"Good on ya, mate" award: HughesNet

So I'm headed on my honeymoon in the near future and I'm trying to take care of all the things you need to do before leaving your home for several weeks. Winterizing, stopping the mail, etc...

One thing I'd like to do is suspend my (rather expensive) satellite Internet service through HughesNet. Sixty bones is a nice little savings to pocket -- that's a fancy dinner for my wife and I -- so I figured it was worth the hassle to call. With HughesNet, though, it's never worth the hassle to call. First off, they tell me that my account is listed as "inactive." This despite the fact that it's working just fine and that they've been charging my credit card. Also, I'm told that they do have a vacation stoppage program. It's maximally inconvenient.

First, I have to call on the day that I want to suspend service -- turns out you can't set it up in advance. Takes effect immediately. You choose either a 2 month or a 6 month stoppage. But don't worry -- if you're only going to be gone 4 weeks, just call when you come home and they'll start it up again (they promise). Again -- THEY CAN'T SET IT UP IN ADVANCE. Like everything else with HughesNet, it's a needlessly complicated system set up for their convenience, not yours. So, just as I'm running out the door, I've gotta remember to make that phone call.

Look, I had a paper route in high school so I know the stop/start idea isn't exactly high tech. It's hard to believe -- but true -- that HughesNet has inferior technology to the Saginaw News. So to HughesNet, I say: "Good on ya, mate!"