Abandon Nest

When I came home from work yesterday I was relaxed and ready to start my personal business of the day. Managing money, visiting my favorite websites, and posting on this blog were all on my list of things to do. Now, I obviously need an internet connection for these activities. Currently, I pay $45 a month for my cable internet access through Insight Communications. As soon as Windows had booted up on my desktop I got a warning notifying me that my network connection has limited or no connectivity. This is where the trouble started.

I tried all the typical things. Check the modem connections and ethernet ports and power cycle my cable modem. None of that worked, so I decided to call Insight to see what was going on. I was greeted immediately by a message after one ring. It said that Insight Broadband was experiencing technical difficulties, but that their technicians were working dilligently to correct the problem. However, after listening to the message again (they played it twice) I realized they were referring to incidents on Tuesday, May 9th. Probably was, I called on May 10th. So why wasn’t my internet working?

I decided to hang on the line and try to find out what was going on. First, I had to navigate a multi-tiered touch tone system that was confusing and unwieldy. Too many options in my opinion. After that, I was directed to a line where “My call was appreciated, and a customer service person would be with me as soon as possible.” So after getting my ear blasted off by the worst Muzak ever, I set the phone down and plugged in my headset so I could read without holding it.

I sat reading for 50 minutes, and no one picked up my call. At that point, I had to go to choir practice and had to hang up, but that long of a period of time is ridiculous. There was no explanation for why it took so long, and I’m still quite irate. I wake up this morning to find my internet service still disrupted and not working.

As soon as I can find a new broadband provider for internet service I’ll be canceling all my Insight memberships. That includes digital cable, HD cable, and broadband internet. They lost me as a customer, and will probably never have me again.

So what’s the moral of this story? For those of us just starting out, I think it is don’t pay for services that treat you poorly. You have to stand up for your rights as a consumer to get the best for your money. Insight Communications needs to think about their service quality. I suspect they will continue to lose customers if they treat them all like this and I’ll never recommend their service to anyone.

Technorati Tags: Cable, Customer Service, Cancel

Today I’m concluding the Beginner’s Personal Finance series. In the last week I feel that I’ve covered the basic things that those just starting out need to know. That is, there’s just enough information to get people started dealing with their own finances. As time goes on and my understanding of my own finances progresses, I’ll share the tips, tricks, and strategies that I learn. I am currently reading Suze Orman’s book The Laws of Money, The Lessons of Life and will have a report/review soon. What other personal finance articles would you like to see?

For the posts in the Beginner’s Personal Finance series, check out the links below:

• Introduction
• Avoiding Credit Card Debt
• Budgeting Strategies Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
• Paper or Plastic (How to pay for things)
• Rein in Spending
• Saving for the Future
• Avoiding Credit Card Debt

You’re at the grocery store and you’re buying your week’s worth of groceries. The cashier announces the total. What do you do? Me, I reach into my wallet and grab my debit card, paying for the purchase in full. I see others pull out a wad of cash and plunk down $20 bills. It seems the question paper or plastic has moved from the bagger to the cashier. What are the options?

• Cash - Cold hard cash is the most reliable of currencies. Few places reject cash (although I’ve heard there are some extremely high class places in big cities that do) so it is usable almost everywhere. My personal problem with carrying cash for everday expenses is the temptation to spend. I guess you can say that money burns a hole in my pocket. If you have great financial self-control (or you like to show off) then cash is probably the way to go.
• Debit Card - I love my debit card. I pretty much use it for every purchase. Why? It’s convenient because funds are deducted from my checking account. Also, pulling out the card gives me that extra moment to say, “Do I really need this?” Most checking accounts come with a check/debit card nowadays. Make sure you get one with the Visa or Mastercard logo on it that you can use it online for purchases and at most stores.
• Credit Card - Credit cards carry the world of convenience to a whole new level. Reach into your pocket, swipe the plastic, sign your name, and you’re on your way. What could get easier than that? The truth is, use like that will only end up getting you in trouble. Frequent credit card users need to keep expenditures in check so that they can pay their balance each month. However, on a positive note, credit cards often offer rewards and bonuses for using them, just beware the fine print.

Obviously each strategy has its benefits and drawbacks and I believe it really comes down to a matter of personal preference. Do you feel comfortable walking around with a big chunk of money in your pocket, or would you overspend? Do you think that you can handle the risks associated with a credit card and keep track of your purchases? What about the debit card, can you avoid falling into the negative and being overdrawn, possibly amassing huge fees? These are all important questions to ask yourself when considering your preferred purchasing method. So we come full circle to the initial question, what do you do?