I don't exactly remember when I first noticed the messages running across the top of my TV screen at the top of each hour, but I've been seeing for a while now that my cable company is going to upgrade it's system to all digital and I may not get my TV channels unless I contact them.
So today I finally went online to see what all the hub bub is about. And low & behold it's much ado about nothing! See we only have cable TV because without it you don't get TV here at all! This is the first home we've had where we actually paid for cable. We don't believe in paying for TV...especially since "isn't that what advertising is for?" I remember the days when the cable channels didn't have ANY ads on them...because we paid for them. Where did that go??? HUH???
So to that end we only have the very cheapest, and basic cable package. When we first signed up for it, the cost was only $13 per month. It has now risen to $17ish. And we are happy with what we get, just not with paying for it. But alas we cannot do without TV so we pay.
Back to the notice on my TV. It turns out that only customers who have the Expanded Basic cable have to worry. They will loose their extra channels if they don't order the adapter box.
This company has been nagging, annoying and trying to scare us into buying more expensive cable since we first signed up for it. And I know for a lot of people these tactics work because I know someone who ordered the more expensive package. I think this is wrong! Especially when they go after folks who really should be spending the money that they have on more important things...like perhaps the electricity to run the TV. sigh
Seems to me that's business in a nutshell these days - try to lure, seduce, convince, entice, scare, bully, coerce, etc folks into paying for their service or product. We don't have TV and fortunately we're okay with that.
ReplyDeleteMy cable company does that too! I always tell them I'm happy with my $11 package. But I am happy with my $11 package.
ReplyDeleteAlmost done with cookies??? Excited?
ReplyDeleteSeveral years ago, they called and told me I HAD to have a digital box or I wasn't going to be able to continue to get the channels I was getting when they "switched over."
ReplyDeleteSo I got one and was paying a monthly rental fee for it. Then I realized after a year or so that the only reason I needed it was if I wanted to order On-Demand pay-per-view movies. I did not. So one day when my cable had gone out, I asked the technician if I could turn in my box to him. He said yeah and I haven't seen it or paid the monthly rental fee for it since.