Internet problems reminded me of U.S. automakers in the 1970s

I proved to be wrong when I recently wrote that most readers might not notice that Indie Auto is moving. Internet problems resulted in not being able to post new content or send out the weekly e-newsletter. Indeed, the struggles I had with my provider, Xfinity, reminded me of U.S. automakers in the 1970s.

More on that in a minute, but first a word about moving. It can be a convoluted process, particularly if one is also selling a house. However, one of the easiest parts for me was driving across the state in a 15-foot Penske truck rental. I had never driven a truck this large, so was nervous about navigating Seattle-area traffic. Fortunately, the trip was uneventful. It helped to stick to the right-hand lane. I’m also glad that I went with Penske — good all-around service.

That said, driving a truck with a GMC Savanna cab did not inspire me to consider buying a vehicle from the General. To be fair, the truck worked well enough mechanically. However, the cab had a cheaper quality than entry-level economy cars I have driven from Toyota or Kia.

Perhaps the most frustrating part of the week was dealing with Xfinity. I had read horror stories from other Spokane users so tried to be proactive about switching my account from Olympia. Despite talking to people at two different stores, someone on the phone and an in-person technician, it still took three days longer to get hooked up than I had been initially promised.

I’m sorry, your order has been rejected. . . .

The above salesperson proceeded to submit my order wrong. I only learned that days later when I checked in with a second store. And then my new modem failed to work even with the help of a phone assistant from somewhere far, far away. The earliest a technician could make a house call was two days later.

Every single one of these people was reasonably nice. Even so, instead of a seamless switch of Internet service from my old to my new address, I had to dog the process for days — and could not do any online work.

One might rightly dismiss this as a “first-world problem.” Still, this little sideshow wasn’t helpful given how busy I already was trying to pack and unpack as well as to get my house ready for sale.

That brought me to think about U.S. automakers in the 1970s, where the ownership experience could be frustrating enough that a soaring number of car buyers started to look for alternatives. Once fiber-optic cable comes to my Spokane neighborhood, I may very well look for an alternative to Xfinity.

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