Customer Service Strikes Again

Today I had a re-run-in (new word) with the phone company (Yeah, you Verizon Southwest) who says I am responsible for the 432 times 411 showed up on my phone bill. I had called in on Friday and gotten ahold of someone dumber than dirt (seriously-his name is Ryan. Try calling and asking for him, you'll see) who said that the calls were my responsibility. And that maybe I should check with my ISP because People PC customers had been having this problem. ?? HUH?? The first month I had the problem they credited me the small amount involved...the second month they said they would but then disallowed it AFTER hanging up with me. They, of course, didn't bother to tell me but tacked that onto this month's exorbitant bill (with still more 411 calls). I asked for a supervisor. He said I could talk to one but then kept coming back to tell me why it was still going to be my fault (this $326 phone bill full of hundreds of 411 calls--come on, who calls information that many times?). I finally hung up on dumb butt. So, I decide today is the day I must tackle this yet again. For tomorrow my minutes on my cell phone start over. I had some left for this month...didn't want to "waste" them, right? Thankfully this time I get Melanie who was not quite so incredibly lacking in brain cells and communication talent (Melanie, this does not mean I love you, just that you were better than Ryan--but thanks for trying hun). So, she checks with multiple supervisors and yep, it's still my problem, not theirs. Hmmm, surprise... **eyes rolling** and that I should check with People PC (my other favorite person--to report to the BBB) because this would be their fault. Ok, as long as you're not saying it's my fault...I'm with ya. She says it's due to a virus and that this is not an uncommon problem but that they (Verizon) will not eat the cost. She also informs me that the first month that I was credited my measly $36 they did that to appease me. Thanks. Don't bother to tell me what the problem is so I can fix it...wait to do that until I "owe" you $326. Oh, and you only give credits for $50 or under? I understand...thank you for your help. By the way, if you are no longer a customer with an active account (which I'm not) they don't make payment arrangements with you. So, I call People PC and get someone who does not speak English well. Hello, I'm calling with questions about my account in AMERICA I need English (or apparently Spanish) but instead I get middle east accent. Woot. He proceeds to read from his "script" repeatedly about the agreement I made w/ them at the opening of my account that I would be responsible for any and all long distance chages incurred. Yes, sir, I understand that, but these are not long distance charges. These are calls made to information every minute on the minute. Not long distance calls.(I never even had my phone line enabled to make long distance calls-at all, so this could not have been a problem) After 43 times of explaining this to my new friend in the middle East (somewhere) I ask for his supervisor. Yeah. I get another one just like him. REading his script about long distance charges. I finally tell him not to say long distance again lest I have some kind of horrible attack. He (mercifully) stopped with that cue card and got another one. He is, of course, saying it could not be their fault...their software would never allow dialing when the customer had not clicked directly on "connect". Of course not. Your software is the ONLY FREAKING computer software in the world that is immune to dialer viruses. My brother confirmed this is prob'ly what I had. And that it is able and in fact designed to circumvent virus protection software. Great. And apparently I should count my blessings because often they use these "dialer" viruses to make 1-900 calls.

The Better Business Bureau has been informed on both of these and I will dispute the bill until doom's day if I must. I won't pay it.

And on my list--and not the nice one (Cause Santa is not bringing these people anything) are:
1) People-err, I mean jerks who are smart enough to create computer programs but use this brain prowess to cause mayhem in the lives of innocent people. And what do they get from this?? NOTHING!!! They don't even get to watch the destruction they cause! They get nothing monetarily from it (the phone company gets it). I don't understand people like that.

2) Customer Service representatives reading from their cue cards. Who will make their $7 per hour whether they help you or not.

3) Anyone who says the words "long distance" to me ever again in this lifetime.

Oh, and kids and husbands who don't know how to clean up after themselves...maybe tomorrow I'll have a "glass half full" kind of attitude. Today? Not so much.