Pocono News Section

Comcast Mix-Up Sends Customers To Erotic Chat Line

Comcast Mix-Up Sends Customers To Erotic Chat Line - Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at 5:41PM EST

Reported by: Jeff Chirico
Wednesday, Oct 7, 2009 @ 05:41pm EDT
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY --Comcast Cable is apologizing for a printing mistake that instructed customers to call an adult chat line. Our consumer reporter Jeff Chirico is here with reaction to the mix up.

The wife of a WBRE employee called the number on this Comcast mailing last weekend. It offers a deal on HBO and Cinemax. But what she heard was a whole lot more than friendly customer service.

“Why would they do that?” asks Dorothea Sears of Wilkes-Barre as she listens to a message for an adult chat line. Folks couldn't believe their ears. "This is not Comcast cable."

But the 800 number we dialed is printed on a Comcast mailing. It's supposedly the number to call to sign up for HBO-HD. But it's a different hotline all together.

Matt Jones of Plains calls it “an inviting voice. A little creepy."

Eric Stetzer says "that's ridiculous. That's bad. It's funny but it's wrong."

Some were offended. Sears says “this is very inappropriate for viewers to listen to." Others amused. Donna Sirkin of Kingston says “I guess there's a lot of men that will be enjoying that."

Comcast says the 800 number should have been an 8-6-6. Josiah Bingaman of Danville asks “they printed the wrong number on the ad? That's ridiculous. It's disturbing."

Dave Ridilla of Luzerne works for a marketing company. He says typos can happen but “that should be checked before it gets printed." Matt Murray of Nanticoke says “I wouldn't want to be the guy responsible for that."

Comcast won't say how many were mailed. But one woman says it's no big deal. Sirkin says “it is what it is. And I'm sure everybody will survive."

Comcast issued a statement to WBRE. “Comcast sincerely apologizes to any customer who might have called the number printed on our mail piece and unexpectedly been connected to an adult phone service. This resulted from a printing error that listed an 800 prefix for what should have been an 866 prefix. This was a mistake. Customers interested in the can reach us at 1-800-COMCAST.”