MLB is evil incarnate

by BubbaFan on Mar 5, 2008 9:13 PM EST Comment 18 comments

I've about had it with MLB.TV. They must have the worst customer service in the known universe. If they weren't a monopoly, I'd never give them another cent of my money if I could help it.

Last year, I signed up for a premium MLB.TV subscription. I noticed just as I hit "submit" that they had helpfully auto-checked the little "renew my subscription automatically" box. Grrrr. "Renew automatically" should not be the default.

Actually, I probably was going to renew...but I wanted it to be my choice. I wanted to decide when to renew, what card to charge it to, etc. Plus, it just ticked me off on general principles that they would do that.

So I e-mailed them, and asked them to cancel the auto-renewal. I got a reply back, saying it was done. Just to make sure, I called them up and confirmed it.

But lo, and behold...on February 14, I get an e-mail from MLB.com reminding me that my subscription was about to auto-renew, and telling me that if I wanted to cancel, I should click here. I clicked on the "cancel automatic renewal" link, and got a confirmation message from MLB.com.

Then tonight, I get another message from MLB.com, telling me my credit card has been billed $119.95, for automatic renewal of my MLB.TV premium subscription. ARRRRRGHHHHH. I'm ready to strangle somebody. How many frickin' times do I have to cancel before it sticks?

And it's not like this is the only time. I've had previous encounters with their customer service. Like the downloadable game I bought, that was not downloadable. I called several times, submitted e-mail support tickets, and finally gave up. Then, weeks later, they gave me a link that worked. Yeah, people really want to see games weeks after they happened.

I'm sure this will be worked out. And if it isn't, my credit card company will fix it for me. But I have better things to do with my time, and it just plecks me off that they make dealing with them so difficult. It's gotten to the point where I dread making any purchase from them.

The thing is, they don't have to be this way. They have a good product. And they have a monopoly on it. There's no need to resort to such sleazy tactics. If they were selling magazines or encyclopedias, the BBB would be all over their butts for this kind of thing.

Oh, and I'm really plecked off about this, too.

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i got charged four times last year

in the same month. it overdrew my checking account and i got charged $32 because of it. though i got the three subscriptions back, they wouldn't give the $32. and i got it back after being on hold for an hour.

2008 NL Central Champs!

by Daedalus on Mar 5, 2008 9:35 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Yikes

That's horrible. I'm starting to wish I had one of those disposable credit card numbers, just for dealing with MLB.

All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?

by BubbaFan on Mar 5, 2008 9:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

i had a similar run-in with NFL field pass

when i was living in england, i got the NFL radio broadcasts. it was only 10 dollars for a month so i figured it would be cool to check it out. unfortunately, i found that listening to football on the radio is pretty lame. but of course, they did that auto-renewal bullshit on me and i ended up having to eat the next month's 10 bucks, plus the 20 dollars in long-distance bills sitting on hold to get them to shut it down.

and the biggest problem is they dont have to do this. they could be courteous and accomodating, but they know that no one will stop consuming their product just because they got jerked around. i guess i can just chalk it up as one more Boss i gotta serve.

Im Charlie Scrabbles and I approve this blogpost.

by Charlie Scrabbles on Mar 5, 2008 9:59 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Down wit da man!

You can't have manslaughter without laughter

by crolfer on Mar 5, 2008 10:09 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

what i think is a huge ripoff is...

mlb.tv doesn't allow you to which the in market games. That is completely fucking rediculous. I live on campus, and the University cable does not include Fox Sports. But since I am in the 45810 (Lima area) zip code, I can't watch any Reds games, Indians games, and I don't think I can watch any Tigers games. But yet I pay the same price as somebody who lives in Wyoming and isn't any teams market. I just feel for the price I should beable to watch all games, even the Reds. MLB is so rediculoius with territory tv rights.

The Dusty path to the World Series! (This is not an endorsement.)

by justin0070000 on Mar 5, 2008 10:58 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Ohio Northern

I've mostly been a lurker but I can't believe I've just now noticed someone living in Ada. I went to Northern and had a very similar issue. I have since transferred to BGSU, but got excited when I saw the 45810

"If I ever find a pitcher who has heat, a good curve, and a slider, I might seriously consider marrying him, or at least proposing." - Sparky Anderson

by bphil2b on Mar 6, 2008 12:23 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Ada is kind of terrible

I have a little over a year left. Next stop will be a large University in a city of somesort. Plus this school has put me in so much debt, I kinda want to cry.

The Dusty path to the World Series! (This is not an endorsement.)

by justin0070000 on Mar 6, 2008 8:22 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, that's annoying, too

Though it's probably the TV people who are behind that. Which is stupid. Would anyone want to watch a game on a computer screen if they had the choice of watching it on TV instead? Are they afraid people will drop their cable subscriptions in order to watch TV on the Internet instead?

All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?

by BubbaFan on Mar 6, 2008 6:29 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think there are ways around it

If you can "register" under a different zip code.

Also, everyone in the lower 48 is in at least one team's market. Some people are really screwed - take a look at Charlotte.

by ken on Mar 6, 2008 9:12 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

or Vegas

They're blacked out on everybody west of Texas except for Colorado and Seattle. I hope they have a good frequent flyer program if they want to watch a game.

Don't talk back to Darth Vader or he'll getcha!

by Slyde on Mar 6, 2008 9:23 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That doesn't work

They use your IP address. Even if the bill is going to New York City, you can watch Yankees games if you're on a business trip and accessing MLB.TV from, say, your hotel in East Lansing, Michigan. This also means that proxies work to get around the blackout.

All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?

by BubbaFan on Mar 6, 2008 3:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

MLB.tv

Did you also notice that it's cheaper to do the monthly subscription at $14.95 per month than the season pass at $89.95? What's up with that? I know it's only like 20 cents, but aren't you supposed to get a deal for signing up for the full year?

by Brian B on Mar 6, 2008 9:37 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

FWIW..

I don't think all of this amounts to evil.

I think the powers that MLB are dense, ignorant, misguided, myopic and static. (Yes, they're a little bit greedy as well.) Of course, all of this is sometimes worse than being evil. Evil can be fought (ie legislated against) but stubborn and dumb is too often just stubborn and dumb.

It all reminds of the stories about MLB owners being initially reluctant to broadcast their games on radio or tv (I can't remember which.. perhaps both?) because they thought that fans would stay home listening and would be less likely to come out to the ballgames.

by Fat Vegas Alan on Mar 6, 2008 10:03 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

The underpinnings of evil are:

denseness, ignorance, misguided intent, myopic focus and the static caused by Legions in one's consciousness. Don't forget greed, stubborn inflexibility stupidity and of course the ever widening void between money and reason.

Core dude - Dustbag's core is not the core that is the core.

by Madville on Mar 6, 2008 11:51 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

This is a really deep discussion

for a Thursday morning

Hope Springs Eternal! Go Reds

by Caleb on Mar 6, 2008 12:43 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Yeah Well, definition is paramount:

"So, Lone Starr, now you see that evil will always triumph because good is dumb."
Dark Helmet in Mel Brook's Spaceballs

"Give me a big ramp, a bigger motorcycle and 8 school buses lined up side by side.... I'll show you "EVIL" Madville from an essay on Thursday morning RR discussions on the 'Philosophy of Base Clogging'.

Core dude - Dustbag's core is not the core that is the core.

by Madville on Mar 6, 2008 1:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You want deep?

I got deep.

by Fat Vegas Alan on Mar 6, 2008 3:30 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I just have to say...

...MLB.com is still evil incarnate.

Yes, I'm still trying to get my money refunded. I sent an e-mail to customer service. They replied saying they needed more info. I sent it. No reply. I checked their "customer service tracking" URL. I had a ticket, but no resolution.

So I called them. The guy who answered the phone was very nice, but boy, do they sound clueless. He admitted that they had my request NOT to renew on record, and that I had submitted it well before the deadline. And that I had somehow been automatically renewed anyway. He also said, "You're not the only one."

And then, he gave me two tracking numbers (one for my original request not to renew, one for my complaint about being auto-renewed). And told me that if my credit card wasn't credited with a refund in 7-10 business days, to call back.

Something in the way he said that makes me think I will in fact have to call back with said tracking numbers...