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Avoid Comcast’s Internet Installation Activation Fee
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Last November, the promotional rate on my Comcast Internet and digital cable service expired and jumped from a somewhat reasonable $70/mo rate to an ridiculously unreasonable $140/mo rate. We tried to do the Comcast cancel dance to no avail as the CSR said “I can’t do anything” and we said “I want to cancel” and the bozos at Comcast actually let us cancel. Almost the same day, Verizon started putting in signs around the neighborhood advertising their new FiOS service, fiber optic right to the house, and we were intruiged. Talking to the Verizon folks at their booth, it appeared that their rates would equal the promotional rates of Comcast so we decided we’d live without Internet for a couple weeks until they got the whole thing setup. Well, as expected, Verizon still hasn’t setup FiOS is our area so I’ve decided to sign back up with Comcast for their promotional rate.
So, how do you avoid that ridiculous $50 activation fee? Well, the activation fee is so that you have the pleasure of waiting at your home during a four hour window, where they will invariably show up an hour after the end of the window, just so the guy (or gal) can do one of two things:
- If you live in an apartment, he will unscrew your coaxial cable panel from the wall, and connect the cable on the inside with the jack, or,
- He will find the box outside, open it up (it’s hardly ever locked), and connect it.
So, to avoid the $50 charge, just connect it yourself and ask for the self-install kit (please do not steal cable and do not trespass on their property, I’m not advocating or condoning the theft of services that you aren’t paying for). If you have a cable modem, simply hook it up and try to open any website. A Comcast site will appear where you can download their installation CD software and you can do the installation yourself. If you don’t have a cable modem, wait for the modem to show up before you do all of this. If you’re patient, you can avoid the $50 fee but you can’t avoid a phone call, and the 30 minute wait because somehow they are always busy and they never hire more CSRs, to Comcast to activate your service.
The benefit is two-fold – not only do you avoid the $50 fee, you get internet the day you start paying… not two weeks later when their technicians are able to pencil you in for a four hour window they stand no chance of making anyway.
{ 51 comments, please add your thoughts now! }
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When I last signed up, I just asked if I could not pay the install fee, and they went for it. Hey, it’s worth a shot.
Wow – I had no idea you could install yourself – I always thought the activation fee was mandatory! Lesson learned.
I liked FIOS, but from what I can tell, there is a contract
I just moved two weeks ago and I can tell you this only works if you have existing cable-TV service. Otherwise, they will not allow self-install.
While you’re at it, hook up your phone and power as well. What’s a little legality when it comes to saving a buck?
Make sure you use you meter to get the levels correct so the modem doesn’t drop out every 10 minutes or so. It is important that you do this as you WILL be charged for any and all troulbe calls when a tech arrives to find you connected it yourself and proper procedures weren’t followed.
And if you only want cable modem service, if you connect yourself you get free TV service! At least until the cable company finds out and the police pay you a nice little visit.
So let’s do the math….$50 savings by connecting yourself, $30 charge for the tech coming out to the home to fix what you screwed up, $10,000 fine for illegal cable tv service=$9,980. You can deal with that, can’t you?
Comcast CEO is that you?
Actually we never pay attention and plugging those things in is no more difficult then plugging your tv into the wall. We really, in apartments, just have to come out, find your wire, screw it on and charge you. When I tech’d, I’d smoke a couple cigarettes and sit in the van to make it seem like I was doing something.
haha. that is so wrong, but exactly what I thought you guys were doing anyway…..
I never opened up the box outside my house but when I found out that all you needed was a television signal in order to run cable, I knew I didn’t have to get the install kit. I don’t advocate going to the box itself, opening it, and connecting it, I just meant that you can connect the jack inside your apartment if one exists.
I don’t advocate or condone stealing cable television.
If you get Comcast’s phone service too, the tech has to call some automated system and activate your number. So having a tech come out is kind of unavoidable as they won’t do this for you over the phone. When I first signed up I asked them to waive the install fee and the did, but when I moved I had to pay.
Nice commentary, sadly it has nothing to do with the entry. o.O
Gotta love this. Just had Comcast digital voice service installed in my home. I was suprised to see a $99 charge on the receipt for installation charge, which nobody told me about beforehand.
Like others have said, all the tech did was open the cable panel on my wall and plug in an additional cable jack, and then plugged in the phone to the now activated cable jack. Twenty minutes.
I called Comcast, and the CSR told me:
a) the tech did lots of “complicated” work hooking up my service
b) it would be ILLEGAL for Comcast to not charge an installation fee. Illegal??? They then nicely reduced the charge to $29.99. That’s on top of the other $29.95 for service activation (a charge I do understand).
I think the best way to avoid installation/activation fees is to act shocked when you are ordering the service and hear how much the fee will be, and then threaten to go with a different service. Comcast is really nice about making you happy when you call to complain. It should never get to that point in the first place.
Not the most Comcastic night for me.
Who wants to pay for something that you could do yourself? Personally, Comcast should make users aware of how to hook up your own cable. Unfortunately, more jobs and more money seems to be be important to them.
It sounds like people have had decent service with comcast… I wish I could say the same… In our first apartment, we signed up for Comcast internet and tv. We had this service for 2 years until we moved, I called and transfered the service to our new home. I asked the CSR point blank “so, service will be disconnected at so-and-so date and turned on at the new place?” and they said yes. Come to find out, , they never disconnected the original service and since I have auto-debit on my account, they have been charging me an extra $100 a month for our old apartment. This has been going on for over a year and just finally, after numerous phone calls, have recieved a measely $200 credit. Mind you, they’ve “stolen” over 1300 from my account. Their excuse? You have to make TWO phone calls to transfer service, one to start service and one to stop service…..
Anyone know how to avoid the cancellation fee with Comcast?
There are no cancellation fees! That’s the benefit of no contract with Comcast
know cancellation fee they sent me a bill for 850.00 I took my boxes back so i dont understand Ihave been with comcast for 16 years IM TRYING TO FOUND OUT
steal cable if possible!
I’VE BEEN TRYING FOR A MONTH TO GET SERVICE TO MY HOUSE FROM COMCAST. THEY SAY I AM TO FAR FROM A BOX, MY HOUSE IS 800 FEET FROM THE GROUND BOX. I HAVE BEEN GOING ROUND IN CIRCLES ABOUT THE DISTANCE. I CAN’T BELIEVE I AM THE ONLY ONE IN THIS SITUATION.
This is what comcast speeds really look like. I have comacast and every night it drops. See for your self.
:::.. Download Stats ..:::
Download Connection is:: 2746 Kbps about 2.7 Mbps (tested with 4096 kB)
Download Speed is:: 335 kB/s
Tested From:: http://testmy.net/ (Main)
Test Time:: 2008/08/12 – 9:02pm
Bottom Line:: 48X faster than 56K 1MB Download in 3.06 sec
Tested from a 4096 kB file and took 12.218 seconds to complete
Download Diagnosis:: May need help : running at only 44.1 % of your hosts average (comcast.net)
D-Validation Link:: http://testmy.net/stats/id-NQI7AW4D1
User Agent:: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727) [!]
COMCAST is quite possibly the worst company in the United States. They always manage to screw up your order, always manage to over charge and almost always do what you don’t want them to do. Oh and saying their customer service SUCKS would be an understatement.
Actually At&T is the worst company in the United States, followed by dentists, then the power company, then comcast
you have no idea what crappy customer service is until you deal with embarq
comcast would be a blessing
comcast always overcharge people
What I hate about Comcast is that they charge for each box you have to have (if you have more than one TV). By the time you have paid 6-9 $ a month X 4 boxes, you could have bought boxes on e-bay. However, then Comcast refuses to activate your box(s) whereby they FORCE you to use their equipment.
THERE OTTA BE A LAW!!
BlueEagle 2001
Huntsville, Alabama
Hey if you dont want to pay an install fee get a self install kit. Otherwise quit bitching about haveing to pay cable fee’s. I build the cable companies outside main systems on the street and this technolidgy is a science! I get tired of hearing about people complaining about paying for bills when I have to do my work with all the following hazards. I work outside regardless of weather most of the time at night, because to many housewives bitch about not being able to watch their soap operas. I buy my own tools which cost tens of thousands of dollars, not to mention paying for my own hotels, fuels flights and the travel in general. This includes being away from my home, family and friends. So there are alot of costs on side of the people doing the real work, not just the lazy techs. Its a business think about it if you want better service ….. IT COSTS MONEY TO GET!!!
Sounds like you need a new job.
If you don’t like your job, don’t do it. We all know “it costs money to get it” but we all know we’re getting ripped off! I am moving from a non-comcast area, sadly, and I know I’m going to have to pay $30/mo more for the same service. Or else go with dish/dsl “technolidgy”.
I feel ya on that. I install Comcast also and people have NO idead how much work is acutally put in to a day of comcast. On my avarage Thursday Fridays and Saturdays I pull 16+ hours over 40 hrs in 3 days plus the other days i work. People have no idea how much it costs to keep bucket trucks running, employees paid, Gas in trucks, Fleet trucks, How much we spend in supplies, spools of cable, fittings, taps, hardline, amps, equip, Dig boxes, DVRs, modems, HD boxes…ETC there is much more expenses. Atleast unlike Dish and Direct we don’t charge per foot for the cable we run. To install a whole brand new house for Dish or Direct costs a lot more them Comcast. For 13 lines in one house here in TN it cost one of Dishes customers over $275 just to run lines… comcast $120. People have no idea cable isn’t a walk in the park and it’s not a breeze. People also expect every single tech to make every single time frame I wish people would stop complaining so much about time frames. When a tech goes to a job the job can look very easy on the work order and end up being 5 wallfishes new 200′ drop triple play and the customer most of the time told the CSR they had all the lines in there house already it’s ready to go and instead of 45 mins for one job it ends up being 2 hours and he falls behind schedule. Most late time frames are from customers setting up work orders and not knowing what to tell the CSR they need
You can only qual for a self insall kit if you allready have video or telephone service through them. Also not everyone lives in a underground neighborhood, so unless you want to climb the pole pay for the install
They let me cancel too.,,,, wow they’ve lost a 15 year client. im going with another provider just because they are rude
Well, if you live in an apartment, just ask your neighbor to share the cost. 50/50
If you share cable from apartment to apartment by law that is illegal
The self-installation kit is fine and dandy; however, Comcast is now charging a $29.95 fee to install internet/cable yourself. They found a way to get your money.
Comcast doesn’t charge an install fee for S.I.K. (self install kits) they charge a $30 trip charge for a tech having to go to the house and hook up the service outside
Comcast overcharges always!
Probably the easiest way to get by the install fee.
Order the internet and their ‘phone service’ (aka VOIP). If you get the phone service they’ll waive the installation fee. Then cancel the phone after it’s installed.
Perfectly legal, etc. Plus do it fast enough and you’re within the ‘30-day money back guarantee’ window. If it ends up sucking you’re at least not stuck paying for an install you aren’t going to use.
When I try to ask for self install kit, the rep said they can’t provide that because we’re first time users with Comcast, so he ended up charging us $60.00 for installation fee.
Is this standard or did the rep completely lied to me?
LOCAL CUSTOMER)> I would like to have service sooner than next Sudnay 13th if possible?
Christian (COMCAST CALL CENTER REP)> For the self install kit, I am sorry but no. At my end for new customer it is required for a professional install.
LOCAL CUSTOMER)> If I were to purchase the install kit at Best Buy, could I install and cancel the install appointment
Christian > However you may visit the local center since they can process a self install for pick up for the service you would like to request.
LOCAL CUSTOMER)> You have no idea what is is like being without internet service
Christian > Yes, you may. All you have to do is call the 1-888-266-2278 and request to be connected to our Activation department if you wish to buy a self install kit at a Retailer store.
LOCAL CUSTOMER)> so I can buy the kit at a retail store and then call 800 COMCAST to be activated over the phone?
Christian >
Yes that is correct.
LOCAL CUSTOMER)> When I do that, can I thne cancell the install appointment?
LOCAL CUSTOMER)> I was planning on being at church that afternoon.
Christian > Yes, you may cancel at 4 days prior to the date for the installation.
LOCAL CUSTOMER)> without being charged?
Christian > Yes, that is correct.
LOCAL CUSTOMER)> SWEET!
I have a new computer.When i plug in my ethernet cord nothing installs.Is there a disk that i need or am i doing something wrong.
If you had your modem hooked up to a diff computer then unplugged and hooked it into a diff computer you have to pull the power plug on the modem and plug it back in so it can sync up to your computer.
I was taken by the installer he said he would come back but never did and i dont want to pay another install fee help!!
If a tech says he will come abck and does not come back they will not charge you another fee. The work is guarenteed for 3 months and if you have any problems within 3 months there will not be a fee for a tech to come out if you let the tech install your cable. I would ask for a contractor for comcast we get the job done right without having to go back and forth.
Well that’s B.S. I just went and picked up the self install kit and also the digital boxes myself, they charged me $170.0. Clerk said “it’s because someone still has to come out.” I mean i’m hooking everything up in the house all he has to do is reconnect to the pole which has the hookup at ground level.
He also checks your signal levels at the side of your house. After you hook everything up and get your computer hooked up to the internet open up the internet and type in 192.168.100.1 and it will tell your signal levels. You want your levels to be between
Upstream 28-51
Downstream 11 -11
if your signals are out of those ranges you need a tech to fix your levels and it will speed your internet up to what speed tier you ordered
And no, I am not a first time customer. I had them for around 5years total before canceling, only for 3 months due to wife being off work and having a baby, we needed the extra money then. Still wouldn’t wave the fee.
I installed Comcast cable and now i’m in Dispatch. You can ask them to waive the fee and if they dont waive it tell them you will go with someone else and they will waive the install. But if you do a self install kit you will be charged anytime a tech has to come out. If you let the tech install it (preferably a contractor for comcast) they will install and do free trouble calls for 3 months. Letting the tech install it is worth it in the long run. I’ve been dealing with Comcast cable for a while and taking shortcuts can end up costing you more and give you more of a headache.
Comcrap
nuf said
One note on Verizon FiOS (may be applicable to Comcast as well)… They contract out the install. Ours tried to convince me that he couldn’t snake the cable into an existing outlet but rather needed to bring the cable through the eve (under the rain gutter and through the attic) and out through the top corner of a room. Can you imagine a wire coming down from the corner of the ceiling? And no, I wasn’t mounting the TV on a wall.
The installer was only interested in getting in and out as fast as possible to turn as many tickets as he could. Verizon was no help in persuading him. Finally I had to threaten cancelling before he agreed to bring the cable up from the floorboards. I couldn’t get him to snake it.
All you need is a modem and a network adaptor. That’s all
I always thought there were no self install kits and it was only the option to do a installation fee. I found it ridiculous because I know how to do it myself. So I asked the online rep for Comcast if there were self install kits or any chance of taking off that fee and she said No. So I found this article and called Comcast and just asked if they had self install kits I can pick up. Sure enough they said yes. Thank you for this and saving me nearly $50!