Your Comcast contract includes an “Arbitration Clause” that prevents you from suing them in court and forces you to bring any large or complex claims through a process called consumer arbitration. Arbitration is a less-formal process than going to court, but still allows you to make your case in front of a neutral third party (the “Arbitrator”). If customer service isn’t working, and small claims is too limited or time consuming, then arbitration can be a good option for you.
Arbitration usually takes a few months, from beginning to end, and can be simple and flexible. It can usually be done through emails or over the phone (rather than in-person hearings). You can either go through the process yourself, or use a claim processor like FairShake to simplify the process for you. If you decide to go it alone, here’s how to start your arbitration:
Before you start the process, make sure that you have a clear and concise description of the issue and what you’re asking for as relief. You’ll need to provide this information when you file your claim.
Your Comcast contract requires you to initiate the consumer arbitration through the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) – an organization that will administer the consumer arbitration and appoint the arbitrator to decide your dispute. You can download the filing form for a AAA Consumer Arbitration here.
Enter the description of your dispute and the relief you’re requesting in the space provided at the top of the form. Then enter your contact information and the following contact information for Comcast:
Comcast
1701 JFK Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2838
Next, you’ll need to calculate the amount you’ll have to pay to start the consumer arbitration.
NOTE: Your Comcast contract says that Comcast will reimburse you for this filing fee under certain circumstances, but you will likely need to pay it up front to start the arbitration.
The AAA provides a document that lists all of its current filing fees here. Your fee will vary based on the size of your claim, so you’ll already need the amount you’re asking for (see Step 1) before you can figure out the proper fee.
In order to file an arbitration for your Comcast complaint, you’ll need to provide the AAA with a copy of Comcast’s arbitration clause. You can find this in your Comcast contract, which is available at:
www.xfinity.com/policies
When you’ve located the contract for your services on this page, download a copy and title it “Comcast Customer Agreement With Arbitration Clause”.
Now that you have all of the necessary documents and information, you’re ready to file your Comcast complaint with the AAA. To do so, go to the AAA’s “Fast File” option available at:
www.adr.org/FileOnline
Enter your contact information in the boxes provided, and specify that you are requesting arbitration. Then use the box at the bottom of the page to upload the Demand For Arbitration that you prepared in Step 2 and the Comcast contract that you downloaded in Step 4.
Finally, enter the filing fee that you calculated in Step 3 at the bottom of the page.
After you’ve finished submitting your documents, the AAA will send you a confirmation that will include all of the information that you submitted (NOTE: this may take a few days). Print out this email and send a hard copy to:
Comcast
1701 JFK Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2838
ATTN: LEGAL DEPARTMENT
Usually within a few weeks after you submit your demand for arbitration, a case administrator from the AAA will contact you and Comcast by email to arrange for the arbitration. The case administrator will make sure that all of the documents have been submitted properly, manage the appointment of the arbitrator and help you and Comcast schedule any necessary phone calls or meetings.
From beginning to end, expect the arbitration process to take several months