Technology & MSG

It’s done.

At 6:45 last night I called Comcast to discontinue my cable service. After navigating several layers of voice prompts, I finally got connected to Melissa. I cited continual price increases and technical problems as my reasoning for discontinuing service. She inquired if I’d considered switching to a less expensive plan and also mentioned that it had been a year since the last service call to my home. Even a less expension package will end up costing more due to the continual rate hikes; on a previous call I inquired about discounts or other ways to reduce my bill and I was told that I already was receiving the lowest rate available, as if I were somehow privileged to receive such a rate. I’m pretty sure there’s been someone out since then, not to mention the absurd hassles of premium channels failing to work for months at a time that repeated service calls can’t seem to fix. Anways, I got flustered and said “I just don’t want it anymore.” She said that the service would be disabled by the end of the day. I asked when my refund would be sent out. She said it would take eight weeks.

At 7:12 they disabled by digital box. So it takes 27 minutes to disable the service but eight weeks to mail me a refund check? That seems a bit wrong. The amount of time it takes a corporate entity to cut a check is absurd. Hell, it’s downright criminal. They ought to be forced to pay interest on the amount for the time it takes to get to you. It’s not a lot of money. It is the principle of the matter. That’s two months that my money is out of my hands not working for me. That way I figure, I’m paid up through the April 7th or until I get a refund. I wonder how long it will take until they send a technician out to disconnect to coax from the distribution box.

Earlier that day I received an offer from Verizon in the mail, despite the fact that I already have FiOS. I will never understand why the marketing department doesn’t swing their mailing list through their active accounts department, but that’s a digression for another time. The offer was to sign up for a year of FiOS service and get a $100 gift card to Best Buy, Costco, Target or Home Depot. That sounds good, doesn’t it? Except that the ad doesn’t mention what speed package they’re talking about. It’s only a good deal if it’s for the 15/2 package.

I do wonder who needs 15Mb/s down, though. The 5Mb/s down is pretty damned fast as it is. I’ve already had problems with content providers who cap their download rates per client to T1 (1.5Mb/s) speed. Needless to say I’m happy with my current plan. One more thing about this latest offer. The gift card will be mailed 10-12 weeks after your installation date. So figure 3-4 months after you initially place your order. Figures.

Similar Articles

• Dear Verizon
• Verizon FiOS Gaining Traction
• An Idea Comes Alive at RNR XVIII
• The FairTax Act is Revolutionary
• I’d Stay Away From Billy’s Balls If I Were You