Non-Existant MLB.tv Support
Shortly after I signed up for MLB.tv I realized I wanted the All Access package. I tried calling that day, but the offices were closed.
So on Monday I tried calling again and received a busy signal over and over again. I filled out the contact form on MLB.com. I hope it went through, but after I hit send the page just sorta refreshed. No confirmation message.
On Tuesday I received an email (two actually) with the subject “Information regarding your MLB Subscription”. It was a bulk email and had this lovely paragraph inside it:
RENEWALS: For your convenience, your 2007 MLB.TV subscription will automatically renew, without interruption, before the start of each subsequent MLB season at the rate then in effect unless you cancel your subscription by sending an email requesting cancellation to customerservice@... or by calling Customer Service at (866) 800-1275 before the first game of the applicable MLB regular season (subscriptions cannot be canceled, refunded, or credited (in part or in whole) after the season starts).
Great to know that the day after the season started.
I tried calling the number again. More busy signals until, finally, I get through! Awesome! Now I can change my subscription (hopefully). I figure at worst they will cancel my subscription and I just sign up all over for All Access. I’ll even do it reverse order if necessary. All I have to do is talk to somebody now. I’m on hold 10 minutes, then 20. 20 minutes turns into an hour. Then another hour goes by. Good thing I can work during this, huh? A third hour goes by and I barely notice the fourth. Five and a half hours go by and it’s time for me to leave the office. I hang up and go home. I’m not staying late to remain on hold.
I am absolutely shocked that I was on hold for five and a half hours. What sort of customer service allows this to happen? Where was the option to leave a message? Why wasn’t I ever given any sort of time estimate? What I heard was a random mix of music interrupted by this message every so often:
All agents are still assisting other customers. Please remain on the line and the next available representative will be with you shortly.
“Shortly” apparently equals more than five and a half hours according to MLB.com.
MLB Advanced Media is listed as being on 9th Avenue. I could have walked over there and settled this in a fraction of the time, but I’m assuming they don’t take walk-ins. Perhaps I could call up from my cell phone and put it on speaker and just sit in the office so they find out how their customers feel.
There are others going through something similar, so I know I’m not alone. Major League Baseball isn’t a BBB member, but there is a page on the BBB website for them if you’re interested.
As I wasn’t sure my first email, sent through the website, was actually delievered, I sent another using good ole fashioned “normal” email. I didn’t use the address above, as this was also in the bulk email I received from them:
Thank you for your order. If you have any questions about your order or about the MLB.TV subscription service, please contact the MLB.com Customer Service Team at Customerservice2@...
I used the “2” address as that segment was about support while the first seemed to be for cancellations. I’m sure they’re receiving many because they porn-website-scam-like automatically renew it every year. No option for you.
I’ve received no response yet. No auto-responder even. I’m extremely bitter. Obviously, I’m not in the mood to give my money to MLB right now, but the original reason I wanted this was to enjoy the product and I’d still like to do so… at least for now.
Tech • Sports • Baseball • 4 Comments • Permalink
MLB.TV Leaves Me Confused
Baseball’s a great game to focus on, or simply leave on in the background. Some like to work to music, as do I, but I like to have a game on in the background as well (when I can).
So I purchased a season pass from MLB.TV. My first complaint - right off the bat - the only subscriptions I could find, a monthly ($14.95) or season-long ($79.95) pass, are both automatic renewal subscriptions. They’re good about making it clear, but it’d be a hell of a lot nicer if that was an option.
So I start clicking around and test out a few streams. They look pretty nice. It looks like they’re using Windows Media version 9 and have a good 350k/sec feed (after initially buffering, I haven’t had it stutter again). I can use it in FireFox, which is nice too. CNN tells me I don’t have Windows Media 9, glad to see that’s not on my end. Hopefully the picture quality will continue once the season starts. I’m sure there’s less traffic on these preseason games. There’s a simple linescore next to the video. MLB.com has some nice gamecasts (they call it MLB Gameday, like the video game), why not have a miniversion of that next to the video, so I can easily go through stats from that game? I realize there could be some syncing issues, but if the data is available let’s get some in there, I don’t want to have to open yet another window (that might have to go over the video).
I decided to test out a radio feed and I see that’s a completely separate package. Another $14.95 for the season of radio. I thought perhaps they’d throw that into season TV passes, and if not, maybe there’d be a combo package option, even if it’s just a few bucks off.
Some might wonder why I’d want radio feeds since I already get the TV feed. The answer is just one of connection strength. If my connection goes to crap the radio stream has a much better chance of coming in clearly. I’m assuming it’s much less k/sec, if someone out there can let me know, that’d be great.
What they do have is a package called All Access. You get both TV and radio plus condensed games and searchable video. MLB.com advertises it as “The Best of Both Worlds”. The price is $99.95 - both worlds plus $5. I didn’t find this package until after my purchase, and I would have gotten it, because despite the fact that it’s not the best deal, I’m still after all access, I’m still after convenience. I’ll call support and see if they’re good about switching my plan. My recommendation is to list this on the page you land on after clicking the link titled “subscribe to live TV” on MLB.com’s home page. I’d think their most complete package would be listed everywhere.
Something else I’m completely confused about: local blackouts. What’s the point? Any feed I watched, I still saw commericals - is this really to protect local cable company (or sattelite company) subscriptions? Do they think they’re going to lose customers because I’m buying the MLB.TV package instead of basic cable (plus the sports network, if necessary)? What’s really ridiculous is there’s no override. You could purchase the highest possible cable package plus MLB Extra Innings (out of area games on TV) and it wouldn’t make a difference.
I still feel like they’re pushing this as some form of TV-alternative instead of something that could complement it. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s just looking for a way to grab a game on the go or watch an at-bat when the TV is already being used. The Extra Innings package is currently $159 for the season. Why not have some real All-Access package, even if it’s just tacking on current online prices, where I could get MLB Extra Innings and the internet features and then give me access to local games online? Then they know no one’s “losing” my money and I’m finally getting closer to real all access.
MLB is coming out with mobile features soon. I’m curious as to how that will be priced and if it’ll be packaged with anything else.
Re-Established Importance
Headlining every sports site at some point today has been a story about Barry Bonds and steroids:
Juicy Details - ESPN
Book details slugger’s steroid use - Sportsline
Bonds bombshell: Book details slugger’s steroid use - CNNSI, as well as CNN.com
Carrying the AP story:
Book alleges extensive steroid use by Bonds - Fox Sports
Book details Barry Bonds’ doping program - TSN
Report: Bonds began using steroids, vast array of other drugs, in 1998 - Yahoo! Sports
Book gives dope on Bonds - Sportsnet
This will no doubt be the biggest story in the sports world for some time to come.
Is this shocking? If the story about Bonds is all true, or even partially true, not at all.
The story itself comes from an excerpt from “Game of Shadows,” which appears in the March 13 issue of Sports Illustrated. “Game of Shadows” is a book written by two San Francisco Chronicle reporters, Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, who have been following Bonds and the steroid scandal since day one.
What stands out to me is that Sports Illustrated has its name splattered across every major sports site in North America. This issue will sell, the book will sell. SI didn’t do this reporting, Fainaru-Wada and Williams did for their book, but SI will be printing some details first. SI will get attention, some attention it definitely needs in this web/mobile phone/ESPN sports world.
Will this just be a flash in sales for SI, or can SI leverage this situation into something more?
Finally, My Own Batcave
Everyone wants a Batcave, right? Well, I’m no different. Forget the fact that I currently live in a NYC shoebox and don’t have room for such a thing, the problem is obviously how to hide it.
Finally, an answer:
Hidden Passageway - be sure to check out the videos.
Secret doors from bookcases, clocks, cabinets, etc. Need to slide downstairs fast? Just lift up that seat cushion.
No word yet on a Batphone.
(via Red Ferret)
ESPN.com Changes Front Page
ESPN.com has changed the layout of their front page. The layout looks more like the insides pages of the site now with the horizontal menu (something I’m considering for my heavy content sites). The layout is now very similar to Sportsline and even major news sites like CNN.com.
Sportsline and TSN made layout changes over the summer.
ESPN’s new layout looks good. It’s less cluttered and easier to read in my opinion. I’m a little too tired to write up a big review, but I did just want to stop by and give a thumbs up.
I’m still not sure I’m going to visit it like I used to. The auto-playing of commercials on some of the inside sections (like the NHL) is something I despise. It’s not the video, although I’m not a fan of that either simply due to system resources and bandwidth - it’s the sound. I can’t visit these pages in an office and it’s just an annoyance at home when it’s unexpected. I have little doubt these ads pay a ton, but let me activate them on my own by actually wanting to watch videos that appear after the spot (a brief commercial beforehand is understood by me, I’m not an advertisement hater). User initiated playing would be very nice.
Another thing to note: ESPN.com went with an RSS/XML button (it used to be just XML). It’s orange and white and foreground/background flips for each abbreviation. I’m still waiting for the first major site to use the feed icon that FireFox uses and IE will be adding. They also have text RSS links above each news section on the front page.
Post Tonsils Thought
So I had my tonsils taken out today. I’m feeling pretty good considering all the meds that were in my body (and the fact that I had something cut out of me).
In case you’re wondering:
Liquid Vicodin > Mr. Pibb + Red Vines
Stolen Rats
Only in Florida would someone post a sign offering a reward for “stolen” pet rats.
Mind you, this was in a very nice part of town too. If they were inside - then it’s even funnier. If they were outside, I wouldn’t look for the snakes or hawks around. I’m sure someone came and “stole” them.
The phone number has been blurred to protect the rats from being found.
A Quickie Holiday Suggestion
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to everyone celebrating in whatever form. Happy anything else if you’re celebrating that too.
I thought I’d share one thing I’ve done that always works well: if you have a little one, ages 3-6 are fun, but anything below 10 usually fits - get them a disposable camera for the evening or day you’re celebrating and just let them take pictures from their point of view. There’s always a few great keeper shots in the bunch that you would have never been able to get yourself, and always a few others that will make you laugh.
My Walk to Work
I walk to work sometimes in the summer. If it’s too hot, I hop in a cab or use the subway if I think I can catch a train quickly. During the winter I take cabs more and subway rides are more frequent, but the last couple of days haven’t really left me with any option but to walk.
It’s not a bad walk, one I’ve done many, many times, especially when the weather is nice, although more often on the way home than the way to work (who wants to possibly show up sweaty?).
Equipped with the mobile phone, I snapped a few shots on my way to work yesterday.
Camera crews everywhere. Especially in the middle of the street and grabbing a cop’s attention. When you’re putting all that traffic on tv, nothing makes a better shot than distracting the person directing it.
Dancing With the Stars, if you’re into that type of thing. There was a small crowd of passer-bys peaking in.
Oh Howard.
A1 - Sign for Juan Valdez Cafe with image of Juan Valdez on it.
A2 - Man sitting in Juan Valdez Cafe who looks just like Juan Valdez. I attempted to get a clearer picture, but the last thing I want to do is piss off a Columbian who “makes coffee”.
Ok, this wasn’t on the way to work, but lunch was damn good. They hooked me up with some fatty chicken tacos. I shall call this picture “hardest decision of the day”.
Striking Times
Oh yeah, the MTA strike is on. No need to link to a specific article, the front of NY1 is all about it.
It’s not too bad for me, I can walk most places I need to go, but the subway was always an option - as were cabs. I went to take a cab this morning and he wanted 10 bucks for a ride that’s normally 5 - and he already had a passenger. He had a small map with zones and was just charging a zone rate per person. I have no idea if this is standard or legal, but considering he wasn’t even going to take me to where I wanted to go, but a few blocks away from it, I just decided to walk. Dunkin Donuts will be receiving some extra business during this.
The streets are a bit thinner, and that’s always nice, but it’s not enough for me to break out the camera over.
I feel bad for those who have to travel, and for those who are visiting here in NY over the holidays (probably the busiest tourist season).
The MTA upped the offer last night and the union went on strike still. The public might have had a mixed reaction before the final offer, but it seems the union has little public support at the moment.