Rant of the Day - Impossible Utilities
Before I continue, I just want to say that I know Molly’s website is down. Which leads into my rant of the day. My brother, who makes the website possible, just moved, but the internet company is having problems setting up his service. What a surprise...
We are all familiar with the utility companies. Whenever we move, we have to get our telephones, televisions, electricity, and other services set up. The theory is that capitalism pushes competing companies to excel; however, since utilities have little or no competition, these companies seem to lack basic functionality. Here are just a few of the issues I’ve had in the past few weeks.
When I moved I signed up for Internet, VOIP, and Cable though Cablevision, but quickly we decided we hated VOIP because it only occassionally works properly. I tried to cancel it, only to find that if I canceled VOIP, my bill would actually be higher. I asked how much it would be if a new customer wanted just Internet and Cable and they said it would be much less, but could I get that price? (even though I don’t have a contract), of course not. Could I just cancel and start a new service? of course not. So I had to cancel all three services (which were under Lindy’s name), and start a new account under my name. Then they have to come and get the equipment from the old account, just so somebody else could come and give it back for the new account.
So I needed a new phone, and I liked my Verizon wireless service, so I went with Verizon long distance. The nice lady on the phone was more than patient as I went through dozens of phone numbers looking for one that spelled something neat. I finally found one available, 914-fearless. This was on a Friday. On Monday they call and say I can’t have that number and have to take the one they want me to take. Two weeks later, I’m wondering why my bill doesn’t reflect a $5 discount from combining long distance with my wireless service. First she said it would take several months to combine the bills, but she said there was a problem with my cell phone, it was connected to a different number, yup it was still linked to 914-fearless.
I decided to try a new cable service, since I had to cancel my old one (I would have kept it, if they would have let me). So I went with Dish. Things wrong with Dish: 1) I called to get some background information one day and they put me into their system, but when I called to set up my system for real, they created another account and it is “impossible” to remove the previous account, so now I will forever have two accounts with my name and phone number to confuse all things. 2) Then they said I would get “DSL and HD”, but in reality that means I get DSL in one room and HD in another (not DVR on my HD TV). To get both on the same TV costs another $300. I called customer service (no help), the supervisor, executive customer service, and the supervisor there too. All said it was “impossible” to waive the $300. I wrote a letter that I was prepared to send to the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Fraud and Protection (a wonderful office that I worked for in college). I email my intent to send this letter to DISH network hotshots (firstname.lastname@echostar.com) and then the boss of the last person I talked to call me. And it was still “impossible” to waive the fee or credit my account. It is like the computers rule the workers and if the computer says no, then it is no. I had to come up with a makeshift solution, which gets me what I want, but they still refuse to budge. I would cancel, but Lindy likes the service. 3) Call up Dish technical service and they will absolutely not give you information unless you give them your account number.
I feel wrong giving these companies my money. It only a matter of time before phone service will be completely wireless, through satellites (no need for towers). Perhaps the government would put out the satellites and offer nationwide phone service for free to everyone. I see no reason, why they can’t also transmit free internet and cable service. Wireless electricity would be the next step. A future without utility companies, without automated answering services, without “the next service agent will be available in a 170 minutes, without so many repetitions of “sorry, that is impossible”.
We are all familiar with the utility companies. Whenever we move, we have to get our telephones, televisions, electricity, and other services set up. The theory is that capitalism pushes competing companies to excel; however, since utilities have little or no competition, these companies seem to lack basic functionality. Here are just a few of the issues I’ve had in the past few weeks.
When I moved I signed up for Internet, VOIP, and Cable though Cablevision, but quickly we decided we hated VOIP because it only occassionally works properly. I tried to cancel it, only to find that if I canceled VOIP, my bill would actually be higher. I asked how much it would be if a new customer wanted just Internet and Cable and they said it would be much less, but could I get that price? (even though I don’t have a contract), of course not. Could I just cancel and start a new service? of course not. So I had to cancel all three services (which were under Lindy’s name), and start a new account under my name. Then they have to come and get the equipment from the old account, just so somebody else could come and give it back for the new account.
So I needed a new phone, and I liked my Verizon wireless service, so I went with Verizon long distance. The nice lady on the phone was more than patient as I went through dozens of phone numbers looking for one that spelled something neat. I finally found one available, 914-fearless. This was on a Friday. On Monday they call and say I can’t have that number and have to take the one they want me to take. Two weeks later, I’m wondering why my bill doesn’t reflect a $5 discount from combining long distance with my wireless service. First she said it would take several months to combine the bills, but she said there was a problem with my cell phone, it was connected to a different number, yup it was still linked to 914-fearless.
I decided to try a new cable service, since I had to cancel my old one (I would have kept it, if they would have let me). So I went with Dish. Things wrong with Dish: 1) I called to get some background information one day and they put me into their system, but when I called to set up my system for real, they created another account and it is “impossible” to remove the previous account, so now I will forever have two accounts with my name and phone number to confuse all things. 2) Then they said I would get “DSL and HD”, but in reality that means I get DSL in one room and HD in another (not DVR on my HD TV). To get both on the same TV costs another $300. I called customer service (no help), the supervisor, executive customer service, and the supervisor there too. All said it was “impossible” to waive the $300. I wrote a letter that I was prepared to send to the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Fraud and Protection (a wonderful office that I worked for in college). I email my intent to send this letter to DISH network hotshots (firstname.lastname@echostar.com) and then the boss of the last person I talked to call me. And it was still “impossible” to waive the fee or credit my account. It is like the computers rule the workers and if the computer says no, then it is no. I had to come up with a makeshift solution, which gets me what I want, but they still refuse to budge. I would cancel, but Lindy likes the service. 3) Call up Dish technical service and they will absolutely not give you information unless you give them your account number.
I feel wrong giving these companies my money. It only a matter of time before phone service will be completely wireless, through satellites (no need for towers). Perhaps the government would put out the satellites and offer nationwide phone service for free to everyone. I see no reason, why they can’t also transmit free internet and cable service. Wireless electricity would be the next step. A future without utility companies, without automated answering services, without “the next service agent will be available in a 170 minutes, without so many repetitions of “sorry, that is impossible”.
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