Qwest vs Comcast

Updated on February 10, 2008
C.B. asks from Olympia, WA
33 answers

I currently have Comcast for phone, cable, and Internet and am thinking of switching to Qwest for my phone, direct tv, and Internet. Does anyone use Qwest and are happy with it. I like the idea of the DVR and an extra box which I don't have now. Their proces seem comparable. Thank you for any thoughts.

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A.S.

answers from Bellingham on

The main reason I love Qwest is because they refused to give up information about their customers to the government. I don't know which companies did give up this info, but Qwest did not.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.V.

answers from Eugene on

Hi,
I use Qwest for home phone, cell phone and DSL. As far as thats concerned they are great.I'm an original Dish Network customer, so someone would b really hard pressed to pull me away. If I didnt have Dish I might go to Qwest for Direct TV.

1 mom found this helpful
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K.S.

answers from Seattle on

I had to switch, when I moved.

I like Qwest fairly well. The DVR is awesome!!! I love being able to record stuff. It's totally worth the extra money to me, I think around 10 dollars. They don't have high-speed internet available in my area yet, which is too bad, but they keep telling me "it's coming".

The one thing I don't like about having the dish, instead of cable, is that the customer service isn't "included" in the monthly rate you pay, unless you pay "extra". I think it's kind of goofy that they advertise how much "less" they cost, but really you don't get any help with stuff when it goes wrong, unless you pay up. Even if their equipment is the malfunctioning stuff. But, we haven't had much trouble to speak of. Every once in a great while, a program I set to record doesn't work. But not that often. I still think it's great, especially as a mom, to be able to tape a show and watch it anytime you want. And fast forwarding commercials is like the best thing EVER!!!!

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L.K.

answers from Seattle on

I learned something when I noticed my comcast service getting too expensive. If you call them and ask for the "bundle" pricing, you will get all same service for $140.00/month. When I added my phone service a long time ago they said they had no special deals. When I called disconnect, suddenly it was available. Nobody else can touch it, and sure beats having to go through all the pains of switching! Good Luck!

L. Kee

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B.D.

answers from Seattle on

I don't have Qwest's cable, but I do have the internet and phone. I have NEVER had a problem with their service. They are also reasonably priced. The best part...they also have LIVE online people you can talk to. I wanted to hook up another line in my apartment so I hopped online to see if there was anything they could do. At first I was quite skeptical. I kept thinking that I was going to be talking to a machine and never thought anyone would help me since it was a weekend day. Well, I was thoroughly surprised at how helpful they were and were willing to help me out with my problem right then and there. I like Qwest and hope to stick with them as long as they'll let me. ;) Hope this helps! ~B.

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J.S.

answers from Portland on

I've used Qwest for the past 5 years. I have my landline, cell (2) with all the bells and whistles, and dsl. I use Comcast for cable. I nearly got direct TV, but backed out at the last minute. I think I made a mistake. Comcast is an excellent cable company, don't get me wrong, but I think they charge way too much for their service. I like Qwest because they discount for every extra service you add. Since I am in a long distance relationship and have family in another state, being able to call (on my landline) as much as I want for $20 a month is a real bonus for me. I have been happy with their service and msn. As far as I can tell from talking to others, and my experience with work related internet, I've made a good choice. I have, however, thought about switching to Verizon since Qwest is not a carrier in Hawaii, where I will be relocating. I would stay with Qwest, otherwise.
Good luck with your choice.
J. S

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J.B.

answers from Portland on

I have Qwest and it's worked well so far (about 18months).

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B.S.

answers from Seattle on

We have Qwest with the direct tv and dvr and all the goodies (internet and phone). It works for us and we dont' have any problems with it. We also use the parental controls on the TV a LOT (doesn't come on in the morning or after school until 5, and nothing over TV 14.) And it's great if our girls want to stay up late on a weekend then we just have the TV "lock" so we can go to bed if we like. Then we just tell them "ok girls, bedtime when the TV goes off". Everything seems to work pretty well.

Good luck!

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D.H.

answers from Portland on

Hi C.,

I have comcast for my internet. We just recently switched to Direct TV from Comcast Cable. We love the DVR, and the promo deal we got was great. All the premium channels (HBO SHOWTIME ETC) free for 3 months.Plus a free dish for our RV.

I had switched to a VOIP option phone service, but it wasn't that good and I couldn't use my fax with it so I switched back to comcast for my internet.
Qwest does have good DSL service. My Mom has it and you can choose which speed you want for your internet.

A Little About Me:
I'm a stay at home mom, with a home based business.
I'm happily married to the love of my life. Together we have 5 children(ages 27-11) and have 5 beautiful grandchildren (ages 10 -1 ).
I'm a consultant for an online company dealing with treating systemic yeast infections. I'm also and independant Distributor for Nature's Sunshine
Check us out at www.stopyeast.com & www.mynsp.com/deniseh

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S.E.

answers from Portland on

My mom had comcast and moved to an area that only had quest. She hates quest and can not wait to get back to comcast. I currently have comcast and love it.

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G.K.

answers from Seattle on

Hi C.,
We have been using Qwest for about 6 months and have been very happy with it. No down time at all, except that Direct TV goes in and out when the wind is blowing.
Andrea K

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C.J.

answers from Corvallis on

I've had Comcast cable and phone at two rentals and have been very happy with their service.

My landlord has Qwest for her phone and has been double billed and has been called repeatedly for updating her account. Not major, just annoying.

That's my 2-cents worth.

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S.H.

answers from Portland on

I currently have Qwest and LOVE it. I noticed no difference in speed. I was getting frustrated with comcast, because the more people who got it in the neighborhood the slower it got. Plus it seemed every time I turned around they were raising the price. My qwest bundle costs less than just the internet was through comcast. With the Qwest price for life promo, you at least know what your bill will be in 3-5 years! LOL!

Good luck in your search!

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J.R.

answers from Seattle on

I have qwest dsl Direct TV and phone service. its nice I got the DSL price for life I pay I think 29 bucks a month and the price never goes up. We have had Direct TV for many years and we have always been happy with it. We just upgraded to the HDTV receiver because we bought a new HDTV we also have the DVR. I think the one thing you are going to miss is the on demand feture of cable and the internet service is a tad bit slower but I have never really had a problem with its speed. you might find that you are saving money by going with Qwest and thats a big deal in my house as we dont have a ton of money to throw around.

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C.W.

answers from Boise on

I love Qwest! I had our local cable provider before and hated them.... The online service that they bragged about was always down and they did not offer phone at the time. And the cable service always had problems.... Since I have been with Qwest I have not had the problems. I had a hard time getting my online set up, but the tech team helped me. And they were very nice about it... They did not act like I was take up their time.... I hope this helps you with your choice....

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A.C.

answers from Eugene on

We have qwest for phone, and we did have them for internet, but when they say 26.99, what they dont tell you is tht they have a bunch of things they decide to tax you or fee you on so that 26.99 turns into 60 or 70 dollars. We were only able to afford it for like a month or two.

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A.K.

answers from Portland on

If you use a Macintosh, stay with Comcast. Qwest email can only be viewed on the web, not downloaded to your computer using the Mail program.

A.
MacPac
###-###-####

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S.J.

answers from Spokane on

Hi C.. I don't use either of these companies, so I can't answer your question directly. But I do want to offer a word of caution. My elderly mother almost died a couple years ago because she had a Comcast bundle. When her power went out and the temperatures were sub-freezing for several days, she was unable to call for help because, with Comcast, her phone didn't work when there was no power. She did have a hard-line phone - not just a cordless that has to have power to work. Her experience has left me cold (no pun intended) to the idea of using any kind of bundle situation. The really aggravating part is that no one bothered to tell my mom that the phone service wouldn't work if there was no electricity. She's a smart lady, but like a lot of elders, not very technology savvy. Good luck.
S. J

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M.R.

answers from Seattle on

A few things to consider. Does your 3 yr old watch the on Demand kids programming? Mine does, and it allows you to watch and rewatch for FREE countless episodes of various cartoons such as Little Einsteins, Dora, Mickey Mouse, et. I originally had Direct TV and after years of interupted service due to snow on the dish, inability to get picture in picture, I finally switched to comcast. A couple of months ago I got a call from Dish Network offering this great deal to switch, they claimed they had the same on demand, two free HD DVR's et. I figured I would save a fortune as it cost much less. They came out and installed it...it did not have most of the stuff they promised, the customer service is in Saudi Arabia, and I spent days fighting with them to cancel the service. It has now been about 90 days they have not picked up their equipment, I had to repay comcast to reconnect all of my service and I just found charges from Dish on my credit card this month for service I don't have. I tell you all of this because, in using Qwest they just re-sell Direct TV which means service can be an issue because they utlimately don't stand behind the product or service it. Internet with Qwest is problematic, because they may tell you that hi-speed is available in your area, but until they actually show up to install it they do not know for sure. There are service devices in many neighborhoods called SLICKS and hi speed internet is not available if your neighborhood is served by a slick. They don't usually know this until they get there, so it may not be as high speed as you need especially if you run a business.
As a Qwest employee for 8 years, I personally use comcast and wireless through Verizon. I hope this helps you make a more informed choice. Best of luck, and by the way you can get DVR with comcast as I have it and LOVE it. Check with them and tell them you are thinking about leaving and see if they will offer you a deal on one to stay...

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G.C.

answers from Portland on

I have to say that I love directv. It is so much nicer than comcast for tv watching. I can't tell you about qwest for internet service though. It isn't available in my area. My phone service is fine though and it is through qwest.

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K.K.

answers from Portland on

I used to have the bundle package through qwest... I hated it. While I love Qwest's phone service, and don't mind their internet (I'm not hugely impressed, but not ready to throw it out), I did not like having my satelite through them. I had constant problems with my tv service being turned off due to "nonpayment", yet when I would call DTV, they would tell me that I had a credit and would turn it back on. After several times of this, I got fed up and switched to DTV without the bundle... I now recieve a bill directly from them. I have not had it turned off in over a year, nor any other problems. And, my "savings" came out to be $4.00/month having it bundled... not worth the hassle to me. Just my experience.

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V.H.

answers from Seattle on

Hey C., I used to have comcast and now have Qwest. I like it all the same. Both are good. Think I like the customer service at Qwest better. Good luck...V.

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T.B.

answers from Portland on

I have Comcast everything and I wouldn't think about switching. I like that fact that I'm not under a contract like with most company's. I know that they are getting ready to come out with some really cool features regarding their DVR's. Plus Comcast is local and they put alot of money back into our community by donating to foundations and organizations such as Boys and Girls Club and CCA just to name a few. So by sticking with Comcast you are getting great service along with knowing that you are in an indirect way doing something for our community!

Let us know what you decide!

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M.S.

answers from Portland on

I have qwest basic phone and dsl for $55 a month for life. Our phone does not have any bells or whistles, just basic service. We don't have call waiting or those kind of things and use a phone card for the minimal long distance calls (Costco for 3.2 cents a minute). After 8 years of no tv service, we finally broke down and went with dish network. We got 4 recievers in our home, 3 months free premium movie channles, dvr (recording) and our price is $55 a month. So far, we have very happy. Have considered bundling the tv, but they want us to have the bells and whistle on our phone package and it ads up fast so it doesn't pay. Plus I have sprint for cell phone. I pay $45 a month for 200 anytime, free nights and weekends starting at 7, plus unlimited text. That price included the eight plus dollars in tax and fees. So... is it worth bundling? Do your homework, it really pays. I keep thinking of bundling cell and tv with qwest, but it is still more money AND service than I really need.

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R.S.

answers from Seattle on

I have Qwest home phone, cellular, and internet. I don't have the direct TV so I can't comment on that but I REALLY hate Qwest and I wish I wasn't in a contract with them. Their customer service sucks and their bills are confusing and hard to read if you are trying to decifer all the charges on your bill. Several times I've called in with a problem (i.e. voice mail not working properly) and they've said they fixed it only to find out that it is still not working so I have to call them again. I wouldn't recommend Qwest to anyone, in fact I was thinking of switching to Comcast. I sure wish there were more choices!

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B.H.

answers from Eugene on

I use Qwest for my phone, long distance, direct tv, internet and cell. It's so nice to have just one bill to pay. I pay about 210.00 a month for all. I personally think that is a good deal considering I use to pay 60 for cell, 60-80 for cable (comcast) then another 60 for phone and 40 for internet. Sure, the prices are fairly the same but again, it's just so easy to pay one bill vs 4 or 5, Plus, I think they have this deal going on right now that if you sign up through qwest for internet you get a price of 29 bucks for life! I wish i had gotten that. I had that price for about a year then it got up'd (promotional thing). Quality wise, I can't complain. My internet is fast, my cable is good - i've even changed my cable package a couple of times and you can do it on line and it instantly changes. No waiting. So, in a nutshell I really think it's a good idea. Hope I helped.

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T.T.

answers from Spokane on

Hi C., we have QWest and really love it. We have phone, direct TV and Internet DSL. we have not had a problem with any of it and it is very easy to use. the satelite dish needs cleaning from the snow once in a while, but other than that it works great. i would recommend it!

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S.W.

answers from Eugene on

I've alway had Qwest and have always had good business with them. I don't have Direct TV yet but with DSL I love it. The DSL is always up and the one time I had problems they came out right away, were very nice and professional and fixed the problem (which was something I did) within a couple minutes.
My DSL has never been down or slow and I love MSN (I'll never go back to AOL!!!).

The phone service is great also. I just read some of the other responses and someone wrote how when they called their call got out sourced to India. I do know they do that (like everyone else now) but when I had to call about my DSL the customer service was great and no one sounded like they were out of the country, it was a good experience.

S.

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T.J.

answers from Seattle on

We like comcast dvr way better than direct tv, just our opinion!

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K.Y.

answers from Portland on

I just moved recently and Comcast was by far cheaper.I did like satellite Direct tv.I do like on demand with comcast.Qwest has larger fees for hook up and stuff.You could ask direct tv if they will give u free connect(your thinking about switching from cable).Shop around for satelite equipment(you have to buy).Call around,look on the net,call direct tv and ask specials. and see the sunday sale advertisment.Direct tv goes out with bad weather.When it hails,snows,or rains hard.For me is price what is important.You own direct tv euipment.I tend to find out the what the best sales are all together by asking direct and asking stores.I then wait for the special to come out and get it then.I know from going direct tv to comcast that they did take off instalations prices when I told them I was coming from another company-its worth asking to save $.Good luck.

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R.L.

answers from Reno on

I switched to Qwest and am very upset that I did. I have had nothing but problems from day one, but since I am under contract I can't do much without paying a lot. My phone line is constantly staticy, my "high-speed" internet is slower than when I had regular internet. I am happy with DirecTV, although I have had a few minor problems with the DVR, but I can fix them on my own...no India customer service to deal with. I have called Qwest multiple times for problems, and always get someone from India who is hard to understand and repeats back EVERYTHING I say as a question. Also, when I call customer service, I am on hold forever waiting to talk to someone. I will be switching as soon as my contract is up!

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T.H.

answers from Seattle on

Let's just say I used to work for Comcast's competitor (not Qwest) for many years. I have been using Comcast now for everything for about 7 months (phone,cable & internet). I have never been happier w/the switch!! If I ever have questions or concerns there are no hold times. The reps are very friendly, knowledgable and curteous. I can pay my bill on line or on the phone (automated system) at no extra charge. And this has also saved me money.

T.

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Y.B.

answers from Seattle on

We just switched to Quest and we are actually canceling the internet service since we have been on the phone with them for 2 days and no one seems to know how to get out internet going. We will be switching back to comcast

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