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Ahh, we don't care about you residential customers
From ZDNet news .. Its now official, megapath couldn't care less about Phoenix's residential customers. Their VP said so himself. Digital Subscriber Line provider MegaPath Networks admits it's not giving quality support to thousands of residential customers it received as part of its agreement to acquire Phoenix Networks. And if those customers don't like it, they can leave.


Gary Thomas, executive vice president and co-founder of MegaPath, said his company won't waste money supporting residential Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) customers paying only $39.95 per month when it has business-class customers - who are paying twice that - also seeing delays in customer support. Where does that leave Phoenix's residential DSL customers?

Well, if a residential customer calls tech support, the person is told not to even bother leaving a message, let alone speak with someone from technical support. E-mail is the only form of communication accepted.

Michael Richman, an engineer from Bedford, Mass., is one Phoenix customer being given the virtual cold shoulder and he's frustrated with the level of support he's received from MegaPath. He finds it amusing that the company wants residential customers to e-mail MegaPath's tech support, when one reason he's calling is that his service is down. Richman was so frustrated that he e-mailed Harry Taxin, MegaPath's chief executive. Taxin responded, asking Richman to give the company some time to solve his problem.

Thomas said e-mail is the only way to support the residential customers the company acquired in the Phoenix purchase. Otherwise, MegaPath could lose so much money that it would fall into the same trap as Phoenix. That company ran aground and was purchased by MegaPath Oct. 25. That deal netted more than 10,000 customers, but MegaPath officials would not disclose how many of those are residential accounts.

"From day one, we've been a business-focused provider of DSL, with a pricing model that allows us to provide pretty good support," Thomas said.

And if residential customers aren't happy, he said, they can leave anytime they like. Prefacing his words with a warning about his bluntness, Thomas said if customers e-mail the company, MegaPath will let them break their contracts without penalty. Or, they can become MegaPath customers, at the higher price of $69.95 per month.

While this may sound cold, Thomas pointed out that Jato Communications simply cut customers off when it couldn't handle them. Also, Thomas said MegaPath is seeking a buyer for the residential accounts.
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DrTCP
Yours truly

join:1999-11-09
Round Rock, TX

DrTCP

ILEC's are happy

If you have been around here a year ago everyone used to complain that ILEC's could not get their acts together and there was a move toward CLEC provided DSL service.

Well, with Residential DSL services from CLEC's and their ISP's are failing, ILEC's will have less incentive to provide better service than what they currently have. I bet ILEC's are happy now. They will not have to fight with high customer service expectations but can still enlist new customers.

Tolunay

lugen$
join:2000-04-05
Allendale, NJ

lugen$

Member

Re: ILEC's are happy

Hi,
Not to rant or rave ..But about a month ago Earthlink/Covad was on fire about getting my DSL Line ..
Strangely enough last week it was becoming a headache.
They told me first that (after 2 visits by VERIZON and a Final OK from them) that quote Covad Customer support" The TRENCHING is required which is very expensive so your order has been cancelled" After A phone call an I explained that I have overhead wires they sang a different tune...."Your 16000 feet away our mistake" I then told them "No I'm 12,000 feet away" they said they will look into it... called them today... they .. are clueless!!! told me to wait another 6 - 8 weeks.... My deduction?? they are in Trouble Financially .. Lie RED CONNECT... Like PHOENIX..Like NORTHPOINT (Verizon is buying them)

Just my 2 1/4 cents
Lee
Verizon.... "They AIN"T HALF Bad "
System

Anon

Residentail customers are a drain on resources

I can completely see where Phoenix are coming from on this one. If anyone has ever worked for a provider that sells both commercial and residential DSL. You will find that corporate customers will be more knowlegeable and pay a lot more and require a lot less babysitting. Residential customers will pay $40 and expect the world and in the mean time tie up billing, tech support, in fact anyone they think that will listen to them. I think this guys approach makes complete sense. Get one customer paying $250 bucks per month who knows what a default gateway actualy is or have someone paying $40 bucks per month who can't even find the start button on the windows desktop without having a map drawn for them. If you were in business to make money, which option would you choose ?
watson2037
join:2000-09-03
Sarasota, FL

watson2037

Member

Re: Residentail customers are a drain on resources

Well said, you get a vote!

drjim
MVM
join:2000-06-13
Long Beach, CA

drjim to Anon

MVM

to Anon
Sad, but true. Maybe part of qualifying for the $40 price should include a test of basic PC and networking skills!
Regards, drjim

--
Takeoffs are optional......Landings mandatory!
acepoint
join:2000-11-04
Roslyn Heights, NY

acepoint to Anon

Member

to Anon
thats all great, but what the hell am i supposed to do if i can't get any support when my freaking line is down!

MENINBLK
Premium Member
join:2000-01-25
Yonkers, NY

MENINBLK

Premium Member

Re: Residentail customers are a drain on resources

That is what your Local TelCo's job is. To provide Residential xDSL technology.

Just look at Verizon. They merged NorthPoint under their wing, and took over all of the residential accounts. Now NorthPoint only has to worry about contracting Business and SOHO accounts while Verizon takes care of everyone else.

Verizon already has the equipment and the employee base to handle Customer inquiries and trouble, NorthPoint doesn't. It will take some time for NorthPoint to get to the position where Verizon is today. The same goes for many of the xDSL ISPs out there today.

They are in a position to help the few thousand knowledgeable users they have, but when it comes to the millions of users who only know how to throw away the product manuals, it takes a much larger base of employees to match the expectations of someone who expects the world on a platter. And threatening to cancel your service is the BEST thing you could do, as far as they are concerned.

DSL is a NEW technology. If you want it, you are going to have to WAIT for it. You are also going to have to accept the mergers, as this technology matures. If you don't like it, you have three options, either,

1) Stick with your Dial-up,

2) Go with a Cable Service Provider (if they are in your area),

3) Start your own ISP and see how hard it really is.

As blunt as it is, this is where the technology is today.

Pete...

Did I hear someone demand a MANUAL re-count ?
--
Pete Romano
promano@email.msn.com

[text was edited by author 2000-11-13 16:36:24]
dslamguy
join:2000-06-22
Mahwah, NJ

dslamguy

Member

Re: Residentail customers are a drain on resources

This attitude is why the cable modem people are blowing away the DSL providers and will continue to do so.

AccssWiz
@198.69.x.x

AccssWiz

Anon

Re: Residentail customers are a drain on resources

Until everyone on your block and the block next to you and so on all get cable and you bandwidth drops to about 8 kbps, from 1.5m. Then come and talk to us about cable.
System

to dslamguy

Anon

to dslamguy
That is so funny. Anyone that has even the most basic grasp of how the cable service is provided, and how quickly the bandwidth disappears is now having a little smirk at dslamguys expense. Cable is very nice, but only if no one else on your block knows about it.

MexiCubAZ
join:2000-06-09
Phoenix, AZ

MexiCubAZ to acepoint

Member

to acepoint
For all I care.. Megapath can go under as well. Lets see if someone files a law suit again them.

BTW, I am ready to get my new DSL line installed soon!

SO SCREW MEGAPATH AND PHOENIXDSL!

And to think that I almost purchased a business account with PhoenixDSL!
--
JRamos
------------------------------
HOME: Phoenix/Northpoint SDSL - Bergenfield, NJ
784/392 get 800/800, but only when it works!
WORK: Verizon Infospeed DSL - Ridgefield, NJ
640/90 ADSL PPPoE I am lucky if I get 520/80 on a good day!

Frostbite
join:2000-06-13
Marlborough, MA

Frostbite to Anon

Member

to Anon
Hey, that flex.net service is looking better and better every day now. If only I lived in Hawaii.

--
=C= (the poster formerly known as "csaia")
davork
join:1999-08-21
Jersey City, NJ

davork to Anon

Member

to Anon
In the UK there are a number of 'free' ISP's

These make their money via two routes: -
o They get a share of the profits when the telephone call is terminated on their systems by a long distance carrier (the calls to the ISP's aren't free as you've realised by now!)
o They can charge a premium fee for support. As much as a buck 50 a minute...

I'm *really* surprised that the cheapie DSL providers haven't stopped winging and moved support to a 1-900 number at 50c/minute...

Tom
(Who is not with a cheapie DSL provider and narrowly avoided moving to Phoenix...)

sadowski
I Am My Own Doppelganger
Premium Member
join:2000-04-14
Buffalo, NY

sadowski to Anon

Premium Member

to Anon
said by Kagey:
I can completely see where Phoenix are coming from on this one.
That's like saying that it's OK he killed his neighbor because he played his music too loudly. Phoenix MADE A CHOICE IN ORDER TO SELL RESIDENTIAL banking on getting a large userbase to make lots of money. Because they couldn't hack it is no excuse to screw customers out of their money and time. They wanted in solely to make money... well, part of that is providing support. They knew and YOU know it too.

Your comments on 'customers' are untrue and insulting. Most customers never use technical support. They call when there is a problem, and if an ISP isn't prepared to support those people then they are not competent and should never have started. IT'S PART OF THE SERVICE!

I'm so sick of this let's make excuses for the abuses and incompetentcies of business and their management.

MegaPath is even worse than Phoenix. It was THEIR decision to cutoff support. Their decision to throw clients into the garbage. What do they think this little stunt has left as an impression in the minds of the professionals here and the people who know former Phoenix users and who read this stuff? That in the end MegaPath does not respect its clients and will turn on anyone at the drop of a pin. You can make all the excuses you want for them but THEY made the decision. They showed their lack of ethics and their inability to deal with a simple problem through communication.

MexiCubAZ
join:2000-06-09
Phoenix, AZ

MexiCubAZ

Member

Re: Residentail customers are a drain on resources

Well I am one that almost purchased a DSL line from Phoenix for the office. Good thing that at the time of the order we got cut off. If they are treating me this badly on my residential account, what am I to expect about their business accounts!?

It just sickens me to see how Megapath users are on here saying that tough... pay more to get our service. Well I am sorry there are plenty of ISPs out there that do residential.

Megapath can just shove their DSL up their A$$E$.
--
JRamos
------------------------------
HOME: Phoenix/Northpoint SDSL - Bergenfield, NJ
784/392 get 800/800, but only when it works!
WORK: Verizon Infospeed DSL - Ridgefield, NJ
640/90 ADSL PPPoE I am lucky if I get 520/80 on a good day!
tothemax9
join:2000-05-13
Briarcliff Manor, NY

tothemax9

Member

Re: Residentail customers are a drain on resources

Have megapath at home and have no problems.
You get what you pay for!
At work had a phoenix soho account go live on d-day
Took about 3 days to get hooked up. Megapath called each day
to follow-up and after I was going called to verify every thing was all right.
Happy as can be. Got champange service at beer prices for
my work account
RMKoyote
join:2000-05-17
Littleton, CO

RMKoyote to MexiCubAZ

Member

to MexiCubAZ

There is hope!

Just got off the phone with a supervisor at Telocity. Residential is all they do and they don't see where the problem is. They're doing just fine. After all, Telecommuting is the future and residential is the base for it. Telocity sees that and residential is all they're gonna do.

I've been lucky, so far I haven't had any problems, but that can change and since the declaration of no support by MegaPath, it's time to switch. So I have started the ball rolling and am switching to Telocity. They don't cap the speed like other ISPs do, so I will get the benefit of being 1300 feet from the CO. They also provide their own modem/router that is user installable and with third party software, can support more than one machine. They offer 24/7 support for all platforms. What else can you ask for. Current rate: $49.95 for 768kpbs.

The rep that I spoke with is personally making sure that all the information for this difficult situation gets dealt with. I expect to be able to slide with relative ease and would hope that anyone else will be able too. If you call Telocity tell them you read about this on DSL reports and maybe they will rally and welcome us with added support for this unprofessional situation that has been thrust upon us.

Having worked for a Baby Bell through the divestiture, it's all about profits and nothing else. Anyone saying anything else is a fool. MegaPath has acted unprofessionally and it will catch up to them. The 1990's was the decade of Customer Service and many large corporations found that out the hard way. Obviously MegaPath's hierarchy was either too young to notice or too stupid to understand it. They WILL get bit back!

As the product quality gets lower the amount of customer service/support that is required increases. It has nothing to do with the end users aptitude or ability to use the product. Anyone that has phone service from US Qworst will know this. Anyone can dial a phone. But if the quality of that phone line is bad. There is going to be calls for support.
System

to sadowski

Anon

to sadowski
My comments about residential customers are neither untrue or insulting. It is a simple fact. If you have a large customer base of residential customers you had better set aside a whole pot of money to provide 24 * 7 tech support who are going to be used to breaking point and be prepared to deal with the complete spectrum of intellects and abilities. It is also a fact that if you deal with purely business customers your financial return is greater and your costs to support that customer are less than those for residential.
--
"I said it was impossible, I didn't say I couldn't do it"

sadowski
I Am My Own Doppelganger
Premium Member
join:2000-04-14
Buffalo, NY

sadowski

Premium Member

Re: Residentail customers are a drain on resources

Business customers cost more to support since they require more personal and often on-site attention - they are simply charged more. The fact is MOST residential people NEVER contact customer support unless there is a problem.

In any event, it is the ISPs responsibility to service those residential customers at the contracted price. That is their business responsibility and their legal obligation. You can't say 'well, we aren't making enough dollars off them to support them so to hell with them!' They should never have entered into the business if they weren't prepared to accept their responsibility. It's that simple both legally and ethically.

Addendum:
The only reason MegaPath thinks it can get away with this is because it's cocky due to growth. They think they can do anything now. That is a sure sign of poor and stupid management.

[text was edited by author 2000-11-15 15:16:27]
digitalperk
join:2000-11-05
Katy, TX

digitalperk

Member

Re: Residentail customers are a drain on resources

I totally agree with you. I was one of those customers who waited 3 hours just to open a trouble ticket and another week to get any kind of feedback. It is PhoenixDSL/Megapath's responsibility to provide at least a working DSL line. Infact, that responsibility is stated on the contract when I signed up for PhoenixDSL! It is pure and simple, MegaPath felt they can't make money on residential customers and because of their ignorant attitude, they decided to throw them in the trash and left them to fend from themselves. This behavior is just morally wrong and I hope MegaPath gets punished for their lack of customer care.

The comments about residential customers is totally untrue. Except for those few who know nothing about computers and DSL, most subscribers are very knowlegable. And those who doesn't know where the start button is located are very unlikely to get DSL in the first place because they probably don't even know the technology. In fact, I , a residential customer, tried everything to fix my DSL line myself except digging up the wire or visiting the CO.

So clearly, the fault is at MegaPath and I hope they get punished for their behavior.

sadowski
I Am My Own Doppelganger
Premium Member
join:2000-04-14
Buffalo, NY

sadowski

Premium Member

Re: Residentail customers are a drain on resources

I agree. I've done support for consumers, business, information providers and web designers and developers, and I can tell you that the people who abuse support are the great minority. Most never contact support and often when people do it's because the service has not made a good effort to notify users of certain things including system status.

I have had death threats and threats of other physical harm from angry users, been called every name in the book, etc. etc. but that's expected and are very infrequent. Most people are very grateful for help. I still do some volunteer support. It has its own rewards in some ways (though I wouldn't want to do it for a living).

And so that we can all be clear, you and I and the others are not complaining about the people (they've all been treated me well when I talked to them and with respect) but about the policies and behaviours of the management that has lead to a complete failure to provide an adequate, even minimal, level of support to residential customers of MegaPath. MegaPath knowingly bought us along with the business customers. They are obligated to support us and they are soley to blame if they do not.

Jestocost
The Poodle Bites.
join:2000-10-19
Saint Louis, MO

Jestocost

Member

You make the bed, you lie in it . . .

I can completely understand the idea that residential customers require more customer support and provide less revenue. It's a lower margin business that I don't think I'd want to be in at this point.

However, I have to take exception to one of the undercurrents that I detect in some of the posts. There seems to be at least the hint of an attitude that says that the residential customers are to blame and should accept that they are not a priority.

While it may be the reality that residential customers are more work than they're worth, the last time I checked no one came to these ISPs or CLECs and forced them to go into the residential business. I would hope that they evaluated the competitive and economic implications of going into the residential market and made a business decision to take on the challenge with its inherent risks and downsides. If things didn't work out as they had planned or hoped, it's hardly reasonable to blame the customer for their problems.

I realize that that may give some of these entrepreneurs more credit than they are due when it comes to business sense. In the words of Super Chicken, however, "You knew the job was dangerous when you took it, Fred!"
System

Anon

Re: You make the bed, you lie in it . . .

Because you mentioned Super Chicken you get my vote
--
"I said it was impossible, I didn't say I couldn't do it"

Jestocost
The Poodle Bites.
join:2000-10-19
Saint Louis, MO

Jestocost

Member

Attention Super Chicken Fans

Try this on for size:
http://soundamerica.com/sounds/cartoons/Super_Chicken/charge.wav
System

to Anon

Anon

to Anon

Missing the point....

You're missing the point - we're not angry at Phoenix and Megapath because they aren't giving us the bargain of our lives, we're angry because they sold us one thing and are delivering us something else - nothing, in fact. You're probably right about the financial aspects - I don't deny I have my doubts about the business model most of these DSL providers are using. However, Phoenix made the decision to offer DSL at $39 a month to residential costumers AND touted itself as "A new breed of ISP" with excellent support, etc. Now they have failed to live up to that and that is why people are upset.

Oh, and for the record, I don't need support, I just need for the line to work!
yazdzik
MVM
join:2000-07-26
Honesdale, PA

yazdzik

MVM

Re: Missing the point....

Dear Friends,
Of course, if a contract is unreasonable, it may be considered void ab initio, and if what people here are saying were true,and that is a big "if," that no company can be expected, rationally, to provide tech support for the technically challenged, for the pittance of thirty-nine dollars a month, one could consider that unreasonable. However, if many, if not most ISPs provide service for thirty-nine to forty-nine dollars per month, it must, as a matter of law, be considered to be a reasonable assumption that it can be so provided. If the ILECs block competition, the dreadful service many of us may receive has another exegesis than fraud in the essence, or fraud in fact. And while the ISP or CLEC, may argue that they cannot meet their promises because of unforeseeable, or uncontrollable circumstances, that makes the contract voidable, on the part of the promisee. If ISP ABC, and CLEC DEF believed that they could survive, and offer service, &c, and discover that their unforeseen costs are far higher that a rational person would have anticipated, the end-user has the right to either enforcement, or redress. If enforcement were impossible, the contract is not, in my opinion, binding.
In short, the factors were far more complex than most could have foreseen, and, I am not sure which view of the law a court might take, but, unless proven otherwise, Megapath is obligated to provide service. Or pay the piper.
All good wishes,
Yazdzik

sadowski
I Am My Own Doppelganger
Premium Member
join:2000-04-14
Buffalo, NY

sadowski

Premium Member

Re: Missing the point....

said by yazdzik:
Dear Friends,
Of course, if a contract is unreasonable, it may be considered void ab initio, and if what people here are saying were true,and that is a big "if," that no company can be expected, rationally, to provide tech support for the technically challenged, for the pittance of thirty-nine

Let me tell you about my contacts (or attempts at) with Phoenix:

1) Can you provide DNS for my domain
2) I'd like my 'free webspace'
3) Can't connect to the Cisco rack at the co.

1 - never answered.
2 - never answered.
3 - after 3 hours finally talked to someone. Next day they stopped all telephone communications including voice mail messages. Never answered email sent before and after phone call. Three days later still no service. I called the CLEC who said Phoenix canceled the trouble ticket on my problem. He says by contract he can't tell me more - he laughed and said, "Oh, Phoenix" as he read what they did, and said he sympathised with all of us residential customers. I then FAXed a complaint giving them a time limit and said if it's not fixed or I am not called by x date then the credit issuer will be advised to disallow all further charges from Phoenix. Only then did they call me and did a conference call with the CLEC who immediately found the line was open and arranged for repair. 9 days without service.

Please feel free to tell me where any of my contacts have been unreasonable or inappropriate and how the behaviour of Phoenix can be considered acceptable? 9 days of no service for a problem that took 2 minutes to diagnose. Certainly you agree that that they have an obligation to provide a minimal amount of support staff to handle foreseeable problems, both technical and administrative in nature. And that they must deal with such problems in a timely fashion. I can not imagine anyone arguing that an open line is my problem or responsibility beyond reporting a problem (pr attempting to since they have made damn near impossible) and that they are not obligated to repair such problems as arise through no fault of my own to their equipment whether leased or owned or otherwise under their control. They have, as I said, even prohibited the CLEC from acting on anything I tell them. They have required that all problems be sent in the first instance to them for any action to occur. This is not a legal complexity. They set this up this way. They are obligated to perform or to release us without penalty for their failure to perform.

I appreciate your opinion but I don't want to make this into a general discussion of the responsibilities of a business. This is focused on Phoenix and MegaPath and their current behaviours.Content-Disposition: form-data; name="follow"

on
yazdzik
MVM
join:2000-07-26
Honesdale, PA

yazdzik

MVM

Re: Missing the point....

Dear Sadowski,
You are illustrating exactly what I said. I apologise if I was unclear. They must provide what they said they would, unless no reasonable person would expect it. You have the right to enforce your contract. They have lost their right to enforce their early release penalty. Put way too simply, you are right and they are wrong. The question is how to enforce it. I wish I had an answer.
Sincere best wishes,
Martin

sadowski
I Am My Own Doppelganger
Premium Member
join:2000-04-14
Buffalo, NY

sadowski

Premium Member

Re: Missing the point....

You weren't unclear, it's just that this discussion of the responsibility of Phoenix/MegaPath has been diminished by what I consider untrue statements about abuses and competencies of the residential user. I want simply to be very clear to others reading these posts that Phoenix/MegaPath business practices are the sole issue here. These practices are ack. in part by Phoenix/MegaPAth themselves. The introduction by another person here of the so-called incompotent and illiterate residential user is unfounded and distracting.
veloctTX
join:2000-04-01
Webster, TX

veloctTX

Member

Re: Missing the point....

I happen to agree with Mr. Sadowski. I am a residential customer with 2 IDSL lines from Phoenix. I don't require any type of support and the only reason I have ever called Phoenix is when the line is not working. The assumption that every residential customer is some sort of gubber that can differentiate their hear from their butt is not true at all. I do computer tech support on-site and I'll tell you I've meet more ignorant folks at workplaces than I do at homes. The difference is that the business folks got to have it working and will pay whatever it takes to get things working.

sadowski
I Am My Own Doppelganger
Premium Member
join:2000-04-14
Buffalo, NY

sadowski

Premium Member

Re: Missing the point....

Maybe for those posters who are trying to glorify the business user and denigrate the residential user, we should give them a dose of reality by referring them to the
Shark Tank at ComputerWorld.
System

to Anon

Anon

to Anon
Slightly off topic but one way that Flashcom are now saving money is...................

NEW Customer Care Hours: 5AM - 6PM PST / Monday - Friday

--
"I said it was impossible, I didn't say I couldn't do it"

sadowski
I Am My Own Doppelganger
Premium Member
join:2000-04-14
Buffalo, NY

sadowski

Premium Member

Re: Residentail customers are a drain on resources

At least they ARE answering the phones 12 hours/day 5 days per week. Phoenix/MegaDeath isn't answering at all.

Mylar
join:2000-08-01
Imperial, MO

Mylar

Member

what power do i have

What power does a customer have when the only thing i can threaten with is leaving, and that is exactally what they want?

I feel cheated and am looking for a way to fight back. I don't have a problem with megapath not babysitting residential customers... personally i believe the technologically challenged should stick to dial-up and leave my pretty routed dsl to people who can actually handle it....

If they sell me it will prolly be to some PPPoE provider who will want to take away my static IP.... or I could go with their SOHO plan and they would start charging me $179 a month for the service i get for $39 a month now.

if they sell me and i do somehow manage to keep my static ip service my IP will almost definatly change which mean a pain with my domain names.....
--
Mylar the Incomprehensible
My Diary:
»/dsl_d ··· r/178981

••••••••••••••••••••

{OF}OS
join:2000-08-27
Revere, MA

{OF}OS

Member

Well PhoenixDSL doesn't know anything about this

Hmmm... I just got off the phone with a Customer Care rep. at PhoenixDSL and asked her about this article and she said that they know nothing about it at Phoenix. She said that she just looked at it on DSLReports and it seems like this article has come from a disgruntled customer and that if you want out of your DSL contract you'll still have to pay PhoenixDSL for an early cancellation.

So... my question is... is this a bogus article or not? If not then why doesn't Phoenix Customer Care people know about this...

Inquiring minds want to know...

-OS

•••••
System

Anon

Service means service

Whether the article is bogus or not the message from Megapath is the same.They have not made a diligent or consistent effort to service the customres they purchased via the merger. The contract is binding on there side also. I am not breaking mine. I have already filed complaints with the BBB and AG's office as to the termination of their support. If they cannot handle the support load from the phoenixdsl merger then they should have not completed the deal. This is also going to cost them business customers in the long run.

•••••••

neuronbob
Cavs NBA Champs 2016
join:2000-03-30
Bedford, OH

neuronbob

Member

WHEW! Good thing I avoided Phoenix...

It's a good thing circumstances led to my cancelling a Phoenix installation, in retrospect....(we decided to move in the middle of the process, so I had no choice!)

Here's hoping Speakeasy doesn't go under before I'm connected with them.
connely5
join:2000-10-10
Saint Charles, MO

connely5

Member

I am considering a Class Action Lawsuit......

against Phoenix Networks/Megapath due to recent developments and service. I am in the fact finding stage and would like to here from other customers of the above said. Please email me at cconnely@hotmail.com (I have to use this e-mail address to ensure receipt) and advise me of your situation.

Sincerely,

C. Connely

••••••••••••••••

Rahdigga
@home.com

Rahdigga

Anon

Covad tightens the belt

Watch for Covad to do the same. A company can't keep sending out techs to fix issues that cost the same amount as a years worth of service to a residential user. There is absolutely no money to be made on a residential line, unless that customer never ever calls for support or needs an ILEC or Covad truck to roll out.
RMKoyote
join:2000-05-17
Littleton, CO

RMKoyote

Member

There is hope! (repost at top level)

Just got off the phone with a supervisor at Telocity. Residential is all they do and they don't see where the problem is. They're doing just fine. After all, Telecommuting is the future and residential is the base for it. Telocity sees that and residential is all they're gonna do.

I've been lucky, so far I haven't had any problems, but that can change and since the declaration of no support by MegaPath, it's time to switch. So I have started the ball rolling and am switching to Telocity. They don't cap the speed like other ISPs do, so I will get the benefit of being 1300 feet from the CO. They also provide their own modem/router that is user installable and with third party software, can support more than one machine. They offer 24/7 support for all platforms. What else can you ask for. Current rate: $49.95 for 768kpbs.

The rep that I spoke with is personally making sure that all the information for this difficult situation gets dealt with. I expect to be able to slide with relative ease and would hope that anyone else will be able too. If you call Telocity tell them you read about this on DSL reports and maybe they will rally and welcome us with added support for this unprofessional situation that has been thrust upon us.

Having worked for a Baby Bell through the divestiture, it's all about profits and nothing else. Anyone saying anything else is a fool. MegaPath has acted unprofessionally and it will catch up to them. The 1990's was the decade of Customer Service and many large corporations found that out the hard way. Obviously MegaPath's hierarchy was either too young to notice or too stupid to understand it. They WILL get bit back!

As the product quality gets lower the amount of customer service/support that is required increases. It has nothing to do with the end users aptitude or ability to use the product. Anyone that has phone service from US Qworst will know this. Anyone can dial a phone. But if the quality of that phone line is bad. There is going to be calls for support.