Had to share this success story with you all. Just finished auditing a manufacturing client's Comcast business account here in Springfield, MO. Their monthly bill was running $4,200 and I found over $45,000 in billing errors going back three years! They were being charged for 12 phone lines they never ordered, paying business rates on residential internet at two locations, and somehow had three separate accounts for the same building. Comcast's billing department is an absolute mess.
Comcast business bill nightmare - found $45K in errors!
Elmer, that's incredible! Comcast is notorious down here in New Orleans too. I've seen similar issues with multiple accounts for the same location. Their sales reps don't seem to check if service already exists before setting up new accounts. Did you have trouble getting them to acknowledge the errors? In my experience, their billing disputes department is understaffed and slow to respond.
Wow, $45K! That's a huge win. Here in Pennsylvania, I've found Comcast often doesn't properly credit promotional rates when they expire. They'll switch to standard rates but keep charging the higher promotional setup fees. Also watch out for equipment rental charges on modems and routers that were supposed to be included in the package. I found one client paying $35/month rent on equipment they owned.
Comcast here in Little Rock has similar problems. The phantom phone lines issue is huge - I think their provisioning system doesn't properly track disconnections. Elmer, did they give you any pushback on the three-year lookback? I've had mixed results getting credits beyond 12 months. Sometimes you have to escalate to their executive complaint resolution team.
Juan, getting them to acknowledge the errors was like pulling teeth. Took three separate escalations and about 6 weeks of back and forth. Helen, for the three-year lookback I had to provide detailed documentation showing when each error started. The key was having copies of the original service orders that showed what was actually supposed to be installed versus what they were billing for.
Here in Corpus Christi, I've seen Comcast bill for static IP addresses that were never assigned. Their network operations team and billing department don't seem to communicate well. Elmer, did your client have any VoIP or SIP trunk services? Those seem to be where the biggest errors occur. I found one client being charged $800/month for a PRI that was converted to SIP but never removed from billing.
Comcast business billing in Kentucky is equally bad. The multiple account issue is their biggest problem - I think their sales system doesn't properly check for existing service. Elmer, what percentage recovery fee did you charge on that $45K? That's got to be one of the biggest single recoveries I've heard of for telecom. Congrats on a great audit!
That's an amazing find, Elmer! In Indianapolis, I've learned to always request account reconciliation reports from Comcast showing service history. They often reveal services that were supposed to be disconnected but kept billing. Also check if they're charging business class rates for basic internet - I've seen residential packages incorrectly coded as business services.
Seattle checking in - Comcast's bundling practices are deceptive too. They'll quote one price for a bundle but then add individual service fees that weren't disclosed. I found a client paying an extra $200/month in "activation fees" that should have been one-time charges. The contract said bundle price was $899/month but they were actually paying $1,100+ with all the hidden fees.
Mike, I charged my standard 30% contingency on the recovery. Vivian, they did have SIP trunks and you're right - that's where some of the biggest errors were. They were paying for 48 channels but only using about 20, and Comcast never mentioned they could reduce the package. David, those hidden activation fees are a huge problem. Always review the first 6 months of bills after any service changes.
This thread is gold! I'm in San Jose and just started working with Comcast business accounts. Elmer, did you use any specific tools or software to track all those billing errors? With accounts that complex, it seems like you'd need some kind of database to keep everything organized. Also, how long did the entire audit process take from start to finish?