If you ONLY have cable internet can you still get tv channels?

electrictroy

Agreed 100%, but you're wrong about the fee. They charge $50 to disconnect in my town. I don't recall saying Dish or Directv were any better than Comcast. They are all pretty much alike when it comes to screwing the customer. Because we don't trust people with power (either government or corporate). Plus we're tired of being screwed. Example: JCPenney. I was buying a suit and the salesman said he'd give me 15% off if I brought-in a coupon from home. That's a 30 dollars savings, so off I went, then came back, and the manager refused to take it: "You're only allowed to use these every 30 days. And the last time you used one was 29 days ago on this date."

Me: "Yes but I was already promised by this gentleman that he'd override the coupon and take 15% off."

"No."

Me: "So I wasted 3 dollars on gasoline driving home, and now you're refusing to keep the verbal contract we agreed to?"

"Yes."

Me: "Stupid woman. You just lost a sale."

The actual conversation was longer than that, but you get the point - I was promised something, JCP failed to deliver, and I wasted 3 dollars and an hour of my time. I've also been screwed by Dish (they sold me a nonoperational DTVpal and refused to take it back), Best Buy (mailed me 1 DVD when I ordered 2 and was charged for 2), Walmart (sold me a DVD that only played halfway & refused to refund money or replace it), and on and on and on. We Americans are tired of getting screwed by these mega-corps that think they can get away with anything.

Of course it isn't just corporations. I've also had my money stolen by dishonest sellers on ebay, and dishonest buyers on amazon. There's nothing I can do about those private in-duh-viduals but if you expect me to cry when Walmart, Best Buy, or Dish lose money - think again. They stole mine; I have no sympathy.

__________________


TV Band/whitespace Devices will block my Baltimore/Philly stations. No more channels 2,3,6,10,11,12,13,17,35,45,57,61,65

Filekhasper

bicker

It's a reflection of rampant Entitlement Mentality that has afflicted our country for the last thirty years or so. Everyone was led to think that they're special and instead of just taking from that what was intended (feelings of confidence and contentment, perhaps) so many people distorted that into self-centeredness and over-zealous self-importance.

Entitlement Mentality underlies a whole host of social maladies. So much of our society thinks nothing about taking without regard to being offered; expecting even without being promised; complaining when simply disappointed, rather than when actually short-changed. And the more someone/something else has, the more people feel entitled to take from that someone/something else.

Filekhasper

I took the shortcut to Entitlement Mentality...

Sykotic

I didnt mean that the local city owns the company, but they do own the rights to control who they allow to come in and run those lines and what content is/must be provided. Reguardless of the overall tone of this post, if your not paying for it, you should NOT be getting it. Service theft is theft.

bicker

Yet, with that realization on your part, your earlier point totally falls apart.

The reason why stealing cable is bad is because it is theft. It's like going into someone else's store and shoplifting, because they don't have cameras or security guards watching your every move.

Again, absolutely.

electrictroy

Apparently nobody read my last post.

If anyone has an "entitlement mentality" it's these megacorporations like Dish, Penneys, Best Buy, Walmart, et cetera who think they can sell substandard, nonworking products, and then refuse to offer a refund to the customer. It comes from being so big, they think they are "entitled" to keep your money and screw the individual.

__________________


TV Band/whitespace Devices will block my Baltimore/Philly stations. No more channels 2,3,6,10,11,12,13,17,35,45,57,61,65

Sykotic

We live in a country that not only allows you to receive non censored television, an assortment of competition, and the right to bitch about it.

oblioman

Beg to differ. No, not beg to differ just seeking clarification. If comcast knowingly sends a signal into me home that is not authorized by me - no purchase agreement - explain how is it theft of service? If "they" are fully aware of the signal, but refuse to do anything about it, logic must prevail and one must consider it free service. After all, if it is theft, why don't they stop it? And if they are aware of the theft but turn the other cheek, that would make them co-conspirators in this dasterdly crime.

bicker

When you engage a service you implicitly agree to its terms and conditions including those that limit your reception of service to those services that you have paid for.

"If going through a stop sign is a violation, why don't they stop it?"

And of course, the answer is they do, by citing people for theft of service/fining people for going through a stop sign, when they observe it.

oblioman

Almost forgot your last tidbit - Just because you have been regularly incorrect thinking that you are correct shades your perception of a good business model. comcast is not one.

bicker

Except that I've actually be spot-on, all the way along. I actually know how the business world works. You just set yourself (and anyone who actually chooses to read what you write and believe any of it) for never-ending disappointment, because you fail to internalize the actuality of the marketplace and thereby adopting what are reasonable expectations based on the reality of what is being offered to you.

oblioman

You be wrong again. Yup, me did realize the actuality of comcasts marketplace. And also did adopt reasonable expectations from them. Thats why we dropped them.

bicker

And before that? You went on and on and on denying reality, holding to utterly unfounded expectations, advocating radically unrealistic perspective.

Lee Stewart

This has been an interesting thread. But I believe (my) that people really didn't read what Troy wrote:

He isn't getting a crystal clear image. It is "blurred" (his word)

I do not consider this "theft of services" at all. It is an error on Comcasts part. Faulty equipment. It is a windfall for Troy - sort of - because the PQ of those 3 additional channels are not as good as the ones he is paying for.

The only issue as I see it is a moral one. Should he call Comcast and explain what is happening so they can come out and fix it?

If you go to a retailer, buy a product and the cashier makes an error in your favor and you realize it after you have left the store. Have you committed theft? IMO - nope.

Will you go back and explain that you have too much change and hand over the extra money?