Sometimes I can never figure out why people make it so hard for me to give them my money.
In the first instance, I’m interested in some role-playing related software by a small company that is usually stocked only by game stores — you won’t find it in traditional computer distributors inventory. Anyway, every time I see this company has released a new piece of software I march down to the local store and ask if they can get it for me. Each time the guy tells me “Sure, I’ll call you on Monday” and then never does. Guess I’ll just stick to ordering it direct.
The other example has about 10 people I know stymied but this one isn’t surprising — nobody can figure out how to get Ameritech to install the DSL service they claim is available in our area now. Over the past two years I’ve put myself on their “please notify me when it’s available” e-mail lists, left numerous messages with different people, and of course no one bothered to contact me, as they promised, when DSL finally became available. Learned that from a friend who found out by accident, and checked on their web site — sure enough, I type in my address and it informs me I too can have DSL.
Except I and about 10 other people have spent the past three weeks e-mailing and calling Ameritech to order the darn thing without a single response. Just getting to the people who might know anything about DSL is a nightmare and then when you do get through to the right people it’s always “We’ll call you tomorrow with details.” Whatever.
The cable company, reacting to Ameritech’s apparently illusory claim to offer DSL in the area, is finally moving forward to offer a cable modem by December. I doubt the same people who took forever to bring me the Cartoon Channel are going to be able to ramp up to installing cable modems by March, much less December.
The only consolation is I’m moving to the Chicago area in September 2001 and Lisa’s already been informed that high-speed access is a minimum requirement for the new place.