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| reply to Aranarth
Re: [DSL] Dropping Modem rental I tried a couple of supervisors up the food chain but still no luck. On the latest bill it is called "Hotspot" but they said that even if I didn't have the modem then the fee remains as it covers tech support and line maintenance. I tried to point out that the line maintenance was covered in the "provide service" agreement and pricing.
Is it me or is 7-bucks a month a lot for mandatory tech support when I am not using any of their equipment?
On that subject we just went around and around. If I don't have their modem, why would I need tech support? They just parroted the party-line - tech support - tech support - tech support . {sigh}
Harry | |
4 edits | said by DogAteMyDSL:they said that even if I didn't have the modem then the fee remains as it covers tech support and line maintenance. The spiel they gave me about why the fee was necessary was basically that when customers call in with line problems, such as slow speed, they can "dial" into the newer modem and fix between "75-90%" of line issues without having to do it "the old fashioned way" by creating support tickets and sending live technicians to your home if you have an out-of-warranty modem. Not sure how true that is, but that's what I was told.
said by DogAteMyDSL:Is it me or is 7-bucks a month a lot for mandatory tech support when I am not using any of their equipment? It is a lot of money in the sense that you're basically paying $84/year for something you're not likely to have a lot of technical problems with. I feel for people who are paying $15 extra on top of their phone service if they have a wireless gateway.
It wouldn't be so much of a big deal to most people, I think, if the fee were half ($3.50) of what it is, but that's just me.
If I were the CEO of this company, and I felt that my customers should start paying a rental fee to use new, company-branded modems, I would've sent EVERY single customer one of those new modems with a notice about the fee explaining why the change was happening. I also would've cut the fee in HALF, because $7.00/mo is a little ridiculous.
Sending EVERYONE -- especially older customers, a new modem (instead of a pointless flyer telling them their modems were out-of-warranty) would've made more sense and older customers (on "grandfathered" bundle plans) wouldn't have been so shocked about the $7 increase on their bills every month. Of course, that's if a grandfathered customer wasn't snookered into a newer plan to begin with.
Had they sent everyone a new modem (with a friendly notice explaining the change/charge), they wouldn't have to employ shady upselling practices over the phone, such as automatically upgrading customers' phone/Internet plans to include their fancy modem fee and long-term contracts when they call Customer Service regarding completely SEPARATE issues to begin with, if the bottom line was getting more money out of customers through the fee.
They wouldn't be dealing with aggravated customers now who think the fee isn't fair -- especially when they have an out-of-warranty modem they still works (or they were never charged the fee for several years before the policy change).
But what do I know? I'm just a customer. I'm sure the CEO, Maggie Wilderotter, is enjoying the fat bonuses she's given to herself (and other higher-ups) as a result of such a fee. | | |
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| Yup, right on the money there. No pun intended, but it seems that's what CEOs do these days. Make big returns for investors by jacking up prices and then give themselves a happy handshake at Christmas.
Not surprising when they are the only one providing the phone service out here on the boonies. Friend in LA gets 6M using his own modem for $19.99/month. But there they have competition from three phone companies and two Cable companies.
To add insult to injury, out here in the boonies, the Feds compensate the phone companies for rural line installations and maintenance.
I was thinking of going cellular as I never use the land line phone, but the digital caps would eat me alive. Only Verizon out here so once again the only game in town.
Ahhh well, just gotta keep paying I guess as I need the DSL.
On the dial into the modem thing, when the tech was here he called the local office to do some changing on the lines configuration *before* he installed the modem. Apparently they can change protocols etc from the office, so not convinced that the dial into the modem is a real reason.
Also this modem came set up by the tech with Remote access turned of and a warning to keep it turned off. I think they just say anything they think sounds good to them. They get paid no matter what. | |
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