For several years my home phone provider was SBC, formerly SWB (Southwestern Bell), because I had no choice, that was the only option if you wanted phone service in your home. And it showed in their phone bills, outrageous rates, taxes on everything. Long Distance? Oh GOD the rates. It showed in their customer service; if you were behind on your bill and called to get an extension, you got snotty attitudes and talk about “policy” and just not much help at all. The also do a credit check before you’re allowed an extension, and if you don’t make the extension date, it goes on your credit report!
Then there are the extras. You want caller ID? 7 bucks a month. 3 way calling? 5 more. Oh you’re having a problem? NO PROBLEM, they’ll send someone to your house… but if they come inside its 75 bucks on your next bill. OH unless you have the insurance at 11 more dollars a month. I once had a bill from SBC for 175.00 for one month.
FINALLY!!! SBC has some competition. SAGE Telecom is now in Arkansas. YES they’re cheaper, much. YES it’s a regular phone line, YES they have all the extras, and YES you can keep your old number. I was so fed up with SBC that when I got an advertisement from SAGE in my mailbox, I called immediately, talked to them for a few, and made the switch. My phone bill is under $30 a month and I get 250 free minutes of long distance each month (which I never use up), free caller-id, free call-waiting, and free 3-way calling.
One month I was particularly broke and all my bills were due, some past due, at once. I called SAGE to see if I could get an extension on my bill. What surprised me was that a human actually answered the phone! What, no recording? I was a little thrown off. I said “ummmm Hi, I need to speak to someone about an extension?” (Surely the hold will come now.) “You can speak to me” he said. “Ok, I need an extension.” “What’s your phone number?” I gave it to him, a minute later he said “Ok, you can have an extension. Is there anything else?” Well.. Yes…. “How long do I have to pay it?” A pause then… “When do you want to pay it?” Thinking this can’t be right, and testing him, I said “Next month, with next month’s bill.” What do you think he said? “Ok, anything else?” Then I paused… “Well, are you sure? I can just pay it next month? What’s your name?” He said of course he was sure, gave me his name, thanked me for calling. I paid the bill the next month.
About three months after I made the switch from SBC to SAGE Telecom, I got a call from SBC, asking me to switch back. They told me they would make sure I got a lowered rate. I asked them if it would be $30 a month or less. They said sure. I asked If I would get free caller ID and was put on hold for 3 minutes before they said SURE. I asked If i would get free call-waiting and free 3-way calling, and was put on hold again before being given a sales pitch about some plan that has everything for only $7 more a month. A sales pitch that I interrupted with the question of how much free long distance I would get each month. I was put on hold again, I hung up. They had the audacity to call me back, and I interrupted quickly and said that SBC had lost my trust a long time ago, and to put me on their DO NOT CALL list, and hung up again.
If you have SAGE Telecom in your area. I highly recommend it. That reminds me, my bill was only $17 this month because I got credit for referals, lol.
Sidenote: SBC is now part of Yahoo. I hate yahoo.online 3 casino card pokerinflight casinos airlinesvicksburg ameristar casinocasino 2003 online december flashonline 10 casinos dollar minimum depositcard merchant account allinanchor credit casinocasino and albuquerque resortsmerchant texas casino account offshore Map
Yeah I thought SBC sounded familiar.
They tried to mess with Flickr too remember, but wisely have retracted their alterations of that great system. And now, for now at least, they’re happy.
Lucky you.
Remember: I live in America’s Third World County™. We’re really up-to-date. Four (small, local) telcos. Each serve their own lil niche market. No crossovers, no choices. The POTS line telco we’re stuck with “services” (laugh or cry? Not always an easy choice… ) three communities, two exchanges. Calls between either of the exchanges are charged as long distance. Even if the person you’re calling is in your locale, if their exchange is “the other one” then it’s long distance.
Un. Be. Lieveable.
$100 a month in long distance charges was uncomonnly low.
And the ONLY internet service until a couple of years ago was dialup… from the local POTS telco. (Sure, one could get AOL or some other, but then pay long distance charges wracking up the bucks big time). Nice rates. And the service was, well, dialup… when squirrels weren’t line dancing or there was a cloud in the sky or Bubba on a work crew didn’t run out of bubblegum and baling waire…
*sheesh!*
Then the local cable tv provider began offering cable internet service and the telco decided it HAD to offer DSL.
Now, for LESS than the cost of the local telco’s DSL service (of similar quality to its POTS line service–that is, crappy), I have internet access at better than 8-10 times the DSL speed the telco advertises AND unlimited long distance phone service (over the cable internet service). And it’s still less than the local telco’s DSL. AND, at $64 total per month, not only is it MUCH LESS than our smallest average long distance bill before, but only $25 more than our BASIC phone service + internet acess was.
Yeh, we keep the $15 a month minimum POTS line (surer 911, and Wonder Woman’s still a cardio patient). But even with that, our total phone/internet bill monthly is MUCH ESS than our expenses were before (because of the long distance expenses), and still less than ONLY DSL charges from the local telco.
Oh, and instead of pursuing the telco for six months to get someone competent to come out and test my lines (I had a bad drop line and I knew it and told them so), if the cable goes out, I can make a cell call (yeh, we carry a cell phone, too: costs STILL less than long distance before!) to the local cable tech… cos he gave me his cell phone and home numbers. Only done so once, cos the 800 number has always been good. (The once was to tell him not to come cos the remote service guys had found and fixed the issue).
Oh WOW! You’re lucky to get all that from your cable company. I have a whole new set of issues with my cable company. But your telephone company really does suck! At least with my old phone company I could call anywhere in town and any bordering town with no long distance charges. I only got long distance charges if it crossed two towns. What’s the population where you live, David? Is it a big city? Where IS America’s third world country? lol
Interesting comments. I’m thinking of switching to Sage from SBC but am not sure if it would be wise. I’m mostly interested in Caller ID and the 250 min. of free long-distance calling. I also have ahome computer but have never had an extra line. Customer service is very important and would like to see more comments from Michigan.
Thanks for the comment, Margie! I’m not sure that Michigan would be any different than Arkansas as far as Sage customer service is concerned, because their offices are in neither. I do encourage you to switch and try though… you can always switch back if you’re not satisfied, and then come here and let us know.
I am very upset with Sage. I was shut off, and that was my fault, but I paid the bill more than a week ago, and they said they would have my service on within 24 hours, and here it is a week later, and still even now, I have no phone. They charge a $49 reconnect fee, and then don’t even turn your phone on. I am from Michigan, and very sorry I switched. I asked for the same extention, but nothing, they shut me off two days before the next month bill was due. worst of all, you can not complain on their website. They give you phone numbers to call. I have no phone, and am unable to call. This is just unbelievable. I am at home all day with a disabled child, who needs alot of medical care, and can’t even call an ambulance if I need too. Where is sage when Ya need them. They suck!!!!!
I have Sage phone service in Illinois. I want DSL but cant seem to come by a company that will support my phone line. Have any solutions? Anybody? Thanks. Steph
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