board77

The Last Homely Site on the Web

Technical problems with phone

Post Reply   Page 1 of 1  [ 9 posts ]
Author Message
Jude
Post subject: Technical problems with phone
Posted: Wed 27 May , 2009 3:04 pm
Aspiring to heresy
User avatar
Offline
 
Posts: 19653
Joined: Wed 23 Feb , 2005 6:54 pm
Location: Canada
 
Some of you who have enjoyed phone conversations with me are aware that my phone line occasionally goes dead without warning. This has just started in the last few months.

I phoned Bell Telephone, and they're going to have a look at the outside line. If they don't find anything, they say they'll ask for access to look at the inside line, and they "may" ask for a $80 "diagnostic" fee.

Does this seem reasonable? Does "may ask for" mean "will ask for"? And does "diagnostic fee" mean fee for looking at it without fixing it?

I really don't want to pay the $80 fee. I guess, if the problem is with the internal wiring in my house it's my responsibility.

What do you think?

_________________

[ img ]

Melkor and Ungoliant in need of some relationship counselling.


Top
Profile Quote
vison
Post subject: Re: Technical problems with phone
Posted: Wed 27 May , 2009 3:14 pm
Best friends forever
User avatar
Offline
 
Posts: 6546
Joined: Fri 04 Feb , 2005 4:49 am
 
Time to switch phone providers?

_________________

Living on Earth is expensive,
but it does include a free trip
around the sun every year.


Top
Profile Quote
Jude
Post subject: Re: Technical problems with phone
Posted: Wed 27 May , 2009 3:20 pm
Aspiring to heresy
User avatar
Offline
 
Posts: 19653
Joined: Wed 23 Feb , 2005 6:54 pm
Location: Canada
 
Well, I was wondering about that too...

_________________

[ img ]

Melkor and Ungoliant in need of some relationship counselling.


Top
Profile Quote
LalaithUrwen
Post subject: Re: Technical problems with phone
Posted: Wed 27 May , 2009 3:46 pm
The Grey Amaretto as Supermega-awesome Proud Heretic Girl
Offline
 
Posts: 21757
Joined: Thu 24 Feb , 2005 3:46 pm
 
It is probably reasonable. They shouldn't charge you anything to check things out outside of your home. That is their responsibility, but if they don't find anything outside and need to check your line in your house, then it is your responsibility. Perhaps if it's a quick check or an easily diagnosed problem, they'll waive the $80 fee, but I'm guessing that if they have to go hunting around you'll get assessed the fee. Unless you threaten to switch providers.

_________________

[ img ]


Top
Profile Quote
tinwe
Post subject: Re: Technical problems with phone
Posted: Wed 27 May , 2009 4:41 pm
Waiting for winter
User avatar
Offline
 
Posts: 2380
Joined: Fri 04 Mar , 2005 1:46 am
Location: Jr. High
 
So much has changed in the phone industry over the years. I remember way, way back in the good ‘ol days, the phone company owned everything including the wiring inside your house and even the phones themselves. You basically leased your phone from the phone company. The only people who owned phones were the ones who wanted vanity phones, those custom designed novelty numbers like the Micky Mouse phone or the futuristic phone that looked like an inverted lava lamp. Other than that you got the standard rotary dial phone from Ma Bell, and if you wanted to add a phone in your house you paid an extra few cents every month for the extra phone.

Obviously those days are gone, but I do seem to recall that at the place I used to live the monthly phone bill included a charge, about $1.50, for “inside wiring”, which I took to be an insurance policy of sorts if anything ever went wrong inside my house. Nothing ever did, so I never found out for sure, but I assume that’s what it was for.

We also had an incident at work recently where a storm blew out our wireless router and the phone company (BellSouth) sent someone out to fix it and they didn’t charge anything for the service. They shouldn’t, because they make us pay through the nose for our DSL and business phone service.

Personally, I’d be suspicious of the $80 fee. You may want to look at your monthly statement and see if there is any fee for “maintenance”. If so, you shouldn’t have to pay.

_________________

[ img ]

I am a child, I'll last a while.
You can't conceive
of the pleasure in my smile.


Top
Profile Quote
Rebecca
Post subject: Re: Technical problems with phone
Posted: Wed 27 May , 2009 7:38 pm
User avatar
Offline
 
Posts: 3463
Joined: Thu 24 Feb , 2005 10:34 pm
Location: Fall River, MA
Contact: Website
 
I have no phone bill experience. But I have (unfortunatley) lots of experience with cable, through Comcast. So even if it's not real relevant, here it is anyway. :P

I was charged a $20 service fee when Comcast sent someone over to look at our modem. Only problem was, he looked at it, tried to replace it, was on hold with Comcast ( :roll: ) for so long trying to activate the darn thing that he gave up. So basically, he did nothing. I called Comcast and was refunded the $20 fee. Eventually. Had to deal with rude people first, of course.

Then again, I call Comcast every time the raise the prices and tell them I'll switch to Verizon fios if they don't match their rates. And so far they always have, or at least come quite close. :D

I helped Holby set up Comcast in his new apartment and online it said there was a $100 set up fee, and when he spoke to someone it was $50 or something? I forget exactly. Somehow I managed to get the set up fee waived completely.

So just talking it out with them has always worked for me, even if it is massively annoying and a waste of time.

_________________

[ img ]


Top
Profile Quote
Holbytla
Post subject: Re: Technical problems with phone
Posted: Wed 27 May , 2009 7:51 pm
Grumpy cuz I can be
User avatar
Offline
 
Posts: 6642
Joined: Thu 09 Dec , 2004 3:07 am
 
Well...yeah.
I did try a couple of times to deal with Comcast, but I had no luck. One of the professional idiots told me they didn't service my area. :roll:
So I gave up and handed it over to more capable hands.

Talking with people on the phone can be very annoying, because many of them are doing things by rote if not reading directly off cards/monitor. You essentially don't exist individually.

And there is no way in hell I would pay $80 for a diagnostic anything.
Heck I would spend a few bucks and buy myself a meter before I did that.
And besides, you are one of the few people left on the planet that still has a landline. :P
Dump the house phone and go all wireless baby.

_________________

[ img ]


Top
Profile Quote
Jude
Post subject: Re: Technical problems with phone
Posted: Wed 27 May , 2009 8:19 pm
Aspiring to heresy
User avatar
Offline
 
Posts: 19653
Joined: Wed 23 Feb , 2005 6:54 pm
Location: Canada
 
Holbytla wrote:
Heck I would spend a few bucks and buy myself a meter before I did that.
What kind of meter? And what do I do with it?

_________________

[ img ]

Melkor and Ungoliant in need of some relationship counselling.


Top
Profile Quote
Holbytla
Post subject: Re: Technical problems with phone
Posted: Wed 27 May , 2009 8:43 pm
Grumpy cuz I can be
User avatar
Offline
 
Posts: 6642
Joined: Thu 09 Dec , 2004 3:07 am
 
Phone lines are really a lot like electric circuits with less current going through them. All those meters do is test the amount of amps going through them and whether there are any broken or weak circuits. Heck if the wires are easily got to, it may be cheaper and easier to just rewire the darn thing.

_________________

[ img ]


Top
Profile Quote
Display: Sort by: Direction:
Post Reply   Page 1 of 1  [ 9 posts ]
Return to “The Turf”
Jump to: