really using.
We watch a TON of netflix movies on the xbox online, that's why my usage is so high.


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Unread 03/05/2009, 05:58 PM   #16
fishwood
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I have a frightening anecdote about Comcast modems.

I called to cancel service in Denver, and asked them if I needed to return the modem. She said "we have no record of you having one of our modems, so it must be yours. Just keep it and you can use it when you hook up service in California."

Comcast came to install service when we moved out here. The tech saw that I already had a modem in place and said, "where'd you get that?" I told him about the call I made in Denver.

He said, "Better be sure," and called up somebody from his cell, and read the serial number to them on the bottom of the modem. They said "yep, must be his, just use that one."

He sets the service up with my old modem, three months go by, nothing happens. Then I start getting letters in the mail saying that I have failed to return Comcast property, and have been assessed $100 penalty, and will be going to collections shortly unless I return it.

I call Comcast California offices. They refer me to Comcast Colorado offices. Colorado offices refer me back to California offices. I give up trying to do anything on the phone.

I call up California Comcast one more time and ask them where I can return the box they said I "own" so that I can swap it out for an identical box. They give me the address of some place over in Fair Oaks.

I arrive at the Fair Oaks location to learn that he cannot give me a replacement modem, he's just some guy who contracts with Comcast to receive modems--he then explains to me that he hates Comcast, as they always send people to his store to do swaps.

I call Comcast from his office. The rep admits this is a common mistake, sending people to places that can only receive modems, but have none to dispense. He then sends me to a Roseville office.

I go to the Roseville office and do the swap. The Roseville Comcast store rep is quite nice, but confused by the situation. After several minutes, she tells me she can prepare a receipt verifying that I returned the modem they said I owned, and she gives me a new one to use here in California. She then faxes the receipt directly to Comcast Colorado, and says this will clear everything up.

The letters threatening collections and demanding the modem back keep coming...

I call Comcast Colorado again and ask them, "Didn't you get the receipt showing I turned it in?" She responds something to the effect of "I have no way of tracking that" and adds "besides, you can't return it to the California office, it needs to be mailed here."

I curse.

I curse again, then apologize that my cursing is not directed at her, but rather the evil, faceless corporabot whose nature she has assimilated to.

I go back to Comcast's Roseville office, copy of receipt in hand, and ask them to phone Comcast Colorado from their office to explain that they took the modem back, and they need to cease and desist with the collections letters. I tell them that I have been patient through this absurd process, but if I get another letter I'm filing the BBB report and a fraud complaint with the state AG.

Finally, the letters stop coming, and in return I receive a $60 check for an unrelated billing error in my favor.

So basically what I am saying is Comcast is awesome.


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Unread 03/05/2009, 06:29 PM   #17
funman1
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HAHAHA!

I had an issue similar to that, where one system said I had returned equipment and the other said I did not?

I just gave up and went straight to the BBB and 2 days later got a call from a "Special Rep" with Comcast that asked me what would make me happy.

I told him the issue,
and he said "done... fixed... gone away! anything else?"
I said "6 months free would be nice..." (Jokingly)
He said "done, anything else?"
I said "hahaha nope I guess?"
He said "Then you will tell BBB that we have satisfied you?"
I said "Yep!"

I have no complaints now, and haven't had a problem since. That was 5 years ago.


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Unread 03/05/2009, 06:42 PM   #18
fishwood
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The whole BBB thing is weird (albeit helpful).

I had an issue with Sprint a couple of years ago. Their website said that my contract had expired, so I cancelled service because I wanted to switch carriers. They then tried to come back and say that I was still under contract, and they levied the early termination fee. I had a print screen of the web page that told me the contract was up (it actually probably wasn't, but I relied on it being accurate so it's kind of irrelevant). We went round and round about it, they refused to take off the early termination fee. Finally I said I'm filing a BBB report. They said 'do what you have to do.'

So I did, and two weeks later some uber-nice lady calls me up, I tell her what happens, she apologizes profusely and takes the fee off immediately.

They really can turn on a dime when you actually go through with the report.

Not to deviate too much from the topic, but one thing that I've found is extremely useful when dealing with the service depts of big companies is strategically dropping the term "fraud" in to the conversation.

I'm no lawyer, and any lawyer would easily see that I'm no lawyer. The thing is though, most people aren't lawyers, and customer service reps are less of a lawyer than I am. Ergo, they can't necessarily call my bluff when I start loosely throwing about legalese that I really am not qualified to explain.

That's where the whole 'fraud' thing comes up. I highly recommend to everyone that you have some pseudo-sophisticated definition memorized that you can spit out when the moment arrives. Like if I'm in a heated conversation with a service rep about something that I know was their fault, sometimes I'll just stop whatever I'm saying and ask "Do you know what fraud is?" This usually grinds the existing argument to a halt. Usually they'll say either "no" or they'll throw it back and say "do you know what it is?"

And that's when you use your ace in the hole. "Fraud is the deliberate misrepresentation of fact for personal gain." Which may or may not be a close proxy of what it actually is, but they don't know that. Then you proceed to explain A) What the fact was, B) How it was misrepresented, and C) How they financially profited from it. And say it all really fast...speed is key.

I've gotten loads of shady billing, random fees, etc fixed that way.


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Unread 03/05/2009, 07:09 PM   #19
funman1
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I find I can get a Top Tier Manager when the reps answers and I tell them I'm recording the call for Legal purposes.

That takes you straight to the top!



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