I may have mentioned this general topic before, as it seems to occur frequently to me. Perhaps because I am too trusting, in a way. Perhaps because I do not take care to mind the details in life. Perhaps because I assume that when I say something, people understand what I mean. Perhaps because I cannot learn my lesson about THE MAN. Oh, but I will surely try to remember my lesson from now on.
Because I have had it up to here (I say as I point to an inifinitely high place in the sky) with every single service company I've come in contact with. Most recently in the past it was the Oil Company, who happened to call and offer us a package deal on oil where we are paying some amount like $2.59 per gallon and we are pre-ordered/pre-paid until May. That was in maybe October, and wouldn't you know, not less than a week later, oil prices dropped to $1.99 per gallon. Like they didn't know that was coming. And we fell for it. Now, the advantage is that I don't have to call them all winter, although that warm spell we just had caused them to cut it pretty close (less than 1/4 tank left when they filled us....AFTER I called to ask when they were coming...we were "scheduled already" for the next day, but mysteriously enough, they didn't come until two days later...hmmm...think the truth is they forgot about us, or miscalculated our usage???). And, after May, we get back whatever part of the payment we didn't use as a credit towards our future oil purchases. If I had thought about it, I would have only agreed if we actually got the money back in pocket. After all, it's MY money. If I choose not to use it all to buy oil over the winter, I should be entitled to get MY money back. But like I said, apparently I have not been diligent enough in my thought processes as I deal with THE MAN.
My most recent encounter is with the company Metrocast. I sincerely recommend that you do not use them to receive cable or internet, if you can avoid them. They have THE SLOWEST turnaround on their payment processing. We have been paying by ECheck and it takes them more than a week to process the payment, to the point where ever since they took over, we haven't had a payment clear before they've sent the next bill out. That means every bill we have to call and ask for an adjusted due amount. How can an internet company have such slow internet payment processing? It's like an oxymoron or something.
Or, how about the fact that since they took over, our bill increased every month as prices rose, yet our service never got any better. We had the same channels as before and the same speed in our internet. Yet, prices kept creeping up (at least two bills in a row). That is what prompted Art to cancel service. Which brings me to my last point.
Tell me honestly. If you went to your cable company, turned in your boxes and remotes, & told them you were switching to Satellite (when they asked you why you were cancelling service), would you assume that you had washed your hands of the company??? Would you assume that you were no longer under their service??? Would you assume after you've literally called THREE times to get an updated due amount (because they took over two weeks to process your box return), and explained each time that you have cancelled your service and switched to Satellite, that they would get the hint that you no longer wanted any service from them? Would you assume that if they were going to continue to provide you a service, they would state such a fact, to clarify the situation???
Orrrrr do you think it makes perfect sense for Metrocast to continue to provide you with "TV Service" and just cancel your Cable account, thereby charging you 42.10 for Basic Service even though you turned in your boxes and remotes? (Oh, have I mentioned the fact that the remotes come pre-programmed and if you happen to have a two-year-old who figures out how to de-program them, they charge you $25 to replace the remote??) As the lady on the phone stated "We do not turn off your basic service when you turn in your boxes. All that does is cancel your cable service." Ok- so why didn't she mention that when I brought in the damn boxes, or one of the THREE TIMES I talked to her on the phone about my bill? Apparently, all I asked for was a "adjusted rate" for turning in the boxes, not to cancel all my service, even though I said we were cancelling our cable to get Satellite, and
all we wanted to keep was Internet.
But how do you prove what you "said" on the phone???
I know this is definitely worth fighting, because they are just being plain devious, sly, and downright shady by continuing to collect this "Basic Service" payment. All of this would have been avoided if I had been able to cancel everything. But my geek husband (I use the term geek with the deepest of love, seriously) insists cable modem is faster than DSL. So we just HAD to keep the Cable Internet. I think I will let him get mad at them, as I have already called enough. Besides, it wouldn't be right for me to yell on the phone at this lady while babysitting other people's children, would it???
Needless to say, from now on, I vow to keep a Notebook devoted to each contact I have with any of our service companies. I vow to think of all angles possible before agreeing to any binding contract, no matter how easy they will make my life. And I vow to make sure I make myself perfectly clear when dealing with anyone I contact, gaining receipts when possible, to have everything in writing (that is not just my Handy Dandy Notebook). Yes, tomorrow, I will head to Wal-Mart and get myself a Notebook. As I turn 30, it is about time I stop letting stupid companies pull the wool over my stupid eyes. It may be "only $80" (two months worth of bogus Basic Service) but it's MY $80, not theirs!!! Do you know what I can do with $80 on Bodog?!?!?! Hehehe...
P.S. I have a new favorite song.
"Teardrops on My Guitar" - Taylor Swift
To top it all off, theysure do make it hard to contact a Central Office, or general Customer Service.
