Hey There

Well I've been offline for what I'm guessing is "forever" in terms of internet time. No excuses. I think being offline just got easier for me every day. The idea of getting further and further behind on everything eventually got overwhelming.

Honestly? I'm feeling like I'm back at Day One of internet socializing. I'm so far behind right now that I have no hope of catching up. So maybe I'm safe to just jump back into the thick of it all?

Curious thing here on LJ. I have a message in my inbox but I'm "not authorized to view this comment." Really? But it's in my inbox! Why am I not be allowed to see it?  The message is from 4 weeks ago. All I can think is that maybe it's from someone who was once a mutual friend but no longer is? Or maybe a spammer that got deleted? Oh well, I'm not going to worry about it.

You've all heard me making fun of or complaining about living in "Green Acres" now, right?  Well I have another complaint. Out here we have one option for decent internet service and that is Frontier Communications. They provide my landline phone and DSL. Now, back in 2008 when we were moving here, we had to get the phone in order to get the DSL. Since then the company decided to offer DSL-only but only to new customers.  Well that's not my beef, sorry.  My beef is that the other day we got a letter from them informing us that they have issue with our phone usage. See, we got their unlimited local and long-distance calling package. But apparently Frontier has their own definition for "unlimited" minutes. Allow me to quote some of the letter here...

"Frontier is focused on providing the best possible Digital Phone Unlimited Nationwide Calling experience across our entire customer base. We provide long distance at a value price, as part of your Digital Phone service. Over the past three months, your long distance usage has consistently averaged over 3,500 minutes per month and is in violation of our Terms and Conditions of service.

Our terms and condition state that customers with usage inconsistent with normal residential voice applications and usage patterns may be required to either select another Frontier long distance plan that charges for all long distance calls, or to cancel service. Only a very small percentage of our average residential customers use more than 1,000 minutes per month, and your usage is more than three times this amount.

We would like to provide you with the option of keeping your Unlimited Nationwide calling at a rate plan that is more suited to your needs. Please call us at 1-877-273-0512 Monday thru Friday 8am - 5pm EST within 15 business days of the date of this letter to discuss your options. If we do not hear from you within this timeframe, we regret to say that, your "1+" long distance service will be automatically blocked."

I don't know what pisses me off more: them putting a limit on the unlimited minutes or them lying about my phone usage.  Do they think I'm stupid?  Maybe they do since they bolded those first two parts I'm guessing they figure I can't multiply.  And they also must think that I can't add. But I can. And I know how to go out to my account on the web and get the itemized calls list and add up the minutes.  Guess what?  None of the past three months exceeded 3,500 minutes. Okay, the last month was close at 3422 but the two before that were 1888 and 1400. Guess what Frontier? I can divide too! The average of the past three months is 2237.

So yesterday I was hollering and cussing and throwing things. Seriously, that entire second paragraph is absolutely and completely absurd!  Hubby and son did their best to get me to calm down.

So I spent today digging up the old bills and all of the notes about our phone calls to them regarding billing discrepancies and internet downtime. This company is so totally messed up. None of our bills are the same amount. The first 12 months we called them every other month and they would tweak the bill. Then Frontier lucked out when I got sick last winter. As it is now, the bill has gotten to be $20 more than we signed up for. But even that isn't consistent. A few months ago the bill was $35 less than the previous month and then it went back up the next.

Not to worry. I've been given strict instructions from Hubby that I won't be calling the company. He will.  I will be as far away as possible and out of earshot. I've typed up a list of my "bitching points" that he will use at his own discretion.

Hubby is the absolute best thing ever to happen to me. The only reason we bother keeping Frontier's crappy less-than-3-Mbps-which-we-pay-for-and-more-like-1-Mbps-if-yer-lucky DSL because our son plays online games.  The things parents do for their kids, eh? Does this mean I'm spoiling my son? I hope not. I'm against spoiling kids. I'm a firm believer that they should suffer just like we did. I'm kidding. I completely turn to mush at "cause you love me, Mom."

If it was just me, I'd be signing up with the satellite company for their mega-laggy internet.  I'm okay with lag. Gives me time to think. Really. I stink at one-on-one conversations.