Wolf versus The Cable Company

wolf · 03-21-2008, 05:09 PM

Finally, the story that you have all been waiting for.

You have been waiting for it, right?

Even if you haven't, here it is.

As many of you know, I relocated Chez Wolf back in November, not because I wanted to, but because the apartment in which I had lived for 13 or so years suddenly became a Condominium. Condominium, as wel all know, is Latin for "Small, expensive space."

So, I located a new set of digs, and went out of my way to make sure that the place was served by the same Cable Provider from which I had been receiving excellent service for many years.

Two weeks prior to moving, I tried to use the online moving tools to setup service for the new apartment.

It wouldn't accept my information. I didn't think much of this, but figured that I'd call the next day and make the necessary appointments for the switchover.

Yeah, sure.

I called, spoke to a lovely young lady calling herself something like Tia323 (For a moment I thought I was dealing with someone in YahooChat, but apparently that's how they do their customer service IDs.)

Tia said some words that I eventually learned to despise, "That address is not in the database."

"What do you mean, that address is not in the database?"

After another 15 minutes of conversation, in which it was established that all of the neighboring apartments to mine appeared to be in the databse, as were all of the apartments in the second building (which has a different physical street address from mine), and the Clubhouse for the complex. Tia323 finally offers ... "We can do a survey to see if you can have service. We'll call you when it's completed."

Now, I'm smart, see. I gave my cellphone number, so there wouldn't be any problem in contacting me because of a change in phone numbers from the move.

In case you were wondering, as of today, March 21, 2008, I have not received a call to inform me of the survey results.

The flurry of activity that is entailed in any move occurs, and so I didn't get a chance to call the cable company back right away.

But I did discover something.

The new apartment had a hunk of coax sticking out of the living room wall. Once my television was ensconced in the place on honor in front of the hunk of coax, I figured, what the heck. I screwed the sucker in, and guess what? Cable. This was a good start. Not only was there cable, but it was the cable signal offered by the above-named provider. Channel lineup was identical to my old apt, and the proprietary information and sports channels were there too.

hmmm.

By the time I got around to calling again, it was December. This time I talked to a nice lady by the name of Elise2A7.

It was kind of like hearing an echo that was displaced in time ... "That address is not in the database. We can do a survey to see if you can have service. We'll call you when it's completed."

But lady, I have a hunk of cable coming out of the wall that's carrying your signal. Of course I can have service! And besides, there was already a survey initiated. I haven't been called with the results. Here's the survey code number ..."

etc.

January, Jennae U2Z, "That address is not in the database. We can do a survey to see if you can have service. We'll call you when it's completed."

February, "That address is not in the database." At that point I stopped LaTisha N7B. I started telling her about my survey that I hadn't gotten a result on yet, and she stopped me, "Oh, you don't have to complete a survey for that, we just have to add your apartment number into the database since the rest of the complex is in the system. Call back in 24 to 48 hours and make an appointment for installation."

LaTisha N7B, if only you had answered the phone back in November.

Sundae · 03-21-2008, 05:21 PM

Wolf triumphs!
Kinda.

Glad it's sorted.

Clodfobble · 03-21-2008, 05:58 PM

So but wait, doesn't this mean you've been getting free cable in your new place since November?

jinx · 03-21-2008, 06:51 PM

Yeah, I'm confused... why did you keep calling them after discovering the live coax? I would have waited patiently for the survey to be completed...

wolf · 03-21-2008, 08:35 PM

Mainly, it was because I needed the high speed internet.

jinx · 03-21-2008, 08:41 PM

Oh, right, of course.

Clodfobble · 03-21-2008, 09:55 PM

Ah yes. Free cable definitely does not make up for no internet.

On the other hand, you could have just kept the cable and gotten DSL or something instead...

wolf · 03-21-2008, 10:22 PM

Also, it was only basic cable.

I'm a digital whore.

Griff · 03-22-2008, 07:13 AM

I wonder when cable companies decided that providing their product to customers didn't fit into their business plan.

BrianR · 03-22-2008, 09:32 AM

Welcome back Wolf! I've missed you.

Brian

Drax · 03-22-2008, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

Ah yes. Free cable definitely does not make up for no internet.

On the other hand, you could have just kept the cable and gotten DSL or something instead...

I gotta agree with ya' there Clod. When wolf said she had service in the new apartment, it's a wonder they didn't cancel the service right away.

Being a videophile ain't easy is it, wolf?

wolf · 03-22-2008, 01:43 PM

It's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it.

Another motivator to getting full service restored was that none of my neighbors had an unsecured wireless network.

xoxoxoBruce · 03-22-2008, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Griff

I wonder when cable companies decided that providing their product to customers didn't fit into their business plan.

When they decided cheap, untrained help, was in their business plan.

03-21-2008, 05:09 PM	#1
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Wolf versus The Cable Company Finally, the story that you have all been waiting for. You have been waiting for it, right? Even if you haven't, here it is. As many of you know, I relocated Chez Wolf back in November, not because I wanted to, but because the apartment in which I had lived for 13 or so years suddenly became a Condominium. Condominium, as wel all know, is Latin for "Small, expensive space." So, I located a new set of digs, and went out of my way to make sure that the place was served by the same Cable Provider from which I had been receiving excellent service for many years. Two weeks prior to moving, I tried to use the online moving tools to setup service for the new apartment. It wouldn't accept my information. I didn't think much of this, but figured that I'd call the next day and make the necessary appointments for the switchover. Yeah, sure. I called, spoke to a lovely young lady calling herself something like Tia323 (For a moment I thought I was dealing with someone in YahooChat, but apparently that's how they do their customer service IDs.) Tia said some words that I eventually learned to despise, "That address is not in the database." "What do you mean, that address is not in the database?" After another 15 minutes of conversation, in which it was established that all of the neighboring apartments to mine appeared to be in the databse, as were all of the apartments in the second building (which has a different physical street address from mine), and the Clubhouse for the complex. Tia323 finally offers ... "We can do a survey to see if you can have service. We'll call you when it's completed." Now, I'm smart, see. I gave my cellphone number, so there wouldn't be any problem in contacting me because of a change in phone numbers from the move. In case you were wondering, as of today, March 21, 2008, I have not received a call to inform me of the survey results. The flurry of activity that is entailed in any move occurs, and so I didn't get a chance to call the cable company back right away. But I did discover something. The new apartment had a hunk of coax sticking out of the living room wall. Once my television was ensconced in the place on honor in front of the hunk of coax, I figured, what the heck. I screwed the sucker in, and guess what? Cable. This was a good start. Not only was there cable, but it was the cable signal offered by the above-named provider. Channel lineup was identical to my old apt, and the proprietary information and sports channels were there too. hmmm. By the time I got around to calling again, it was December. This time I talked to a nice lady by the name of Elise2A7. It was kind of like hearing an echo that was displaced in time ... "That address is not in the database. We can do a survey to see if you can have service. We'll call you when it's completed." But lady, I have a hunk of cable coming out of the wall that's carrying your signal. Of course I can have service! And besides, there was already a survey initiated. I haven't been called with the results. Here's the survey code number ..." etc. January, Jennae U2Z, "That address is not in the database. We can do a survey to see if you can have service. We'll call you when it's completed." February, "That address is not in the database." At that point I stopped LaTisha N7B. I started telling her about my survey that I hadn't gotten a result on yet, and she stopped me, "Oh, you don't have to complete a survey for that, we just have to add your apartment number into the database since the rest of the complex is in the system. Call back in 24 to 48 hours and make an appointment for installation." LaTisha N7B, if only you had answered the phone back in November. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

03-21-2008, 06:51 PM	#4
jinx Come on, cat. Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: general vicinity of Philadelphia area Posts: 7,013	Yeah, I'm confused... why did you keep calling them after discovering the live coax? I would have waited patiently for the survey to be completed... __________________ Crying won't help you, praying won't do you no good.

03-21-2008, 08:35 PM	#5
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Mainly, it was because I needed the high speed internet. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

03-21-2008, 08:41 PM	#6
jinx Come on, cat. Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: general vicinity of Philadelphia area Posts: 7,013	Oh, right, of course. __________________ Crying won't help you, praying won't do you no good.

03-21-2008, 10:22 PM	#8
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Also, it was only basic cable. I'm a digital whore. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

03-21-2008, 05:21 PM	#2
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	Wolf triumphs! Kinda. Glad it's sorted.

03-21-2008, 05:58 PM	#3
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	So but wait, doesn't this mean you've been getting free cable in your new place since November?

03-21-2008, 09:55 PM	#7
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	Ah yes. Free cable definitely does not make up for no internet. On the other hand, you could have just kept the cable and gotten DSL or something instead...

03-22-2008, 07:13 AM	#9
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	I wonder when cable companies decided that providing their product to customers didn't fit into their business plan. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

03-22-2008, 09:32 AM	#10
BrianR Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 3,338	Welcome back Wolf! I've missed you. Brian __________________ Never be afraid to tell the world who you are. -- Anonymous

03-22-2008, 01:43 PM	#12
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	It's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it. Another motivator to getting full service restored was that none of my neighbors had an unsecured wireless network. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

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