Fun with Comcast

We had to swap out our cable box, and when we picked up the new one, we were told the converter box number (why do we call it a serial number when it's not got any numbers in it only letters? - but I digress) was on the receipt as was an automated phone number to call to get the box activated. The info was even highlighted in yellow to make it easy to find the phone number and converter number. Easy peasy. I like it!

Got home, called the number on the receipt. It wasn't automated. Talked to a rep. Gave her the converter number listed on the receipt. She said she sent the signal to activate the box. After about an hour, the screen still said the box wasn't authorized. So I called again.

This time a chap said, oh you can call an automated number to do that for you. Let me give you that number. And he gave me a number - not the one on the receipt, which was supposed to be an automated one and wasn't. Just sayin'.

Rolling my eyes, I called that number. Guess what? It was automated. However, the initial question was misleading. Did I want to activate a new service? I said no. (It wasn't a new "service" - the service existed, I just wanted to activate a new converter on my existing service - isn't service what you receive from a company, not equipment? Oh, I guess not. Silly me.)

 So, after saying "no" and going through a long menu of "something else," I hung up and tried again and said I wanted to activate a new service. Guess that was the right answer. So - got to the part where I had to give the converter number, and the Voice said the serial number required began with SAB. I looked at the receipt. No SAB. I stared hard. 

No SAB.

I looked at the converter box on the shelf under the television. I looked at the floor. I thought about the fact I have rheumatoid arthritis and how hard it is to kneel or sit on the floor, and how hard it is to push and pull on things, and how I had stupidly thought I could just sit on the floor *once* to hook it up and not have to worry because all the information was on the receipt.

I slowly lowered myself onto the floor and pulled out the box. Twisted it around (further pain due to RA in hands, thankyouverymuch) and squinted at the numbers. Found the SAB number. Repeated the last four letters into the phone as instructed. Said "I'm done" as instructed (and by then I was, believe me!).

Box is now working, but only time will tell the cable still blacks out. If it does, they'll want to send a tech. He'll say we have to replace the line. Then, like the last time, he'll leave the whole mess for us to do because he won't climb into the attic. But that's a whole 'nuther topic.

Would it be so hard, Comcast, to make certain the info on the receipt is really what we need? That would have solved most of it, although I still would have been thrown off by "Do you want to activate a new service?" No - the *service* I had, it was new *equipment.* How about "Do you want to active a new service or new equipment?" 

Okay, I'm done venting.

(And please, no one respond with "switch" - this is the only show in town for fast internet. If I had my druthers, I'd not even have TV service, but internet, I need.)

Lucky Seven Game

Playing the Lucky Seven Game on my writing blog.

The rules:

1. Go to page 77 of your current MS 
2. Go to line 7 
3. Copy down the next seven lines as they’re written—no cheating! 

 Take a gander, tell me what you think and, if you're a writer, play the game yourself!

 :)