xfinity [comcast] just blew my mind...

I have an xfinity account for tv, phone, and internet. I was scouring the website trying to figure out why, after nearly two hours on the phone with customer service renegotiating my service my bill which was supposed to go down about 50 bucks a month went up instead. That was troubling enough. But, what really shocked me was something I found quite by accident.

xfinity has transcripts of every call to and from my home phone. I was able to read, word for word, every single conversation. Granted, the software they used got some of the words, mostly unique names, wrong. But that isn't the point.

I live in Illinois. When it comes to recording phone calls this is an all-consent state. That means that if a call is going to be recorded all persons involved in the call must agree to being recorded. Once that consent is given anyone involved in the call can record it if they wish. In the absence of a verbal warning that the call is being recorded you can play an audible tone every fifteen seconds which also indicates that the call is being recorded. In this case, or in cases where an automated voice tells you the call may be recorded, you do not need to verbally agree in order to consent. By simply staying on the line after you are told the call is being recorded you are giving consent. This is called tacit consent. The one thing these various conditions all have in common is that consent is given one way or another and parties involved know they are being recorded.

I know for a fact I did not give consent to anyone to record, which includes written transcripts, any calls between me and my family members, my attorney, my doctor, anyone. There are no audible tones, no automated warning, nothing. Yet every single call to or from my home phone has a detailed, word for word transcript online that I was able to view with my own eyes.

I am investigating this now but forgive me for not having more information at this time.

Has anyone else seen this?

Any legal types care to weigh in the legality of this practice?

a reply to: Vroomfondel


Make sure you get screen captures of as much as you can and get a Lawyer. ACLU seems to love cases like this and it might not cost you a dime.

a reply to: Vroomfondel

I'd think it would depend on where xfinity is located. If they're located in a different state than you, they may not have to follow the rules in your state.

I have Xfinity Comcast in Illinois as well for TV internet and phone. It's called a triple play. They probably have all my telephone transcripts, know every website I visit, every post I make on ats, and every channel I watch on television.

Your post reminded me that I have not received my $250 gift card for enrolling with infinity Comcast last year. Thank you for that reminder!

I am confused and ticked off right now. I went back to get some screen shots, which I should have done the first time, but now its only showing me transcripts of voice mail messages. I know there were transcripts of actual calls there. I saw them. I am very confused right now.

originally posted by: carewemust
Your post reminded me that I have not received my $250 gift card for enrolling with infinity Comcast last year. Thank you for that reminder!

No need to remind them. They now know they owe you a card.

a reply to: Vroomfondel

Did you "read the fine print" when you signed up

There is LIKELY a consent waiver inside...

a reply to: Vroomfondel

I know for a fact I did not give consent...........

Are you sure? Did you read every word of your contract/agreement?

a reply to: Vroomfondel

Did they maybe say at the beginning of the call "This call may be monitored or recorded for quality assurances purposes."? I think a lot of us have heard this so many times that it's all background noise now and we just ignore it.

No, I did not read that document. /bad on me. I didn't even think about that. There has to be some kind of explanation for this. I broke my own rules about getting screen shots on the spot when I see something wrong.

What I don't understand is why i can't get those transcripts again. I can get the voice mails, which are recorded obviously, but the others are not on that page now. Either I got in to something I shouldn't have, access is no longer possible, or, I misread it. I have a hard time believing the last part. I read a conversation between myself and my brother I know was not a voicemail. It was accurate.

I have no explanation. Sorry, I screwed up by not getting the screenshots when I had the chance.

Well this is disturbing.

a reply to: Vroomfondel

That is absolutely insane. Even if you consented through the Terms of Use I don't know how they could justify recorded those who called you. The question I have is exactly what are they doing with all of this information?

This is just me, but this is how a conversation between me and Xfinity would go...
(NSFW)

This is freakin' disturbing! Is there any possibility somebody or some agency is investigating you and may have a warrant?

originally posted by: Vroomfondel
I have an xfinity account for tv, phone, and internet. I was scouring the website trying to figure out why, after nearly two hours on the phone with customer service renegotiating my service my bill which was supposed to go down about 50 bucks a month went up instead. That was troubling enough. But, what really shocked me was something I found quite by accident.

xfinity has transcripts of every call to and from my home phone. I was able to read, word for word, every single conversation. Granted, the software they used got some of the words, mostly unique names, wrong. But that isn't the point.

I live in Illinois. When it comes to recording phone calls this is an all-consent state. That means that if a call is going to be recorded all persons involved in the call must agree to being recorded. Once that consent is given anyone involved in the call can record it if they wish. In the absence of a verbal warning that the call is being recorded you can play an audible tone every fifteen seconds which also indicates that the call is being recorded. In this case, or in cases where an automated voice tells you the call may be recorded, you do not need to verbally agree in order to consent. By simply staying on the line after you are told the call is being recorded you are giving consent. This is called tacit consent. The one thing these various conditions all have in common is that consent is given one way or another and parties involved know they are being recorded.

I know for a fact I did not give consent to anyone to record, which includes written transcripts, any calls between me and my family members, my attorney, my doctor, anyone. There are no audible tones, no automated warning, nothing. Yet every single call to or from my home phone has a detailed, word for word transcript online that I was able to view with my own eyes.

I am investigating this now but forgive me for not having more information at this time.

Has anyone else seen this?

Any legal types care to weigh in the legality of this practice?

Why is this surprising? I thought it was pretty much known all communications is recorded nowadays. Phone calls. Work email. Cell phone locations through GPS. Your car is recording how fast you drive and where. Your credit card data.

Unless you are totally disconnected from grid you have no privacy.

a reply to: Vroomfondel

They busted you when you got tagged looking the 1st time.....

Here is a couple of suggestions:

1. There was a conversation recorded on voice mail. This happened to me a few times. You call a person, they don't get to the phone in time and call you right back. As you are listening to the "we aren't here message" the person returns your call and you forget to press stop on the first.

2. They routinely record calls under NSA requests - which exempts them from State statutes.

3. The transcribing of all calls might fall under normal operations and maintenance - which is also exempt from State statutes.

Every time I see a statute about Comcast I think about the two times they turned off my service until I complied with their search request - they searched my entire house including rooms and closets without a tv. Totally creepy.

a reply to: Vroomfondel

You gave your consent because somewhere in the user license agreement you signed your rights away.

a reply to: Vroomfondel

Also they put a cap on your net now. 1TB and you pay 10 dollars for every 100gb you go over. I have done this for the past 3 months. When you have kids, and the adults in the house it's hard not to.