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Comcast Typo Penalizes Wrong Customer For Data Usage (arstechnica.com)

Posted by timothy on from the well-that's-just-not-right dept.

ShaunC writes: Soon after Comcast implemented its data caps in Tennessee, one customer began getting calls warning that he was approaching his monthly usage limit. The company's data cap meter was ticking up rapidly, even attributing 120GB of use — almost half of the monthly cap — to a period of time when he was out of the country. After months of back and forth and troubleshooting by the customer, Comcast finally admitted that a typo in a MAC address was causing another customer's usage to appear on his account. With data caps like Comcast's carrying a real financial cost in terms of overage fees, how can we trust providers to accurately track customers' bandwidth usage?

4 of 124 comments (clear)

  1. You're doing it wrong by grilled-cheese · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you're hand typing MAC Addresses, you're doing it wrong and should get a better captive portal setup.

  2. Weights and Measures! by JimXugle · · Score: 5, Informative

    Get the state bureau of weights and measures involved! If Comcast insists on usage-based billing, then its routers and billing infrastructure should be inspected, certified, and sealed just like gas pumps, water meters, and grocery store scales.

    --
    -jX

    Don't you just love politics? It's like a comedy of errors.
    1. Re:Weights and Measures! by psycho12345 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Seriously this. Weights and Measures are the ones who keep honest people honest, by auditing and randomly testing anything that relies on metering. They are one making sure out of town people are not being cheated at the gas pump. If Comcast wants to measure and meter data usage, then they should be compelled to install a tested and sealed device that spits out the data usage to customer on premise.

  3. I've been the subject of a MAC address error by zeet · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Comcast won't let me activated the modem that I purchased brand new from Amazon and used to have active on a Comcast account in another state. They say they own it. I have the box and receipt from the purchase. After a couple of hours talking with various people they admitted that perhaps they had made a mistake, but couldn't fix it as it involved two different 'regions' of their service. They said it might be fixable in a customer service center, but at that point I was disgusted with it and instead bought a new modem.