Comcast has found a great way to scam new customers. When you sign up for new service, they lock you in at a certain price (for 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, or 24 months). Your installation then takes place, your new equipment usually has some kinks in it, but eventually gets worked out. You receive a contract to sign, date, and return a week or so after the installation takes place. You sign, date, and mail the contract.

You receive no additional communication from Comcast, with the exception of a few phone calls promoting new ON DEMAND programming. 2 months later your bill increases considerably with no explanation.

You call to speak to at least 2 different incompetent Comcast operators before it is detected that "Comcast never received the contract and event sent out a reminder letter" (You never receive the reminder letter in the mail) The incompetent agent tells you there is nothing she can do and can't honor the original deal as outlined in the original contract that you signed, dated and returned to Comcast before the allotted time expired. You are a smart person...you saved a copy of the signed contract before you mailed it. You offer to fax the contract AGAIN since Comcast claims they never received it (probably because it's burried under a stack of paper work on some incompetent's desk in the contract department) You still can't find an agent to resolve your issue.

You become frustrated. You are a good customer who pays the bill on time each month and returned the contract. You are screwed over because Comcast does not really value customer service. You cancel your service with them, contact the Better Business Bureau, and sign up for DirecTV.

Morale to the story...if you are a new customer looking for cable service, go with DirecTV. They value their customers. If you are an exisiting Comcast customer, cancel and go with DirecTV. You also get more for your money.