And then there's the purchase of a new condo in Indiana, the closing a few weeks ago followed by the move, followed by a few projects like stripping wallpaper. We absolutely LOVE the place, Shawn is so happy there and that's a great thing. But along with a new place to live are new bills to sort out. One such bill is the cable/internet, fairly important in the life of a college student. Today I went online to set up the account so I could pay this bill. And here is where the trouble began.
Let's step back a little over three weeks ago - to when we were trying to decide between AT&T and Comcast. I have AT&T Uverse here at home for TV/phone/ internet. The combined package turned out to be cheaper than my earlier landline phone bill. But for the condo, we didn't need a phone number; Shawn uses his cell phone everywhere and we didn't see the need of a landline. When we compared prices for AT&T TV/internet with Comcast TV/internet, Comcast came in about $30 less a month. I called to set up the service and here's what happened:
I dial the number and it is immediately answered. First, I hear voice ad for Comcast. This ends with "Please enter the phone number for the address where you have or desire service."
SO - here is the first problem. I DON'T HAVE a phone number for this address. Actually, three weeks ago I didn't even yet have the address. And does this company not realize that they might be the ones providing the phone as well, in which case other callers won't yet have a phone number either?? Well, ok, you would think dialing a 0 or maybe just the pound key by itself would signal an operator or in some way indicate you can't enter a phone number. But you'd be wrong. Instead you hear "Wrong number of digits, please enter the phone number for your address." Second time, I tried entering my cell number. Now I hear "This number is not valid, please enter the phone number for your address." Now I have no other numbers to try - I don't want to enter my home phone number because I don't want Comcast there. I go back to hitting the # key. After a few more tries, it finally realizes that maybe I should be routed somewhere, so I hear "Enter 1 for residential, 2 for business".
Now we're getting somewhere. I know the answer to this one - I hit the 1 key. More options, I don't remember them all but finally somehow I get a real live person. And I give them the address of the condo.
But they can't find that address and after a few more questions it turns out that part of Indiana is served by one center, the rest by a different one. Although one of the many prompts I had to answer was the zip code of where I wanted service, I've still managed to be routed to the wrong center. I'm transferred to another number... yes, you guessed it, now I'm back to hearing "Enter the phone number...". At this point I'm pretty close to hanging up, but I think of Shawn and his need for the internet and I get through it. After hitting # four or five more times, then answering lots more prompts I again talk to a real person and get an appointment set up to get service!!! The battle is over and I've won.
Well... maybe. Fast forward to today. I go online, armed with my account number and the assurance from the installer that my cell phone is now linked to my account. I try to log into the site to get the electronic version of my bill. I enter the numbers and it says an account is already set up. This seems odd, I don't remember doing this, but I try using my standard name/password. It doesn't work. No problem, there is a link to get help. I try that and get a page asking for ... yes, you've guessed it, my phone number. But the guy who installed everything said my cell phone was linked to my account, so I try it. No dice. "This is not a valid number, please enter the phone number for your account."
I'm going to have to call Comcast. I'd *almost* forgotten my earlier experience with them. That is until I dial the number, hear the ad followed by the the instruction to enter my phone number. And again, it is NOT A VALID PHONE NUMBER for them. I am seriously ready to throw the phone at someone. Instead I hang up. But I quickly realize I really do have to talk to someone and I call again, suffer through the prompts saying this is not a valid number, you have not entered enough numbers, you have not entered enough numbers, you have not entered enough numbers, you have not entered enough numbers... I now want to scream. I finally get a person who tells me my login name, one I would never have picked, and then tells me the password, which I enter into the page one letter at a time as she tells me. I don't know where this login came from, but it's ok, finally I'm on the site and we hang up.
The first thing I need to do is change my password since I have NO idea what the one I typed in one letter at a time was - it was a random set of letters. I click on the link. And of course, I need to provide my current password in order to change it.
Yes, I have to call back. At this point I really am ready to cancel the service rather than have to entertain the thought of ever again having to call that number.
This story ends well - I now have everything taken care of; I've changed my password to one I know, have set up to have bills emailed to me, and will most likely never go to that site again. And I will say this - most of the actual human beings I talked to were nice, sympathetic, and helpful. But I hope that I never have to call that number again in my lifetime.
There is a postscript to this story. After finally getting the info I needed from the site, I logged into my bank to set up direct payments. After entering a new payee I have to verify who I am. I find this sensible, after all this is my money they are protecting. So I enter my debit card number and the last four digits of my social security number. I get an error. I must have typed the card number wrong, I try again, more carefully. Another error. A third time and I'm now locked out of online access and I have to call the bank. Thankfully no voice hell from my bank - I get right to a person and explain the problem. He resets access, I go back in, and try again. Still getting an error. He asks what number I'm using and I tell him. He says that's not what we have for your social security number. Turns out that somehow, they've mixed up my social security number with Shawn's. Tomorrow I need to go to a branch and get that sorted out.
All this makes me wonder - does Shawn *really* need to have the internet and tv?
