xfinity or life support? which is harder to cancel?
a diary of my mother's stubborn resistance to accept help
24 March 2025:
Have you attempted canceling an Xfinity account? I tried to cancel my mother’s cable, and honestly, I think it would be easier to take her off life support! First, there’s the needle in the haystack problem of trying to find the phone number. (Here it is if you ever need it: 800.934.6489. Put it in a safe place!)
Once the phone started ringing, a female bot got on the line to welcome me:
Hi….Natalie…. thanks for calling Xfinity. I see the street address in Portland, Oregon, Is this the account you are calling about?
No
Enter or say the zip code of the account you are calling about:
Sorry I don’t see that zip code.
Sorry I don’t see that account.
Sorry, that is okay we can try again.
What do you want to try to do today?
I want to cancel my mother’s account.
Sorry I don’t understand.
I want to cancel my mother’s cable account
Sorry I don’t understand.
My mother is moving.
Sorry, Do you want to open a new account?
Enter or say the zip code:
Sorry I don’t see that zip code.
I want to cancel my mother’s account.
Sorry I don’t see that code.
My mother is moving. She is old.
Sorry.
I want to speak to a live human.
Okay, but first, how can I help you?
Connect me to a live human.
Okay, but first, let me ask a few questions to get you to the right person.
What is your account number?
I don’t know.
Enter or say the zip code:
Sorry, I don’t see that zip code.
DEAD. My mother is DEAD! (I was yelling! 😳! I thought the word dead might get me past the bot!)
Sorry.
I need a human.
Sorry.
Eventually I was connected with a nice enough human, I will call her Lizelle, who told me I need to go into a Xfinity storefront with my power of attorney and two declaration of capacity letters in order to cut the cord. Exactly how I want to spend my day. Oh, and Lizelle also told me that the account is in arrears to the tune for 4 months. The bill is large.
Aside from successfully canceling, the only thing that could have made this automated phone maze a tiny bit better? If the bot were a man. I could have taken small pleasure in a man apologizing to me a dozen times or more.