So I've previously chronicled my issues with Charter and their fuckery, including making me sit around for 6ish hours to transfer/install my services after moving, and canceling my internet when all I wanted to get rid of was my cable. Frustrating, but I dealt with it. Now? AT&T is getting a new customer.
My bill, with tax, for the internet is $55.something. So that's what I've been paying, plus a late fee here and there. Today my internet is shut off. Why? Because I haven't paid the $141.41 I owe. WHAT?!
"Steve" tries to get me to pay the balance to restore service before I talk to billing - he can't see why the charges are so much, and all billing will do is send me back to him when they're done, so why not take care of it right now? How do you want to pay? Are you using your card? Uh, yeah, go fuck yourself, I want to talk to billing BEFORE I pay anything. I don't give a damn if it's going to be a "hassle" for me to go back and forth, I want details before I fork over my money.
(Note: I'm pissed, so I'm typing my angry thoughts. On the phone while I was a bit short, I was not rude or cursey.)
"Sandy" in billing tells me my balance is $141.41 and how would I like to pay? No no, I want to know WHY it's that much first. She breaks it down: there's a small past due amount (which I keep forgetting about), and two billing cycles to pay for because I never paid in January.
Fuck you I didn't pay in January! I got a bill/statement that said "Thank you!" for my payment. I can look at my online banking and SEE: "DDA PUR CHARTER CO 888-438-2427 BLAHBLAHBLAH $XX.xx" in January. I can look at my planner on the day I paid and read you the effing confirmation number from when I paid, IN JANUARY.
Nope, you didn't pay, it's not showing up. So you should pay now because there's an open order to disconnect you, and if that happens you'll have to pay the total balance due on the account, plus $50 reconnect fee, plus one month of services to get it reconnected. When will the disconnect happen? Ma'am, it's an open order, that means we don't know when it'll happen, just whenever our techs get out there. It could be today, it could be in three days. (Explained in the most condescending voice possible.)
There are no supervisors or higher-ups I can talk to. There is nothing she can do except tell me to pay and oh, if it turns out the error is on their end, they'll credit me! Um. I don't have a fucking job. I don't have $141.41 lying around. I can't afford to double pay a goddamned bill with assurances I'll be "credited." I know I'll end up paying the money again next month, but that's then, and I need that extra money around NOW.
After much back and forth, where I repeat my proof and am shot down ("But I have the confirmation number, it's XXXXXX!" "That's not showing up."), she finally admits she can cancel the disconnect order for now and give me an extension until Saturday, when I will have to have paid the $141.41 or be shut off. Okay, well what about my other payment? Can you all look into that and see what happened, if it got lost or what? *heavy, heavy, oh-I'm-so-weary sigh* We can, yes. So will someone call me when it's figured out? *I'm-so-depressed-don't-talk-to-me-about-l
This phone call should not have taken 30 effing minutes of my life. I like to think most companies would have said, "There's a problem with your bill/records? Let's see if we can figure it out," instead of snotty "We're going to shut you off if you don't pay us, it's not my fault I can't see your 'payment.'" I'm done. Done with the attitude, done with the condescending bullshit. It's never "We screwed up and we're sorry," it's, "We screwed up but it's all your fault anyway, so we're just going to act like pissy bitches while we fix things."
So once they find my payment - and they had fucking better, or I'm going to raise holy hell with every operator, supervisor, etc. I can read on the damn phone - I'll pay the balance and close the account. No amount of pleading and "special offers" will stop me this time.
I hope they call back soon. I seriously can't wait to be like, "Sayonara suckers!"