CUSTOMER COMPLAINT PROCEDURES
If you have a complaint regarding your cable television service or your bill, please call the local customer service number listed on the How To Reach Us insert or our toll-free telephone number which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also visit the local business office at the address listed on the How To Reach Us insert. Alternatively, if you wish to put your comments in writing, your letter should be addressed to Comcast at the local address listed on the How To Reach Us insert. We will promptly try to resolve your complaint. If we are unable to resolve your complaint, we will notify you that we are unable to do so and explain the reason why. If you are dissatisfied with our resolution of your complaint, or we are unable to resolve your complaint, you may contact the local franchising authority to discuss your complaint. Please refer to your monthly cable bill or call the local customer service number listed on the How To Reach Us insert for the name and address of your local franchising authority.
For customers using closed captioning, Comcast maintains a Closed Captioning Office to handle written complaints. If you have a complaint regarding closed captioning please write the Comcast Closed Captioning Office at the address listed on your monthly bill.
SERVICE PROBLEMS
If you experience a problem with picture or signal quality, you should review your television and/ or VCR owner’s manual for proper adjustment. If the problem does not clear up, you should call the local customer service number listed on the How To Reach Us insert and describe the problem to a customer service representative.
In order to correct the problem, we may need access to your premises. If required, a service call will be scheduled at a time convenient to you. We will make all reasonable efforts to resolve any complaints you have concerning the quality of our signals promptly and efficiently. Excluding conditions beyond our control, we will respond to a service interruption no later than 24 hours after receipt of notification. We respond to other service problems no later than the next business day after notification. If our service technician is unable to correct the problem to your satisfaction we will, at your request, schedule a second service appointment. If we remain unable to correct the problem you will be notified of this fact and the reason why. If you are dissatisfied with our resolution of your service problem, you may contact the local franchising authority to discuss the problem with your service. Please refer to your monthly cable bill or call the local customer service number listed on the How To Reach Us insert for the name and address of your local franchising authority.
MOVING
Before you move, please call the local customer service number listed on the How To Reach Us insert. This is the best way for us to arrange for your service to be disconnected and to schedule an installation at your new home if your new home is in our service area.
EQUIPMENT
In the event your service is terminated, the converter, remote control and any other equipment provided by us should be returned to our local business office. You will continue to be billed for the equipment until it is returned. If you have lost or are otherwise unable to return the equipment you will be billed for the equipment.
IDENTIFICATION
Our employees and designated contractors are required to carry a photo-identification card while working. Feel free to ask for identification from anyone who claims to be our employee or representative.
PREVIEWS
During the course of the year, we may offer a "Free Preview" of a premium channel. If you find any of the programming objectionable, you may call us, and we will block out the Free Preview channel.
EQUIPMENT COMPATIBILITY
Televisions and VCR Compatibility
Many newer television sets and videocassette recorders ("VCRs") are labeled "cable ready." Typically, a cable-ready television or VCR is one which, when connected directly to cable service, can receive all unscrambled, non-premium channels (premium channels include such channels as HBO and Showtime). Older televisions and VCRs are more likely to be non-cable ready, which means they generally receive only some numbered channels (usually channels 2-13). Even if you have an older television or VCR that was advertised as being “cable ready” or “cable compatible,” the equipment may not perform as you expected when connected directly to our cable system. This is because there previously were no standards applicable to television set manufactures governing the reception of cable channels. According to new federal regulations, televisions and VCRs sold in the United States as of July 1997 cannot be called “cable ready” or “cable compatible” unless they comply with the new technical requirements adopted by the FCC, including the ability to properly tune cable channels. Existing equipment may meet some but not all of these standards, and connecting our cable service directly to such equipment may cause signal degradation or interference. If you are not sure whether your television or VCR is “cable ready”, you should review the equipment manual and instructions, or contact the manufacturer. If your equipment is not fully cable ready, you can still receive all standard cable channels offering non-scrambled or nonencrypted programming by renting or purchasing a single set-top converter without descrambling or decryption capabilities. For a low monthly fee, we rent set-top converters to our customers that will be compatible with the services you purchase from us. You may also purchase set-top converters at electronic stores or other retail outlets in your area.
Compatibility of Set-Top Converters and Cablecards
Many subscribers currently rent or own set-top converters to receive our cable services. Because a set-top converter functions as the channel tuner on your television or VCR, it may prevent you from using some of the special features and functions of your television or VCR. For example, you may not be able to view one program while recording another, record two or more consecutive programs that appear on different channels, use advanced picture generation and display features such as “picture in picture,” channel review or use other features that necessitate channel selection by the television set or VCR. Some of these problems may be resolved by the use of A/B switches, signal splitters, and/or other supplemental equipment that can be purchased from Comcast or at electronic stores. Please call us if you would like to discuss the type of special equipment needed to resolve individual compatibility problems or if you have any questions regarding other equipment compatibility issues.
In order to enable you to utilize special features, which your television and VCR may have, we will make available, upon your request, equipment which will allow for simultaneous reception of two or more scrambled or encrypted signals and for tuning to alternative channels on a pre-programmed schedule. This equipment could include for example, set-top converters and multiple descrambler/ decoders and/or timers (or if such devices are not available, multiple set-top devices will be provided), and signal bypass switches.
If you plan to purchase cable services that we scramble or encrypt, such as premium, pay-perview or digital services, you should make sure that any set-top converter, or navigation device or digital-cable-ready television (which can receive digital cable services using a device that we must provide called a CableCARD in place of a converter) that you purchase from a retail outlet is compatible with our system. Due to device limitations, digital cable-ready retail devices using CableCARD technology only receive what is known as “one-way” cable services. Such devices cannot receive “two-way” cable services, such as Comcast’s electronic program guide, videoon- demand, or switched digital video services. Customers with a TiVo digital cable-ready DVR can access switched digital video services by obtaining a “tuning adapter” device from Comcast. Customers with the TiVo DVR or other digital cable-ready devices will need a digital set-top box from Comcast to access switched digital video and other two-way cable services. Two-way digital cable-ready devices are not yet commercially available, but are expected to be available in the near future. Upon your request, we will provide you with the necessary technical parameters necessary for any set-top converter rented or acquired from retail outlets to operate with our cable system. If you see advertisements for set-top converters that have descramblers in them, you should understand that these devices may be illegal to use. Because of the need to protect our scrambled services, we will not authorize the use of any converter/descrambler that does not conform to all required signal security specifications. People who use illegal converters/descramblers may be subject to prosecution for theft of cable service. It is unlawful to alter or tamper with any device belonging to a cable operator in order to receive, intercept, or assist in receiving or intercepting any communications service offered over a cable system. People who take such actions may be subject to fines or imprisonment.
REMOTE CONTROL UNITS
We rent remote control units to subscribers to access set-top converter features remotely. Currently, we provide subscribers with set-top converters with compatible remote control units. Although we rent remote control units at a nominal fee, subscribers may purchase compatible remotes at local electronic stores or other retail outlets. A representative list of compatible remote control models currently available from local retailers includes: Philips PHL PMDVR8, RCA RCR612, and Sony RM-V202. A list of additional compatible remotes may be obtained from your local Comcast office. Although these remote control units are compatible with the set-top converters that we currently offer, these remotes may not be functional if we change the type of set-top converters we offer to subscribers. If you have any questions regarding whether a particular remote control unit would be compatible with our equipment, please contact us.
Notice of Availability of Converters For Additional Outlets
Subscribers who install their own additional receiver connections may not be able to receive all broadcast stations carried on the cable system without additional equipment. For those television sets that are not truly compatible with the cable system, television broadcast stations located above Channel 13 may not be receivable without additional equipment.
The equipment necessary to receive all broadcast stations carried on the cable system is for lease and/or sale from your cable company and may be available from retail stores within your community. Instructions for installation of this equipment are also available upon request. Please contact your local cable company for complete details.
SERVICE CHANGES AND INSTALLATION
Standard installations are generally completed within 7 business days. If you initiate a change in the services you receive, you may be subject to the applicable installation or change of service charge. Please refer to the service rate information we have supplied to you for details. A list of our services and charges is provided to our customers annually in a mailing or bill insert. You may obtain additional information about our current services, fees and prices by calling us during normal business hours.
OTHER SERVICES AND INFORMATION
In addition to our Basic and Preferred Service packages, we also offer optional video and audio programming services, including individual premium channels (such as HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, Starz and Encore) and pay-per-view services which deliver individual movies, sporting events and special events. We also offer Digital Service packages and XFINITY Internet in selected service areas where our cable plant has been rebuilt or upgraded. For some optional services you must have a compatible addressable converter or a cable modem.
Information on upcoming programmer contract expirations can be found at www.xfinitytv.com/contractrenewals or by calling 866-216-8634.
Please call us at the local customer service number listed on the How To Reach Us insert to talk to one of our customer service representatives about our products and services, or go to our website, //www.xfinity.com to see the latest information on our services.
We may change this information in the future. We will send you a written, electronic or other appropriate notice informing you of any changes and the effective date. If you find the change unacceptable, you have the right to cancel your service. However, if you continue to receive our service after the effective date of the change, we will consider this your acceptance of the change. For those of our customers receiving service through commercial accounts, bulk rate arrangements or similar arrangements, some of the policies, procedures and services herein may not apply. Please call us at the local customer service number listed on the How to Reach Us insert to talk to one of our customer service representatives for further information.
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