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 NightfallMy Goal Is To Deny YoursPremium,MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI
 ·Site5.com
 ·Comcast
 ·Callcentric
| The Bundling Arguement This is like the Comcast cable and bundling disussion that happens here. Comcast charges $42.95 if you have basic cable OR $57.95 if you don't. I knew that my local phone provider had to be SBC if I wanted SBC Yahoo DSL. If I didn't have SBC, then I was out of luck.
I am not happy about these bundling issues, but I also realize they are the nature of the beast. Many companies bundle their services together from insurance to fast food to broadband. In order to get the lowest price then you have to purchase multiple services.
This SBC issue goes just a step further. If you don't have service A then you can't get service B. If you change service A then service B gets cut off. I feel SBC needs to come out and say you need SBC local service in order to get SBC DSL. I wondered this at one point in time, and I know others may be wondering the same thing. While I may not agree with it, I realize it is the way things are.
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Nightfall's Hockey and Life Journal | |
| quote:
This SBC issue goes just a step further. If you don't have service A then you can't get service B. If you change service A then service B gets cut off. I feel SBC needs to come out and say you need SBC local service in order to get SBC DSL. I wondered this at one point in time, and I know others may be wondering the same thing. While I may not agree with it, I realize it is the way things are
SBC does say this. If you called SBC and said, "I use my cell for a local phone and I want your DSL," they'd tell you that you have to get a local POTS line to order it.
This has nothing to do with trying to "punish" people that go to a CLEC, you just won't get an unbundled loop DSL service a la carte from SBC. It's not profitable to do this for residential customers. Whether people on BBR like it or not, it's not up to them to decide what a company offers and what terms they offer it under.
You mentioned insurance, that's an excellent example. I would like to see how many people can get State Farm or Allstate to underwrite a rider policy for a wedding ring when they don't have a homeowner's policy too. If you cancel your homeowners insurance, your wedding ring rider policy is gone too- they don't say, "Oh, you're going to Allstate? Then we'll just separate the rider on the jewelry for you- just send us a check for 35 cents per month now"
See how many movie theaters will let you bring your own popcorn and soda in with you. How many restaurants will let you order fries and a drink from the restaurant across the street while you order and eat the burger there? NONE! That's how many. Ever hear of "No Carry-Ins"?? How anti-competitive those places are! They won't let you buy half your meal somewhere else and bring it with you!
I have an idea- let's all try to get the airlines to let you check your luggage on a flight that you aren't on- but happens to be going to the same destination as you are on a different airline- because you like the baggage claims better at the other airline.
You are all complaining because you think you have something to complain about. The reality is- no one but people at BBR give a rats ass about this- no matter how many times Karl Bode advertises for his pal at "Tele-Scam"
Boogie
[text was edited by author 2003-10-30 00:30:56] | |
| The difference between the bundling in the services you mention and the DSL/pots service is that the former does not duplicate limited resources while the latter does. Let me explain: How many different restaurants are in your city? 100? 1000? 10,000? Can one of those restaurants charge you $100 for fries if you order a burger? Sure, but you don't have to pay it. You can eat your burger and if you really want fries, you can go across the street and pick some up for 99 cents. It's cheap to build a new fast food joint. It's expensive to duplicate an international telecom infrastructure. On the other hand, if you want high-speed internet in your home, how many lines or airwaves coming into your home offer you service? 1? 2? 3? In my case (I live in Georgia), only 1: BellSouth DSL. They will not let me unbundle my phone service. It's either pay what they ask or go without. To use the analogy: either I pay $100 for fries or I don't eat high-speed internet.
On a related note, they lied about how much it would cost. They said there would be no setup fees. The setup fees cost $150. They said the first month would be free. They charged me $50 for the first month. They said I would get a free DSL modem. I didn't get a free modem. I've called to get all of these promised rebates, and they said they'd send me coupons for them (again not part of the deal but better than taking them to court) and they still have not done even that. So they lied again. It's now been six months since the promises were made and still they are unfulfilled. You think I would stay with BellSouth if I had an option? No way. That's why we need competition. Sure, it's good to give state sponsored monopolies for a while to prevent unnecessary duplication of infrastructures (like electrical lines, sewer, water pipes, etc that come into your home). But enough is enough. Once the monopoly abuses its power and has made enough economic profits to justify its investment in building the infrastructure, it should lose the monopoly. BellSouth should lose its monopoly. As soon as I can keep my DSL and ditch my phone, I'm going to either get a cell phone or get Vonage VOIP. | |
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