Never read the comments, but read these comments

There's a long time saying about "never read the comments." That's usually good advice.

However, sometimes there are actually good comments. I'm not talking about entertaining comments, but rather useful information.

A post at Cord Cutters News had an interesting comment thread about Comcast and its policies regarding fees. The initial comment is from a former Comcast customer service representative. Now, let's be clear that I don't know the person, and can't confirm that the person used to actually work for Comcast as a CSR, but it rings true. I'm inclined to believe what I read. It includes both a defense of Comcast and a damning of Comcast. It seems real, and I've accepted it as real in my mind.

The post itself is a rehash of an earlier report about Comcast raising fees. It appears that Luke from CCN thought a new round of fees had hit, when it was simply another report about the same fees that went into effect recently. He corrected it within the post, but left the post, as it is a good reminder about the high fees that Comcast is charging.

That's where the comments, or this one thread, come into play. Someone who identified as "Chris" and claimed to have worked for Comcast talked about the fees:

I worked in a Comcast call center when these fees were introduced. I remember asking, "Comcast simply rebroadcasts, so why are we having people pay twice now for the same programming?" They said we weren't, we were just charging separately now. I said, "Then why didn't package prices go down to reflect that?" I was told to just follow the information in the pamphlet from legal. I inquired what I should say if a customer asked the same questions I'm asking. They said, transfer them to legal.

Those fees are bullshit and have been from the start. I left a year or so after they started because I felt the company wasn't being honest anymore. Not with customers and not with me.

The thread is interesting, and Chris does defend Comcast about a couple of things in response to other comments on his comment thread. Overall, it shows that Comcast, and other cable companies, are hiding price increases inside fees.

Don't get me wrong, I do find Comcast to have reliable Internet service. I've been a Comcast (Xfinity) Internet customer for years. I don't use their TV service however, although I still have some family members that are paying those outrageous costs and fees for it.

My Streaming Life absolutely depends on Comcast's Xfinity Internet service, which is for a reasonable price. But I do not and will not use their TV service. I have enough options with streaming.