I started having SBC DSL at the end of April this year and I am moving to another place at the end of this month. They are telling me that I have to start a new contract (1 year), which is at a lower rate. Or if I were to continue on my current contract, I would have to go to the standard rate (I got it at a promotional rate), which is higher. My question is, can they actually do that? I thought the point of having a contract so I would have to stick it out for that one year no matter what. But I get the same promotional rate for that year.

I know that I could just go with the lower rate at the end for another term. But I hate to have companies like SBC push me around and tell me that I have to give in to them

Leo

 

*shrug* it's probably more trouble than it's worth to fight it.

 

do you have a copy of the contract? the details should be stated there but I have nothing but contempt for SBC so I'd just give em the finger then go to comcast DSL... but comcast was *** lame about 1 and half ago but maybe they've changed?

 

yeah, i should dig that up. the problem is I just finish packing everything so it's in one of those boxes!

Leo

 

yeah..it's a legal loop hole...corporations have $600 dollar an hour lawyers that specialize in finding them and writing the contracts in just such a way.

Comcast is no better...my room mate and I got nailed with a $50 fee and another fee that they didn't tell us about cause the installer put something in my computer that I didn't know about...I wasn't there...kinda pissed.

Anyways...I work for SBC.

Here is what you do...when you call in next time...be NICE. (not saying you haven't been cause I have no idea).

So yeah..be nice and tell the person...listen if I get frustrated it's not with you, I realize you have no authority over this....they really don't...we designed it that way. The best they can do is put in a request or attemp to slide one by...which often they can but most aren't smart enough to do it.

Tell them this......this is key. Say this. "Listen, I really need to get this taken care of. I'd like to escalate this to a manager, someone that can make this happen. Ask the person you are talking to for their SBC UID...also known as user ID. It's two letters followed by 4 numbers....if it's not..they are lieing to you. With that number if you get hung up on you can contact that same person again or contact a superior and report it.

If you do this right...someone will take care of you. We do not like loosing business to comcast....it's all we freakin hear about....recapturing customers.

And remember this...this company doesn't give a damn about you or that you're moving...to them you are a number and a dollar sign...focus on that....the money. They'll make it happen....just make a stink...but a nice one.

If they give you grief drop me a pm. Give me their user ID. I will email them directly and ask for their superior..which I really don't have to do because I can email them directly. I can help you get this escalated...

once with my old apartments 7 phone lines went down for a week...no one was coming out to fix them.....I called....they had two trucks there before 7am on a sat. I can't get results like that all the time....haaa.

 

It's not just SBC, I had the same BS with Covad. Im glad that contract is ending soon. I moved to comcast, had them come out and run a cable modem specific line to my house (cost me $25) and man, its almost like being at work, I get a solid 2mbit down.

 

Oh and there are no contracts with the cable peeps.

 

why not just start a new contract? i signed up for dsl 3 years ago and have been paying the ridiculous cost of $50/month for the past two years. i just got around to moving and am signing up with that new plan.

like someone else said, it's prob easier to just sign up for the new one.

 

because I am moving to a temp location. I'll be moving AGAIN in 6 months.

 

Thanks for the idea. I haven't had any trouble with SBC for the past 7 months. Just that I can't believe they are telling me that I can't keep the same rate if I were to be on the same contract!

Leo

 

well, after thinking a while, I think this is what I am going to do.

- Move my DSL to my mom's account (change her account name to mine).
- Signup for a new contract (get stuck with another year) with a lower rate
- Move my DSL to the new location in 6 months and open a new phone line again.
- pay for activation fee for the new phone line.

Question for you OneManArmy, since you work at SBC. Would I get charge for activation fee when I switch over to my mom's place? When I move in 6 months, I know I'll have to pay for the new phone line activation fee. And I know I'll be facing the same damn problem again in 6 months. And most likely I would need your help then (to keep the same rate). Unless they have a better promotional rate and get stuck with another year of contract. Thanks!

Leo

 

believe me.....new rates will be available in 6 months.

This deal just got passed where you can have your land lines transferred to your cell phone and an estimated 6 million people will be dropping home lines all together in the next 12 months......and most of those are ours so things like cingular plans and dsl are huge....along with the all in one plans...local/ld so a lot of new deals will be coming very soon......

I would venture to guess that you won't have to pay the activation fee. If they start telling you that you do it shouldn't be difficult to get them to drop it. Just tell them it's already been activated and you will be getting new lines in another 6 months..if they want your business they better drop the charge.....but generally..if somone comes to your house...you get charged.

I can't guarantee any of this by the way. I am not in sales or any of the crap you guys deal with. I am a seperate organization that assists our larger sales organizations...global and priorities mostly. Things like Cisco and SF county accounts...just had one for $36million. Stuff like that. I'm an artist.

But I can look things up on our internal sites to check and can help you push stuff through the escalation proceedure.

 

think thats bad? try earthlink. i signed up for install at my studio, they called and said it wasnt available in my area. (my neighbor in the next suite over has it) and that they couldnt put it in. then they bill me $150 for early cancelation. i got it taken care of, but it was really annoying.

 

shhh... but it was OneManArmy that was on the phone with you!
j/k

 

FWIW, comcast is CABLE internet...

and for the 8 months or so, i had with them, solid connection, except for one night when surfing for pr0n and the connection went down for a few minutes...