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Comcast Charges $90 Install Fee At Homes That Already Have Comcast Installed (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Based on our tests, signing up for standalone Internet or TV service on Comcast.com often requires payment of a $59.99 or $89.99 installation fee, depending on where you live. (The fee was $60 in two Massachusetts suburbs and $90 at homes in Houston, Texas, and Seattle, Washington.) In cases where the $60 or $90 fee is charged, the fee is required whether you purchase your own modem or rent one from Comcast for another $11 a month.
The installation fee might be charged even if the home you're buying service at has existing Comcast service, and even if you order Internet speeds lower than those purchased by the current occupant. That means the fee is charged even when Comcast doesn't have to make any upgrades at the house or apartment you're moving into. Internet speed makes no difference, as the fee may be charged whether you purchase 15Mbps downloads or gigabit service. You can avoid the installation fee by purchasing certain bundles that include both TV and Internet, but the fee is often mandatory if you buy only TV service or broadband individually. The $60 or $90 fee is also charged when you buy phone service only or a "double-play" package of phone service and broadband.
The installation fee might be charged even if the home you're buying service at has existing Comcast service, and even if you order Internet speeds lower than those purchased by the current occupant. That means the fee is charged even when Comcast doesn't have to make any upgrades at the house or apartment you're moving into. Internet speed makes no difference, as the fee may be charged whether you purchase 15Mbps downloads or gigabit service. You can avoid the installation fee by purchasing certain bundles that include both TV and Internet, but the fee is often mandatory if you buy only TV service or broadband individually. The $60 or $90 fee is also charged when you buy phone service only or a "double-play" package of phone service and broadband.
First, never sign up for a Comcast service online, ever. Always call or go to a store location.
Second, when they bring up the installation fee, say "no, this is going to be a self-install, and I already have cable from the curb to my house, and I know it's already connected in the box. I don't need anyone to come out."
The $90 fee is supposed to cover the guy coming out to the curb to connect your particular cable to the splitter hanging off the main line in the distribution box. If you don't already have that cable connected (even if your house is wired for cable), you really do need the guy to come out (unless you know how to open the box, and which cable is yours, and you have the tool to reach in the security collar to connect it... and I don't advise telling Comcast if you do have all those things). If you're the type who likes to open your own cable box and connect your house, I would do that first, and then simply tell Comcast that you know it's already connected (maybe you asked the Comcast guy to confirm it when he was out hooking up your neighbor's cable... *wink*).
They'll waive it pretty easily if you can convince them you know your stuff and don't need a guy to come out. If you fail the first time, talk to a different person or ask for a super. They'll get it done, and be a lot more competent about it than CenturyLink.
Verizon did the exact same thing to me. I had a fiber ONT in my room from the previous tenant, and I told them I already had fiber installed, and I already had my own wifi access point, and all I needed was a single CAT5 cable or really any connection type for just one internet device. Just give me the FIOS modem and I will plug it in. They still charged me a $90 "installation fee", which was separate from the "sign-up fee". They also tried to get me to verbally authorize a recurring $140 monthly payment for TV, internet and phone service which I explicitly told them earlier I did not want, that I only wanted basic internet. I was also told that after the 12 months of my initial contract, the price will automatically go up after that, by $20-$30 per month, and there is nothing I can do about it unless I cancel my service. So, while Comcast sucks ass, the competition (Verizon) were really sleazy and definitely charge unnecessary fees.
Yes, we charged the same whether the customer installed it or we did. We installed using very well-defined procedure, mostly handled by a Perl script in the end, which always did it right - it never forgot a step. Customers trying to install it themselves fucked it all up more often than not, frequently causing damage we would have to clean up later. Customers doing it themselves wasn't good for them or us.
This is a universal sentiment across all trades. I suspect much of it is consequence of relying on negative and or selection biases to inform bogus conclusions.
You only visit the fuckups therefore all you see is fuckups.
Or more common only fuckups would bother to call you in the first place therefore all you know is fuckups.
You don't remember the people you had no issues with. You remember the fuckups who royally fucked up.
If 1 out of 10 botched an install or otherwise did something stupid to piss you off would you really see the situation from perspective of 9 out of 10 getting it right? I doubt I would. Doubt most would. Policy intended to save outliers from themselves at the expense of everyone else after all can be quite effective, prudent and rational.
We are surrounded on all sides by the fruits of leaving Comcast installers operate power tools unsupervised. I would pass if I were you.