Resolved
Dan K Qwm

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Resolved: Comcast - Bait and switch

Updated by user Jan 12, 2022

Company fixed the issue and I have been provided with product or service ordered. They agreed to allow me to replace their modem. It was not changing the plan I ordered..

Original review Jan 12, 2022
I had signed up for comcast Internet during a promotion. I could get 200mbs service with my own modem/router for $29.99/mo for two years.

Good deal. I got a compatible modem/router from comcast list. A netgear C6300. When they came and did the installation the installer could not get the C6300 working.

There was clearly nothing wrong with the modem. When it powered up the xfinity screen appeared telling you to download the xfinity app to complete the installation. (So we know the hardware is functioning properly.) He worked on it for about a 1/2 hour and said he had to go. I could either work on it myself or get the xfinity rental modem for an additional $14/mo.

I needed the Internet so I agreed. I assumed I could install the modem later. I needed to study what they were doing. Confused.

I had no idea what Comcast is doing and why they could not simply install the modem.
Anyway from what I could figure out was that xfinity has a database of all modems that they have connected to and if your modem was used before, as mine had been, they do not allow it to be connected. Now I wasted a couple of days trying to resolve this problem. When you get a hold of Comcast, they will just keep you on the line and then hang up. You have to complain so that they will call you back so you can continue trying to find out how to replace their rental modem with my modem.
Conclusion.
I was told that in order to replace the $14/mo modem with my modem I would now have to pay $80 a month because I no longer qualified for the $30/mo plan.

(I was changing my plan.) Clearly and unquestionable a bait and switch. I am now being extorted an additional $14/mo or pay penalties for breaking my agreement. I do admit I did agree to use their rental modem because I needed the Internet and they would not install my modem. I will be pursuing this blatant bait and switch.

I do know that the AG is useless and that Comcast owns the government.
If others run into the same situation perhaps we can get a RICO action against Comcast.

I do know that Comcast will just pay-off the Court. But it will at least help to discourage their fraudulent behavior.
View full review
Cons:
  • Constantly giving you the run around and play bait and switch

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

User's recommendation: Comcast has a bad reputation, but you really have no choice

1 comment
Dan K Qwm

Comcast/xfinity agreed that changing my rental modem out with my own modem should not void my $30/mo plan that I signed up for. (I was not going to have to pay the $83/mo for half the service just to use my modem.) However, I should mention after many hours/days of dealing with both comcast and Netgear I finally figured out that my modem/router CM MAC address was the MAC address minus 2.

Now nobody will tell me what the "CM MAC" address is/means. But my daughter who bought a Netgear modem to avoid the $14/mo had the same problem. She could not install the modem. Her modem has the MAC number on the bottom of it.

This does not work. However, when she had to get help from comcast they found the CM MAC on the packaging, so they got it to work for her. (It is how I figured out the CM MAC = MAC-2 on Netgear, it is MAC-3 on comcasts modem/router. (I think this might be that xfinity has a wifi backdoor on their gateways that they use to create hotspots for their customers.

I assume that that this hidden interface has an additional MAC.) From a technical point of view MAC is the number you get from the device itself or command prompt command arp -a. I had to work hours trying to get my modem/router installed and none of the xfinity or Netgear experts could help me. I did not have anything that said CM MAC. I was just told my modem/router was bad.

I could not figure how that could be true. I could talk to it. It could talk to xfinity. So why could they not install it.

I had absolutely no problem installing it using the xfinity app myself using the MAC-2, xxxd8 instead of xxxda. It only took about 10 minutes. It pings much faster then the rental. Better performance.

From my research it is obvious that this is common when trying to install a modem/router with Comcast/xfinity and I do not understand why their techs and Netgear techs have no idea what CM MAC is. MAC is standard in identifying a network device. MAC is easily obtained.

Why do they use "CM MAC" and why do they not know CM MAC = MAC-2? Perhaps comcast wants that extra $14/mo and can get it through keeping people ignorant?