This page last updated 11/12/02
9/5/02: The local cable concern (Let's call them Red Crescent Cable, no relation to any organization that may actually have a similar name) came up with a way to sell me on thier TV service, even though I won't be making any use of if because I hate on-screen logos.
Red Crescent Cable left messages on my answering machine to the effect that I could extend my introductory rate by calling them. My "introductory rate" is $49.95, including modem rental. (I should have bought the thing.) When I called and explained about the recordings, the Red Crescent phonedroid explained that the rate was going up to $59.95, but that I could keep my existing rate, effectively, by subscribing to Extended Basic service, which costs $9.95 per month. As a TV subscriber I would then be eligible for a $10 per month discount on internet service. If I take this literally I'll be saving five cents a month by taking the TV service I have no use for to get the discount on the part of the system that I do use.
I assume that they are doing this to pump up thier subscriber figures. The Extended Basic service as described to me is the local channels plus a couple of networks that made a deal for low channel numbers. I expect that part of it is that the channel filters are not too precise and I'll have a few progressively worse channels at the top of the range until the signal range hits the filter range. Not that it matters because, other than for weather emergencies, I don't watch much TV unless it arrives on little silver discs or not-so-little black brick-like things.
OK, numbers: 49.95 Current charge 59.95 new charge ------- 10.00 Difference 9.95 Basic Extended Cable ------- 69.90 Base Result 10.00 Subscriber discount ------- 59.90 Final result
The upshot of this is that I can't seem to escape the increase, I'm going to have a phonedroid try to explain this one when I call them at the beginning of November. If anyone else can make out what they think they are up to, I'd be glad of an explanation.
Update 11/12/02: Actually this was a few weeks ago, but I don't update all that often. The final workout was this: I was being offered a new package that included the minimal TV service AND my Internet service at my old rate. Apparently this has something to do with legitimizing Internet customers that were using a splitter to get TV service, which makes sense only if Red Crescent Cable is too blazingly incompetent to filter out TV service completely without blocking internet service also.
Being cheap, I took them up on this, and the next day my Internet service was out of service. The techie installed a filter that blocked the internet signal. I complained and three days later (this number should be familiar to anyone who has ever signed a phone company service agreement) they had in a filter that let in 3 more channels and my Internet service. Not that the number of channels matters any, none of them are useful.