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Thomas · 03-26-2005, 05:41 PM,

In NYCity Verizon is operated by primates...

hotwine · 03-26-2005, 07:27 PM,

We have Verizon, too. Works well.

Thought of Georgie at Good Friday service last night.... climax of a beautiful program, total silence as the pastor is extinguishing the Christ candle, and from the back of the 1500-soul assembly comes "deedle-deedle-deedle..." leading into John Philip Souza's "The Thunderer". Good grief.

Zinner · 03-26-2005, 10:12 PM,

The newspaper that I work with supplies the cell phone and that, surprise...surprise...
is Verizon too. They choose, not me. But I don't have to pay that one unless I make personal calls that run up extra charges and then I just write them a check. At least I don't have to pay the base rate.

The home phone is the one I question. Maybe I'll look into broadband.

More and more when I contact vintners or PR folks, I use email anyhow. More convenient for both of us.

Thomas · 03-27-2005, 02:49 PM,

Hey Zinner, last month one of the myriad govt. fees and surcharges on telephoning went from 22% to 36%, according to Cellular One. I may be rethi king my cell service too. Maybe just use the computer for telephoning and stay out of touch when on the road.

Zinner · 03-27-2005, 06:22 PM,

Yep, foodie, it's just nuts. The politicians say no new taxes and then they try to sneak something like that in on a good or service they think we won't give up. As if we won't notice. Just like MCI thinks no one will ask about their fees.

As I said, I don't pay for the cell phone though, so as long as the company does that, I won't complain about who they pick.

But yesterday was waiting to get tires for my car(going to the High Museum Wine Auction in Atlanta this week) and read in one of the financial magazines about a computer to computer service that's free from an outfit called Skype. They have a dot com site at the same name. Apparently you need broadband for for the free world service, but magazine says there's a pay service that allows calls to regular phones from the computer. Will look at that later.

My trouble is that I have a rental house that I'm working to sell right now, as well as trying to get on the road out of town soon(and prepared to talk to winery folks), so time is limited. Lot of balls in the air.

May pick an interim service for the home phone, just to get away from the big bad company and work out the finer details later.

Georgie · 03-28-2005, 01:44 PM,

These stories are great. HW, I think you situation was even a little worse than mine. As serious as that service is, I think I'd have had a hard time keeping a straight face at that.

Zinner · 03-28-2005, 07:32 PM,

Just got an interoffice email from one of our reporters. She's working on a story about signs in businesses that confront cell phone users. Stuff such as, "Don't expect to be served if you're talking on your cell phone."

wondersofwine · 03-29-2005, 09:05 AM,

I know at least one post office employee that is tempted to make the person go to the back of the line if he/she keeps chatting away on the cell phone while she is attempting to help them mail a package or whatever. I encounter it at work too. Trying to carry on a business conversation with the customer and he/she is talking on a cell phone and not carrying their end of the transaction.

PinotEnvy · 03-29-2005, 09:10 AM,

To put in my 2 cents/minute on this topic, I had my own war with the long distance providers. I was disputing a $10 charge. They refused to do anything about it, so I decided to disconnect them. I have spent the last 2 years with no long distance carrier. Instead I use those pre-paid calling cards you can get at Sam's Club or anywhere else. They run about 2-3 cents a minute depending on where you get them. You can refill them over the phone, so you do not need to get new cards all the time. There are no additional taxes, fees, etc.

Oh, and back to the phone company... After them refusing to credit me $10 to keep me as a customer, about a month later, I get a check from them for $40 to switch back. Lets see here. Don't they understand it is cheaper to keep a customer than to have to try and win them back? I put the check in my shreadder anyway. Once I discovered I did not need a long distance carrier, I would never go back.

PE

wineguruchgo · 03-29-2005, 10:11 AM,

"Oh, and back to the phone company... After them refusing to credit me $10 to keep me as a customer, about a month later, I get a check from them for $40 to switch back. Lets see here. Don't they understand it is cheaper to keep a customer than to have to try and win them back? I put the check in my shreadder anyway. Once I discovered I did not need a long distance carrier, I would never go back."

That just makes me nuts! What is wrong with people?! And the sad thing is that the business they lost is far greater than the $10.00 that you would have received. Not to mention all the people you have told this story to!

Just bad business if you ask me!

wondersofwine · 03-29-2005, 03:20 PM,

Similar to my experience with American Express when I lived in Germany. After years of paying my AE bill to a Florida bank, they made me switch to a bank in England even though I received mail through APO (US Armed Forces mailrooms). Now my AE bill was coming to my German apartment address and I had to pay extra postage to mail payment from Germany to England. When I moved to another city within Germany, the bill didn't get forwarded to me. The only charge was like $25-$30 for a dinner my brother-in-law had on a gift card I gave him for Christmas. I wrote and asked about the charge around the same time that American Express decided I was delinquent and cut off my privileges. I had a professional trip to Italy and a pleasure trip (England? Switzerland?) where I could not use my American Express card because they had cut it off). When I found out what I owed, I sent them a check and asked them to
reinstate my card. They returned the check saying it had been turned over to a bill collector! (less than $30)and didn't reinstate my card. I never cashed the returned check (I did owe the money) and also never did personal business with American Express credit cards again (only the Government Purchase Card where I don't choose the banker). They periodically send me offers to enroll but until I get a profusive apology from an officer of the company (yeah, like that's going to happen), I will not enroll ever!

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