Review by tkdslr 
UPDATED: 280 days ago
member for 4.4 years, 642 visits, last login: 1 days ago
 Pompano Beach,Broward,FL
 $57 per month (12 month contract)
 about 6 days
 BellSouth
 "Order status updates are nice.."
 " taxes and/or fees placed on invoices."
 "expensive .. but the alternatives are quickly disappearing."
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings below consensus)
|
Install ok.
I had a pre-existing Bridged service (Static IP) through a Bell South reseller ...
I opted out of having them ship another me yet modem, I used to be one a Directv DSL's beta sites for DSL modems.. except they never responded to my email about correct VPI and VCI settings.. I did some research and had to guess.
.. speed is what I expected for a 1536/384 connection.
Bellsouth wires.. Covad switch in CO..
MY. biggest peeve.. Speakeasy tacking on all sorts of bogus taxes and doubling billing.
Without consent.. they billed two months up front.. OH.. A gave them a credit card to establish service.
Florida is a ZERO internet tax state.. neither state nor local governments can add any taxes to the bill..
Here is a break down of my bill ..
49.95 Monthly DSL line charge
1.87 Federal regulatory fees
Tax Reimbursements:
2.38 Utility tax city
2.72 Utility tax State
0.95 Statutory Gross receipts tax
1.50 Regulatory Compliance fee
=======
59.37 (total fees and other crap for each month service. )
Everything below Federal reulatory fee is a fraud..
Florida has specificaly voided all utility taxes on communications and replace it with
a comprehensive bill Ch. 2005-148.. which excludes comunications services from being defined as utilities. And Ch. 2005-187
»www.myflorida.com/dor/tips/tip05a19-03.html
"Prior to July 1, 2005, when Internet access service was sold with taxable items or services for a single price, the entire charge was subject to tax. However, in the 2005 session, the Florida Legislature amended the applicable law to comply with federal requirements."
"202.11 Definitions.—As used in this chapter:
(3) “Communications services” means the transmission, conveyance,
The term does not include:
(a) Information services.
(h) Internet access service, electronic mail service, electronic bulletin
board service, or similar on-line computer services."
....
Specifically..
»www.myflorida.com/dor/tips/tip05b06-04.html
limits Gross receipts taxes to Electricity and Natural Gas services as communications services are NOT defined as utilities.
=======
Public (Federal) Law 108-435 Dec 3, 2004.
"A bill to make permanent the moratorium on taxes on Internet access and multiple and discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce imposed by the Internet Tax Freedom Act."
"SEC. 2. FOUR-YEAR EXTENSION OF INTERNET TAX MORATORIUM."
"(a) MORATORIUM.—No State or political subdivision thereof
may impose any of the following taxes during the period beginning
November 1, 2003, and ending November 1, 2007
‘(1) Taxes on Internet access"
"10) TAX ON INTERNET ACCESS.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘tax on Internet access’
means a tax on Internet access, regardless of whether
such tax is imposed on a provider of Internet access or
a buyer of Internet access and regardless of the terminology
used to describe the tax.. "
It should be noted.. that Florida specifically exempted all taxes on Internet services for a substaintial period.. Thus voiding it's right to excerise the grandfather clause..
Note: These recent changes are not included in the federal register which was last updated in Jan 19, 2004).. ref
»uscode.house.gov/download/pls/47C5.txt
I've lowered my ratings of Speakeasy, Inc. for five reasons.
1.) They've tacked on state and local taxes on my monthly bills again. (~12 months after I won my previous no tax argument. The Best Buy loot and pilage effect?)
2.) They upped the regulatory compliance fee (1.50 to 2.97) once the FCC dumped the universal access fee. (RC Fee is yet another bogus fee/deception and should have been included in the advertised service price.)
3.) I've found additional documents that Florida communications tax does NOT APPLY to providers or purchasers of "Internet access". it's a TAX EXEMPT service.
4.) My city has informed me that no utility taxes are being paid by Covad nor Speakeasy. (SE/COVAD tax fraud confirmed.)
5.) My DSL connection speeds continue to degrade overtime, despite deploying the latest/greatest ADSL2+ modem tech.. I'm now @ 928d/384u with periods of high CRC error rates.
======
I've upped my review ratings based on recent performance.
DSL connection at slower speeds are rock solid.
BS/AT&T has installed a environmental box next to the neighborhood wiring box(T2 or D2?), but they haven't placed any equipment in it (YET). Hopefully, I'll get my lost speed back once the BS/AT&T users are migrated away from the long copper loops shared with my circuit.
Taxes ... Recently congress/WH passed a 7year (pubic law 110-108) renewal of the tax exemption/override for aDSL circuits and specfically expands the definition of tax exempt internet access to include the intermediate infrastructure (like Covad reselling service to SE.) I'm currently not being charged for discussed taxes, but many SE CUSTOMERS are being charged those QUESTIONABLE taxes. (I.E. Squeaky Wheel)
Some history on the tax issue.
»www.cbpp.org/3-15-04sfp.htm
Followup comments:  yvovandoorn
Premium
join:2003-11-06
Renton, WA
| Eh? Those taxes are all legit. Utility taxes are from your local phone provider and doesn't apply under the internet legislation. if you didn't know (which i can't tell by your niaveness in your claim to bogus taxes) your DSL connection travels over a phone wire and there is no bigger criminal then your local phone company.All those taxes apply towards the PHYSICAL connection of your DSL connection. Which in short has NOTHING to do with your internet legislation. It sounds that legislation sounds more like dialup ISPs charging for taxes. Since they aren't providing the PHYSICAL connection to your location it can be deemed as a bogus tax.
Go do some research before you make slanderous, not to mention silly review. | |
|  | kingdomware
join:2000-09-23
Waldorf, MD
| Re: Eh? Advice: leave Speakeasy. Not all providers charge these fees.
I know I had a "true" t-1 from them and the load the bill with taxes. Left them and chose Netifice and quess what not taxes. What the said the biull was is what I paid.
So let the troll eat cake! | |
| tkdslr
join:2004-04-24
Pompano Beach, FL | My city is reporting that no taxes are being paid. I talked to LHP city finance manager.
No utility taxes are being paid by either Covad or Speakeasy.
I've put in a call to Florida's tax evasion hot line. | |
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