Police to Comcast: Get a Permit or Stop Soliciting
Comments (0) Suspicions were raised when two young men claiming to be from Comcast roamed through White Oaks recently asking homeowners about their service. Many people didn’t think this idea was very Comcastic.
The men, wearing a neon Comcast vest over otherwise casual clothes, went door to door inquiring about service, implying that they were conducting a survey. They carried clipboards, as if these were customer records, but seemed not to know which service packages were in place with each home.
We contacted both Comcast and San Carlos Police Department, and here’s the story:
The men, according to Comcast regional officials in Livermore, work for a contract firm that Comcast uses for door-to-door upselling. They are not Comcast employees. Essentially, they’re trying to find out if you have Comcast and, if not, encourage you to take the service. If you already have Comcast for one or two services, such as cable TV and Internet, their mission was to suggest that you add telephone service as well. They might offer a special promotion.
What makes these door-to-door roamers appear less credible is that they don’t dress like Comcast service workers, who wear logo shirts and hat, carry Comcast identification badges and drive Comcast trucks. These subcontractors either drive unmarked cars or are dropped off by a manager.
The problem, say police, is that they do not have a city permit to solicit. Comcast feels they may not need one because of Comcast’s contract with the city to provide cable service. In any case, police say that residents should contact the department if they show up again and officers will check them out.
