DirecTV or Comcast?

[Tee it Up]

A little background. I have had DirecTV for about 5 years now and have been generally pleased with it, except for the maddening weather outages. I also have internet and phone thru AT&T. The two services cost about $170 a month.

Yesterday I got a visit from a guy who was going around the neighborhood trying to sign up old cable customers for Comcast. They have an offer that would get me cable (with similar channels), phone and internet for $89.99 a month for the first month and $109 for year two. It would be great to save the $80 a month by switching, but I keep seeing lots of complaints about Comcast's service and their customer service (or lack thereof).

Does anyone have any recent experience with Comcast, good or bad? I don't want to make a switch and spend the next 2 years regretting my decision. If Comcast is going to be trouble, I'd rather keep what I have, even if it costs more.

Thanks, Dave

 

[ICF]

It's called Comcrap for a reason......

 

[Ohiodislover]

We've had comcast cable for 5 years now. We got the triple play incl phone and internet about 2 years ago. Last year the extended the first year deal, and a few weeks ago I called and they again lowered my package price. I had thought about direct TV and Fios but they couldn't beat comcast prices. Our total bill for cable with sho, hbo, starz, and cinemax in 4 rooms with 2 DVRs, wireless internet and unlimited phone is $185/month. I priced the same with Vios and it was closer to $200. Haven't priced direct TV but will get their prices once we move next month and have a place for the dish.

We have had no issues with the phone, very few with the internet service, and I can't think of too many cable issues either. Maybe we are just lucky.

 

[kaytieeldr]

It's called Comcrap for a reason......

Oh? I couldn't find any listing for that name on the NYSE...

OP - yeah, I know what ICF is saying, but you have to remember, you're generally not going to hear much from people who are happy with WHATEVER company they use - whether it's Dish, or DirecTV, or AT&T, or Verizon, or Comcast, or Cablevision... (same goes for any industry, by the way).

I know Comcast has a thirty day money back guarantee, and I think even after that you're not 'stuck' (no early termination fee) with anything if it turns out you're one of the not-happy customers. I have Comcast - but not THAT deal, grrr! - and honestly, I've had ONE call drop in the middle of the conversation in the year I've had it, and that could just as easily have been the other person (cell phone). I just checked my internet speed yesterday, for fun, and it's supposed to be 15 Mb download? It was running at 17.2 Mb download, i.e. even faster than what I'm paying for.

Calling for help can be a little aggravating - I hate "press this, press that" - but on the other hand, I haven't really had any problems, except getting my caller ID application on the computer running.

 

[RachelEllen]

I switched from Comcast to DirecTV and am so happy I did.

I really can't even begin to describe the customer service nightmare that was Comcast. I think, with our three services and about 2 years with Comcast, all three services were working about 20% of the time. Our entire experience with them would take a novel, but the highlights include:

....endless waits on the phone. followed by retelling long detailed stories of what our problem was. followed by someone taking the same steps others had taken before in an attempt to fix it and not letting us get any further until we followed all their directions. followed by scheduling yet another repair person. who inevitabely would either only be scheduling for the next three days or not for three weeks.

....repair people coming out and, inevitablely not being the right type of repair person. or, not having permission to make the right repair or change out the right equipment

....a nonfunctioning DVR which turned out (after paying for it for 10 months) to not be a DVR box after all. And, a DVR box installed with my TiVO

....and my all time favorite, a no show on my scheduled visit to fix phone service. because I didn't answer my home phone on the previsit phone call. BECAUSE THE VISIT WAS TO FIX MY PHONE.


I'd avoid Comcast at all cost. Also, be aware that their packages may be with the slowest internet. I found all sorts of upcharges. My 99$ triple play ended up being about $150/month (middle of the road internet, more than one phone jack, etc, box rental, etc)

 

[barkley]

call att and tell them you've had a better offer on the phone/internet. ask them what they will do to keep you as a customer.

we did this when we lived in an att/comcast served area. att dropped the cost of our package down below comcasts, and guaranteed it for 2 years (vs comcast's one with it raising the second).

one consideration that comcast (and most cable companies) fail to mention when they offer these deals is the cost of local taxes for cable service. when we switched to direct tv the absence of those taxes on the satelite bill made them very comparable to what we had been paying for comcast (and they seem much more responsive to the few technical problems we've had to report).

 

[RadioNate]

I think you can bundle ATT with Direct TV to save money. Is Uverse available in your area?

As a very happy Direct TV customer I would never go back to cable. We had a small issue with Direct TV due to a move and they were awesome fixing it w/in an hour. They were really really great.

Cable customer service is non-existant and I'm not sure I'd sign up with a guy going door to door.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Really? If everything was presented to you clearly and all your questions were answered to your satisfaction - and remember, the OP said the door to door rep was going to former Comcast customers, so people who were already aware of the company - why wouldn't you sign up with someone employed by the company whose services were being sold?

I'm acquainted with one of those door to door reps. They work for Comcast, and I'm sure they have some proof of that - so anything they offer you would have to be backed up by Comcast, wouldn't it?

 

[lsyorke]

I've had Comcast for years now....around 15?? Only minor problems that were easily solved.

 

[gallaj0]

I just went through this same situation back in September. We had DirecTV, Verizon DSL for internet and Verizon phone. We had constant problems with the weather and loss of signal woth DirecTv but were willing to live with it over Comcast. Them we started having real problems with the phone and internet through Verizon; we'd loose internet entirely, phone was always full of static, repeated service calls to the liones outside and inside the house, and all the time Verizon claimed there was nothing wrong with their service, even though it wouldn't work. After the last call for service, which was over 2 hours on the phone and ended with Verizon in India hanging up on we, I called Comcast for their triple play, tv phone and internet. We've never been happier, and unless something drastic changes with the DirecTV service that stops loss of signal entirely, we'll never go back.

 

[Hillbeans]

We have DTV for television and Comcast for internet and phone (Dh wants football games hence why we don't have the triple play).

I generally think the Internet/Phone service with Comcast is ok but I hate their customer service. You have to set up this pin # and if you are married only one of the two of you can call on the account...it doesn't matter if it's your home account and you can't put two people on the account. That annoys me to no end.

I agree with PP and don't think anyone "loves" any of their cable, internet, phone or Utility providers.

 

[kaytieeldr]

and if you are married only one of the two of you can call on the account...it doesn't matter if it's your home account and you can't put two people on the account.

Ooh! No! I know this one, from experience!!!

Now, or when you have time, or when you need to call them anyway - the person on the account says, "Please put on my account that Hillbeans has full authority on this account". Or words to that effect.

 

[ICF]

I agree with PP and don't think anyone "loves" any of their cable, internet, phone or Utility providers.

I can honestly say that I have not had any bad experiences with Direct TV in the 15 or so months that I have had them. Love may be a strong word to use over my TV provider, but I would have nothing but good things to say about them so far.

 

[bicker]

Does anyone have any recent experience with Comcast, good or bad? I don't want to make a switch and spend the next 2 years regretting my decision. If Comcast is going to be trouble, I'd rather keep what I have, even if it costs more.

The difference in service quality between the various service providers is pretty minimal. Comcast gets a 61 rating, up almost 5 points from last year, while DirecTV gets a 68 rating, down over 4 points from last year. [Source: ASCI.] There is no reason to think that these trends will continue, but if they do, as you can see, Comcast will surpass DirecTV sometime this year. You can have problems with any supplier, and can have no problems with any supplier.

One of the things to keep in mind about Comcast is that they're in the midst of rolling out very substantial improvements in service nationwide, i.e., using analog reclamation to offer over 100 HD channels. For the first time, Comcast now offers more HD channels than even FiOS, in some areas. (I can check your area's status, if you'd like. I would just need your zip code.)

 

[Tee it Up]

Thanks for all of the info. I actually was a customer of a small local cable company that was gobbled up by Comcast. I changed services before that happened so I don't have any first hand experience with them. I think I'm going to call both Direct and AT&T and see what they can do. I don't have them bundled so it's a little hard to get a direct comparison; I have to deal with each separately.

 

[bicker]

If the small company was Adelphia, I would be very careful about switching "back" to Comcast. Adelphia was the worst run cable company on the face of the Earth. The detritus they left behind was such crap that practically no cable company was willing to come in and pick up from where they left off. Comcast did so only grudgingly, and offering no assurances that they'd ever make up for the mistakes that the local governments made in the past failing in their obligation to oversee the franchising within their area.

And Comcast has been true to their word: They continue to offer service to most of Adelphia's customers commensurate with the crappy infrastructure that Adelphia put in place. In a few (lucky) areas, they've essentially ripped Adelphia's system out and put in what is practically a whole new cable system, but that was worthwhile in only a very few places.

 

[Tee it Up]

If the small company was Adelphia, I would be very careful about switching "back" to Comcast. Adelphia was the worst run cable company on the face of the Earth. The detritus they left behind was such crap that practically no cable company was willing to come in and pick up from where they left off. Comcast did so only grudgingly, and offering no assurances that they'd ever make up for the mistakes that the local governments made in the past failing in their obligation to oversee the franchising within their area.

And Comcast has been true to their word: They continue to offer service to most of Adelphia's customers commensurate with the crappy infrastructure that Adelphia put in place. In a few (lucky) areas, they've essentially ripped Adelphia's system out and put in what is practically a whole new cable system, but that was worthwhile in only a very few places.

No, it wasn't Adelphia. I'm in CT and we had Tele-Media before Comcast took over.

 

[Golf4food]

Comcrap is consistently rated worst in the industry for customer no-service. We hated them. Stuck with them for two years because that was our only option. So glad to be rid of them. They are even changing their marketing name this summer to get away from the Comcast stigma - they are NOT fixing their customer no-service problems, they're just trying to hide from it by using a new name! That should tell you all you need to know.

 

[bicker]

Comcrap is consistently rated worst in the industry for customer no-service.

Incorrect. In the latest report, which I referenced above, Charter was the worst, and Comcast was no worse than Time Warner Cable.

We hated them.

Which helps explain the ratings: Consumers, despite claims that their own appraisals are fair, generally "hate" businesses in proportion to how large the business is (Comcast and Time Warner are substantially larger than the rest), unless the business expends significant resources to craft a mythos around itself. The jury is still out with regard to whether such PR investments are really worth the expense. (Of course, the fact that Charter is actually the worst, but no where near as large as Comcast or Time Warner, may something interesting about Charter.)

They are even changing their marketing name this summer to get away from the Comcast stigma

Yes, just like the guy who didn't blow up that park during the Atlanta Olympics needed to change his name.

they are NOT fixing their customer no-service problems

Yet their customer rating went up about 8% this year.

That should tell you all you need to know.

Actually, that doesn't really tell anyone anything except what you indicated before:

We hated them.

Full disclosure: I'm a former Comcast customer, and dumped them for a service provider that serves my family's needs better.

 

[kaytieeldr]

They are even changing their marketing name this summer to get away from the Comcast stigma

Wrong...

they're just trying to hide from it by using a new name

and wrong.

If these claims were true, why would the new platform be "xfinity by Comcast"?