Cutting cable: Week 1

My wife and I had been talking about it for months -- at least since November.

Back then, I ran the math: We're paying Verizon about $57 per month for TV, plus another $15 for the box. $72 a month is over $850 per year. If we cut the service and rely entirely on streaming Netflix ($8 per month = $96 per year) and Hulu (free), we'd be ahead by $750 or so at the end of one year.

Even with the math, though, it took a while to get off my butt and make the call. I needed to wait until after the Super Bowl at least, right? Somehow, that went all the way to early March.

Then I went ahead and did it last week. I called Verizon and said we were done.

Ah, but it wasn't that easy at all.

I called just before 5 on Friday. And that's where the trouble began.

Everything seemed fine. They repeated my order back to me: Cut TV as of Monday morning (I had a few things on the DVR to watch); cut long distance ($6 per month that never gets touched because of the cell phone); DO NOT TOUCH MY INTERNET ACCESS.

OK? OK. Here's the order number. Thanks.

I then run out to pick up a pizza for the family (it is Friday, after all). Upon returning: TV is gone. Internet is gone.

Are you freaking kidding me?

It's 5:45. I call the number on my TV for quick service. They transfer me to someone else. About 6 p.m., I'm talking to a live person -- who tells me the services can't be restarted until Saturday morning.

"Wait, you can turn everything off after 5, but you can't turn it back on? Are you kidding me?"

Perfect.

In the end, that's all they could offer me. I shouldn't have been too surprised, of course: This has been my experience with Verizon virtually every time I've dealt with them. Their actual electronic/digital/whatever service has generally been excellent. But getting that service started or stopped? A nightmare. Every time.

NEXT BLOG: What I woke up to on Saturday morning. The saga continues ...