Comcast has contempt for its customers. The company won't put that in a slogan, but it very clearly thinks that it can continue to operate like the monopoly it once was.
Even though it has fallen from 22.6 million cable subscribers at the end of the first quarter of 2014 to 16.58 million at the close of the third quarter of 2022 -- a loss of more than a quarter of its customers -- the company continues to advertise one price and then charge another.
That's actually something President Joe Biden has decided to make a priority, although he mentioned the internet side of the business, more than cable in his October speech on hidden and junk fees.
DON'T MISS: Comcast 'Customer Service' Leads to Another Scandal
The Federal Communications Commission, they’re working on a rule that would make the same thing for fees that Internet companies charge, requiring them to show those costs upfront," the president said. "I’m not saying they can’t charge it, but they got to let you know they’re going to charge it. You can make a decision."
Despite that, Comcast CMCSA literally continues to charge added fees, which can be increased at any time outside of your contracted price, that pay for the basic thing you're actually buying.
Image source: Jeff Fusco/Getty
Comcast Advertises Low Prices While Protecting Itself
A cable subscription involves you, the consumer, paying a cable company for a package of television channels. If you want extras, like a channel that's not listed in the bundle or a DVR, you can purchase those items a la carte, but the basic transaction is you pay a set price for access to a list of channels over a period of time defined by a contract.
The problem is that Comcast does not operate that way, Instead, the company advertises a set low price for its promotional contracts but leaves itself the complete ability to raise prices under the guise of a slew of fees you can't opt out of.
"You may not realize that we pay programmers like Fox, ESPN, HBO, and others to be able to bring you their programming. Programming fees -- what we pay to programmers -- are one of our largest costs and increase regularly. Changes to the fees we charge ensure your access to top networks and the latest entertainment," the company shared.
If there's anything customers understand it's that. Comcast's statement would be like a restaurant telling customers that they have to pay for the food that goes into your meal. The difference is that a restaurant can raise or lower prices as costs go up because you haven't signed a contract guaranteeing a price for a year or two.
Here's a Look at Every Comcast Fee
Comcast Charges Xfinity customers a lot fees. Here's a look at the ones the company lists on its website. The prices are based on a bill example the cable giant provides on its website (actual prices have gone up, at least in some markets). The quotes are all from a Comcast web page explaining its fees:
- Broadcast TV Fee: ($23.45) This fee pays for access to ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox."These costs include the fees that the broadcast stations charge us to carry them on our cable systems."
- Regional Sports Network Fee: ($12.55): This covers the "costs of providing the regional sports networks that we carry on our cable systems in each area," the company shared. Non-sports fans do not have the option of opting out of having these channels.
- Federal Universal Service Fund (FUSF): ($1.90) "This charge is imposed by Comcast to recover its contribution to the FUSF, which is a federal fund that ensures the availability of affordable communications services to low-income and rural customers (as well as eligible schools, libraries and health care providers)."
- Franchise Fee: ($12.16) "Franchise fees are paid to local governments as compensation for Comcast's use of the public rights-of-way and easements."
- Rental Fee: ($8.50 per cable box) This fee covers you cable box -- at least one of which you need in order to receive cable. Each additional TV requires a new box.
All of these fees are known to Comcast when you sign a contract. Yes, they can go up or down for the company over the period of your contract, but isn't that the point of signing one in the first place? You get a guaranteed price and the company has a customer at a set price for a period of time.
That's not how Comcast contracts work. When you sign up with Xfinity, you get no protection and the company passes on all of its risks to you.
