Comcast has issued an apology after an Ellicott City business affected by the flood said it was charged a $600 early termination fee for trying to cancel service.
The Park Ridge Trading Company, a specialty foods shop located on Main Street, took to social media Thursday saying the cable company also charged for cable service this past week, even though the shop had been shut down due to flood damage.
“They also are insisting on our signing an agreement to pay the fee before they will even consider turning off the nonexistent service,” the business said on Facebook. “There should be a special place in hell for business owners who try to capitalize on the misery of others.”
Aimee Metrick, vice president of public relations for Comcast’s Beltway Region, said the company contacted the Park Ridge Trading Company to apologize and to “let them know we are working to make it right.”
“We are so sorry that we contributed to the stress of our customer during an already difficult time,” Metrick said in a statement to ABC2.
In response to the shop's complaint, Comcast plans to waive all early termination fees and stop billing for both commercial and residential customers affected by the Ellicott City floods for as long as customers are without service.
The Park Ridge Trading Company updated its Facebook status Friday afternoon saying, “Comcast contacted us to apologize and have promised to remedy the situation for all of the affected businesses and residents.”
Some residents are still displaced nearly a week after historic flood waters ripped through the downtown district. Howard County officials are letting residents and business owners access the flood zone in order to assess the damage.
Safety personnel are escorting displaced property owners to the flood zone Friday from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Saint Peters Episcopal Church.
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