There is a $90 install fee for homes that already have a cable line.
It is difficult for new customers to avoid paying installation fees if they purchase their own modems.
Depending on where you live, signing up for internet or TV service on Comcast.com often requires payment of a installation fee.The fee was $60 in two Massachusetts suburbs and $90 in Houston, Texas.If the $60 or $90 fee is charged, you have to pay it if you rent a modem or purchase one.
The installation fee can be charged even if the home you're buying service at has an existing service and if you order internet speeds that are lower than those purchased by the current occupant.Even if you don't have to upgrade at the house or apartment you're moving into, the fee is still charged.The fee may be charged if you purchase 15Mbps downloads or gigabit service.
"We can't offer self- install kits for residences that we already serve with an existing customer."Professional installations are required for complex cases.
You can avoid the installation fee by purchasing certain bundles that include both TV and internet, but the fee is often mandatory if you buy only TV service or broadband individually.The $60 or $90 fee is charged when you buy a "double-play" package of phone service and broadband.
We went through most of the process of signing up for service after entering addresses into the online sign-up system.We couldn't get to the "Submit Order" page unless we scheduled a professional installation and submitted credit card information.It wasn't an option to get one of the self-install kits.
Sometimes the fee isn't required.There are five addresses in different states where the option of a free self-installation kit is offered by the online system.
"These are all homes for sale in our footprint that previously had Comcast services," the company told us.
There are at least two scenarios in which you would have to pay the fee, according to our tests of Ars staff addresses.Our tests show that you have to agree to pay the installation fee in order to switch to Comcast if you live in a house in the territory.
You'd have to pay the installation fee if you're moving into a home that's still occupied.If you sign up for service in advance, you can move into your new home almost immediately after the current resident leaves.
We can't be sure that the general guidelines will hold true in every case, because the fees vary so much by location and bundle.It's clear that new customers will not be allowed to order service online unless they agree to a pricey installation, even if they have their own modem.
The findings were based on the results provided by the website of the company.A new customer can't sign up for service online at an address that currently has a paying customer because of a business rule, according to a spokesman for the company.In these cases, a new customer would be required to talk to a Comcast agent who would make sure that the current resident is actually moving out before allowing them to hook up to the network.We shouldn't assume that the installation fee listed on the website is actually charged because of that.
That doesn't seem to be true.I was able to schedule installation appointments and enter credit card numbers in order to sign up for service at homes where the current resident is a subscriber.If I had hit the "Submit Order" button, I would have been charged $50 immediately, enough to cover the first monthly payment of $30 and part of the installation fee.
I didn't click the "Submit Order" button because I wanted to avoid credit card charges and a confusing situation with the installers.The company stopped denying that it would be impossible to sign up for service without talking to an agent after I pointed this out.
I was never told that I had to talk to a Comcast agent in order to set up service, as the automated system sent me two followup emails urging me to complete my order before Iunsubscribed from the messages.
Installation fees vary by market and the company has a promotion running.
When it turns out that no special installation was required, the installation fees may be returned.In order to complete an order, customers are often forced to schedule a professional installation and agree to a fee.
It can be difficult to get a refund once you've agreed to the fee and paid a deposit.Customers may not know it's possible to get a refund because the default setting is required.