BF69
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN
| reply to cahiatt
Re: What is a "landline"?
said by cahiatt  :I think that is the question most people under 30 are asking these days. As this generation ages, I can't see any reason why these people can stay in business the way they are doing it now. Well it's not just under 30. My friend's mother is in her 60's and has been cell only for a few years now. I've been trying to convince my own mother who is 61 to do the same and save herself some money. She already has a cell, whenever I or my sister call her it's on her cell. Heck most of the time she's keeps the ringer on the landline off anyways. I'm not sure what she is paying $40 a month for. She claims that going to all cell would use up all her minutes. I know that's not true, but I told her just up to the next minute package which is $20 more, but that is still saving $20. So far no go. Then she complains about money. Took me forever to convince her to stop paying the $7 a month "wire maintainance fee". Sometimes "old" people are so set in their ways. |
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elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA
 ·SONIC.NET
 ·RoadRunner Cable
·Verizon Online DSL
| said by BF69 :said by cahiatt :I think that is the question most people under 30 are asking these days. I can't see any reason why these people can stay in business. Well it's not just under 30.. I've been trying to convince my own mother who is 61 to do the same and save herself some money. So far no go. Then she complains about money. Took me forever to convince her to stop paying the $7 a month "wire maintainance fee". Sometimes "old" people are so set in their ways. Depends on your perspective.
When your landline is a matter of life-and-death, as it is for most "old" people, $7 a month is a small price to pay to have the right to yell back at 611 to send bucket trucks and supervisors in the rain on Sunday to fix the d*** line for the 5th time in a month without having to have the usual debate about where the trouble is.
I hate to waste money on fraudulent charges like wire maintenance, but sometimes it is justified.
As for how they "stay in business", its simple. There are gazillions of customers who are captive - for whom VOIP, cable-voip, and cellular phone service are not viable alternatives. Every small business owner I know who went Voip (2-20 lines) to save money rued the day they didn't ask me first. They relate their horrific experiences to their peers, who learn quickly to keep their $55/month flat-rate ILEC POTS lines.
POTS is not the cheapest way to go for every use. But saving money with Voip can be very expensive. |
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BF69
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN
| said by elray :Depends on your perspective. When your landline is a matter of life-and-death, as it is for most "old" people, $7 a month is a small price to pay to have the right to yell back at 611 to send bucket trucks and supervisors in the rain on Sunday to fix the d*** line for the 5th time in a month without having to have the usual debate about where the trouble is. I hate to waste money on fraudulent charges like wire maintenance, but sometimes it is justified. Most people don't realize that everything from the box on the side of the house to the poll is the phone company's responsibility anyways. The wire maintenance fee only applies to the wiring INSIDE the house and the jacks and if my mother needs to have those fixed I'm very capable of doing that myself and I won't charge her a dime. In the 5 years since she's stopped paying she's saved over $400. That's REAL money and she's never needed any "wire maintenance" in that time anyways. |
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