This morning, I received an Email from my friends over at the telephone company. They are now willing to refund me the money I am out on the driver-less Cell Phone I bought this week. Looks like complaining pays off. Like my Grandfather used to say …… “The wheel that squeals the loudest, gets the grease first.”
This is a good thing, but all it does is makes it a little easier to swallow. The entire experience sadly leaves a bad taste in my mouth, doing business in this country is getting more convoluted and difficult with each passing day.
The seven independent companies have merged back into 3 companies serving the US, with one significant difference; Evolution in the marketplace has expanded the phone companies reach from plain old telephone service to Cellular, Television, Broadband, movies on demand, and a host of other services, which brings us back to AT&T once again using it’s monopoly to hurt consumers.
Cingular recently became part of “the new AT&T”, and they make sure to say so when customers call. Prices for Cingular’s Short Message Service (SMS), which enables text messaging on cell phones were raised by 50% recently from 10 cents to 15 cents per message sent or received.
Of course who can blame them, Sprint was the first to make the move to 15 cents shortly after merging with Nextel. Now that the 2 out of the 4 major carriers left in the US charge 15 cents, Verizon has decided to follow suit, announcing plans to increase prices for SMS messages to 15 cents starting in March. T-Mobile, a German owned company, is the only major carrier left charging 10 cents per SMS.
Each merger comes with the promise to regulators and shareholders of a stronger leaner company with new synergies better able to compete in a changing marketplace. In practice, however, it appears consumers are now left with fewer choices and higher prices.
A new survey released today said that 43% of all women respondents said that “they would answer the telephone during intimate lovemaking and/or sex, if it should ring.”
Man, that has to make a guy feel swell huh?
So now it is back to the basic’s for me. Back to hoeing in the short rows and trying to get thru to the day. Thinking about all those important matters in life. For instance: Headaches.
It occurs to me, the best part of a headache, is the point where you recognize or notice, that you NO LONGER have one. That is the best part for me.
This one can be put away until the next time, and there will be a next time, nothing built here or over there (Asia) lasts forever. If you need further assistance, please stay on the line, one of our friendly representatives will be there shortly to take care of you.
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