by Pa Rock
Aggrieved Consumer
For the past several years I have been trying to ween myself off of public communication utilities. I quit cable/satellite television cold turkey and now get my television fix through a streaming device that operates over the internet - and I subscribe to two programming options - Netflix and Amazon - which meet most of my viewing needs. I am paying less than what I used to for just the basic cable, and do not have to wade through all of the garbage that the cable and satellite providers foist on their customers. No "home shopping networks," or endless religious programming, or infomercials for this careful consumer.
My telephone service is currently through Verizon, which is priced far above it's actual worth. Last month I managed to get my monthly bill reduced by a minimal amount after a young staffer in a Verizon store became convinced that I was going to walk out of his store and find a new provider that day. I suspect that most of these big corporations have a "fall back" rate for knucklehead consumers like me.
The third component of my web of public communications utilities - the internet - is the one which I value most. I live in an area where internet service is problematic, but slowly getting better. My community has been threatening to set up its own internet service for the past year or so, and that fact seems to have made the established providers more compliant with consumer concerns and wishes. My internet provider is Century Link. I do not have a home phone - just the Verizon cell service - and my monthly bill from Century Link is for internet alone.
A little more than a year ago a nice young man from Century Link gave me a "special" rate for the internet service which, with taxes, came to nearly thirty-five dollars a month. I was satisfied with that rate. This week, with no advanced warning, I got the bill for next month showing that the rate had suddenly gone up over fifty-percent. I waited for about half-an-hour so as to build up a full head of steam, and then called Century Link. The young man who answered that call told me that I had been enjoying a bargain for the last year, and now it was time to begin paying what the service was actually worth. After just a few moments of listening to me venting about things like the importance of "net neutrality" and other consumer protections, the fellow apparently came to the realization that I really was going to quit his wonderful service - probably that very day.
He then coughed up a rate about halfway between my old rate and the new one. There is always a "fall back" position for knuckleheads like me.
I'm still not happy, but now I feel less rushed to find the replacement service.
Read those bills and study those credit card statements - and never be bashful about lodging a complaint. Even big reputable companies are not above trying to pull a fast one every now and then, and it's up to aggrieved consumers to call them out on those calculated outrages!
Aggrieved Consumer
For the past several years I have been trying to ween myself off of public communication utilities. I quit cable/satellite television cold turkey and now get my television fix through a streaming device that operates over the internet - and I subscribe to two programming options - Netflix and Amazon - which meet most of my viewing needs. I am paying less than what I used to for just the basic cable, and do not have to wade through all of the garbage that the cable and satellite providers foist on their customers. No "home shopping networks," or endless religious programming, or infomercials for this careful consumer.
My telephone service is currently through Verizon, which is priced far above it's actual worth. Last month I managed to get my monthly bill reduced by a minimal amount after a young staffer in a Verizon store became convinced that I was going to walk out of his store and find a new provider that day. I suspect that most of these big corporations have a "fall back" rate for knucklehead consumers like me.
The third component of my web of public communications utilities - the internet - is the one which I value most. I live in an area where internet service is problematic, but slowly getting better. My community has been threatening to set up its own internet service for the past year or so, and that fact seems to have made the established providers more compliant with consumer concerns and wishes. My internet provider is Century Link. I do not have a home phone - just the Verizon cell service - and my monthly bill from Century Link is for internet alone.
A little more than a year ago a nice young man from Century Link gave me a "special" rate for the internet service which, with taxes, came to nearly thirty-five dollars a month. I was satisfied with that rate. This week, with no advanced warning, I got the bill for next month showing that the rate had suddenly gone up over fifty-percent. I waited for about half-an-hour so as to build up a full head of steam, and then called Century Link. The young man who answered that call told me that I had been enjoying a bargain for the last year, and now it was time to begin paying what the service was actually worth. After just a few moments of listening to me venting about things like the importance of "net neutrality" and other consumer protections, the fellow apparently came to the realization that I really was going to quit his wonderful service - probably that very day.
He then coughed up a rate about halfway between my old rate and the new one. There is always a "fall back" position for knuckleheads like me.
I'm still not happy, but now I feel less rushed to find the replacement service.
Read those bills and study those credit card statements - and never be bashful about lodging a complaint. Even big reputable companies are not above trying to pull a fast one every now and then, and it's up to aggrieved consumers to call them out on those calculated outrages!
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