i win -- at least for now

Comcast has, to say the least, put us through the ringer over the last few weeks. Without going through all the gory details, we have been given wrong information, horrible, HORRIBLE customer service, and waited around for them a full Saturday, a full Sunday, and a Tuesday afternoon (I left work early), and generally wasted way too much time and energy on something completely ridiculous and fixable. I have been thisclose to canceling service entirely and either relying on Netflix or trying to get Verizon Fios to come in this building. If you know me, you know how seriously pissed I must be to be actually considering living without cable television and HD channels.

Anyway, to make a long story short (too late, I'm sure), in the midst of one of my many phone conversations with Comcast, they had promised me that we would not be charged any installation fees. Well, our bill came last week, and surprise! $34.50 of installation fees have been charged.

Two seriously shell-shocked customer service representatives later, I win. They started out slightly apologetic with a side of annoyance at my long story, offering me a $90 credit distributed as $30 off each bill for the next three months.

I told them that was a good start and asked what else they planned to offer me. Much placating on their parts and refusal to budge on my part later, I finally agreed to their proposal to keep me as a customer. In addition to the $90 credit, they are refunding the installation fees, and we ended up with free Showtime for a year, $9 per month off our cable box and connection fees, and an additional $20 discount on this month's bill just for kicks.

I am relieved, honestly. I really didn't want to give up cable. I would have, but I'm glad I didn't have to. I love my 90210 reruns on the soap network Next Food Network Star and Ice Road Truckers. The moral of the story: fight for what you want and refuse to budge and you will eventually get what you want. Whether it was worth your time and hassle is an entirely different question.

We'll see what happens a year from now when these promotions and discounts run out and I have to start all over again. At least I have what I want for now.