Why don't they want my money?
Nov. 18th, 2005 11:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pseydtonneI wanted to get Vonage. This way I'd have a land phone number I could give commercial interests. If this keeps going the way it has been, I'll be telling Vonage to fuck off.
I went to Best Buy and bought the phone adapter (ethernet in, two land phone lines out). If you sign up, you get all $60 back in rebates. I head home and sign up. It proceeds to have a fit about my credit card address.
I've had this problem with Paypal before. For some reason, my bank statement address seems to be some esoteric permutation of my Melrose address. I've tried changing the address from Sanford Street to Sanford St to Sanford St. with or without apt 3 or Apt 3 or my middle initial. I may be OCD Boy but I seriously don't have the patience for this.
I looked at my online bank statement. It doesn't even have my full address - just my town and zip code. I'm not in Melrose, so I don't have a paper-based bank statement to scrutinize. All I have is my T*Mobile online billing, which has 46 Sanford St Apt 3 and no problem taking my money each month. (I gotta say I really like T*Mobile.)
My bank is closed for the weekend, so I can't change to the new address until Monday. I tried calling Vonage and the guy had picked up the line three minutes before he was done with his previous call. I kept saying hello while the guy yelled at someone to reset a router. Delicate critter I would be dealing with. I could hear at least two other guys talking to customers with the same level of optimism and delicacy. Guess they pay well...
Finally he said "hello" back. I said "Is this Vonage?" I was taken aback that the guy didn't snap into a familiar "thank you for calling X. This is Y. How may I help you today?" Instead everything was curt and reeked of "I don't care whether I help you." Not a great way to start a business relationship.
He gave me the same bullshit. "Well, your billing is always going to be by credit card so if you can't do this now..." and he trailed off. "I guess we're at an impasse then" I replied and hung up.
You have to understand that I've been working phone jobs for nearly a decade. I got upbraided for even the slightest version of rudeness at many jobs. I made my bones with my radio voice and quick but gentle wit. When I hear someone act in a way that would have gotten me fired, my wallet and I get pissed off. This isn't simply one guy being rude: it's a supervisor not listening to calls, a floor manager nowhere near the floor, an entire team of bad front line reps.
I guess I'll stick to the cell phone and give my cousin's land number to scam boogers. There is $60 I can get back for equipment and $15 I won't be spending.
I went to Best Buy and bought the phone adapter (ethernet in, two land phone lines out). If you sign up, you get all $60 back in rebates. I head home and sign up. It proceeds to have a fit about my credit card address.
I've had this problem with Paypal before. For some reason, my bank statement address seems to be some esoteric permutation of my Melrose address. I've tried changing the address from Sanford Street to Sanford St to Sanford St. with or without apt 3 or Apt 3 or my middle initial. I may be OCD Boy but I seriously don't have the patience for this.
I looked at my online bank statement. It doesn't even have my full address - just my town and zip code. I'm not in Melrose, so I don't have a paper-based bank statement to scrutinize. All I have is my T*Mobile online billing, which has 46 Sanford St Apt 3 and no problem taking my money each month. (I gotta say I really like T*Mobile.)
My bank is closed for the weekend, so I can't change to the new address until Monday. I tried calling Vonage and the guy had picked up the line three minutes before he was done with his previous call. I kept saying hello while the guy yelled at someone to reset a router. Delicate critter I would be dealing with. I could hear at least two other guys talking to customers with the same level of optimism and delicacy. Guess they pay well...
Finally he said "hello" back. I said "Is this Vonage?" I was taken aback that the guy didn't snap into a familiar "thank you for calling X. This is Y. How may I help you today?" Instead everything was curt and reeked of "I don't care whether I help you." Not a great way to start a business relationship.
He gave me the same bullshit. "Well, your billing is always going to be by credit card so if you can't do this now..." and he trailed off. "I guess we're at an impasse then" I replied and hung up.
You have to understand that I've been working phone jobs for nearly a decade. I got upbraided for even the slightest version of rudeness at many jobs. I made my bones with my radio voice and quick but gentle wit. When I hear someone act in a way that would have gotten me fired, my wallet and I get pissed off. This isn't simply one guy being rude: it's a supervisor not listening to calls, a floor manager nowhere near the floor, an entire team of bad front line reps.
I guess I'll stick to the cell phone and give my cousin's land number to scam boogers. There is $60 I can get back for equipment and $15 I won't be spending.
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no subject
Date: 2005-11-19 06:23 am (UTC)I lost my phone (T-MOBILE) this week and have had an interesting time with them this week. Generally I like them, but this week proved that they tend to make up info when it would be much more helpful if they simply stated "I don't know" or "I'm not sure". Would have saved me HOURS if they simply didn't make up answers. No wonder each rep gave me different info that was contradictory!
Oh, not that I mean to advertise, but the bank that bought my online bank a million years ago was Brookline Bank. You know I don't live anywhere close to a Brookline Bank, but their phone customer service is out of sight! I'm on a first name basis with some of them and they are around late and on weekends if I need them. I make all my deposits by mail in prepaid envelopes they send me. And their ATM card works without fees in most places. Best Bank Evar.
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no subject
Date: 2005-11-19 02:05 pm (UTC)I have seriously not had any problems talking with them on the phone. I believe you did have trouble, no joke; but I did the sign-up over the phone without buying the equipment first. Yes, it cost extra for the equipment, but I didn't have to go through PayPal and my card gets billed every month quiet as can be.
no subject
Date: 2005-11-20 03:04 am (UTC)