You Ask, Patch Answers: Can Comcast Enter Locked Gates?

“You Ask ... Patch Answers,” is our Sunday feature where we strive to find answers to all your questions—big, small and in-between—about the town we live and work in.

Whether it’s something you’ve always wondered about, some information you just can’t put your hands on or a sudden curiosity, we want to hear it.

Send your queries to sheila.sanchez@patch.com or leave them in the comments section below, and I will do my best to dig up an answer for you. You also can call me at 408-391-8725.

On March 17, Los Gatos Patch reader Patricia Padilla asked: "Does Comcast have the right to enter a locked/coded gate by squeezing through on foot to inspect a pole on private property owned by PG&E? This is in area 95033. Forcing gate damages mechanism."

To get an answer, we joined the Comcast live chat through Xfinity online and this is what Comcast analyst Toni Rose told us: "Regarding your question, we don't have the right to unlock private devices. Comcast doesn't enter a locked/coded gate since we don't have the right to unlock any private devices that don't belong to us."

Rose said to file a complaint against a Comcast employee who may be violating this rule, the public can call 1-800-XFINITY, or 1-800-934-6489, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or chat with an analyst like we did and a complaint will be filed on their behalf.

To further chat live with Rose, you can click here to start a conversation about any Comcast-related complaint in your neighborhood. To file a complaint in person, the nearest Comcast service center is located at 123 Doyle St. in Santa Cruz, 1-800-945-2288, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Other service centers near Los Gatos can be found by clicking here.