Christine the Curmudgeon

This is a follow-up to Christine the Curmudgeon’s recent post entitled Comcastic?  NOT! In that post, I ranted about how the evil Comcast cable company is trying to cash in on the transition by making people think that cable is the best, most cost-effective option.  I say that it is most definitely NOT.  I saw that Comcast commercial again, and it annoyed me again, so I’ll post about it again.

As I said in the previous post, Comcast is trying to woo new subscribers with an offer of FREE basic cable for a year, IF you subscribe to their phone or internet service, which is very overpriced.  I use Verizon for my phone and DSL service, and I pay less per month than the going rates at Comcast.  If you don’t want to subscribe to phone or internet through them, Comcast is offering basic cable for $10 per month for a year.  By “basic” cable, I mean you only get broadcast channels that are already free, a few shopping channels (HSN, QVC, etc) and a local cable news channel.  That is it.  I might also add that it is very hard to find out how much the service will cost after the year is up.  There is some small print at the end of the commercial with probably has that information, but you would need a bionic eye, like Steve Austin on “The Six Million Dollar Man” in order to read it.

My concern is that the people who go for this are the ones who can least afford cable, and they may not be able to afford the huge jump in price that will no doubt occur when that first year is up.  Cable companies are also notorious for annoying telemarketing practices.  They will relentlessly call you to try to sell you additional channels and services that you probably can’t afford.  The Do Not Call List does not apply in a situation like this…if you are already doing business with a company, they are allowed to call you.

As an aside, this is why I canceled my Sunday-only subscription to the Boston Globe.  They would not stop calling me, to try to sell me a seven days a week subscription.  I only wanted Sundays, I kept telling them that.  At first the calls came about once a month, then once a week, and finally, two or three days per week.  After getting calls two days in a row, I told the guy on the phone to quit calling me or I’d cancel the paper completely.  Well, they called again the next day.  I canceled.  If I want the paper now, I’ll walk over to the Skeevy Corner Store and buy it.  At least they don’t call me to try to sell me more stuff.

The Comcast ad tries to appeal to low income people by telling them that if they get cable, they will not have to shell out for any new equipment.  This part is true.  But what they don’t say in the commercials that I’ve seen us that there is an installation fee involved.  When I’ve had cable in the past, there was always a fee.  Sometimes the cable company runs promotions that offer free installation, but I saw no sign of that in any of these new Comcast ads.

And let’s not forget that with cable, you will be walking on an endless treadmill of monthly payments.  If you can’t pay, and it’s past February 2009, you will no longer be able to watch TV at all if you have an old analog set, and the cable company shuts off your service.  In this economy, the last thing that anyone needs, especially lower income people, is yet another monthly payment.

Please don’t fall for this.  If you are currently watching TV on an analog set with an antenna. the most cost-effective solution is the converter box.  The government is still offering those $40 coupons towards the purchase of these, but you need to act now, before they run out.

Now, I want to tell you about what PBS is doing to help viewers deal with the transition.  They have produced a half hour program which explains all of your options, without trying to sell anybody anythiing.  It is hosted by Kevin O’Connor and Norm Abram of This Old House, and Maria Hinojosa, senior correspondent for the news show NOW on PBS.  Maria explains the difference between digital and analog TV signals, and why this switch is being made.  Kevin and Norm then visit several homeowners who have different TV setups, and helps them decide which solution is best for them.  Kevin also shows how to install a converter box so that it will work with your VCR or DVR.

For more information about this program, you can visit this website.  Find out when this special airs in your area, or, if you have broadband internet access, you can even watch it right on your computer.  For free.  No kidding.

This has been another public service announcement from Christine the Curmudgeon.  Why be unnecessarily parted from your hard-earned money, especially if you do not have a lot of it to spend?

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