Comcast Offered $600 Refund if Customer Kept Quiet: Report

Hey Comcast, how’s that image rebuilding going? Just days after announcing a customer-service overhaul, a report surfaced that the cable giant offered a $600 credit to settle a bill dispute — as long as the customers keep quiet.

Action News reports that John and Carol Lehman were offered the credit after the news organization got involved in a dispute regarding five years of erroneous charges for a cable box they never had. But the deal came with one caveat, a nondisclosure agreement.

“We will issue a $600 credit, pending that you sign a nondisclosure agreement,” a Comcast rep is quoted as saying on the couple’s voicemail.

A Comcast representative was not immediately available for comment.

Will this story resonate like the one about the guy who claims he was fired after complaining to Comcast execs about his bill? Or the guy who tried to discontinue his service but was harassed by a pushy Comcast worker. (“Tell me why you wouldn’t want faster Internet?”). We’ll have to wait and see.

It is clear that stories like this are not what Comcast needs right now. Although it recently announced big changes to its customer-service procedures (three new U.S. call centers, $20 automatic credits if a technician is late), they aren’t resonating with customers. Just check out this sampling of Philly Mag readers.