[AAAAA]

When my husband's hours were cut so much a few months ago we decided to get rid of our land line to save the $80 a month. They are still our internet provider so they gave us a random number to indicate that this was an internet line only. Since this was their system I figured they knew what they were doing.

We get our bill and there was over $100 in Long distance calls. I called and instead of listening I got the "if someone in your house made these calls you have to pay for them" speech. I tried to make sure that these were actual calls, not someone using the computer to access a site that bills your phone as was the case many years ago. Yep, real calls. seems they can't do that anymore. Who knew?

I asked to speak to a supervisor when it became clear that the "customer service specialist" wasn't going to help. I explained for the millionth time that we don't have a phone! We have a data line ONLY... no dial tone... couldn't make a call on that line if our life depended upon it... see, special prefix not a phone line. Finally a light comes on and it gets cleared up.

THEN I got a text the other day that began (didn't read the whole thing) "this is to notify you that we are renewing your premium text service...." I have no idea who it came from (the sender info was "private") or how I got on the list as the only people I text are my husband and kids, but they were billing my cell service $9.99 a month.

I contacted AT&T to let them know I had not authorized anything. They were very helpful and removed the fee from my bill but they had never heard of this company before, nor did they have any way to track it because the sender blocked their info.

These communication devices are becoming more trouble than they're worth!

[Christina86]

!!! ((((((((AAAAA)))))))))))))

Yikes!! And I thought trying to deal with my annoying cellphone service provider was hard... you've gone through the ringer!

I pay $80 a month (give or take) for phone (landline) and internet service. I don't like the cost... I find it really annoying the way that numbers are recycled too, since within the past month, at least once a week I get a very crabby message from some person who sounds like they're from a collection agency looking for someone who isn't ME! It's always the same woman they're looking for too... If I was ever actually home when they called, I'd give them a piece of my mind, but there is NO WAY I'm calling them to clear this up, 800-number or not!

Let's not get me started on my cellphone...

Actually, lets. I'm having a lot of fun ranting...

Well, I don't pay for my cellphone. My parents do, and have done so since I started university. It's their "present" and way to keep tabs on me... not like they ever call me, but ANYWAYS...

For what seems like over a month now, Rogers (yes, that's my phone/internet/cellphone company) has been calling me about once a week, trying to give me a "free cellphone" to add to my plan.

Now, we all know what that means! It means they give you the phone FOR FREE, and then they make you start paying for another cellphone plan!

Yeah, NO THANKS!

But they won't stop calling me! And it's really getting on my nerves, because beyond that... Rogers is a very nice company with good representatives who don't annoy the crud out of me. Usually.

I'll admit though, getting my $80 bill once a month makes me cry a bit inside... considering I only got the landline to avoid having my stepfather scream at me every other month for going over my cellphone minutes (I get something like 200 daytime, and unlimited weekends and after 6pm every day). I obviously only go over the daytime minutes. So I got the landline to make it easier for people who call me about random things like appointments and jobs and my parents to call me and leave me a message there, rather than on my cellphone.

It doesn't really help much. teehee. (I'm also neglecting to tell my stepdad I added a 100 texts/month plan to my cellphone which he probably knows about since I *have* had it for months now... if he notices the less than $5 charge per month). Hey, it's cheaper than paying for every single text I receive or send!!

[AAAAA]

You have to watch everything like a hawk these days! I hope your father "knows" you added to the plan. I think that's what irritates me the most, if it would have been a bad busy day I wouldn't have looked further until it was too late and I'd owe the money.

[Shangrala]

Dang! And here I thought that living in California was expensive....O.O

My fone line/Internet/Cable service is all through AT&T.
Fone service is seperate from Net/Cable, (not needed for calls as we have our cells), but we keep in case of emergencies. (Anyone of any importance calls me on my cell...anything on lan line I ignor....lol).
I have the international package included in fone bill, as I have several friends outside of states who I call. Monthly service reduces the charge to only 9 cents min regardless of continent...LOVE that feature, and saves me hecka $$. Monthly fee for that exceeds no more than $25 bucks..IF that.

Net/Cable package is called U-verse, and I can do without the extensive cable variety....(lol..hubs hasta have his channels, as do most men, I suppose). That package exceeds no more than $135. a month, which is pretty good, I suppose. So long as I have my Internet, don't rightly care what he pays for his cable. Net only costs $35 in that package, and its the most current speed offered....so I'm good with that.

Cell service company is called MetroPCS...costs me $50 a month with unlimited everything. No irritating minutes to keep track of or inconvenient time schedules to work with. International calls from cell is only 3 cents a min...another feature i LOVE.....lol. I have the web, shopping, texting, all that hoohaa on it, but never use. It comes with package..alls I'm after is that unlimited calling and cheap international charges. (Hubs cell is free thru work...so his is cheaper than mine..lol.the brat), though that don't stop him from complaining about how expensive my cell is...Pishaw.

Shangrala

[AAAAA]

LOL I hear you. We are the same way. The only time the land line rang was a telemarketer. We NEVER answered it. In fact the puppy chewed the cords to the main phone line so that it didn't even work for several months and we didn't have a clue. So it was an easy cut to make.

FYI - if you have any cell phone (with a charge) you can call 911 whether the phone has service contract or not. I didn't know this.

[jbug]

I have a good price on my landline because I am on welfare and my state has a deal with Southwestern Bell that gives me a break on my phone bill so I pay less. Plus I have a special thing on my phone that I only pay for incoming phone calls. If I make an outgoing call it costs me money and boy does it. I think it is something like $.50 a minute if I make an outgoing phone call so if I need to call someone I use my cell phone so my landline phone bill is only $8.00 a month.

My cellphone is a Cricket cellphone and my plan is just a local plan plus unlimited nationwide calling for about $32.00. I just don't have roaming. I have a very limited area that my phone is good for which sucks sometimes but I figure I don't ever go anywhere and if I do I'm with someone who has a cellphone.

I keep getting phone calls for other people and I can tell they are bill collectors. For the most part they are nice when I tell them I am not that person and no I have never heard of them. I did get someone though that was very rude and asked how long I had my phone for and was I sure I'd never heard of that person and told me I was being recorded. I told it was fine I was being recorded because I had never heard of the person and I hung up.

Jan