SBC
So.
I am without internet access. Have been since last Thursday. Will be until next Tuesday (the 12th).
Anyone wishing to storm the offices of SBC (DSL and Local Phone divisions) is welcome to join me. Shall we say Wednesday? I’d rather not bring down their office walls until after I have my telecommunications systems back.
A Brief Timeline of the Disaster.
1. The original contract was in Salena’s name.
2. Upon her departure (I ended up taking her room when she left, for those not in the know about these things), we tried to change the name on the contract.
3. SBC (being *bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep* idiots) wouldn’t let us do so until October, when the contract was due to be renewed.
4. We paid Salena the expected cost of the contract through October and started trying to contact them last week (you know, prior to the 30th of September). Say, Tuesday or so.
5. SBC (in their infinite efficiency and wisdom) cut off our DSL on Thursday, Sept 30. At about mid-day, from what we can gather.
6. Upon our return from the events of the day (4-H, first day of classes, etc) we found that we had been cut off. So we started calling tech support.
7. It took us about an hour to get through all the various disconnects, dial-a-menu prompts, and other idiotic hoops before we reached a member of the human race (or so we assume, as she didn’t have a technocrat’s accent).
8. Upon reaching this shining example, we then spent another 20 minutes trying to figure out the cause of our isolated status. We were told to call Billing the next day.
9. Billing told us that we needed to have Salena call them to authorize the change of name. We finally got through to her, and she in turn called them. Apparently Friday hours are odd.
10. Have I mentioned that there is an outstanding charge on the account (due October 10) of approximately $7.50? This seems like a reason to keep us live, especially since, were they to terminate the contract, they’d have issues getting in contact with us (since our phone and internet are linked). But then, I am a college student and unversed in the language of contracts and money, and most especially logic.
11. They terminate the contract before she is able to get through to them. Approximately mid-day on Friday, October 1. So we are now without a phone and DSL.
12. We spend the weekend twitching in our internet withdrawal symptoms, as Billing won’t be available again until Monday-Friday 9-5.
13. The concerted efforts of Salena and Sandy (and this alone is a miracle) get through to Billing. She authorizes Sandy to take over the contract.
14. They completely terminate the contract.
15. Sandy reaches a (surprisingly) nice young man (after the many hoops of dial-a-menu) who says “wow, we really messed you guys up, huh.” Yeah. Ya did. He was very apologetic.
16. We will have a new phone number starting Thursday. And DSL shall resume on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, I have several online projects (for some of which I’m getting paid…) that rather require my availability. I am here, taking up valuable UC time in the computer lab, wishing I could just have my own portable ISP to take with my computer wherever I go. *growls* I can’t even do the campus dial-up thing at home cause…
WE DON’T EVEN HAVE A HOME PHONE NUMBER THANKS TO THE SBC FOOLS!
And my class schedule is such that I only have three-hour breaks… not really worth the 45-min round trip to work for the amount I’d be able to do. So I’ll work Friday and Saturday.
Ugh.
In other news, classes are going fairly well. Lots of reading, but then, that’s never been a problem for me.
~ Cindy
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