In the “I am not sure why people should care (but there are 80 people on Facebook who say they do) department– the latests news on my fight to escape the clutches of my mobile internet provider’s contract is that Alltel still has me in their brig.
I’d like to say that I have a hunch/wish/belief that the internet campaign including the Facebook group started by Devon and the emails submitted by friends/colleagues is having some effect. While in Austin last week, I got a call from Rick at Alltel… I actually enjoyed the part (after my 4 hours spent on hold and getting disconnected from “customer service”) that I had the office put him o hold and then tell him I would get back to him. Little petty victories, take ’em where you can.
So when I called back, Rick, who is with some higher than phone tree support level in “customer care”, was very apologetic and had spoken to the techs that had “handled” my case. I was tihnking at first that perhaps the net campaign was working since they called on my NMC number, not the mobile number that I had been using to call them. Maybe they had to investigate from my campaign trail who I worked for– but then there was the Doh! reflex, as the office number is the one where the billing goes to.
Anyhow, Rick felt confident that a newer model USB modem would solve my issue and he was going to send me a new one for free. He assured me it would work on Mac OS. He could not “comment” or offer anything on my basic issue of being treated poorly and not given an option to escape a contract that Alltel had not provided their end of the deal. So I may get anew gizmo, but am still bound and gagged by their contract.
IN the end, if the damn thing works I might be content, but I wills till toss as much light on the atrocious treatment I got and recommend people take their business elsewhere.
But my hunc is that all the wireless providers are Stinky Pirates, so its a matter of finding the one that is less evil.
With that I hope to get this blog back to its usual technical barkings.
