LegallyConfused
New Member
Here's my question. I live in Massachusetts and I have Comcast cable television.
Every time my cable TV goes out I call them, wait on hold, and then finally get to report the problem. Their technician will invariably rattle off some useless technical solutions that NEVER works like disconnect/reconnect the coax cable or reboot the cable box, etc. In the meantime the show I was watching is already over and basically makes the point of my call moot (I'm not a big TV watcher so it's very rare that the show that's coming on next matters to me).
Usually by the next day, the cable is "magically" working again. I call Comcast back and let them know that the problem has solved itself somehow. They'll give me some BS line about how the problem was probably caused by a loose cable on my end or something. Riiiiiight. Because loose cables tighten themselves back up again and because the problem could never be with there end.
I always ask them the same question: "will you rebate my monthly payment?" I always get the same response: No, but they'll credit me back for the hour, day or how ever long the cable was out.
This double standard is what I don't understand and I am hoping that someone here can explain the legalities to me. I (like everyone with cable TV) pay a flat rate for a month of service. It is not based on an hourly usage, so whether I use the TV or not I am still charged the same amount. I could spend an entire month with the TV off and they would still charge me for the whole month, but if the signal goes out, they only rebate that lost amount of time. Why is that and why is it legal? Why is it always a flat rate in Comcast's favor and an hourly rate when the situation is in customer's favor?? If I went to a movie theater and half way through the movie the film snaps or the projector breaks, the movie theater doesn't rebate me the value of the amount of the movie that I missed. They rebate me the whole amount. Because they understand that you are paying for an uninterrupted service. Why isn't cable television legally held to that same standard?
Every time my cable TV goes out I call them, wait on hold, and then finally get to report the problem. Their technician will invariably rattle off some useless technical solutions that NEVER works like disconnect/reconnect the coax cable or reboot the cable box, etc. In the meantime the show I was watching is already over and basically makes the point of my call moot (I'm not a big TV watcher so it's very rare that the show that's coming on next matters to me).
Usually by the next day, the cable is "magically" working again. I call Comcast back and let them know that the problem has solved itself somehow. They'll give me some BS line about how the problem was probably caused by a loose cable on my end or something. Riiiiiight. Because loose cables tighten themselves back up again and because the problem could never be with there end.
I always ask them the same question: "will you rebate my monthly payment?" I always get the same response: No, but they'll credit me back for the hour, day or how ever long the cable was out.
This double standard is what I don't understand and I am hoping that someone here can explain the legalities to me. I (like everyone with cable TV) pay a flat rate for a month of service. It is not based on an hourly usage, so whether I use the TV or not I am still charged the same amount. I could spend an entire month with the TV off and they would still charge me for the whole month, but if the signal goes out, they only rebate that lost amount of time. Why is that and why is it legal? Why is it always a flat rate in Comcast's favor and an hourly rate when the situation is in customer's favor?? If I went to a movie theater and half way through the movie the film snaps or the projector breaks, the movie theater doesn't rebate me the value of the amount of the movie that I missed. They rebate me the whole amount. Because they understand that you are paying for an uninterrupted service. Why isn't cable television legally held to that same standard?
