A post circulating social media claims that Comcast is charging customers $70 for a “cable box that is now under water.”
The claim, which was originally posted on Facebook on Sept. 6, has been shared over 30,000 times as of Sept. 15, with users expressing outrage that Comcast would charge residents who had been affected by hurricanes Harvey or Irma.
But Mindy Kramer, the Vice President of Public Relations for Comcast, said that the claim is unequivocally untrue.
“We will replace impaired or lost XFINITY equipment resulting from Hurricane Irma at no additional charge to the customer. In addition, we will not charge for an in-home appointment with a technician during recovery efforts,” said Kramer.
In addition, Comcast will not be charging late fees or disconnecting customers who are unable to pay their bill until conditions in affected areas improve.
Customers may also receive credit for service outages on a case-by-case basis, according to Comcast.
Earlier this month Comcast opened more than 137,000 free WiFi hotspots throughout Florida so residents and emergency personnel could prepare for Hurricane Irma.
“We are working with impacted customers to help them through this difficult time and we will do the right thing for our customers,” said Kramer.
Verify sources: Mindy Kramer, Comcast vice president of public relations
Verify resources:
Comcast Hurricane Irma FAQ
Comcast Hurricane Harvey FAQ
Comcast announces free WiFi hotspots ahead of Irma
