True Story: Ding Dong. AT&T Calling (At My Front Door)

[orleans]

(a sign that at&t has been dumped by a lot of people--they're sending employees out door to door to try and drum up some business!!!)

today--at my front door--an at&t representative stood with clipboard & list in hand.

the rep. explained he was from at&t

rep: do you make a lot of long distance phone calls?

me: no

rep: does anyone in the house make long distance calls every month?

(i should have told him to just check his records)

me: nope.

rep: you have comcast right?

me: right.

rep: well, we can save you $25 per month on your phone bill

me: no thanks. not with what i've heard in the news about at&t

rep: at&t is in the news? for what?

(what planet is he on?)

me: oh, you know--that pesky little NSA spying you've got going on--turning over information on your customers to the government.

rep: we didn't do that.

me: really? that's not what i've heard on the news

rep: well, comcast turned your information in to the government.

me: really? i haven't heard comcast's name in the news

rep: well, comcast leases our lines and cable

(and that has to do with what exactly...?)

me: so because of that, at&t had my information?

rep: yes

me: so at&t turned my information in to the government?

rep: yeah, i guess so

me: so why in the world would i reward at&t for doing that by dumping comcast and switching to at&t?

rep: i don't know.

me: i don't know either. it's not happening.

[tavalon]

1. Beautiful

funny how the guy was first surprised about the information and then was able to "defend", albeit poorly, his company's antics.

[lindisfarne]

2. salesamanship covering probable genuine lack of info. - he probably

was working on a low wage and some kind of commission.

[Syrinx]

3. Applause (and nominated)

But what company should we use. Qwest is the only company not to comply with the government, but (at least according to something Mike Malloy read on the air), Qwest is controlled by the BFEE. What's a person to do?

[AtomicKitten]

4. I just dumped them.

Unfortunately we don't have Qwest here in California, so I've gone with Comcast who now has an internet phone service.

Last month, I got an $11,000 bill for my business line with AT&T, a line that has been $45 a month unlimited calling for years, allegedly due to some bogus reason about not allowing a modem (it was a fax machine). I started sending faxes on my home phone line and they were billing the transmissions anywhere from 4 to 8 minutes per transmission ... for a fax? Pahleeze.

I have talked to EVERYONE about dumping AT&T.

Glad to hear they're feeling the pain. Good job talking back.

[Canuckistanian]

5. "i should have told him to just check his records" LOL

K&R

[carolinalady]

6. he did not know about AT&T being in the news, but he knew

Comcast was turning in your info? F**ing Newbe! Call them and tell them that next time they better send out a "real man" to do the job!

:rofl:

[novalib]

7. I Might Have Said This --

In response to his question, "You have Comcast, right?", I might have said this:

"Why in the HELL should I give you ANY information about myself or my family? AT&T has already shown that it cannot be trusted with ANY information! Now, just get your butt off of my property, or I'll call the police and have you hauled off to PRISON!"

[orleans]

10. honestly--i actually considered calling the police

because we have a "no soliciting" sign posted and he should not have stopped at our house.

but--being the liberal (bleeding heart) that i am--i actually did feel a bit sorry for the guy--i understand it's just his freakin lousy job (i mean, who the hell would want to go door to door for at&t if you didn't HAVE to just to earn a few bucks). because of this rational run-down in my head, i decided not to phone the cops on him.

[Pacifist Patriot]

8. Kudos to you for engaging in a conversation.

I'd have laughed in his face and slammed the door. But I'm not in a good mood this week.

[eallen]

9. Competition is a beautiful thing.

I'll never buy a Domino's pizza. I don't always buy blue. But when a product is both mediocre and owned by a religious right wingnut, that makes it very easy to shop elsewhere.

:hippie:

[caligirl]

11. Yeah!! I dumped them today, now with comcast- I'll post att's response

to my email to corporate-

Dear xxxxx xxx xxxxxx xxxxxx:

Due to the nature of your request and to ensure that your inquiry is
answered as quickly as possible, it has been forwarded to the Corporate
Resolution Group. If you have further inquiries of this nature, you may
contact them at [e-mail]

Sincerely,

AT&T Online Customer Service





I didn't make any request, I called them out on what they did:

Dear AT&T,

Due to the loss of privacy you caused my family and I by allowing the Bush administration to have access to our phone calls and emails we have chosen to take our business elsewhere. The good name of the United States, our Constitution, Bill of Rights and just the values upon which this country was founded have been trampled upon and dirtied by AT&T and the Bush administration who together entruded upon and violated the privacy of average American citizens engaged in normal everyday practices of business and family. Words are insufficient to address the egregious conduct of AT&T in cooperating with the NSA without warrants and without probable cause as the 4th amendment requires.

Therefore effective June 3rd our business with you for our land line, dsl and tv will be severed permanently. When possible we intend to also cancel our cingular cell phone business for the same reasons. We will not support any business which violates our most sacred of rights hard earned by the loss of life of those who came before us. May you experience the legal wrath of the angry public in a court of law for violating the privacy of millions like my family and I.

Consider yourself notified of the strongest disapproval of your actions in the NSA matter.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

[orleans]

12. woo-hoo! great letter caligirl! n/t