Perhaps I should rename this blog Glitchy Rants about her Internet Issues. I thought I found a solution to my internet issues. AT&T has pretty much wiped their hands clean of providing any customer service to my connectivity issues thanks to me owning a "non-supported" modem. I hoped to switch to freestanding DSL with Earthlink, and though their website allowed me to state that I had no phone line, it offered me dial-up service which requires a home phone line to activate so I had to call them back to cancel because it was not what I thought I was signing up for.
My Earthlink cancellation for my records is 4/12/2011 #158381384
How strange the agent with customer service (in India of course) wanted to offer me 2 additional months free of a service I can't use in the first place. I told him there was no point in this since I can't use the service anyway, and he kept insisting on wanting to keep me as a "preferred customer" until such time that they offer the service I was seeking. I had to laugh to myself at the thought of this... seems like a ploy to lock me in past the 30-days in which I'm able to cancel without early contract termination fees although he suggested there would be no fees to cancel. Still, why would I keep a service, free or not, that I can't use. It just made no sense. Seriously, I wonder how some of these corporate companies stay in business with such nonsense customer service.
My search for a functional and decent customer service Internet Service Provider continues...
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
AT&T Gets the Boot
Well after calling two days ago, I was told that a technician would be sent out the next day. Of course, as with my experience with AT&T a technician did not come out when scheduled but instead called me this morning. He came out to look at the lines and claimed that the lines were fine even though the agent on the phone said he ran some tests that indicated that the lines weren't fine. So I called back to find out what is the next step. After being on the phone with an agent for about an hour, he determined that my router settings looked fine and therefore it must have something to do with my modem and transferred my call to a different department since they don't offer support for my brand of modem.
After waiting on hold for another 15 minutes, and then going through 30 minutes of hoop-jumping the agent at the technical support line claims that AT&T cannot resolve my issue without addition subscription fees due to my modem being an unsupported modem yada yada... Basically she tells me I need to start paying $15/mo to have this special service so that I can get support for my modem.
Basically AT&T said F.U.
So I'm saying F.U. back to them. You don't want to offer me proper support because I won't buy your crudely overpriced modem? You want me charge me $15/mo on top of my $19.95/mo plan fee? You seriously don't think I can find another internet solution for over $35/mo through another provider? Think again.
Earthlink offers freestanding DSL packages also, so I just signed up with them. It's only $14.95/mo for a year. Hopefully the speeds will be comparable, but I have 30-days to cancel without a cancellation fee so if not I will find another solution, but I'm done with AT&T and their excuses and constant vying for more of my money. I actually had an agent try to upsell me AT&T products when I was calling in to report crappy service of my existing service. Really? You can't even get the one thing I have with you right, but you want me to drop my cellphone plan to join yours? Haha.. That's laughable!
After waiting on hold for another 15 minutes, and then going through 30 minutes of hoop-jumping the agent at the technical support line claims that AT&T cannot resolve my issue without addition subscription fees due to my modem being an unsupported modem yada yada... Basically she tells me I need to start paying $15/mo to have this special service so that I can get support for my modem.
Basically AT&T said F.U.
So I'm saying F.U. back to them. You don't want to offer me proper support because I won't buy your crudely overpriced modem? You want me charge me $15/mo on top of my $19.95/mo plan fee? You seriously don't think I can find another internet solution for over $35/mo through another provider? Think again.
Earthlink offers freestanding DSL packages also, so I just signed up with them. It's only $14.95/mo for a year. Hopefully the speeds will be comparable, but I have 30-days to cancel without a cancellation fee so if not I will find another solution, but I'm done with AT&T and their excuses and constant vying for more of my money. I actually had an agent try to upsell me AT&T products when I was calling in to report crappy service of my existing service. Really? You can't even get the one thing I have with you right, but you want me to drop my cellphone plan to join yours? Haha.. That's laughable!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
If It Isn't Comcast, It's AT&T
I think that in general, service providers are all the Devil. I went from having somewhat crappy and terribly over-priced internet service with Comcast, to terribly delivered and now terrible service with AT&T. When I was a Comcast customer I thought no customer service could be as bad as with them. I still somewhat believe that statement, as even though I had the hardest time in the planet getting my AT&T service started and billing correct, the customer service has at least tried to be helpful and stayed relatively friendly, whereas with Comcast you always got an attitude and excuse and at the end of the call absolutely no resolution.
Well it's been several months and my Internet service has been more or less okay. I didn't expect anything fabulous from AT&T as I am using their DSL service and I'm at a promotional rate of $19.95/mo for the first year. Even though this is supposed to be a high-speed service, I doubt that is what I am getting, but I just chucked it up to "You get what you pay for." For the past few weeks I have been having Internet service issues again. The wireless signal keeps fading in and out continuously making it nearly impossible to get any work done at home, and since right now my primary source of income is freelance work, well that is a problem for me.
I called AT&T and after placing me on hold for a while it was determined that the lines are bad outside of my home and they scheduled to have someone come out. On the plus side, unlike Comcast who schedules maintenance like a week out, as though you have nothing important going on in your life, AT&T did schedule to send a maintenance person out the next afternoon. It's not afternoon yet, so it remains to be seen whether that will actually take place or not. I will be happy after it has been resolved. After holding an additional 15 minutes I was able to get a whopping $8 credit on my bill, which I guess when you consider my bill is only $19.95 a month, is not a horrible service credit, but given that it's taking me 3 times longer to get any work done, it doesn't even come close to compensating me for the troubles I'm dealing with. I guess again I have to revert to the comment "You get what you pay for." I wish I were not unemployed right now and had the money to upgrade to a more efficient service, but that will have to wait for now.
Well it's been several months and my Internet service has been more or less okay. I didn't expect anything fabulous from AT&T as I am using their DSL service and I'm at a promotional rate of $19.95/mo for the first year. Even though this is supposed to be a high-speed service, I doubt that is what I am getting, but I just chucked it up to "You get what you pay for." For the past few weeks I have been having Internet service issues again. The wireless signal keeps fading in and out continuously making it nearly impossible to get any work done at home, and since right now my primary source of income is freelance work, well that is a problem for me.
I called AT&T and after placing me on hold for a while it was determined that the lines are bad outside of my home and they scheduled to have someone come out. On the plus side, unlike Comcast who schedules maintenance like a week out, as though you have nothing important going on in your life, AT&T did schedule to send a maintenance person out the next afternoon. It's not afternoon yet, so it remains to be seen whether that will actually take place or not. I will be happy after it has been resolved. After holding an additional 15 minutes I was able to get a whopping $8 credit on my bill, which I guess when you consider my bill is only $19.95 a month, is not a horrible service credit, but given that it's taking me 3 times longer to get any work done, it doesn't even come close to compensating me for the troubles I'm dealing with. I guess again I have to revert to the comment "You get what you pay for." I wish I were not unemployed right now and had the money to upgrade to a more efficient service, but that will have to wait for now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)