Idiots Write About Sports

Actual letters from actual cable services providers (with emphasis added in italics):

August 6, 2004

Thanks for subscribing to MLB Extra Innings! We know you’ll enjoy all of the exciting MLB action this year.

We wanted to take this opportunity to welcome you to MLB Extra Innings and to explain important details about your new package. Beginning with the 2005 season, your MLB Extra Innings subscription will automatically be renewed on the 1st day of the regular season. Your automatic renewal will ensure you receive the reduced Early Bird price. If you wish to cancel your subscription, you may do so easily and without penalty, by notifying us before the first day of the 2005 MLB season through any of the following methods:

1. Call our Customer Service Department at 1-888-Comcast.
2. Send a letter to your local Comcast office — our address can be found on you monthly cable bill.

Please include your name, address, phone number and account number with any correspondence so that we can quickly access your account. Again, to cancel the automatic renewal of your MLB Extra Innings subscription, please notify us prior to the first day of next season.

Thanks for subscribing to MLB Extra Innings, and thanks for being a Comcast Digital Cable customer. Enjoy the action!

I have to tell you, I’m not ordinarily a fan of automatic renewals that place the burden of cancellation on the user. Basically, the provider is counting on my inertia — or, in this case, my absent-mindedness, since Comcast notified me of this change eight months ago. But since I was going to re-up anyhow, anything that saves me from wasting minutes of my life using small words to convey my wishes to Comcast’s helper elves is fine by me.

Do I have to tell you that when I flipped on the TV to catch the Mets-Astros game Monday morning, I discoverd that Comcast had cancelled my MLB Extra Innings service? This was only minorly troubling, as the early-bird discount mentioned in the above letter expired the previous day — something that I didn’t think would affect me since Comcast said they were going to renew me automatically.

This, of course, necessitated a call to Comcast, at which point the helpful customer service representative explained to me that I had called to cancel my account in March. Certainly, I’m a strong believer in the global anti-Phil conspiracy, and the idea of a Phil impersonator going around and mucking up things with the people who provide my utilities would certainly fit in with that — but I think I’m going to have to conclude that the helpful customer service representative was probably fibbing.

Let’s recap our most recent interaction with Comcast, shall we?

• They said they were going to renew my baseball package and didn’t.
• The promised convenience of automatic renewal never materialized, and the promised savings would have been squandered to, had I not called up and pitched a fit.
• The mouths of Comcast service representatives are full of lies.

Is it any wonder that any time I see one of Comcast’s “at least we’re not jerks and thieves like the satellite TV people” commercials, the wife has to go hide the breakables?

Hey dude,
Nice blog you got here.
I'm the writer of one of the other Sportsblogs.
I'm based in New Zealand trying to do mainly US based sports. Your site is really cool (and time consuming during a work day).
Cheers again
Hadyn

As the saying goes, "Comcast Sucks!"

What did you pay for MLB Extra Innings from Comcast? I'm trying to decide whether to go with Direct TV or Comcast at my new house and want to MLB in the spring of 07'.

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