Why Won’t Comcast Let Me Hide The Channels I Don’t Receive?
I have love-hate relationship with Comcast.
On the one hand, they’re always jacking up my monthly bill, the customer service sucks, and my digital cable is always cutting out at inopportune times.
On the other, they offer the best internet connection in my area, and I want that, so I don’t really have any other choice.
One thing that really drives me nuts is that the “Program Guide” feature shows me programming information for about 500 channels that I don’t receive, and there’s no way to make it stop. I’m pretty sure that Comcast thinks this is going to make me want to upgrade my cable package, but they are so wrong – all it does is make me want to switch to another carrier, ASAP. Between the info-noise of the channels I don’t receive, the banner ads that they force me to click past on the guide, and the slow response time of doing anything with the cable box, I can hardly even use the Program Guide.
I found a thread where a Comcast customer service rep offers little in the way of an explanation, just a “Well, everyone else does it, so we do it too.”
First, everyone else doesn’t do it. But even if they did, is that any excuse? This is a clear case of “doing exactly what your customer doesn’t want and using your monopoly power to get away with it.” It’s abusive. And Comcast should be ashamed.
October 11th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Hi there,
We should have been able to give you better information than you received and I apologize that we were unable to. We do have options to set-up a favorites menu depending on your area and the guide type you have. This link should help – http://www.comcast.net/meetyourguide Once there, please select the “personalization and settings” link.
If you have further questions, please let me my team and I know.
Best,
Detreon Roberts
Comcast National Customer Operations
We_can_help@comcast.com
October 11th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Detreon,
First, a favorites list is not at all what I’m looking for. When I hit the “Guide” button on my remote, I want to see a TV Guide showing only the channels I receive. A Favorites List does NOT accomplish this. I’m saying I have problem A and you’re offering a solution that doesn’t address the problem at all.
Second, speaking of favorites listings, why does Comcast keep changing my favorites lists? For instance, I happen to receive ESPN in HD on two different channels, 202 and 802. When I add 202 to my listing, within a few days 802 is added to the list as well. I delete it, and in a few days, it’s back again. I don’t want some channels on my favorites list appearing twice. But Comcast keeps mucking around with the list. Why?
October 14th, 2010 at 8:10 pm
Hey guys,
I called the 800 number 2 separate times. The reps both had no clue what I was referring to when asked about filtering out channels I did not own/subscribe to. The second guy even told me that they have thousands of different boxes out there and it is impossible to know the setting for each (complete bs). He then told me to read my instruction manual. Wow, great answers. It was even better when at the end of each call they asked me if there was anything they could help me with. How about my first question!! For you Comcast ‘official reps’ you know what you’re up to. Cut the crap.
October 18th, 2010 at 11:28 am
I am with you 100 % and share the exact same frustrations. I just spent 90 minutes parental locking all the channels i do not receive thinking i could then hide them, but of coarse you can’t. I also am sick of sifting through the garbage channels and am going to look at direct tv. I Can’t wait for FIOS to come to my area.
December 7th, 2010 at 5:10 pm
You guys realize why Comcast does this don’t you? It’s so that you HAVE to search through all the channels that you don’t have in hopes that you decide that you can’t live without the shows on those particular channels. Then, you will order them, thus they will make more money off of you… It’s a marketing ploy…
Thanks Comcast.
December 31st, 2010 at 9:06 pm
I agree totally fios please get here quickly, I’ve been trying to delete channels of my cable remote for two weeks with no success
April 29th, 2011 at 2:17 pm
HA! I have exact same issue/problem and frustration with comcast/cable. WTH! seriously amazes me that they are just this blind to reality.
November 14th, 2011 at 11:54 am
I want to say that I have Comcast and I am so frustrated. When we first moved to our new area, Comcast had to give our first month free because we literally had to complain everyday because they were not taking care of our problem. Oh ! And I wish there was a way to delete the channels that we dnt have !!! We will never upgrade and they just frustrate me more and make me want to change. If they would just fix this so we could have the channels for the package that we have that would be awesome. It should be about the consumer. Ever thought about that ?? Not about getting our money ! Think about us first then u will get our money
January 20th, 2012 at 7:39 pm
Comcast is a prime example of a company abusing the customers that they claim to serve.
The team is rude most of the time and now they wont stop meddling with the box.
Forcing me to view the adds they put on the guide and taking the convenience factor out of the relation ship.
They bank on the fact that people won’t change for fear they might suffer an even worse fate of having slow internet.
I hope someone with ethics and a good system comes along to save us from the cold hearted, never satisfied with the rate, always searching for a way to take more for less, crapy neccessary evil that is probably watching me type this while they block me from logging into my work place durring a winter storm so they can make another nickle off me,cable company.
May 1st, 2012 at 8:06 pm
Just make a favorites list with only the channels you get. Its annoying cause you have to hit an extra button, guide then fav button to get that list to show… but i think its the best you can do