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Comcast Cable Collections

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CrookedComcast

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? New Jersey

I have had Comcast since 2007, and had no problems with them or their billing practices. However, I just moved in March and had my service transferred to the new address and it's been nothing but problems since. Before transferring service my bill was $174.98. I had automatic payments set up, but I noticed my credit card had a pending charge for $340.09. I called Comcast who told me that they bill a month in advance, but I would see credits on my next bill. I told them this was unexceptable and that I wanted a credit back to my card, I'd pay the full bill without credits when it was due. No credit, so I disputed it with my credit card for the amount of 174.98, so the credit card gave me the difference, and I paid what I was supposed to. However, when I paid my next bill, I noticed under a section called unbilled activity a charge for $340.09. Once again I contacted comcast, the csr told me she would write a ticket. The next month, the unbilled activity became a one-time charge of 340.09, giving me a cable bill of over $500, due by May 20th. I went to the payment center with documents and was once again told they would write an escalated ticket. When the 20th came, I paid everything but the $340.09. Finally, I had enough of Comcast and went to the better business bureau. I then got a call from someone at their corporate office, who told me that when I disputed the payment the bank reported crediting me, and they thought it was the full amount, since they'd put credits on my comcast account, they recharged the full amount. They gave me a credit for half, but I had to pay the other $170.00. No problem I thought. Then I tried to get financing on a mortgage, the man ran my credit report and said I didn't qaulify. I don't have the best credit, but I was told he could work with me as long as my score was above 620. It was, or so I thought, literally the next day, I got my credit report. My score had been brought down 27 points because Eastern Account Systems had reported a collection item in April, and it was reported again in May. I'd never heard of them, so I called creditinform to get their info, called them, and was told it was reported from COMCAST for the amount of $340.09. They are trying to say that when they transferred my service they closed my old account, and when I disputed the payment it went back to the old account, and since it was closed it then went straight to collections. Comcast said if my old account was still active I would have been notified of the collection. Can they do that? Also, if it went straight to collection for the old account, how the hell did it show up on my NEW account in April as unbilled activity. They messed me up big time, and now they are telling me that it will be another 60 days before it is removed from my credit report. What can I do???
 


Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
You seem to have a problem with patience. You shouldn't have disputed the amount with your credit card. You were going to receive credit for it.
 

Antigone*

Senior Member
You seem to have a problem with patience. You shouldn't have disputed the amount with your credit card. You were going to receive credit for it.
It is common practice to bill ahead instead of in arrears. Just like you said. He/She would have been fine, had he/she just gone along with the program.
 

CrookedComcast

Junior Member
OK, I know my post was long but maybe you should read things carefully before you respond. I was NOT getting a credit back on my credit card and guess what, I don't know how YOU pay your bills, but I put balances on my card and pay it off in full each month. I don't let balances fester and get ridiculous interest charges because like I said my credit was not the best but it's been better than it has been for quite some time. And guess what, if you send me a bill for 174.98 and you bill me 340.09 it's not ok to just say we'll credit your account, no credit the account you took the money from, which is my credit card. They should have never agreed to credit the card if they were going to apply the credits to my comcast account. Furthermore, I work in customer care, so I have plenty of patience, I deal with disgruntled people several times a day. NOW... MOVING forward, if your comment does not pertain to the question that I mentioned at the end... you need not respond. I didn't post this to get options on my level of patience, but to get suggestions on how to proceed in my current situation. Thanks!
 

Antigone*

Senior Member
OK, I know my post was long but maybe you should read things carefully before you respond. I was NOT getting a credit back on my credit card and guess what, I don't know how YOU pay your bills, but I put balances on my card and pay it off in full each month. I don't let balances fester and get ridiculous interest charges because like I said my credit was not the best but it's been better than it has been for quite some time. And guess what, if you send me a bill for 174.98 and you bill me 340.09 it's not ok to just say we'll credit your account, no credit the account you took the money from, which is my credit card. They should have never agreed to credit the card if they were going to apply the credits to my comcast account. Furthermore, I work in customer care, so I have plenty of patience, I deal with disgruntled people several times a day. NOW... MOVING forward, if your comment does not pertain to the question that I mentioned at the end... you need not respond. I didn't post this to get options on my level of patience, but to get suggestions on how to proceed in my current situation. Thanks!

Our point is had you paid the bill like every other customer (one month ahead), your cable bill would have been lower the following month. This is a common practice.

And now, since you've been less than coridal, I will say that you are now on your own. tigi, out:cool:
 

CrookedComcast

Junior Member
Ok, and you're still incorrect. And no problem being on my own, I am smart enough to get advice from more than one source. This is one option of many, and one of who knows how many online forums. Sorry, you thought you were God and the know-all-go to for my situation.

Like I mentioned... MOVING FORWARD...YOU need NOT respond with opinions, just a suggestion. The two of you talking about my patience does not change the current situation. Nor does saying "if or should have" Should have could have would have...guess what it's already happened so those type of suggestions are not useful.

So if that's all you can suggest, is what I SHOULD HAVE done, then I'm better off on my own apparentlym, because clearly you want me to go back in time and do things differently.:D
 

CrookedComcast

Junior Member
And now, since you've been less than coridal, I will say that you are now on your own. tigi, out:cool:

Oh, and I could have said a lot worse, so I think I've been more than CORDIAL, I could have told you both to go kick rocks and play in traffic, I simply mentioned that you should have read my post and responded accordingly:cool:.
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
Oh, and I could have said a lot worse, so I think I've been more than CORDIAL, I could have told you both to go kick rocks and play in traffic, I simply mentioned that you should have read my post and responded accordingly:cool:.
I read it and responded accordingly. You handled this wrong and put yourself in this predicament.
 
What should you do now? You should get debt validation from the CA. If you paid off Comcast the amount owed as you claimed, it should end there.

You are at least partly responsible for your misery by disputing a valid charge on your credit card which caused a domino effect. Take some responsibility.

Also, the posters on here give very good advice and you'd be wise to listen so you don't repeat your mistakes. We're all volunteers; if you want to get rude go pay a lawyer to listen to you whine :rolleyes:
 

CrookedComcast

Junior Member
Thanks randolph for your suggestions, as for your OPINION, I did seek council, but my appointment isn't until the 11th. Just wanted to get some advice in the mean time. I'm not saying I didn't take responsibility. But since you guys know it all. Let me state that they bill accounts a month in advance, for NEW accounts, all I did was move to a new address, as I metioned I've had their service since 2007. So, no I did expect to be billed a month in advance. My account is currently paid up. The main problem is not with the dispute, The real problem lies in them sending the account to collections because it was "closed" and also billing the new account for the disputed payment. Either you rebill me and we work it out from there, or you send it to collections. But if you are currently rebilling me and it's not due until May, why was it reported as a collection item in April? Does that help to get some better advice?
 
Thanks randolph for your suggestions, as for your OPINION, I did seek council, but my appointment isn't until the 11th. Just wanted to get some advice in the mean time. I'm not saying I didn't take responsibility. But since you guys know it all. Let me state that they bill accounts a month in advance, for NEW accounts, all I did was move to a new address, as I metioned I've had their service since 2007. So, no I did expect to be billed a month in advance. My account is currently paid up. The main problem is not with the dispute, The real problem lies in them sending the account to collections because it was "closed" and also billing the new account for the disputed payment. Either you rebill me and we work it out from there, or you send it to collections. But if you are currently rebilling me and it's not due until May, why was it reported as a collection item in April? Does that help to get some better advice?
I certainly don't know it all. I admit my mistakes when I make them and I've made some :)

It sounds like you did have a new account when you moved though. They closed the old and created a new one and they can send any account to collections that they're owed money on. I agree they probably shouldn't have done both but I don't see that it's illegal to do so. You'd have to ask Comcast as to why they sent it to collections when they did - but they are certainly entitled to.
 

cosine

Senior Member
It is common practice to bill ahead instead of in arrears. Just like you said. He/She would have been fine, had he/she just gone along with the program.
It's only recently common. Comcast tried to do this to me, but not when I signed up or moved or anything. They just up and billed for TWO months after I'd had service for 3 years (this event was in 2006). Fortunately I was not on any kind of auto-payment system, so I write a check each month. I called in and told them I was NOT their finance company and that if they didn't want me to run off to Dishnet, they would fix this right now, and that if they didn't fix it right now, to just transfer the call to the retentions department.

But they obviously did get a big loan out of their other customers, or got a lot of phone calls, or whatever. But so far nothing has changed except I did sign up for HD about a couple years after that and things are still OK so far.
 

cosine

Senior Member
You seem to have a problem with patience. You shouldn't have disputed the amount with your credit card. You were going to receive credit for it.
Comcast seems to be having a problem with getting things done. 60 days? That's just plain putting it off for no good reason. I know for a fact that Comcast has computers. If they know these things are to be corrected, they can just do it now ... today ... don't put it off until tomorrow. The real fact is that these big corporations are intentionally dragging things out like this to earn money off the money they are holding to boost their bottom line and the expense of working people. If the government were doing this, we'd be saying they are ripping off the taxpayers.
 

CrookedComcast

Junior Member
Thank you Cosine. It's good to hear from someone else who has had a personal experience with Comcast. I've seen so many complaints it's ridiculous. I think that's why they give new account numbers to people who transfer service just so they can bill them 2 months in advance. Even the bank can change an address on an account, but the account number would be the same. Comcast is a rip off point blank, but I must admit my only other option is Fios, and that's even worse from what I hear.:(
 

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