Saugus man engaged in battle over cable bills with Comcast

SAUGUS – John Truesdale has been a Comcast subscriber for as long as he can remember. But after keeping track of his bills for the last six months, he?s noticed a trend that he?s calling unfair for hardworking families.After he receives his bill in the mail, Truesdale said he only has about a week to pay it.?I have a major problem with that,” said Truesdale. “The other bills you get 30 days. It might get lost in the middle. If my bill isn?t paid, bang, I get a bad credit rating. My wife and I work hard to pay our bills.”For Truesdale?s December bill, the billing date is Dec. 8. He received his bill in the mail on Dec. 15 with a due date of Dec. 22, leaving him just seven days to pay it. Previous bills have left him between eight and 10 days to pay.?Instead of billing on the eighth, let them bill me on the first,” said Truesdale.Truesdale said he also has a problem with Comcast billing him for service in advance.?I don?t pay my dental bill until I get done with my dentist ?” said Truesdale. “I don?t see why I have to pay up front before they provide the services.”Truesdale took up the issue with the Board of Selectmen in December, who in turn sent a letter to Comcast. After months of silence, the board finally received a letter from Comcast on Feb. 10.In a letter from Jane Lyman, Senior Manager of Government and Regulatory Affairs, Lyman states that Comcast?s current policy is “fully consistent with the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable?s regulations,” and says Comcast has a “generous grace period” for customers and routinely works with customers on a “case-by-case basis” should they have a unique situation.Comcast spokesman Marc Goodman reiterated these statements on Wednesday.Truesdale called the response a “bunch of bologna.”?They?re arrogant and cocky, and they don?t care at all about their customers,” said Truesdale. “All they care about is the money they have coming in.”On Tuesday, the Board of Selectmen voted to send a letter to the DTC and to U.S. Rep. Ed Markey, who used to sit on the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.?They say they?re in compliance,” said selectman Stephen Horlick. “But we don?t know what the window of compliance is. Once we read (the law) there may be other ways to do it that could still be in compliance.”According to the Office of Consumer Affairs, cable companies are allowed to bill up to two months in advance and must provide a due date for bills at least five business days from the date the bill was mailed.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].