Comments for

Comcast Threatens To Cancel Your Service Over "Leaky Signal" That They Can't Understand Or Fix

2009-03-23T01:15:16Z

Comcast keeps sending Andrew's parents letters insisting that "there is a leak of our electronic signal into the air," and that if it can't be immediately fixed, their service will be disconnected. Andrew's parents always immediately call Comcast to schedule a service visit, because nobody wants a signal leaking into the air, especially not one that "could interfere with aircraft and ship communications," but each time they call, Comcast has no clue why they sent a letter, or how to plug the leaky plane-gobbling signal.

Andrew copied us on the letter he sent to Comcast's Twitter-Jedi, Frank Elison.

My parents are at their wits end. Comcast has sent six or so letters over just about 1 year informing us that "TV signal we supply to your address via cable is emanating from [our] home [which] could interfere with aircraft and ship communications ...". The letter we received most recently on 2/13/09 is threatening cancel our service.
We have responded in the manner provided each and every time we respond, however the agents are clueless as to what these letters mean. Finally, we got them to schedule someone to come today. As we waited, for him to come he decided to just call ten minutes before his deadline and say that he had no idea how to solve our problem and will call us tomorrow. We're done waiting until tomorrow.

We've nearly lost faith in letting Comcast solve even their own problems, so this is our last resort before canceling (or being cancelled).

Well, if Frank can't solve the problem, call the FCC. Tell them there's a leaky signal in the neighborhood that Comcast won't fix and that it's sinking ships and causing headaches, and could they please help? If nothing else, you will at least have an interesting conversation.

Update: Andrew adds:

Yes! ~~Comcast~~ Frank Elison fixed our problem!
While dealing with the fiery behemoth of Comcast was not so easy, dealing with Frank Elison was. We exchanged a few emails and within 48 hours our problem was solved. An actual Comcast tech came to the house and fixed whatever the problem was with the lines. Thanks to Frank our Seinfeld reruns are safe. Oh, and as an added bonus, we no longer worry about planes crashing or boats sinking.

Comment from Rebecca Brown on 2009-03-24

2009-03-24T22:05:35Z

Looks fake to me, too. Largely because of the misplaced apostrophe in "neighbor's". Unless you only have one neighbor.

Comment from christoj879 on 2009-03-24

2009-03-24T10:44:09Z

Are all cable outlets not being used terminated? I once installed some super-duper 8-way splitter/booster that said to install termination ends on any unused ports or the cable company would come a knockin'.

Comment from ohenry on 2009-03-24

2009-03-24T09:50:27Z

@GeekChicCanuck: Did you RTFP or BBQ the LOL, or are you just gonna sit there and IMDB the WWW until we all just LMNOP?

Comment from The Marionette on 2009-03-24

2009-03-24T06:05:16Z

Comcast if full of crap. I had a problem with my internet connection (the cable was just fine though), where my net was constantly being disconnected. Me knowing a bit about how to troubleshoot a faulty internet connection I did everything I could to fix it, power cycle reset the modem and router, trying JUST the modem alone on one computer, getting different cables, tried JUST the modem on different computers and laptops in the house, and it was still the same problem. I called comcast and they of course ran me through the usual garbage of resetting my modem, router, etc, and did some sort of test to see if the lines were okay, which they said they were (I didn't really believe that). They said they will send a technician over to fix the problem, I then asked will there be a charge for that, they said only if it's not a problem on their end, which I was positive of. I asked if it was possible for me to wait on the tech and reschedule for another day, she said yes (mainly because i was going to be out of town for a while in a few days after that). In the mean time I fiddled to try and get it to work, and lucky for me a few of my neighbors have comcast net and I asked them if they were having a problem with their net and lo and behold they did. I called comcast back and told them who i spoke with, the story, etc etc and told them that my neighbors were having a problem and I guess they were out and about trying to fix the lines while I was gone. Now some more problems have came up with the net dropping out, it's seemed to stop but it was because of their lines once again and they try to make it seem as if it's not and want to attempt to charge you for their own faults.

Comment from Anonymous on 2009-03-24

2009-03-24T05:19:41Z

This same thing happened to my parents. The Comcast rep was able to determine that it was coming from the combo dvd/vcr player they had. It was some no name brand that they purchased on the cheap from Costco. And actually, they took it back to Costco and were able to get a refund for it!

Comment from KenJason on 2009-03-23

2009-03-24T04:13:44Z

My internet filled up one day at work, and tech support had me drain some out of my network cable to get my email to work again........

Comment from Fresh-Fest-1986 on 2009-03-23

2009-03-24T01:57:03Z

@Skaperen: I made the mistake of reading that ridiculous post in your blog.

Congratulations! You have more tech knowledge about cable TV then people who are getting paid $10 an hour to answer customer service calls.

Here's a tip, just because that guy is stacking oranges in the store doesn't mean he knows what kind of soil it grew in and who tended them.

Comment from 3drage on 2009-03-23

2009-03-24T01:27:22Z

Sounds like a scam.

Comment from Gann on 2009-03-23

2009-03-24T01:22:33Z

@macinjosh:
4 8 15 16 23 32 EXECUTE

*Plane crashes*

Comment from Anonymous on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T22:34:38Z

I had the notice on the door recently. After calling the number listed and being told that I was going to be shutoff,etc - I said that I would call them back. They didn't answer when I called back so I contacted Comcast directly.

Comcast said there was no leakage detected, that the people that contacted me were scammers and to not let them in the house and that they were going to report it.

Comment from Skaperen on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T22:22:30Z

@ElbertJorts: It's possible that they sent out one of the incompetent techs for the "cutoff order".

Comment from Skaperen on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T22:20:33Z

@RobinB: It would sure drive them nuts if someone had one of those signal generators that would put a carrier at every 6 MHz, and feed it to an antenna, in a house that did not subscribe to cable. It would drive the techs nuts trying to figure out where the cable got tapped when it didn't really at all. They would have to analyze the radiated signal carefully to see that it really isn't the cable signal. Most cable theft is actually not leaky enough to get a signal strong enough to see pictures from.

Comment from Anonymous on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T22:18:47Z

If I put a bucket under the leaky cable outlet can I sell back to Comcast what I collect?

Comment from Skaperen on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T22:17:04Z

@johnva: I do occasionally come across competent people at Comcast. When I do, I strike up conversation about the company, the technology, and other related things. Sometimes I find out interesting things. One CSR I spoke with was actually working from home, accessing a special phone line via Comcast's CSR phone system, and the database application she used, via ... Comcast cable.

Comment from Skaperen on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T22:11:20Z

@dreamsneverend: johnva did say "all the way". That should mean all the way to the set top box. And yes, that also means a fiber junction of some kind where the signal needs to go to multiple devices. Then the set top box can feed the TV with HDMI or baseband.

Comment from catnapped on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T22:05:53Z

@ViperBorg - SpaceBat hates Facebook: A SHIP CRASHING INTO SOMEONE'S HOUSE

Come on...should be obvious

Comment from Anonymous on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T21:58:32Z

This actually happened to me once too. And they did cut off service all weekend stating someone who was 'qualified' to check for this in my apartment would have to come Monday. Lo and behold, he came Monday and there was nothing leaking in my apartment! Hmmmm....I also contacted a supervisor at Comcast who credited my account for their mistake!

Comment from johnva on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T21:18:47Z

@dreamsneverend: It wouldn't have to. It might right now in practice, but there is no reason why fiber couldn't be used without any coax at all. Of course, there would still be the issue of interference from malfunctioning TVs and such, but it would seem it would drastically cut down on the potential for problems.

Comment from chumleyex on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T20:30:17Z

Wonder if it has anything to do with that space station debre

Comment from AnonymousFinger on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T20:06:54Z

What no one here seems to be asking is:

Can this cable leakage be exploited?

If a leakage is great enough, can I get free cable with some sort of antenna?

Comment from Shadowman615 on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T19:57:32Z

@ZekeSulastin: The problem here is Comcast's failure to have their act together. They keep sending letters about this problem, but when contacted about it, nobody seems to know what's going on.

This is really Comcast's problem, not the homeowner's. The homeowner's only issue with this is his service may get cut off if this isn't rectified. If Comcast fails to solve the problem, he might as well simply report it to the FCC and hope the large fine would help light a fire under their ass about fixing this.

Comment from cametall on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T19:44:51Z

We've had leaky signals before, but they were only discovered when a Comcast tech came out to check why our signal was weak. They fixed it within 10 minutes.

Better get in touch with the local Comcast office, they tend to be more competent and can even get you in touch with the head technician for the area.

Comment from dculberson on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T19:40:17Z

@camman68: Loose plugs sink ships!

Comment from dreamsneverend on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T19:33:07Z

@TCTH: That happens on all cable systems, good luck fixing that.

Comment from dreamsneverend on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T19:32:22Z

@johnva: Fiber still uses coax inside the house which can cause leaks still.

Comment from Wendy Sloan on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T19:08:12Z

wtf it's so obvious that the letter is a fake. lazy scammers, you forgot the comcast logo!

Comment from JGKojak on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T19:03:24Z

I say call the local FCC and tell them to come out and investigate the signal leak. Then get Comcast's ass fined $100,000. Can you hear me now?

Comment from shepd on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T18:49:35Z

If there were any brits on here, they'd know not only is this 100% true, but they can tell what you're watching (well, not what channel, but if your signal is cable or over the air).

Okay, they probably won't detect your new LCD TV, but hey... If they can do that they can find signal leakage.

Comment from RamV10: The Axeman Returneth on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T18:09:21Z

@tc4b: Low flying plane sucked it in.

Comment from tc4b on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T18:06:14Z

@GeekChicCanuck: Were you born without a sense of humor or was it taken off in an accident?

Comment from doctor_cos wants you to remain calm on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T18:03:28Z

@docrice: This of course answers the question "Why Philadelphia" in War Games 2 (because that's where Comcast corporate is).

Comment from ViperBorg on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T17:57:17Z

@morganlh85: Not her fault, catnapped forgot the /sarcasm tag.

/sarcasm

Comment from uptown on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T17:43:51Z

I think you should schedule your parents for a home invasion instead. That letter totally looks fake.

Comment from docrice on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T17:26:10Z

@madog:
Pick your team:
1.FCC
2.Deviant Signal Leaker

The WOPR doesn't like this game...

Comment from PunditGuy on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T17:13:01Z

@BuddyGuyMontag: I would have just tossed it in the trash. They can pay to roll a truck all over town looking for leaks, but they can't spring for official company letterhead?

Comment from billlnv on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T17:09:48Z

It sounds to me like there are a bunch of people at Comcast that do not communicate with each other when there is a problem. Either that or they are just to stupid to figure out where the signal leak is coming from.

Comment from TCTH on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T17:07:40Z

Hey Frank... who do I contact about the commercials being three times louder than the programming in my area? I

Comment from zigziggityzoo on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T16:58:26Z

@Obijuan:

FCC info page here:

[www.fcc.gov]

Comment from johnva on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T13:57:39Z

@Erik Bagby: That sounds like a good reason to abandon RF cable technology in favor of fiber optics all the way.

Comment from Leilah ElleEm on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T13:54:47Z

What HippyBear says needs to be repeated:
**It seems to me that the customer having this problem needs to NOT call the phone number listen in this letter, but instead call the number for their local Comcast office listed in the phone book. They should then explain the situation, and ask if there is a Paul Dunleavy working there. If not, they should ask if (610) 876-5000 is a known Comcast phone number within the company. If it is not, then it is obviously a hoax and Comcast needs to be given all the details possible. I'm sure their lawyers would be happy to help "solve" the problem.**

I got a call from an Adelphia "coordinator" saying they needed access to my yard for a "work order". He needed to know if I had dogs, when they could come, they only needed access to the yard to work on the lines, not the house, etc. Since I work for a very similar company (a telco), I know this usually means new equipment is being installed. I am somewhat familiar with the general process to do this kind of work.

A big alarm went off in my head. Why the heck would they need to get into in my yard? The easement for their pole does not require access to my backyard in any way and all I have is a simple analog cable drop. I asked if I could get back to him to set up access since I do have two dogs. The man gave me a number to call back.

Another, even bigger, alarm went off. The phone number he gave me was not in the same area as the local Adelphia buildings where their crews are located. Because guess what: I work on their phone lines. I knew this could not be an "official" Adelphia number. Another customer could have been easily fooled by all this.

I immediately called the local Adelphia office. There were no work orders being done in my neighborhood, and no projects of any kind that they knew of. I asked to talk to their "Outside Plant" folks just in case, but they would or could not connect me.

However, Adelphia customer service was not interested in this apparent hoax either. But then again, we now know they weren't interested in a lot of things they should have been.

No one called back, neither the hoaxer nor Adelphia. I never heard another thing about it.

ALWAYS VERIFY!

Comment from johnva on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T13:49:43Z

@speedwell, avatar of snark: They don't seem particularly interested in doing that. Apparently Comcast has just decided it's not worth it to hire competent people to answer their phones, nor to give them proper training and empowerment to do anything beyond trivial tasks.

Comment from Erik Bagby on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T09:55:47Z

This is a serious matter and as a radio communications professional and amateur radio I applaud Comcast for doing a good job on fixing leaks, unlike Charter where I live.

Cable TV uses a vast amount of RF spectrum that is assigned to other services, from aircraft, public safety, amateur radio, government radio and just about everything between 30MHz to 1GHz, when the signals are kept in the COAX it isn't an issue. But a leak, or a malfunctioning device (such as an amplifier) can put nasty interference on the same frequencies assigned to life safety services.

A few years back a fire department in a Metro Atlanta county who uses VHF high band had horrible interference on the input of their dispatch repeater. It made it almost unusable. The noise was telltale of CATV as it was a video carrier noise, and we tracked it down to a distribution amplifier at a hotel. The distance between the repeater receiver and the hotel was over 3 miles, but the interference strong enough to make communications on the repeater impossible.

So as you can see, it is critical that these leaks be fixed. If the problem on the customer's equipment or wiring (past the drop), than the customer has to cease using the equipment and the cable company has every right and duty to disconnect the offending subscriber to "plug" the leak.

These leaks also can reduce performance and signal quality of your cable TV and Internet as well.

Comment from caj11 on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T09:47:41Z

If the OP has had no luck with the people at the
610-876-5000 number, why not just call Mr. Dunleavy directly since he gives his number in the letter? Assuming this letter is legitimate, perhaps Mr. Dunleavy can make things happen and get this taken care of. Of course, even if this letter is legitimate, given Comcast's track record, it wouldn't surprise me if Mr. Dunleavy never returns the OP's calls either.

I haven't had cable service for about five years now, not a single dime paid to Comcast since 2004. A strong antenna and Netflix serve my needs just fine, and will continue to do so.

Comment from albokay on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T09:15:12Z

@Obijuan: A lot of the times i find the problem to be a an old radio shack amplifier inside the house causing the signal leakage. Slight chance that may be causing the meter to go off.

Comment from dieman on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T09:02:07Z

Easy fix: configure your home wiring to only make active the cable jacks you use, or put terminators on each jack you aren't using.

Comment from AgentTuttle on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T07:43:50Z

Oh my God, that reminds me I forgot to rewind the DVDs I mailed back to Netflix.

Comment from Skater009 on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T07:39:31Z

lame

Comment from ZekeSulastin on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T07:26:09Z

@DrWebster: I thought Consumerists were supposed to be better educated than their peers - or at least able to read the previous comments ...

Or is it just a knee-jerk reaction to seeing Comcast? I know, the overwhelming negative reaction happens to the best of us ._.

Comment from BuddyGuyMontag on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T07:05:14Z

@jstonemo: Agreed 100%, this looks really scammy. Doesn't look like Comcast's letterhead at all. Doesn't even have comcast's logo on it.

Comment from madog on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T06:37:34Z

@supercereal: That sounds like a fairly ignorant post.

While it may in fact be something in the customers house, unless they have a the equipment necessary to recognize such a leak which I highly doubt, it should still be Comcasts responsibility to tell them what product is causing the problem. If it ends up being their personal equipment then it would be up to them to unplug/replace it.

It seems that so far Comcast can only state that there is a problem but otherwise have no ducking clue as to what exactly it is.

If some electrician or wiring company didn't wire the house properly or up to code, the homeowner might have to front the bill but then is still ultimately the technicians/inspectors fault for screwing up.

It's like if a doctor told you that you have some horrible illness but can't operate until the patient finds out what's wrong with them first.

Comment from Quaoar on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T06:11:24Z

The problem with the OP's parent's service might be that there is a cable connection to an unused cable jack in the house.

I was advised, personally, by the Comcast surveyor, two or three years ago, that there was a cable signal leak in my house. Since we are under the landing path to Denver International Airport, Comcast places service in our area under heavy scrutiny.

I told the surveyor that we had no cables just laying on the floor, unconnected. He asked if we have any unconnected cable jacks in the walls. I said we have two. He disconnected both, one at a time, and checked the radiation measurements. Each unconnected cable jack in the house contributed about half of the total signal radiating.

Comment from vastrightwing on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T06:10:17Z

"We've nearly lost faith" Really? LMAO! That quote is so funny in so many ways.

I have an idea, simply use the "leaky" signals already pouring out all over airways using a HDTV converter box or digital tuner. 1) The picture is many times better. 2) It's totally FREE! 3) Comcast will never bother you again. 4) It's wireless, etc.

Comment from usa_gatekeeper on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T05:44:15Z

@usa_gatekeeper: they're a lot cheaper here: [www.amazon.com]
Don't forget to cap unconnected jacks on splitters, too.

Comment from BiZarRroBALlmeR on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T05:28:54Z

Hello Comcast? I've been notified that I have leakage.

Comment from Anonymous on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T05:20:05Z

Cable ops are required to report this information to the fcc and it is publicly available. Despite reporting the leakage to the FCC, it took comcast more than 3 months to fix in my area. Check out these sites if you want to look up your area (using the PSID):

http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/csb/coals/index.html

http://www.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/liststate.html

Comment from morganlh85 on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T05:14:45Z

@GeekChicCanuck: You must be one of those special people who have trouble spotting e-sarcasm.

Comment from turtyle on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T05:00:27Z

About 2 years ago our cable company, Insight, contacted us and told us that we had a leaky signal. They, too, said it could cause problems with planes. They scheduled a tech to come out and he determined that it was coming from our cable cord that our dog had bitten holes into. He replaced the cord and it solved the problem.

Comment from metaled on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T04:55:01Z

I wish I had a signal strong enough to leak, they couldn't even get a read when they came out to test the signal strength, they ended up running a second line (one for modem only) and a signal booster on the side of my house. that was a couple years ago, just had trouble with the modem connecting/disconnecting.. they can't get a signal from us (my modem or separate line cable box) at HQ... Looks like I am going through it again! Poor/Low Signal..
I always wondered how they figured out when a neighbor would hook an antenna to the power pole (cable lines) and give the neighborhood free cable. (I'm sure it's more complicated than that....)

Comment from Ragman on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T04:54:12Z

@johnarlington: Many times an open jack isn't an issue since the signal isn't transmitting very far. Dummy loads/caps aren't that commonly used as a result.

The dorms I used to live in provided cable as part of the housing, so every room had a live open jack. Never had an issue with the FCC over it while I was there.

Comment from hippybear on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T04:53:56Z

@comcastcares: How was this solved? What was the problem, and what was done to fix it? I understand there is a posting delay here at Consumerist, but with all the confusing surrounding this situation, it would be nice to hear 1) why official company letterhead was not used for this letter, 2) why there were threats made to the customer about a problem with Comcast itself seemed to be unable to verify, and 3) what exactly was finally done to resolve the situation.

I hope you read this, and thanks in advance for your increased transparency about this customer service issue which we are ALL curious about.

Comment from usa_gatekeeper on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T04:37:21Z

If you have uncapped and live cable TV leads at outlets, you need to cap or "terminate" them with a screw-on cover. Example: [www.homedepot.ca]

Comment from Yossarian on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T04:30:08Z

@GeekChicCanuck: That whoooshing sound above your head is neither a plane nor a ship.

Comment from randombob on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T04:14:29Z

@macinjosh:
LOL. And of course I had to double-check - you're the man, you used the right #'s too!

Comment from johnarlington on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T04:12:45Z

If open jacks are really an issue, why don't they have dummy loads to screw in. It would be a lot easier than shutting a jack down. It's pretty straight forward to stick a 50 ohm load on the coax.

Comment from scoosdad on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T04:03:21Z

I have a friend who used to live downstairs in a house with two apartments. He had an off-air antenna on the roof and did not have cable at the time.

His upstairs neighbor had cable TV, and the leakage from his cable was so bad, it interfered with my friend's reception from his antenna on channels 2-13. You could actually see one of the local cable access channels which ran on a channel without a local off-counterpart.

He tried to call the cable company (Cablevision in CT) but they wouldn't talk to him because he wasn't a customer of theirs. He finally filed a complaint with the FCC, and Cablevision was at the house within two days. The FCC takes this interference thing "very seriously", especially when it interferes with over the air TV and other two way communications.

Comment from Skaperen on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T04:01:28Z

@Jesse: There is a Paul Dunleavy at Comcast, according to this profile:

[www.spoke.com]

Comment from Skaperen on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T03:57:19Z

@comcastcares: Maybe Comcast cares. But a lot of CSRs clearly do not. Even some managers do not. I have direct experience and even documented one that rightly annoyed the hell out of me:

[ka9wgn.blogspot.com]

If Comcast really cares, it needs to do some major training or retraining of its employees. If Comcast really care enough to actually start listening to people, I'll post some of the other troubles I've run into (many of which have been fixed only after wasting a lot of CSR time ... and my own ... trying to get the point across). Feel free to open a line of dialog with me, if you like. I'll tell it like it is.

Comment from dreamsneverend on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T03:53:52Z

CLI techs is the same label Bright House uses here in Tampa as well. Though if the leak is bad enough we just cut them period and door tag them to get them to call in if they aren't home at the time.

Comment from dreamsneverend on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T03:51:58Z

@RobinB: This is *sometimes* the case, when people splice into lines and taps and do crappy jobs the RF spills out and is easily detected. Or it's just a nicked line, bad fitting or bad tv or box.

Comment from Skaperen on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T03:50:59Z

FYI, I searched for the address on the letter via Google Maps, and it brought up a large commercial building with numerous trucks parked behind (south) and to the side (west) that look like could be the white vans Comcast uses. Searching the web via Google for the street address brings up a few pages that reference Comcast. Searching for The phone numbers at the bottom (610-499-2358) gives no results. Searching for the number indicated to call gives pages that indicate it goes to a different location (probably a CSR office). Searching for that location by map gives what looks like a small shopping center. But in that search Google tagged on a "sponsored link" with a Comcast ad in it :-)

Comment from Grrrrrrr, portrait of a chickenwolfmoosepig. on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T03:50:01Z

[www.fcc.gov]

Comment from dreamsneverend on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T03:49:45Z

@DrWebster: Google is your friend:

[www.fcc.gov]

Comment from Grrrrrrr, portrait of a chickenwolfmoosepig. on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T03:49:25Z

@DrWebster: [www.fcc.gov]

Comment from Jesse on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T03:45:19Z

@ Hippybear:

I agree, try to get ahold of Mr. Dunleavy through the front office.

Personally, I think the letter is a hoax. The letterhead doesn't look official, the date is fill in the blank and there is no signature. In addition, it doesn't look like the letter is addressed to anyone either.

Comment from Skaperen on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T03:39:24Z

When calling 610-499-2358 to inquire of Mr. Paul Dunleavy as to why the proper technicians are not being dispatched to address this problem, what is the result?

My guess is Mr. Dunleavy may be getting quite a lot of phone calls on Monday.

Comment from ngth on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T03:34:07Z

The letter looks fake. Comcast letter heads are not in black and white and should have their company logo on it. This letter looks like someone typed it up for kicks.

Comment from DrWebster on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T03:30:44Z

Can anyone link to an authoritative article about supposed "signal leakage"? Because if Comcast gets pissed about active coax jacks I'm not using, then I'd hate to see what kind of nastygrams I'd get from the power company for electrical outlets I don't have things plugged into. Think of all the electricity that's spilling out!

Comment from Grrrrrrr, portrait of a chickenwolfmoosepig. on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T03:28:25Z

Cable TV signals are meant to be kept tightly sealed inside coaxial cable. The frequency range used for cable TV signals runs across the whole radio spectrum and includes critical 2-way communications bands such as VHF aircraft, VHF marine, and numerous public safety bands. This isn't a problem as long as the signals aren't radiated into the air. The FCC sets minimum limits about how much signal can escape the "closed" cable system and radiate into the air. Many cable-TV service vans are equipped with special "sniffer" receivers that look for a specific signal that's intentional injected into the system and is easily pinpointed if there's a leak.

I've seen cases where there was so much garbage radiating from the cable system that it did interfere with public safety communications and we had to call the local cable company to fix the issue.

I've also heard of cable companies using this ploy so they can gain access to somebody's apartment to sniff around for illegal decoder boxes and unauthorized "taps" running to neighboring apartments.

Comment from speedwell, avatar of snark on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T03:19:44Z

@comcastcares: Awesome. When are you going to train your phone people?

Comment from Anonymous on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T03:18:40Z

That letter looks very suspicious to me. My guess is that it is fraudulent; not just because of how hokey it looks, but also because they've been receiving it for a year without their service actually having been cut off as threatened.

Comment from hippybear on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T03:11:47Z

It seems to me that the customer having this problem needs to NOT call the phone number listen in this letter, but instead call the number for their local Comcast office listed in the phone book. They should then explain the situation, and ask if there is a Paul Dunleavy working there. If not, they should ask if (610) 876-5000 is a known Comcast phone number within the company. If it is not, then it is obviously a hoax and Comcast needs to be given all the details possible. I'm sure their lawyers would be happy to help "solve" the problem

This is only one set of possible ways to track down this problem, which obviously exists within Comcast more than it does within this person's house. Since the letter (as mentioned above) is NOT sent on actual Comcast letterhead, it is immediately suspect. Calling the local Comcast number listed in the phone book and questioning each and every fact mentioned on it, including the supposed "CLI" department (of which Paul Dunleavy is supposedly the supervisor), eventually either someone who actually drove this van past the house will be tracked down and Comcast's internal communication problems will be resolved, or else it will be revealed as a hoax.

Comment from AD8BC on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T03:01:54Z

This happened to me once. Sans the letters... Let me 'splain.

One day, my cable internet quit working. Cable and digital cable kept working fine. I called the Comcast service line and got the "there is an outage in your area" recording. For three days. I finally got ahold of a real person that told me the same thing. For another week. Finally I got a tech support guy that told me I needed a new modem. I was fine with that (mine was 5 years old). So I bought one, took it home, and called to provision it, and it wouldn't work either.

After three weeks of contacting tech support (I started using online tech support chat from work so I could log them) I got exasperated enough to call my friend who ran the local Comcast head end (different department). He send out a service tech and, lo and behold, someone had put a block on my line because of "signal leakage in my home". He removed the block and told me to call for a service appointment.

Every time I called for a service appointment nobody would want to help me because my service was now working.

I called to get a month of credit on my bill and got chastised for calling my friend directly for help. When I offered to email her chat transcripts from customer service, she decided to take the matter seriously and give me three months credit.

Comment from kathyl on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T02:49:07Z

@comcastcares: That's all great and very well done to get it taken care of, but it seems like there is a hole in the process at the customer service line, where they had no idea how to help when the customer provided the info they received in the letter.

If that hole got closed then everything would be a lot better!

Comment from Broke_Daddy on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T02:35:39Z

It specifically says "they" are responsible to fix it immediately.
Quote the letter back and tell 'em you'll report them to the FCC if they don't comply.

Comment from StevePJobs on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T02:27:07Z

...call the FCC. Tell them there's a leaky signal in the neighborhood that Comcast won't fix and that it's sinking ships and causing headaches

I love Consumerist's snarky concluding comments.

Comment from dragonpup on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T02:26:41Z

@Darren W.: I work for Comcast, and signal leakage is real. If bad enoguh, it can interfere with nearby radio transmissions, too. If leakage is detected, the tech attempts to fix the problem from the outside, and if that is not possible, they leave a letter like that one on the door.

Comment from GeekChicCanuck on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T02:24:59Z

@catnapped: Did you RTFA or are you just a dill weed?

Andrew understand perfectly how serious it is but Comcast can't seem to figure out why they're send the notices or how to fix the problem.

Comment from Anonymous on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T02:18:37Z

@jstonemo: The signal doesn't necessarily come from the wires. A CRT tv is basically one big radiation emitting machine: accelerated electrons, high magnetic fields, capacitors and wires out the wazoo. Check out Van Eck Phreaking, the signal is actually strong enough that you can eavesdrop someone's computer screen (in a manner of speaking).

Comment from Anonymous on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T02:14:57Z

Frank Eliason is the VP of customer service. I had service problems with Comcast for months and he didn't stop trying until it was fixed. I'd keep working with him. He was pretty awesome.

Frank_Eliason@cable.comcast.com

Comment from RobinB on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T02:14:42Z

Comcast used to tell us this also--and then say they trace it because "leakage" means someone is stealing cable. We got tired of it and switched.

Comment from floraposte on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T02:10:27Z

The call is coming from inside the house!

Comment from digitalgimpus on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T02:05:55Z

I believe this is actually refering to Part 15 of FCC rules. For more see:

[en.wikipedia.org])

Comment from comcastcares on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T02:01:14Z

This is true and was cared for a month ago after the email. Cable transmissions are radio frequencies and if leaking, can cause interference with other devices. It is important when detected to have corrected as soon as possible.

Frank Eliason
Comcast
We_Can_Help@cable.comcast.com

Comment from GloriaJebberz on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T01:59:42Z

@jstonemo: The reason it can is because it's a radio frequency signal, not an electrical current one. If there are faulty fittings, wires (or even equipment, as mentioned earlier) then you wind up with a tiny broadcast antenna.

Rest assured that leakage is a very real concern with CATV. It doesn't happen a ton but it does happen.

Comment from jstonemo on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T01:53:14Z

If I received that letter, I would throw it in the trash because it doesn't look like official Comcast letterhead. Upon initial viewing, it looks like a scam.

I didn't know that an electrical signal traveling over copper inside of a shielded cable can transmit a radio signal. The signal is so weak to begin with that I don't understand how it could cause an electromagnetic signal strong enough to detect at a distance of over 5 feet.

Comment from supercereal on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T01:51:32Z

We've nearly lost faith in letting Comcast solve even their own problems...

It's only Comcast's problem if one of their installed cables is faulty. It's equally likely that some wiring inside the house, not installed by Comcast, is the cause of the problem. In that case, it's the homeowner's responsibility to fix the issue at their own expense.

Comment from Jupichan on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T01:51:27Z

Little do Andrew's parents know... They're just pawns in the President's gigantic game of Battleship.

Comment from Anonymous on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T01:44:05Z

I live in Pennsylvania too, and just about every other week, some tanker plows into one of my neighbor's homes. Its a real nuisance to clean up, we usually draw straws to see who gets the job. They usually don't get this far inland, but without a Republican in the White House guarding our borders, I'm really not surprised.

Comment from EricLecarde on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T01:41:48Z

@Darren W.: No, this is too true. I also work for a cable company (TWC) and I've a tech friend that does the exact same thing. If you have an open cable line (meaning its an active jack but isn't connected to a tv or modem), its shut off by our guys. If your house has a broken line thats leaking a signal out they log it down and then try to trouble shoot it. You'd be surprised how many customers call in to get all their outlets activated only to find out that a year later that outlet is dead because we shut it off. Then I have to explain that the FCC fines us 100k just for leaking the signal like that. Rolling a truck to reactivate it is well worth the charge IMO.

Comment from madog on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T01:41:14Z

"Would you like to playa game?"

"Oh cool it's programmed to play games. Type in 'Global Thermonuclear Signal Leakage'..."

Comment from madoff_isthereal_steveaustin on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T01:39:21Z

@Darren W.

This is very real. I work for a broadcast multimedia company and we spend thousands of dollars for testing of our products to make sure we are not causing any signal leakage.

We actually had a customer overseas who had problems due to our older, untested equipment. And he was on a sea vessel and he was having with surrounding helicopters. It could get dangerous, not just hilarious.

Comment from silver-bolt on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T01:38:03Z

They don't mentioned they contacted Paul, the CSI Supervisor who signed the letter.

Comment from Michael Belisle on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T01:37:50Z

Does Mr. Dunleavy know why he sent the letter?

Comment from macinjosh on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T01:36:57Z

Looks like they didn't punch the numbers into the computer.

4 8 15 16 23 42 EXECUTE

Comment from camman68 on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T01:36:29Z

Where is this happening? I'm in Colorado and I'd hate to be responsible for sinking a ship!

Comment from Darren W. on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T01:30:02Z

@Obijuan: Seriously??? You mean this is potentially legit? I would have thought this was at best a hoax, or at worst, some social engineering by a clever thief trying to gain access to homes by pretending to work for Comcast.

Comment from Obijuan on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T01:26:58Z

I work for a small cable company and i have to drive around with a signal leakage indicator and if i find something that is around 20 or more micro volts i have to stop logged it down and then attempt to fix it. If i cannot fix it i find someone that can and if it is coming from inside a house i have to get in contact with the customer and try to figure out how to fix the problem. If the FCC where to come driving around downing their own sweep and find a issue that can cause local police or air traffic control issues (interference from leaking signal) then we can get a $100,000.00 fine.

It is most likely coming from a old Tv (small portable ones are most common) a VCR or maybe even a damaged line, either way it needs to be fixed and it should be up to comcast to do that if they want to keep a customer.

Comment from catnapped on 2009-03-22

2009-03-23T01:22:58Z

Well when ships and planes start crashing into Andrew's house he'll understand just how serious this is!