E-Mail and Xfinity Connect Help

[ceeview]

I've had Comcast email for several years but this just happened starting on yesterday.  When I enter my login information, the screen navigates back to the home page.  When I click on the 'email' icon, a completely different window opens up.  For one reason or another, I had to navigate back to the home page and when I clicked back to return to my email, another window opened!  I had to logon again....that continued for some time.  Before I knew it, there were several Comcast windows open!  What has happened?  Was there an update and now things have gone awry?  Please resolve this because I don't see the need to have all of these Comcast windows open.  By the way, I've cleaned out my Temporary Internet folder and Cookies...although I don't think that has anything to do with this problem.  I'm sure others are having the same issue.

Thanks,

CeeView

[misszz]

The same issue is happening to me and it's darned annoying. Besides which, now I have to login each time; it no longer "keeps me logged in" which seems to defeat the purpose of even clicking on that box. Hopefully Comcast will receive enough complaints about this issue that they will reverse this particular "upgrade" item.  

[DR_Mayhem_59]

Make that three of us...I just chatted with a customer service rep and he didn't know about this change...and he works for Comcast.  Come on Comcast, get it together and quit messing with the HTML.

[r-gordon-7]

Same problem here. My "Xfinity Connect inbox" now opens in its own new browser window, instead of (as it used to) in the same browser window and tab in which I initially go to www.comcast.net ... For me, this started for the first time earlier this week.

The number of unnecessary click-through pages we have had to endure to get from www.comcast.net to our "Xfinity Connect e-mail inbox" was annoying enough to start with - but now it's even worse with the "Xfinity Connect inbox" being in a totally new & separate browser window... It wouldn't be quite so bad if it simply opened up in a new tab in the same browser window, but that's not what it does.

Here's why it is especially bad for me... I need to keep several IE browser tabs open at all times - and having my "Xfinity Connect inbox" in a totally different IE window from my other open tabs is a real problem... I can't even solve it by opening www.comcast.net first, and then when my "Xfinity Connect inbox" opens in the new window, open my other websites afterwards in new tabs in that new window, because of how frequently the Comcast e-mail system requires me to "re-log-in" again after it's been open - and even in use for a while. (This need to repeatedly "re-log-in" to Xfinity Connect e-mail" during the same session is a persistent problem of longstanding that Comcast doesn't seem interested in addressing...) So, each time I am forced to "re-log-in" again to Xfinity Connect e-mail , the "Xfinity Connect inbox" opens in yet another new IE browser window, all over again - and all my other open IE tabs are still in the "old" window...

Today, I tried upgrading from IE 8 to IE 9 because IE 9 supposedly offers more flexibility in terms of pulling tabs "out" of a window and dragging them back in again. I hoped I could drag the new "Xfinity Connect e-mail inbox" tab from the "new IE window" back to the old IE window where all my other open IE browser tabs reside, but that didn't work, nor could I drag my other IE tabs from the "old IE window" to the "new IE window" which "Xfinity Connect" created...

Very, very frustrating...

[cc_xc · Accepted solution]

Hello,

When you click on Email button or Connect from xfinity.comcast.net, a new window or new tab will open, where you will be prompted to enter your login credentials.

We value your feedback and user experience. Concerning this issue, please post your opinions and feedback to the survey link. 

https://survey.foreseeresults.com/survey/display?cid=R9RRtJoQ98EENQoRBJ0Mhg==&sid=feedback-en

Regards,

cc_xc

[r-gordon-7]

cc_xc:

Do you understand that "When you click on Email button or Connect from xfinity.comcast.net, a new window or new tab will open, where you will be prompted to enter your login credentials" is something new and is exactly what we are complaining about because it causes problems??!! 

"Clicking on Email button" used to open the Xfinity Connect Email inbox in the same window/tab - and that did not cause the problems that this new arrangement causes.

Moreover, you say that now, "a new window or new tab will open". In my case, a new window always opens - never a new tab. Having Xfinity Connect open in a  new window is much more of a problem than having Xfinity Connect open in a new tab. Is there some way to force it so that it opens in a new tab - and NOT in a new window?     

[misszz]

Actually it shouldn't even open in a new tab, it needs to open in the current tab; no new window, no new tab.

Also need to resolve the issue of not staying logged in even though the user has requested that they remain logged in.

And just so you know, the little survey that they threw up on yet another window, is pretty pointless. Just saying......

[madylarian]

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cc_xc wrote:

Hello,

When you click on Email button or Connect from xfinity.comcast.net, a new window or new tab will open, where you will be prompted to enter your login credentials.

---

It's not the login screen they are talking about.  It's the actual XfinityConnect home page that opens in a new tab.  And if you sign out of that account and into another a third window or tab opens..  It's a royal pain in the you-know-what.

mady

[jcreak]

Ditto this scenario happening starting today. What is the solution.

OBW when I opened email from the site map a second window did not open. Alas, in both cases the summary page shows but a full email will not open.

Thanks,

John

[komwest]

This just started and shouldn't be happening. Obviously someone has made an error causing this condition.

This is not acceptable and should be straightened out immediately.  

come on guys, get with it!

Ray

[fish240]

This is just plain aggravating!!!  CMon Comcast get with it & fix the problem!!!!! 

[Giant_Baby]

I filled out your survey. Now please get rid of the second window/tab upon logging in. (It's a window on my desktop and a tab on my laptop, BTW. I don't appear to have any control over which it is on either.)

This is the most irritating thing you've done in recent memory, but it's a lot less frustrating for me than it is for my husband, who's legally blind and now has extra windows to contend with while using magnification software. That's just awesome, believe me. He's thrilled.

[maperist]

I am convinced that the reason for all these extra screens is to push a lot more ads at you.  The same goes with the email preview screen.  I just want to seemy entire inbox all the time.  That was possible a few years back, but things keep getting worse.  If comcast included IMAP as well a POP, I would set up clients most everywhere,but POP adds confusion when you use a dozen differnt computers over the course of a week.  I think it is time to bail from comcast mail.

[CCCarole]

You can submit your feedback on the Submit Feedback link.  It is posted on the bottom right side of the homepage.

[pattyci]

I am also experiencing multiple tabs and frequent log outs recently.  I am not amused.

Please fix this Comcast!

[madylarian]

Well, we've now been told that this was done on purpose and we should change our browser settings to coiunteract this annoyance.  It's also been suggested that you use the Feedback link to send feedback about it.

mdy

[pattyci]

Yes, I saw that post from ComcastTVJoe.  I have already submitted my survey response indicating my dislike for this new feature.  I have also set up bookmarks to take me directly to the sign-in page and the e-mail page.

My next step will be to set up a second e-mail account on some other service and have everything forwarded to that account.

If Comcasts continues to treat us like insignificant cattle I suppose the next step would be to find alternative Internet service.

[Queen-Evie]

There are alternatives that don't involve the Comcast homepage.

You can get to email from these pages and it does not open in a new window. That may change at some point though.

1) from the forum click the Email icon on the upper right side of the page.

2) http://customer.comcast.com/help-and-support/

3) http://comcast.com/

4) http://xfinitytv.comcast.net/?INTCMP=ILCCOMCOM164817 (connect is in the black bar next to TV. It's difficult to see until you hover over the word Connect)

5) install an email client and configure it to work with Comcast mail servers.

[mamarpat]

For starters, what brought me here was the same problem that everyone else is having.  But I see no point in filling out any survey.  Comcast is obviously aware of the problem, so adding my drop to the sea of complaints will just be an additional waste of time.  However, in spite of the tremendous expense dedicated to marketing the benefits of Xfinity, there seems to be a glaring lack of useful responsiveness from the Comcast gods.  Hmmmm.

[Queen-Evie]

What we consider problems Comcast does not. They made the change because someone decided it would be a good thing.

As of now they have no plans to get rid of mail opening in a new window which is why I posted the alternatives.

Things such as this make me glad I rarely  go to the Comcast homepage (it is not my homepage) AND that I use an email client instead of Xfinity Connect for mail access.

---

ComcastJoe wrote:

Hi all,

A recent change has been made to the XFINITY Homepage. The page is working correctly and this is not an issue.

We want to hear your feedback and we will take all suggestions under consideration going forward.

If the new page is opening up in a different window and you rather have it open up in a new tab or vice versa, check your browser's settings and make sure that you have it where a new page opens in a tab/window. If you do not know how to do this, please tell me your browser and I will be able to walk you through it.

Thanks,

Joe XfinityTV.com/Xfinity.com Support Twitter: @XfinityTVJoe

http://forums.comcast.com/t5/Xfinity-com-Website/Xfinity-Multiple-Tabs-Opening/m-p/1348443#M3731

---

[440]

We need to keep this going and not let off the pressure. I pay enough to Comcast and certainly do not need this added frustration.

[eyerish21]

Comcast and the terms "user friendly" and "customer service" should NEVER never be spoken out loud! Comcast cares nothing about either term! It only cares about increasing its rates!!!!

[r-gordon-7]

It is both astounding and infuriating that each change Comcast makes to its e-mail viewer just makes it less and less user friendly. The "opens in new window" change is just the latest in a long string of such "improvements" (witness the totally useless intermediate "preview" page, the need to repeatedly "re-log on" so frequently, etc... )  Each time such a user-unfriendly change is made, we object (as best we can given the sorry state of any meaningfully responsive "Customer Service"  at Comcast). And we are then duly ignored. Clearly, it is our fault - because, foolishly, we are all still here...  

[Bruzer56]

I'm bypassing all of this nonsense and using the "direct" link that someone posted in another thread:

https://login.comcast.net/login?s=wnamp&ts=340e1e3f&continue=http://wnamp.mail.comcast.net/istp/Land...

[UHFhd]

      So the marketing strategy is launch the product then ask customers to fill out survey ? How about polling 100 frequent comcast forum page users then asking for input first ?

[r-gordon-7]

No, the marketing straegy is launch the product & tell users who complain to fill out survey, which survey is then ignored...

[Paraniod]

The desktop shortcut I had posted here no longer works, as they updated the pages today...9/21/12

[Queen-Evie]

---

UHFhd wrote:

      So the marketing strategy is launch the product then ask customers to fill out survey ? How about polling 100 frequent comcast forum page users then asking for input first ?

---

Been there done that, sort of. Some of us have in the past been asked to review, try, and provide feedback about new products and changes to existing Comcast pages.

We made suggestions for improvement and if a program is junk we say so.

We've been told "we value your opinion and we take your suggestions and ideas seriously".

Then we are promptly ignored. It would be the same with any type of poll.

It almost seems that Comcast thinks we, as lowly customers, are to stupid to know what we want and how things could be better for US. I can think of at least one thing that was suggested during one of the "look at this" times. Ignored was the word of the day and no changes were made. They were made later when people started complaining about the new look to the TV listings page. Sadly, this was the exception rather than rule because it is not often changes are made based on feedback.

They should also FIX known issues, one which has been ongoing for over a year, before making so-called improvements to whatever they feel needs to be "improved".

Sometimes they do ask for people to test products before launch. Easy Solve was one of those programs. It should never have been released. You, at least, know how I feel about Easy Solve.

[Blue_Two]

Yes, when I filled out the survey I said "Respect your customers" as the most important thing Comcast could do. Then I listed the instances (many of which have been mentioned here) of Comcast not respecting their customers.

[Queen-Evie]

What do you want to bet that if the CEO or other Comcast big wigs or influential shareholders complained about what WE are complaing about the issues would have been fixed IMMEDIATELY if not sooner.

[ginfizz]

It's one thing to reply to a discussion, but how about an appropriate response?  Not a canned, one click, pre-written help nugget.  Makes us think there's no one but a bot on the other end!  Yea, get rid of the second window opening - real pain.  Or at least give us the option to control how it behaves - open in a new window, new tab, or same window. 

I filled out the Foresee survey - everyone should do this as this is really where they will look.

[MamaB8385]

It really irks me when we see a "solved" when the problem is anything but! Please at least don't do that when there are still a huge number of people that are NOT finding the specific problem being talked about resolved.

This is part of the same problem that is currently being experienced by a huge number of people. There is a very widespread problem currently occurring now but it is found at: "wont stay logged in to Comcast" where there are 5 pages of discussion with over 200 posts. The current problem has been going on since June and there has not been any information about a fix, just that they are aware of it. However, if you try to phone Comcast, they will deny it exists and the same is true of trying to email them. They will either offer a solution that doesn't make any sense, or they will (as seen in most of the posts that address any attempted contacts with Comcast via phone or email) state it is the fault of the customer, not Comcast. That was also my experience as well. Again, would suggest you visit the forum listed above as it appears to be the most thorough and current.

[Barmar]

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komwest wrote:

This just started and shouldn't be happening. Obviously someone has made an error causing this condition.

---

Comcast made the change intentionally. They tested it with a limited set of customers a month or so ago, then rolled it out system-wide last week. Although there has been some negative feedback, they haven't noticed an overall reduction in customer satisfaction, so they consider this a successful change. Unless future customer surveys change that, I don't think you're likely to see this changed back. They can't please everyone.

The feedback in this (and numerous other) threads is not an indication that the change is unwanted by most customers. Only the people who don't like the change will bother to post, all the satisfied customers are silent, so we can't judge the overall acceptance of it. You can complain all you want, but Comcast has to go by what their customer surveys say, not just bow to the will of the most vocal customers.

[Barmar]

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Giant_Baby wrote:

This is the most irritating thing you've done in recent memory, but it's a lot less frustrating for me than it is for my husband, who's legally blind and now has extra windows to contend with while using magnification software. That's just awesome, believe me. He's thrilled.

---

Someone else mention magnification software in another thread. How does opening a new window interfere with it? Doesn't the new window get magnified as well?

[Barmar]

---

UHFhd wrote:

      So the marketing strategy is launch the product then ask customers to fill out survey ? How about polling 100 frequent comcast forum page users then asking for input first ?

---

Why only forum users? They're hardly representative of the general customer base. Most customers don't come here unless they're unhappy with something, so you'll get a biased result.

I'll bet that Comcast makes use of a customer satisfaction survey service, which periodically polls random selections of customers. Practically all large service providers do this.

[r-gordon-7]

I'll bet that Comcast doesn't use any "customer satisfaction survey" service at all... None of the changes made to the e-mail system ever seem to have any service improvement element to them (e.g. "the preview page", frequent forced re-log-ons, forced opening in new window, etc.), problems complained about almost always seem to be routinely ignored (e.g. same list), and Comcast's "customer service" is little more than empty lip service... The company lives and thrives in a world of municipally granted cable monopolies, meaning their customer base has no real choice. All this results in a 21st Century version of a, "we don't care, we don't have to" business model... 

[Blue_Two]

Like most corporations, Comcast will act in their own interests based on cost-benefit analysis. So if the benefit in more ad revenue exceeds the cost of lost subscribers, that is the action they will take. If they make more money buying NBC than improving customer service and technical infrastructure, that is the decision they will go with. The only true choice a customer has is to take their business someplace else.

[lytellk]

If the new page is opening up in a different window and you rather have it open up in a new tab or vice versa, check your browser's settings and make sure that you have it where a new page opens in a tab/window.

This is NOT the problem, my browser IS set to have new tabs opened and not windows, and everything else i open does as it's supposed to..

[Welcome_to_Post]

You're right, it's not the problem.  Comcast wants it this way. On 05-21-2012 at 3:59 PM ComcastJoewrote:

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... If a new tab is opening when you are going to your account, e-mail, TV listings, and a few other links, this is normal behavior. ...

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My italics. See http://forums.comcast.com/t5/E-Mail-and-Xfinity-Connect-Help/Mail-opening-in-new-window/m-p/1289673#....

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[katrinka13]

FYI, as of today none of the shortcut links so nicely provided by other posters work!  in fact, there is no longer the email link in the upper right corner of the forum pages.

I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but I'm gonna say it anyway.  We pay outrageous prices for our internet and should get a QUALITY product, including email. 

Since I started w/comcast, the email program has gotten more cumbersome & literaly painful to use.  

There are so many things wrong (i.e. that don't work right or at all) w/the email program, it would take forever to list them here, so I will just stick to this one issue.

comcast email has never worked right.  And every time they make an "improvement", it has resulted ib making it harder and more inconvenient to use.  When improving something, it should be EASIER, not harder and it should take LESS steps, not more!

Ultimately, comcast is contributing to & increasing the risk repetitve motion injury for ALL of its users.

[dwalsh1031]

Maddening!!!!!!!!!

[dwalsh1031]

My exact sentiments

[dwalsh1031]

true!

[dwalsh1031]

I think the reason why 'they haven't noticed an overall reduction in customer satisfaction, so they consider this a successful change', is because people don't have the means to complain, and even if they did, perhaps they don't feel heard.  Throw your arms up in the air in defeat...  I would think that only the more savvy users would find their way to the message board, or to the customer service survey.

Not sure who they used for testers, but it surely doesn't seem like the true end user or customer.

They had a great email system at one time, why did they have to go messing with it.

Disgruntled.

[katrinka13]

I think they get more complaints that they admit to.  I don't do the surveys after talking w/a cust svc rep any more because of the way they are constructed.  They are set up to make it the fault of the CSR & really I have no complaints about comcast 'first responders'.  They have always bend over backwards to help. The trouble is that they don't have the tools and comcast hasn't empowered them to solve the problems.  And that is corp's responsibility. 

Over the years I have been a customer & the probably hundreds (yes hundreds) of times I've called because of the email problems, the majority of the techs I talk to have told me they don't even use comcast email because it is so awful. 

The way I look at it is I am already paying for the email service so why should I have to go elsewhere & open another email acct????   I've been told by comcast that email is a value added service which means I'm not really paying for it.  (um, think again comcast, I AM paying for it).  This attitude tells me a lot about comcast corp's customer service mentality.

[Welcome_to_Post]

This "value added service" nonsense began to come up a few years back, and has been repeated to the point of becoming a mantra when something goes wrong.  "We pay for the connection" is what we're told, but that's not true at all.  We pay for an internet package, which includes the connection and email services, not to mention a host of other things mentioned in their advertisements.  If any single one of them isn't functioning, you're not getting what you pay for. 

By the way, why is this thread marked solved when the problem persists?

[katrinka13]

"By the way, why is this thread marked solved when the problem persists?"

I'm guessing because they merely responded to it.   In my experience that's what comcast does.  Can't tell you how many times they've marked issues I've reported as resolved when they weren't. 

Addng insult to injury, comcast either keeps signing me out or flipping back to their undesirable home page so I have to make even more mouse movements & click to get back in.  It's not just annoying, it's literally painful. 

If that's not insulting enough, every time I get an email notification about new posts to this thread, the lovely, yet probably not very accurate greeting starts out:

 "Thanks for sharing your concern with us. The Forums team has been made aware of your issue." 

And what good, exactly does the forums team's awareness do to help us?  (no need to answer....just a rhetorical question....unless, of course, comcast wishes to mark it resolved.)

[Welcome_to_Post]

Abuse of the Solved feature was predicted back when the switch to the (appropriately named) Lithium software was foisted upon us.  Didn't expect the hit and miss Comcast moderators to be the ones to abuse it, however.  Sad, really.

For no good reason, the default is to clog your imail inbox with responses to posts you make.  You can turn it off by clicking on My Settings on the upper left by your usernake, then unchecking "automatically subscribe" under the "subscriptions and bookmarks" tab.  It's an odd choice for a default.

"The Forum Team"?  Wonder who that is?  We used to have dedicated employees here, but a change in the forum administrator resulted in a number of undesirable changes.

[tommartinsen]

The second (or more) window business is annoying and so is the "inbox preview".  Why can't they just go to the full message list rather than wasting my time with a preview?

[katrinka13]

Tom, I totally agree! 

Last nite I closed my browser, leaving the tabs open, including one tab for my comcast email & one for this thread.  This morning when I opened it THREE comcast tabs (the two I left open & one for comcast's home page!  (BTW, I do NOT and will NOT ever choose comcast to be my home page.)  So I had to delete it.  (nothing like trying to shove their homepage down our collective throats!)