Wicomico County Needs Community Feedback About Comcast Cable Service
In order to best ascertain community needs and interests related to cable television service from Comcast, Wicomico County is conducting a community needs assessment as part of the cable franchise renewal process. This includes a random sample written survey of County residents beginning this month.
If a household receives a survey, the County requests that the resident take the brief amount of time needed to respond to the survey questions. Because the surveys are administered randomly, each response is especially important. All information gathered from households will only be reported as a group and all individual responses will be anonymous. Participation in this process will help the County effectively represent the community as it works to ensure quality cable television service for its residents. The County encourages its residents to participate in this important effort!
I would dearly love to see another cable company like Bay Country come here. In Dorchester County they can choose from either Comcast or Baycountry and because of this, they rates are much lower. Comcast has a monopoly in Wicomico and this needs to be changed. I think the residents of this county deserve better!!!
It shouldn't be random PERIOD Everyone affected by this gummint sanctioned monopoly should get a survey. 'Course without those fees, the county chiefs might have to spring for their own morning coffee, lunch and dinner. Unless it's going for the children, of course...
Pollitt knows the citizens are sick and tired of Comcast and since it's an election year he wants to make it LOOK like he hears your plea. Nothing will change.
Moved here 8 years ago and have had Comcast since the beginning. Never had one bit of trouble with them plus they have always been willing to negotiate pricing and increases. I like Comcast.
certainly everyone need NOT pay an additional dollar for ch 14. it just ain't that great. rather pay a dollar a channel for the ones we watch & the rest be gone!
I only have internet with them now, because I could no longer afford their cable. I can watch what I need anyway with streaming players like roku and my off air antenna to pick up local digital channels. There really isn't much out there to watch anyway. It's really hard to find quality TV anyway, so I don't miss it.
I wish they would offer alacart that way you could get the channels you watch and not have to subsidize channels you don't. I personally have no use for BET, or spanish language channels, nor do I want to subsidize channels like PMSNBC or CNN. I watch maybe 10 to 20 channels and am willing to pay for those that I watch
To everyone reading: If you are sick of Comcast and hate that they are a worthless company that had a monopolistic advantage and swindles its customers, DO SOMETHING THAT ISN"T ON SBYNEWS.
As in, call your county legislators. Call Rick Pollit. Make tit known you are serious.
And if you are a city resident, call your representatives too!
I started in on filling it out, but all the questions were aimed at current Comcast customers. I'm on satellite, and can't answer the question, "how long have you been a Comcast subscriber and are you happy with the programming?" Do I answer Yes, or No? When I left Comcast, I was paying more than double what I'm paying now, and had no premium channels.
I would be happy to pay them what they're worth, but I know they can't live on THAT!
The short answer is, and has been, that our local government has chosen to permit residents to be squeezed, ripped off, (insert your term here ) by giving Comcast a monopoly on cable TV service.
In exchange for this exclusive license to steal/print money Comcast collects a franchise fee each month from subscribers and turns that 'tax' over to the county.
Comcast adjusts its rates and channel offerings as it solely chooses.
What arrangement would be more favorable to current, past and potential subscribers?
Lower rates? Ala carte pricing (pay for only channels you want to view)? Choice of cable companies? Choice of another internet service?
Unless something meaningful changes....and what do you think Ricky will accomplish before the election??
So just suck it up and continue to pay outrageous amounts for PollitTV.
How's your current bill compare to what you were paying before he started waving the county credit card around?
Ever wonder why Comcast is higher here than in other places ? It's because the county charges a higher franchise fee that is directly passed to subscribers...it's a tax !
Only possible explanation. Used to be they did. No longer. I asked them to lower my service. Economy Internet. They did not. They said they would but did not. Instead they gave me the far more expensive performance internet and a discount on it still making it 50% more expensive than what I ordered. Called back and only when I threatened to call Andy Harris did they make the changes.
Prices are to high. Competition is needed to lower. prices. Alacarte programing would be great so you only pay for what you want. I don't like paying for Algazeera which don't watch but told they would not supply the Blaze TV. I pay for many stations I never watch this is an outrageous way to run a business.
the dirty little secret about a LA cart programming is that unless you only watch like 5 channels, your bill won't go down a dime.
20 years ago the big C band satellite dishes had a LA carte and packaged programming and the packages were always much cheaper than buying just a few of the channels separately.
SUCK. HATEFUL. EXPENSIVE. NO CUSTOMER SERVICE. CARE MORE ABOUT NEW CUSTOMERS WITH NO PAYMENT HISTORY THAN THOSE WHO HAVE PAID ON TIME FOR YEARS AND YEARS. DROPPED THEM.
Joe, here's what's going to happen. Comcast is going to offer the "County" a good deal. Comcast is going to give the Board of Education such a fantastic deal that the "County" simply can not refuse to offer Comcast another "Twenty Year Deal". This is how Pollitt will present it to the county council. What the county council should do is consider this a service and put it out on bid.All dates should be published in local media and the list of bidders should be made public. The council should have a presence when all bids are opened so there will be no appearances of impropriety. I don't think the People have forgotten the Board of Election fiasco by a long shot.Any deals made with bidders should include an "Opt Out Clause" and be made to renew every two years. I hope the council also asks their constituents about how they feel about renewing Comcast and ask for suggestions and opinions. This move to just pass out a few survey papers is a joke. With just only 34 comments it's clear to me that very few people even know about the renewal and that's what Pollitt and Comcast hope for. Wake up people before you're shafted for another twenty years of escalating prices. John Palmer, Delmar, Md.
I think comcast is one of the most difficult company to deal with. If you don't like what you are being told hang up and call back you will get a different answer. We need an additional cable company in wicomico county so the people could have a choice. Comcast knows they are the only cable company and do as they please. I have had my rate increased without my knowledge. When I called to inquire why, I was told I had been on a special rate and that had expired. Nothing I could do but pay more or leave the service. Call back in a year to see if there was another special because know I was committed for a year at the higher rate.
Anonymous Anonymous said... Moved here 8 years ago and have had Comcast since the beginning. Never had one bit of trouble with them plus they have always been willing to negotiate pricing and increases. I like Comcast.
So if not Comcast what other cable company is worth a darn? Some like Directv some don't but they are not a cable provider. Some mentioned Bay Country but some don't like them either. We had Mediacom years ago and they were also a joke. The bill went up up up and if a bird sat on a wire or a drop of rain the cable went out. Their cable internet was also a joke. It spent more time being down than working.
I am fine with my comcast cable and internet service. It's expensive but I knew that when I signed up. I have never had any issues with bad service. Quite the opposite actually.
I lived in OC and had Comcast cable phone and internet. Every summer I would have trouble getting on the internet even worse on weekends. For this I had the privilege of paying $150 a month.
we were buried under ever increasing price increase by Comcast. Switched to DirectTV which was the best option. All of these companies are unregulated monopolies that control content and price with little concern for the public
no cable franchise should be renewed
ReplyDeleteunless 100% of the area is covered
The cable market needs competition to insure the best prices for the consumer.
ReplyDeleteI would dearly love to see another cable company like Bay Country come here. In Dorchester County they can choose from either Comcast or Baycountry and because of this, they rates are much lower. Comcast has a monopoly in Wicomico and this needs to be changed. I think the residents of this county deserve better!!!
ReplyDeleteBay country is a ripoff and there service is a fn JOKE
DeleteHope they send me a survey!!!! As useless as the newspaper...
ReplyDeleteI can guess how 'random' this will be.
ReplyDeleteIt sucks, pass it on
ReplyDeleteMonopoly
ReplyDeleteAgreed. It sucks! They rob you legally with all the fees and channels you get that you don't want.
ReplyDeleteI can't stand comcast..outrageous and horrible customer service.
ReplyDeleteIt shouldn't be random PERIOD
ReplyDeleteEveryone affected by this gummint sanctioned monopoly should get a survey.
'Course without those fees, the county chiefs might have to spring for their own morning coffee, lunch and dinner.
Unless it's going for the children, of course...
Pollitt knows the citizens are sick and tired of Comcast and since it's an election year he wants to make it LOOK like he hears your plea. Nothing will change.
ReplyDeleteI received the survey, but will not be participating. There is not cable where I live, and am happy that it isnt. Very happy with direct tv satellite.
ReplyDeleteThey SUCK. They are Expensive. I Hate Comcast. We are in desperate need of more choices in the cable broadcast system.
ReplyDeleteMoved here 8 years ago and have had Comcast since the beginning. Never had one bit of trouble with them plus they have always been willing to negotiate pricing and increases. I like Comcast.
ReplyDelete12:46 - probably work for them too!
ReplyDeleteComcast sucks and having made up fees like rebroadcast fees when we already pay it the monthly fee assessment.
ReplyDeleteThe customer service on the phone and online is horrible. The prices are outrageous.
ReplyDeletecertainly everyone need NOT pay an additional dollar for ch 14. it just ain't that great. rather pay a dollar a channel for the ones we watch & the rest be gone!
ReplyDeleteThe cable franchise agreement is what guarantees we pay some of the highest rates in the country, because there is no competition!
ReplyDeleteAs soon as there is a viable competitor, your rates will drop by about 30%.
I only have internet with them now, because I could no longer afford their cable. I can watch what I need anyway with streaming players like roku and my off air antenna to pick up local digital channels. There really isn't much out there to watch anyway. It's really hard to find quality TV anyway, so I don't miss it.
ReplyDeleteThe County needs feedback othe County. WTF Ricky clean up your mess first. Really
ReplyDeleteI'd rather go without, but prefer satellite over comcast, every single day.
ReplyDeleteI wish they would offer alacart that way you could get the channels you watch and not have to subsidize channels you don't. I personally have no use for BET, or spanish language channels, nor do I want to subsidize channels like PMSNBC or CNN. I watch maybe 10 to 20 channels and am willing to pay for those that I watch
ReplyDeleteTo everyone reading:
ReplyDeleteIf you are sick of Comcast and hate that they are a worthless company that had a monopolistic advantage and swindles its customers, DO SOMETHING THAT ISN"T ON SBYNEWS.
As in, call your county legislators. Call Rick Pollit. Make tit known you are serious.
And if you are a city resident, call your representatives too!
I started in on filling it out, but all the questions were aimed at current Comcast customers. I'm on satellite, and can't answer the question, "how long have you been a Comcast subscriber and are you happy with the programming?" Do I answer Yes, or No? When I left Comcast, I was paying more than double what I'm paying now, and had no premium channels.
ReplyDeleteI would be happy to pay them what they're worth, but I know they can't live on THAT!
No competition = poor quality, poor service and higher prices.
ReplyDeleteComcast is the pits. Consumer Report rates Comcast very low in ALL categories.
We need competition and this is the bottom line...
ReplyDeleteThe short answer is, and has been, that our local government has chosen to permit residents to be squeezed, ripped off, (insert your term here ) by giving Comcast a monopoly on cable TV service.
In exchange for this exclusive license to steal/print money Comcast collects a franchise fee each month from subscribers and turns that 'tax' over to the county.
Comcast adjusts its rates and channel offerings as it solely chooses.
What arrangement would be more favorable to current, past and potential subscribers?
Lower rates?
Ala carte pricing (pay for only channels you want to view)?
Choice of cable companies?
Choice of another internet service?
Unless something meaningful changes....and what do you think Ricky will accomplish before the election??
So just suck it up and continue to pay outrageous amounts for PollitTV.
How's your current bill compare to what you were paying before he started waving the county credit card around?
Ever wonder why Comcast is higher here than in other places ? It's because the county charges a higher franchise fee that is directly passed to subscribers...it's a tax !
ReplyDelete12:46 - probably work for them too!
ReplyDeleteOnly possible explanation. Used to be they did. No longer. I asked them to lower my service. Economy Internet. They did not. They said they would but did not. Instead they gave me the far more expensive performance internet and a discount on it still making it 50% more expensive than what I ordered. Called back and only when I threatened to call Andy Harris did they make the changes.
Prices are to high. Competition is needed to lower. prices. Alacarte programing would be great so you only pay for what you want. I don't like paying for Algazeera which don't watch but told they would not supply the Blaze TV. I pay for many stations I never watch this is an outrageous way to run a business.
ReplyDeletethe dirty little secret about a LA cart programming is that unless you only watch like 5 channels, your bill won't go down a dime.
ReplyDelete20 years ago the big C band satellite dishes had a LA carte and packaged programming and the packages were always much cheaper than buying just a few of the channels separately.
SUCK. HATEFUL. EXPENSIVE. NO CUSTOMER SERVICE. CARE MORE ABOUT NEW CUSTOMERS WITH NO PAYMENT HISTORY THAN THOSE WHO HAVE PAID ON TIME FOR YEARS AND YEARS. DROPPED THEM.
ReplyDeleteComcast sucks and f Wicomico county going to direct tv. no more franchise fee for these aholes!
ReplyDeletecan't wait for FIOS!
ReplyDeleteFIOS has it's own issues and the internet speeds are the same as Comcast... The real difference is programming FIOS lags a bit.
ReplyDeleteJoe, here's what's going to happen. Comcast is going to offer the "County" a good deal. Comcast is going to give the Board of Education such a fantastic deal that the "County" simply can not refuse to offer Comcast another "Twenty Year Deal". This is how Pollitt will present it to the county council. What the county council should do is consider this a service and put it out on bid.All dates should be published in local media and the list of bidders should be made public. The council should have a presence when all bids are opened so there will be no appearances of impropriety. I don't think the People have forgotten the Board of Election fiasco by a long shot.Any deals made with bidders should include an "Opt Out Clause" and be made to renew every two years. I hope the council also asks their constituents about how they feel about renewing Comcast and ask for suggestions and opinions. This move to just pass out a few survey papers is a joke. With just only 34 comments it's clear to me that very few people even know about the renewal and that's what Pollitt and Comcast hope for. Wake up people before you're shafted for another twenty years of escalating prices. John Palmer, Delmar, Md.
ReplyDeleteI think comcast is one of the most difficult company to deal with. If you don't like what you are being told hang up and call back you will get a different answer. We need an additional cable company in wicomico county so the people could have a choice. Comcast knows they are the only cable company and do as they please. I have had my rate increased without my knowledge. When I called to inquire why, I was told I had been on a special rate and that had expired. Nothing I could do but pay more or leave the service. Call back in a year to see if there was another special because know I was committed for a year at the higher rate.
ReplyDeleteA second Cable company would be great in Wicomico county but local politicians would be paid off by Comcast.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteMoved here 8 years ago and have had Comcast since the beginning. Never had one bit of trouble with them plus they have always been willing to negotiate pricing and increases. I like Comcast.
July 22, 2014 at 12:46 PM
You must be a representative from Comcast.
Comcast employees are people who couldn't get a job anywhere else.
ReplyDeleteSo if not Comcast what other cable company is worth a darn? Some like Directv some don't but they are not a cable provider. Some mentioned Bay Country but some don't like them either. We had Mediacom years ago and they were also a joke. The bill went up up up and if a bird sat on a wire or a drop of rain the cable went out. Their cable internet was also a joke. It spent more time being down than working.
ReplyDeleteWish I could get a job at Comcast those guys are paid well 80 K.
ReplyDeleteI am fine with my comcast cable and internet service.
ReplyDeleteIt's expensive but I knew that when I signed up.
I have never had any issues with bad service. Quite the opposite actually.
I lived in OC and had Comcast cable phone and internet. Every summer I would have trouble getting on the internet even worse on weekends. For this I had the privilege of paying $150 a month.
ReplyDeleteI'm for competition. Bring in a competitor and vote them both in; or three? Welcome a free market, and we'll all be happy.
ReplyDeletewe were buried under ever increasing price increase by Comcast. Switched to DirectTV which was the best option. All of these companies are unregulated monopolies that control content and price with little concern for the public
ReplyDeleteI was released from the contract burden of Direct TV and switched to Comcast no problems in the last year.
ReplyDelete