disconnecting is hard to do

CHasR · Post by **CHasR** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 7:06 pm

sbfluter wrote:The phone company used to be a trustworthy agency before they deregulated it. .

BINGO! Right there: thats it in a nutshell.
before dereg, plans were for everything to be on fiber by now.
THATs why, djm, those Canadians came down to repair cables:
(since it's all gong fiber, why fix the wires, right?)
then it all became, sales, sales, sales.

At least the phone service isnt as bad as the highway supports under I-95.

sbfluter · Post by **sbfluter** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 7:10 pm

We got our Verizon bill today. They make us pay a fee because we don't make any long distance calls. What kind of racket charges you for not using a service?

I hate phone companies. They are right there with telemarketers and politicians.

fel bautista · Post by **fel bautista** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 7:17 pm

I'm glad that you folks are holding back the emotions. I'd hate to see what happens when you really start complaining about AT&T. At least you didn't have T- why is there no reception and everyone else is on a cell phone-Mobile.

Sometimes deregulation works, like oil, water and gas

Don't get me started!

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 8:04 pm

sbfluter wrote:We got our Verizon bill today. They make us pay a fee because we don't make any long distance calls. What kind of racket charges you for not using a service?

I hate phone companies. They are right there with telemarketers and politicians.

I just checked my Verizon bill and we were not charged for not using their long distance. I have used a 1010 number for years for long distance. I went through all kinds of crap a few years ago with AT&T to try to find why I was getting a bill from them when I didn't have their service. It seems that I had their long distance, which I had ceased to use. I spent a good long while before getting them to admit that I didn't HAVE to have a long distance service. They just bill people for nothing.

I hate Verizon but that's all we've got. We spent several weeks trying to get them to install new service. I can only imagine the horror of getting it unhooked.

Give me ma-bell and the good old days of regulation, even the party lines were entertaining on occasion. She may have cost a bit more, but we had less stress.

Cork · Post by **Cork** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 8:29 pm

To be honest, I've had Verizon cell service, with "national" coverage, for about ten years, and I have no complaint.

Edit: Then again, it's no fun to be charged $$$ for directory calls.

djm · Post by **djm** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 12:49 am

I couldn't believe it when I first heard that you folks in the US have to pay for 911-Emergency service.

djm

Cork · Post by **Cork** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 1:06 am

djm wrote:I couldn't believe it when I first heard that you folks in the US have to pay for 911-Emergency service. :o

djm

Well, nothing is for nothing, and so eventually even 911 Emergency service could have its cost, eh?

However, AFAIK, all cell phones in the US must by law be able to make 911 calls, in all cases, even on a phone without a functional service contract.

CHasR · Post by **CHasR** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 6:10 am

fel bautista wrote:I'm glad that you folks are holding back the emotions. I'd hate to see what happens when you really start complaining about AT&T. At least you didn't have T- why is there no reception and everyone else is on a cell phone-Mobile.

Sometimes deregulation works, like oil, water and gas Don't get me started!

Actuall Iv e never had real, consistent problems with ATT; but I'm in a hub, and I pay a steep price for it.
Phone is the #3 expense- right after mortgage + car.

nevertheless, I feel your pain

MagicSailor · Post by **MagicSailor** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 7:16 am

CHasR wrote: Phone is the #3 expense- right after mortgage + car.

http://www.voipbuster.com/en/index.html

Works for me. Free calls from here in St Maarten to my mom in Norway and my girlfriend in Michigan.

Owen

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 12:21 pm

We've never had a problem with AT&T, no matter where we've lived. MCI (which we had for a while as internet/phone bundle back in the old dial-up days) was a different critter altogether...I was so glad to see the backside of that company when we switched back to AT&T!

Yes, by law all cell phones have to be able to connect to 911, even if they don't have any other service. That's why battered womens' shelters are so keen to collect old cell phones...they can give them to their clients so they can call for help or protection from abusive exes, even if they can't afford to have any kind of phone service whatsoever. There's also a land-line version of that...I can't remember the details, but I know that, when my sister was no longer able to afford even basic phone service, she was set up with something that would allow her to call 911.

I don't know about other parts of the country, but we don't pay for 911 calls. There is, I believe, a tax that's added to the phone bill to help support the 911 network (Which makes sense to me. Someone's got to pay for it, after all), but we don't pay for individual calls. The national poison control center also is a free call.

Redwolf

Cork · Post by **Cork** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 2:03 pm

Redwolf wrote:...Yes, by law all cell phones have to be able to connect to 911, even if they don't have any other service. That's why battered womens' shelters are so keen to collect old cell phones...they can give them to their clients so they can call for help or protection from abusive exes, even if they can't afford to have any kind of phone service whatsoever...

I got my first cell phone about ten years ago. It was about the size of a blackboard eraser (remember blackboards?). Then, a couple of years later, I got a new phone, a Motorola Star TAC (now long obsolete but a great phone nonetheless, and I'm still using it, today), and when I got it I was asked if I would be willing to donate my old phone to, yes, a local womens' group. So, yup, off it went.

swizzlestick · Post by **swizzlestick** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 2:27 pm

Redwolf wrote: Yes, by law all cell phones have to be able to connect to 911, even if they don't have any other service. That's why battered womens' shelters are so keen to collect old cell phones...they can give them to their clients so they can call for help or protection from abusive exes, even if they can't afford to have any kind of phone service whatsoever.
Redwolf

That's the best form of recycling program I have ever heard about. I wonder if it's nationwide or only in certain cities.

rebl_rn · Post by **rebl_rn** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 3:21 pm

swizzlestick wrote:
Redwolf wrote: Yes, by law all cell phones have to be able to connect to 911, even if they don't have any other service. That's why battered womens' shelters are so keen to collect old cell phones...they can give them to their clients so they can call for help or protection from abusive exes, even if they can't afford to have any kind of phone service whatsoever.
Redwolf
That's the best form of recycling program I have ever heard about. I wonder if it's nationwide or only in certain cities.

Can't say it's everywhere, but it's in many many places. Check with your local family violence prevention group.

I've also heard of similar programs for senior citizens (if they have car trouble, for example), though we don't have any of those around here.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 4:50 pm

emmline wrote:I have experienced similar.
Most likely we all have.
If you have not succeeded yet, my next approach would be to send them, asap, a witty but scathing letter explaining what you went through with their button-pushing bs, exactly when you attempted to cancel and ceased to use their services (which they should be able to verify,) and demand that any further billing not date beyond that moment.
Better yet, mail it and fax it. And submit an online form.

Also sign your letter with "Dr. So and so" and they will take it more seriously. Sad, but true.

Lambchop · Post by **Lambchop** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 8:10 pm

Cranberry wrote:
emmline wrote:I have experienced similar.
Most likely we all have.
If you have not succeeded yet, my next approach would be to send them, asap, a witty but scathing letter explaining what you went through with their button-pushing bs, exactly when you attempted to cancel and ceased to use their services (which they should be able to verify,) and demand that any further billing not date beyond that moment.
Better yet, mail it and fax it. And submit an online form.
Also sign your letter with "Dr. So and so" and they will take it more seriously. Sad, but true.

How interesting! Where is your evidence to support this?

I should think they would know who all the doctors are, considering that they have their office phone records and all. And, although I know lots of PhD's, I've never met one who thought it was well worth the cost, considering how handy it has been with respect to telephone service.

Edited to add that I just realized doing this would be . . . dishonest.

Although I'm sure you're not condoning such behavior.