Top 10 Permanently Deactivated Companies

An update to my Hall of Fame of permanently Deactivated companies:

1. McDonald's (using toys, playgrounds, clowns, and advertising to addict kids to food that can kill them)
2. Charter Communications (ineptitude)
3. Charter Communications (arrogance)
4. Charter Communications (vindictiveness)
5. Charter Communications (maliciousness)
6. Charter Communications (incompetence)
7. Charter Communications (near-monopoly)
8. Charter Communications (awful tech support and worse customer service)
9. Blockbuster Video (accused me of not returning "Collateral" — a so-so movie that should be in NOBODY's home library — and, to recover its paltry $20, turned loose an aggressive bill collector)
10. National Tire and Battery (tried to sell me an alternator I didn't need)

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Tech Talk columnist had an especially lousy experience with Charter.

Charter recently sent me a sappy Norman Rockwellish greeting card wishing me all the best. The message: "Thank you for your business and if you ever have any questions or problems, please just call us." Of course the card didn't include a phone number. And they didn't mention that you'll need to call 10 different people in 10 different countries at 10 different times and that, in the end, not one of the 10 people on the other end of the phone or the 10 technicians who visit your home will be able to resolve your problem or care that they can't. They're so bad it's hard for me to believe Charter is a real company. Are we being punk'd? Is Ashton Kutcher the CEO? By the way, this site currently (but not for long) is fueled by a Charter connection, so if I disappear you'll know that ...