Man loses Comcast e-mail just when he needs it most
Finally, score one for tech support: Six-year-old account re-established, job search can continue
Dear Fixer: I have been a loyal Comcast customer for six years. Back in 2003, I opened an Internet account to go with my television account. Since then, I have been paying $42 a month for high-speed Internet, mostly because I have no other choice for service providers since I am in a condo building.
For over six years, I have had the same "@comcast.net" e-mail address. When I would log on to their Web site, I had a username and a password that was a random 11-digit alphanumeric password I have been using for years. The chances of duplicating it are higher than winning the lottery; it's just something that I used in college and it stuck.
Anyway, just this past year Comcast revamped their customer Web site. Typically, all I had used their site for was to view my bill, since I used Outlook for my e-mail.
One night after the new Web site was launched, I logged in to see my new bill. I used my same username and password and as usual it was accepted. Except this time in the upper right corner where I usually see my info, it said Michael Porcelli and had some Florida address.
So I clicked on billing and it said there were no bills, as this account was closed back in 2004. I called Comcast and told them there was some kind of mix-up.
They informed me that I couldn't possibly have my e-mail address because it belonged to this Floridian. I told them I have had that e-mail address for over six years. I even sent the customer rep an e-mail as we talked, so she would have proof.
After two hours, the rep had recorded everything about the problem. She even talked to a manager. She said my problem had to be escalated and she gave me a reference number and told me they would contact me.
After two months I still had no contact. When I would log in, it would still show the wrong residential address. I was still getting my e-mails, but I was worried that at any given time they could turn it off. Well guess what -- it got turned off! Everyone I know has that e-mail address for me, and I am currently looking for employment. On the hundreds of resumes I have sent out, guess what e-mail address is on the top line?
It is not fair that this company has treated me like an outcast even though I spend over $100 a month with them. I have written letters, called multiple times and I am getting nowhere. PLEASE, please help me.
Michael Porcelli, Chicago
Dear Michael: By the time we got involved, this was halfway fixed, since you were starting to receive e-mails again. But the system was still apparently thinking you were that other Mike Porcelli in Florida. On top of that, a Comcast rep insisted that your e-mail address in their system was a completely different address that you had never heard of.
It was clear that we had only three courses of action: Change your name, move to Florida or try to get you disentangled from their other, former customer. We chose No. 3.
Like so many things, this was all about finding the right person. After we got in touch with Comcast, they located that person -- a helpful guy named John in Internet support. You said they went through the whole account, and this time they made sure you are indeed you.
Now you won't have to worry about any wayward bills or sudden shut-downs in service. And good luck with the job search -- let's hope for a quick, happy ending there, too.
In September, we ran a letter from Valerie Pace of Lockport, who had run into some trouble at Galarza Motor Sport in Crest Hill. Valerie said she and her 18-year-old son had given a salesman their $900 in cash as a down payment on a car, but when they came to pick up the car the next day, they found out that the salesman had disappeared -- along with their money.
And the dealership's owner wasn't hurrying with reimbursement.
After The Fixer and the Will County state's attorney's investigator got involved, the owner gave Valerie her 900 bucks. And now an update: the salesman, Novel W. Woods, 42, of Joliet, has been charged with felony theft by deception. Bail was set at $40,000.
Join The Fixer for a live Web chat at noon today at www.suntimes.com. We'll talk about rip-offs, scams, how to save money and whatever else is on your mind.
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