Cycling.tv: Poor Business Practices

[durgadas]

I am seriously dissappointed in Cycling.tv's business practices. I'm not sure why provding poor customer service and account management is a good way to endear yourself to the cycling community, but speaking for me, it's NOT.

In three days I could have a Web site with more proper account management functionality than you guys provide. I'd suggest fixing it. My god, it's ridiculous.

Here is part of what I wrote to them:

"Specifically, I'll say that your Web site needs a few things:
1) Some indication in the welcome email that you will be charged every year in a recurring manner.
2) There is NO account management ANYWHERE on your website.
3) There was no warning email about the recurring charge.
4) No indication that I remember about the recurring charge when I signed up the initial time.
5) Your commenters aren't very good either.
6) This email address is the ONLY way to deal with account issues. That's just ridiculous.

Even your own Web site has tacked on a WTF designation to your FAQ. It seems you are pretty self-aware."

Has anyone else had this experience? I'm boycotting them and trying to get my bank to dispute the charge.

Thanks,
Regis

 

[skidmark]

Going through your bank seems like the best option. Things haven't changed with them (although either we differ in opinion over the commentators or they have different ones now) - I subscribed 5 and 4 years ago, and service was BRUTAL. I had to clear up a problem with them that was where they double-charged my account, and it took 2 months to clear it up with bored-sounding email replies from one person every week or so after I would send a question.

They have a long history of abominable customer service, which is a shame because their site is a great idea for cycling fans in North America who don't always want to download every race or get up super early.

Anyway, long story short - they are unlikely to change anything, so I'd say disputing the charges formally is the best idea.

 

[ElChingon]

I'm glad I have never signed up, still don't get why the most commercialized sport (as in even the riders are carrying ads on their backs) has to charge anything, as there is only one real feed of the race and even that is commercial filled. Anyone, paying anything should rethink how they manage their money.

 

[elapid]

I enjoyed http://www.cyclingfans.com for free links to Eurosport coverage of professional cycling. Sean Kelly was one of the commentators and they were both fun and informative. The ads get a little annoying but, hey, the service is free and you don't have to deal with frustrating conditions and service like you have described with cyclingtv.

 

[hiero2]

I subscribed to cycling.tv back when they started. The first couple of years they were pretty good - didn't have all the races, but had some good ones. Then they sold out to the same people that owned about a jillion other "channels". The race coverage dropped way off, and the service started to puke. That was several years ago, and with the availability of streaming Eurosport coverage, I've no intention of going back. What would be the point? El noted one site that stores the Eurosport coverage - another one that one of our posters keeps linking to is ilovecycling.net.

I haven't used either, but I have gone to ilovecycling.net just to check it. Seems ok and legit. I usually go to steephill.tv and check for links there.