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Step-by-step guide to cancel Xfinity by Comcast
So, you want to cut ties with Xfinity by Comcast internet service.
Whether you are unsatisfied with price, performance, or customer service, the time has finally come to cut the cord.
Xfinity doesn’t want to lose your business — and trust us — they are going to do absolutely everything in their power to keep you with them. If they fail to do so, prepare to receive cancellation fees.
Let’s take a look at what you can do to cancel internet service with Xfinity in the simplest and most cost-effective way.
Xfinity, formerly known as Comcast Cable, has been a leading internet service provider (ISP) when it comes to performance and speed for many years. It fared well in our Comcast Xfinity review, too.
However, as with any company, it definitely has its drawbacks.
Here are two reasons why you may consider canceling your Xfinity Internet:
Almost all ISPs utilize an automated voice system to gather account information as well as reasons for your call. Xfinity is no different. Before you are able to speak to an actual human representative, you will be asked to provide these details via your phone.
After you successfully navigate through the robot menu and get through to an actual human. You can expect to be asked even more questions about your situation. This is where things can start difficult. Here are some steps to help the cancelation process along.
After you’ve gotten passed all the automated voice menus and received the initial greeting from a customer service rep, inform them right away that you intend to cancel your Xfinity services. At this point, they should direct you to the retention department.
The retention department is Xfinity’s last hope of keeping you on-board with them. They will put up a hard fight. The retention specialists have been trained to negotiate and are very effective in making so-called “exclusive” offers and prices sound very appealing.
Be very careful to pick up the phone with a determined mindset; otherwise, you may find yourself being tempted into a less-than-stellar deal.
This is the number for cancellations: 1 (800) 934-6489
Tip: You can avoid being put on hold for an available retention representative by scheduling a call on the Xfinity website. You can also print and fill out a physical cancellation form. When they receive the form by mail, you will receive a call allowing you to review cancellation details with an Xfinity rep.
A good excuse can make or break a cancellation call. One of the first questions the retention specialist will ask you is: “What is your reason for wanting to cancel with Xfinity?” If you give them a weak excuse, they will take advantage of it and work their way around it.
For example, if you respond to their question by simply saying: “I’m moving,” they will immediately ask “where to,” and begin to check if they provide service in that area and continue their retention pitch to keep you on-board. To avoid this, you should have a solid excuse that will be difficult for them to work around.
Here is a list of reliable excuses that can help you speed up your cancellation experience and make it go a lot smoother:
These are just a few examples. The goal is to make it very clear that there is no use in trying to reason and get you to stay on with them. Excuses such as these are effective in shortening your conversation by reducing the number of needless questions and offers from the retention specialist.
It’s important not to forget that the person you are talking on the phone is an actual living, breathing human being with feelings. They are not evil thieves trying to steal your money; they are just doing their job. If you are finding it hard to cancel, this means that they are doing their job well.
You’re going to want to be friendly, but at the same time, you need to be firm. You could have what you think is the perfect, fool-proof excuse, only to find that the retention rep still insists that you keep their services.
They will more than likely offer you discounts and incentives in an attempt to sway your decision their way. Yes, they are being pushy, but they may be under obligation by Xfinity policies to do so.
In this case, be very clear, and in a kind manner, tell them that you are unable to stay with them and that you need to cancel your Xfinity internet service.
This is very important! The last thing you want is to spend nearly an hour on the phone, only to find out that your Xfinity account is still active, and have to start the whole process over again.
When you are wrapping up your call, be sure to ask the retention specialist to verify that your Xfinity internet service will be completely canceled. This is also a good time to ask them about any equipment that may need to be disconnected and returned.
This is where the cancellation process can get a little frustrating. If you are canceling your Xfinity service because of the high rates, you definitely are not going to want to fork over more of your hard-earned cash to pay for additional termination and equipment fees.
Here a few tips and tricks that can keep your money out of Xfinity’s hands and in your wallet.
When you signed on with Xfinity, they no doubt made you sign a service agreement. Within this agreement, it states that if you wish to terminate your services outside of the agreed-upon dates, you will be charged an early termination fee (ETF). Fortunately for you, Xfinity doesn’t have a flat rate for ETFs.
To calculate the amount they charge you, they will usually take the number of months left in your contract and multiply them by $10. So, if you want to cancel six months early, this would be a $60 fee.
However, if you want to cancel your Comcast Xfinity service early into your service agreement, you could potentially be charged hundreds of dollars.
Do the math to determine if you can save money by canceling early, otherwise, you may want to stick it out through the remainder of your contract.
Xfinity, and previously Comcast, are notorious for unreturned equipment fees. You would expect that these fees would be easy to avoid, simply send the equipment back so you won’t be charged. However, sometimes this isn’t the case.
Numerous customers report that even after they returned the Xfinity equipment, (and received confirmation that it was received) they still received multiple calls a day from “equipment recovery services” requesting that the Xfinity property be returned at once. Others have even had credit agencies contact them inquiring about “the unreturned equipment.”
There are a few steps you can take to avoid this infuriating situation.
After you’ve completed the return, it is best to call them to verify that it has registered in their system.
With the huge area that Xfinity covers there is a pretty big chance that they are the only ISP in your area. If this is the case, it can be quite difficult to completely cut ties with them. Even so, there are steps you can take to save some money.
Canceling your internet service can be an irritating experience. Whether you want to completely eliminate all of your Xfinity services or just negotiate a lower monthly rate, following these tips and tricks should make the whole process a little easier for you.
