Mother of all screw ups? Still waiting for a fix after more than 3 weeks.

So this may seem a little long winded, but it is that big of a mess up. First off, I have been a Comcast customer for several years now, both home and business. Ever since they moved into this area. I am a PC technician, and have been recommending all my clients to switch to Comcast because, at the time, AT&T was the only alternative, and they only offer 6Mbps service.

     Back in early spring, I decided to move my retail business into a home workshop, due to rising costs and health issues. I was no longer in contract, so I decided to drop my business internet and rely on my 105Extreme internet at home. I kept my existing phone line so all my clients could still call me. I am currently disabled and working part time as my health allows, and it took me from April 30 until well into June to get my workshop finished. During this time, I noticed a steep decline in internet speed. Beginning in May, I suddenly started going over my data limit. Nearly 200GB over, and nothing had changed except the fact that my speeds are slowing down. My business wasn't back up and running yet so I know it wasn't pulling the extra data. My current speeds, while paying for 105Mbps, are currently between 1Mbps (yes 1) and 5Mbps. So how can I possibly be using that much data?

     After verifing with local Comcast employees in the know, I find out that there is a serious overload issue in this area and it could be months more before there is an actual fix. So I decide there is probably nothing I can do about the speed or overages, except to go back to my business class internet service. It was a hard choice to accept paying more for less speed, but since my speeds are so bad now, what do I have to lose?

     Now the fun begins. On around October 4th, I called to have my business internet turned back on (added to my existing account, which previously had internet service). Sounds simple enough right? So an appointment was set up for Friday 10/9. I was expecting a call to verify the time on 10/7 or 10/8, but never received a call. On Friday afternoon, after no contact, I received an email that they had made several attempts to call me, on the Comcast line that I have used for years, and were getting the "number has been disconnected" message. After several more emails, back and forth, I find out that they were given, and were calling a non existant number with a Illinois area code. Okay, honest mistake, but it cost me another week wait.

     So the following Thursday (10/15) the Comcast tech shows up at the scheduled appointment time. When he brings in the equipment to connect, I notice that he is installing the same exact telephone modem that I already have. When I asked him about it, he tells me that since I have added internet service back on to my account, that I have essentially started a new contract, so they gave me a new account number and sent new equipment. I am still scratching my head as to why they can't use my existing, functioning equipment, but okay. He installed the equipment, and verified everything was working, then when he called to activate the new equipment, over the phone, he is told that they can't activate the modem with my business number, because they have ported my residential phone number into it. Awesome! Now my home phone and business phone are both down. The tech was told to complete the installation and that the rest would be handled over the phone, but that I had to call back and initiate the number being ported over. Wasn't that what I already did when I signed the paperwork? They randomly pull my number, from another account that was never discussed, and I have to fix it?

     I'll go ahead and say this now: None of this was the fault of the technician. He did his job well and was very professional. He was nice enough to leave me all 3 of the modems so I could switch back and forth as needed. Now I call Comcast business back and try to sort out the problem. I was transferred to the residential department first, since it was my home phone that was lost. The person I spoke to was very nice and helpful, but she was exteremely confused when she accessed my account. They had cancelled my home phone and ported the number over to business class (and somehow, my business line is also still active, although not connected to either account), so she couldn't touch the business account. After speaking with my wife, we decided to go ahead and cancel our home phone, since we weren't using it that much, so the person I was talking with went ahead and put in the order for the residential phone and internet to be turned off. After that, she transferred me back to the business department. I explained, for the third time, what happend and supposedly, they put in the second order to have my business phone number (which, by the way, Comcast owns both numbers) ported into the new modem.

    Several more days pass, and I still don't see any changes, and still no contact from Comcast. At this point I'm not sure how many calls and emails I have sent. So I call back again. They don't see any order to port the number over. They are still showing my home phone attached to my business account, although the number has been cancelled and is inactive. So here goes another order in to port over my business number. This time they tell me that since Comcast owns both numbers, it shouln't take that long. This was around 10/20. So here it is 10/27, I still have 3 modems, my business number is still working through the original modem, although it doesn't show on my account. The new modem still isn't working. When I log into my account online, I still see 2 different business accounts, with 2 different addresses. My residental number is still showing one one, and no phone number on the other one. I went ahead and paid my original bill early, so there would be no confusion. So I logged back in to my account this morning to still see 2 accounts, and a new bill for more than $220 dollars, on the new account, including phone service to my residental line that is disconnected, and an activation fee (for the new equipment that still isn't working).

     At this point, I am really tempted to give up and switch back to AT&T, but I imagine they would say "you're under contract" now. So I am stuck with half service and being billed for full service that I haven't even received yet. Here goes another phone call. And my awesome 75Mbps connection is running at 11.98Mbps as I am typing this. I just hope they don't charge me for not turning in the old modems yet. It's hard to run a business with no phone.