Customer Service and Telecommunication Costs

Yes I am back and want to post some information about the phone, cable and cellphone service. Sorry, I didn't get it posted by the week end: as promised because the demand on my time for meetings and to rearrange the locations for my Blogs and Home Page. After some heated family debates the votes say that I should continue to post to these blogs and build a home page.At this time I will edit this post to include some facts about terminating services.
Shut-off Requests Ignored
The recorded stats started almost three years ago when I moved my Desktop computer from dial-up to DSL. I called the company and told them that I wanted to keep my phone but I was connecting my computer to DSL with another company because you don’t have that service in this area. When the new company attempt to set a date for installation the lines could not be checked because the old service was still connected. And a new bill was in the mail for the next months charge. Another phone call convinced them to cut the service of so the other company could proceed.

By looking at my notes for making that change I knew that the future upgrades would be the same or similar problems. In the mean time the first company I got a quote from and told them the numbers were to high and thanked them and put the phone on the hook. Two days later a DSL Kits came by UPS with instruction on the easy installation. Again a phone call -- put the return sticker on and drop it at the UPS pickup. Now I am on the current change involving phone, cell phone and moving the computer from DSL to cable. All three units were "bundle" and one payment was made to SBC for DSL, land phone and Cingular Cell phone. We made the switch to cable with the computers and change the phone to another company. SBC failed to terminate the phone line so the new phone company could turn on the service. I agreed to keep the Cingular cellphone if the payment could be paid to them. Cingular changed the payments for the Cell phone and all went like clockwork for two months after which I found that the Cell phone stop working because SBC told them that I did not pay my phone bill. Again a three-way phone talk and all systems were back in operations. Then I had this epiphany, this is what I became keenly aware about, my phones stay on my desk, since I retired, until someone calls me and I answer them. Ladies and Gentlemen I do not make phone calls. My relatives call me. My phones are used to call and make appointments and for people to call and talk with me when my wife is using her phone to talk with people she wishes to talk with. I called Cingular and told them to terminate the service, next month a bill, I make a phone call to tell them I will not keep paying so terminate the service. They agreed and asked me to pay the final bill: I said I would but how much would the bill be: and she said just pay the full $33.00 and you will get a refund if the bill is less. I did not pay and they turn it over to a collector and I wrote a letter to the collector and a copy to Cingular (I believe they are ATT now) Now I will write the Attorney General of Ohio.
Most of the companies listed above is being sued by customers at the state level because they play this game every time someone terminates the service. That $33. That they didn’t earn can become billions when it’s collected from a large percentage of the terminating customers. I have read at least two reports in PC World magazine about people and companies being overcharged for service and being billed for the next month after terminating the service. All of us will have to carefully select the companies we do business with in the future. I understand the Federal Government is looking into the phone service but I don’t expect much in the way of results from the Feds.I hope the promised competition will mean better service.