- Keith Tanner's Comcast bill was set to increase by over 50%.
- Comcast initially offered a five-year renewal, later claiming it was one year.
- After intervention by KSL Investigators, Comcast resolved the issue to Tanner's satisfaction.
MURRAY — You've probably been here: The promotional deal you scored on a service — maybe it's your cellphone, a streaming service, or your internet provider — is coming to an end, and your bill is about to make a big jump. Now, you have to negotiate a renewal offer.
Keith Tanner's Comcast bill was about to jump more than 50%, so he called and asked the question many customers ask: Can you give me a better deal if I stay?
At first, Comcast put up a one-year renewal offer.
"And I said, 'You know, I'm tired of calling Comcast every year or two and having to re-negotiate my price. I'm going to go check out Utopia,'" Tanner said. "And they said, '"No, no, no — don't do that. We will give it to you for five years.'"
You don't have to take Tanner's word for it — he's got proof. He took screenshots of his online chat with a Comcast representative.
At various times in the chat, the rep told him:
- "It's for five years, so it's worth it and it's a better offer."
- "For five years."
- "Yes, be assured there is no contract, and it's only $50 for five years of internet."
- "Fifty dollars for internet and $30 for home phone per month for five years."
- "I will update it for the next five years."
- "I mean, it was their offer," said Tanner of the promised renewal offer.
But he said when he checked back with Comcast, they told him that the deal was actually only for one year.
He protested.
"I have called them six times," Tanner said. "Each time they said they would call me back. They never have. They've created three escalation tickets. They get closed without explanation."
After more than a month fighting for a promised renewal offer on his own without getting anywhere, he called the KSL Investigators.
"I finally decided to get Gephardt to see if you couldn't help me have Comcast do what they said they would do."
Both state and federal law consider so-called "deceptive acts" in commerce a no-no. And offering one thing to get someone's business but then refusing to provide it, that's pretty much a textbook definition of a "deceptive act."
So, we reached out to Comcast on Keith Tanner's behalf — not through customer service but through its public relations team. Just like that, there was movement.
A Comcast spokesperson told us their customer relations team spoke with Tanner, and he is satisfied.
The linchpin of this story was not just that Tanner got a renewal offer, but that he had that promise in writing, and he saved screenshots of that conversation.
Investigators with the Utah Division of Consumer Protection will tell you: The more evidence you have that a company isn't honoring its offer, the easier it is for them to step in and help.
