@$#% (Internet problems - update)

[Keith T. Hemari]

Ok, so here's how it goes:

Apparently some moron in AT&T thought I needed professional DSL installation, despite the fact I had not requested it, did not need or want it and was in fact using my DSL modem just fine and having a great time of it.

Apparently they had tried to do whatever it was several times.. we only knew of this because on day a tech-person came to our house early and my mother answered the door. Of course she knows nothing about DSL so she said they should come back when I am there.

She related this info to me and I checked out my E-Mail account with AT&T and discovered a whole string of E-Mails telling me that they were coming, they had missed me and were coming later.. had missed me, come later, missed me, come later, etc etc etc...

so ok.. I tried to find out exactly what it was that had them coming to my door, but the service order on their site only said "not preforming to our standards" so I check the last E-Mail and it said they would tell me when they would come next. Fine, so I wait.

nothing happens.. until today. I discover this morning that I have no DSL.. and our phones are messed up.

I had to work so I asked my mother to call AT&T while I was at work and find out what was up.

Here's what they said:

Because the tech service could not provide a service that I never asked for and never wanted, they decided that to discontinue my account.

Mind you, to my knowledge the service never tried to contact me in any way other than through my AT&T E-Mail.. no phone calls, no note on the door.. just those E-Mails. Which I did not read until they had apparently given up.

So here is where we stand, I am currently typing this at a library, with the firm knowledge in my head that if I want to continue to use AT&T i have to completely start over again.

They cannot or will not restore my previous service, so I must wait till their computers register my disconnection and then re-apply.

Yes, I am having a crappy day...

There is no telling how long this will take, if we even decide to go with them. A week or two at best, a month or more at worst..

So yeah.. that's the situation.

[Artemus]

Drop those bitches.

It doesn't matter what else you get.

[Ink The Echidna]

Geez, what a bunch of assholes. Good luck getting it sorted.

[Oni Lukos]

Gotta go with Mulletwolf on this one, being the vengeful person I am.

[Admin]

Man, that bites. Yeah, switching ought to be a good idea. Geez.

[Squiggles the Chao]

Yeah, drop the fuckers if there's a better alternative. That just sucks.

Any chance you could post those e-mails so I could see what they're about? I know a few people using AT&T DSL.

[Keith T. Hemari]

Yeah, I'm not interested in getting back with AT&T.

Sadly, since they canceled my service, the E-Mail account is gone and the messages with them.

Does anyone know of a better alternative?

Edit: I should mention that I am using my Aunt's computer right now.

[Seph]

At my house I use Roadrunner Cable, but I'm not sure of the availability of that near you.

[Matsrik]

www.gmail.com

[Keith T. Hemari]

Checking in from the library again, 'allo all.

seph said:

At my house I use Roadrunner Cable, but I'm not sure of the availability of that near you.

Yeah, we've received a few offers from them before, but right now getting a different service seems unlikely.. apparently when they cut off my service, they took our phones with it.

To update: Shortly before my DSL went bye bye, our phones stopped working. Not even a dial tone. The next day the DSL went down.

It has taken more than seven hours total phone time and nearly every last unit of time on my cell phone, but the story goes like this:

Even though the big plus of DSL was that we could do away with the second phone line in our house and still be able to talk on the phone and surf the net at the same time, noone mentioned to us that if we get set up for DSL that makes that phone line PERMANENTLY a DSL line. So now, since our DSL is gone, we no longer have phone service either. This is not merely annoying, it is quite clearly insane.

We have been going around and around with AT&T for days.. like I said, more than seven hours total phone time.. I'd estimate something like ten or even twelve. Transferring us back and forth, back and forth between departments that only told us to go talk to the other department. I had something like 350 minutes on my cell phone before all this began.. now I'm down to only 40. Thank god for my grandmother and aunt who kindly allowed us to use their phone.

It gets worse too. Apparently there is no way to fix the phone problem until we get the DSL fixed. So now we literally MUST restore DSL with AT&T if we want our phones back. Phones that would be necessary if we are to call another company about DSL.. or, by now phone service in general.

What's their excuse you ask? "We split the copper wire"

Apparently that is completely unrepairable.

My mother spent hours with the phone people on my cell reasoning with them.. I lost my temper very quickly with them and she had to take over any attempts to reason.

I tell you, I'm not given to literally screaming obscenities or yelling at tech people on the phone.. but after the third time they failed to transfer me correctly, I was on the verge of punching a hole in the wall. Seriously. I have never experience such a wave of sheer violent rage in my life. Needless to say, I have played Unreal Tournament extensively these last few days XD

I have a favor to ask of you tech people out there. Can you tell me if this is legit? I mean if any of you knows how DSL works, can you tell me if this 'splitting the copper wire' stuff is the real deal or are they just BSing us. Not that we could do much if they are... if I had the money they'd have long been sued to pieces by now.

On a brighter note, I have been making good use of this time.. expect a major update to my comic when my service is restored!

Matrixx: Thanks, but I have my web host E-Mail still, and failing that, my old yahoo address.

Edit: oh yeah, forgot to mention:

We did finally manage to get one person who was helpful. He himself contacted the DSL people and talked to them personally, rather than just transferring us. He has pretty much forced the order that was canceled to be restored. So he says that withing 3-5 business days, we should have DSL back and, he thinks, our phones. Although after all this.. *shrugs* we'll see.