Comcast wanted Craig back. Well, not Comcast so much as the entire cable industry wanted him back. Do you blame them? He was a successful cord cutter, who managed to leave cable TV behind but keep his broadband Internet connection last year. Kabletown called him up and enticed him back with an amazing offer and a year of HBO. He couldn’t refuse…but then Comcast turned cold once it was time to actually ship him the equipment he needed.

I am a successful cord cutter who canceled my Comcast cable TV last sumer. I kept the mid-speed broadband internet, which Comcast graciously sells me for an exorbinant $65 a month. Between a a digital antennae and Netflix I have all the TV I want and haven’t missed cable a bit. The last month telemarketers have been blowing up my phone (strange 678 number).

I finally answered one of the calls and lo and behold it’s Comcast. They are offering me cable TV, Blast speed internet plus HBO for $5 a month more ($70 total) with no equipment charge and no contract for 1 year (we’ll see if they change their mind on charging for the equipment). After one year it will go to $79 a month minus the HBO. Even though I don’t need or really want cable TV, I couldn’t pass up such a good deal (and maybe I could watch the Daily Show when it airs). So I said I’ll take it, just ship me the cable box because I’m perfectly capable of connecting 2 cables and plugging the box in.

After the box didn’t arrive, I called and they said the shipment order wasn’t put in properly. They offered to overnight a box at no charge. Great I said, but that box never came either. I called back and had the exact same conversation with another promised overnight package. Well that package didn’t arrive either. So now I have an appointment with an installer to come in 6 days to connect 2 wires and plug it in (no charge of course).

So….Comcast seems desperate to win me back but just can’t quite seem to execute a simple order and shipment. 18 days from order to delivery feels like I’m back in 1982 and need to allow for 4-6 weeks for delivery of my CHIA PET.

Sometimes stuff just takes a while to send. A cable box from your friendly neighborhood Comcast depot should not be one of those things, though. Writing to the helpful Comcast Cares team at we_can_help@comcast.com sometimes helps, but maybe when the installer comes, he or she will throw in a free Chia Pet.

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