Why did Xfinity/Comcast send me a $25 pre-paid card out of the blue?

November 2, 2014 12:38 PM

I've had Comcast internet since June 2014. As far as I can remember, there was no special offer of a prepaid card when I signed up. At the end of October, they randomly sent me one (with my name/account) for $25.

I haven't signed up for anything else from Comcast recently or upgraded my internet service. My account doesn't show anything different.

Is this really free money or is it some sort of ploy to add an unwanted service to my account once I actually activate the card? Everything that came in the envelope explains how the card works and terms of service but there is nothing that states why I got it. The phone numbers for the card don't let me talk to a live operator and I don't feel like being on hold for half an hour, so I'm hoping someone here can tell me what's up.

posted by atinna to Computers & Internet (5 answers total)

Being that Comcast is not the most generous company in the world, you are correctly suspicious. I'd wait on hold to make sure you didn't get signed up "mysteriously" for more of their services, just in case. I also wouldn't cash it, because its only $25 and I'm suspicious of comcast signing you up for something based on cashing the card.
But maybe I'm just paranoid.
posted by TheAdamist at 1:01 PM on November 2, 2014

check all your statements, i wouldn't be shocked if they overbilled you and just wanted to silently send this out before you did anything or tried a chargeback or any of that.

their billing is like as bad as AT&T, they fuck it up all the time.
posted by emptythought at 1:02 PM on November 2, 2014 [1 favorite]

An idea -- I have CenturyLink, not Comcast, but they send me an offer 2-3 times a week where if I sign up for "automated bill pay" (or something like that), they'll send me a prepaid debit card. I've been with them for about 2 years, and the first year or so the offer was a $25 gift card, now it's like $10 or $15.
posted by jabes at 1:08 PM on November 2, 2014

If it's any help, I'm a new Comcast internet customer that signed up about 10 weeks ago. I also got a $25 Visa card in the mail. No idea why, best I can tell it was some random internet promotion.

I used up the card the week it arrived. No change in my plans or billing have been detected. Spend it and enjoy.
posted by JoeZydeco at 7:39 PM on November 2, 2014

Comcast can fuck you over ten different ways without sending you a fake $25 card to do it. Either you got some special deal when you signed up, or they think you did, either way, enjoy your $25.
posted by empath at 2:37 AM on November 4, 2014