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And it isn't me.
This was kind of the authorized dealer's fault, but also the customer's fault. In the end I hated them both.
SC: I just found out there is a contract on this second line and there shouldn't be!
ME: Okay, let's take a look at the line. I see here it was activated on 08/03/2006 at a store, and it was activated with a 2 year contract at that time.
SC: Okay, look, here's the deal. I lost my phone in July. You people wouldn't give me a good price on a phone since I just got it last April, so I went to one of your booths at the mall and the kid told me all I had to do was activate a second line on the account and he'd give me a free phone.
ME: Ok...
SC: So he tells me he'll give me this plan and it will cost a little more and I have to keep the second line, but the phone was free so I didn't see any way I could lose (foresight, obviously, is not your strong suit. Nor is thinking in general). Then he charges me an Activation fee after he told me he wouldn't,
(That's because he doesn't charge that activation fee. We charge it, and he has no say in the matter. But since you threw a big fit about it, we removed the charge as a courtesy back in September)
so then the plan he put me on didn't work as well as I thought it would, so I changed to a higher plan. So why should there be any contract? All I did was get a free phone.
ME: Right, but when he gave you that free phone, you would have signed a contract in the store.
SC: Uh...I don't....remember that.
ME (LIAR!): So, you went to the store and activated a line and got a higher plan just for the sake of getting a free phone?
SC: That's right. I don't even need that phone! It's never even been used!
ME: Hmm, well, I see here that it's being pretty consistently used every month. In fact, the last call was 10 minutes ago.
SC: Oh, well, I uh, I use it occasionally.
ME (more like daily): So...what can I help you with?
SC: Look, my bill used to be $45 a month, now it's close to $90 a month. Ever since I got this phone, my bills have been higher. I just want to get rid of it and go back to what I had before.
ME: Right, but if you do that, you'll be charged a termination fee.
SC: But that isn't fair! Why should I have had a contract for a free phone that I don't even want?
ME: Because the dealer offered it to you free with a contract on a new service activation and you accepted it.
SC: No I didn't!
ME: Yes, you did. Service cannot be activated without a contract, except for prepaid.
SC: This isn't right!
ME: I can't help but realize that had you upgraded when you called us in July for the $59.99 for the phone you wanted, this entire situation could have been avoided.
SC: Why was I going to pay for something when I could get it free?
ME: Because the "free" phone came with a new line and a higher plan. You do understand how many times you've paid for that free phone since August, don't you? Free phones don't pay the bills.
SC: Yeah, well, something is definitely wrong here. I can't believe you would take advantage of a good customer like this. I'll be talking with the Better Business Bureau, and I know you'll be sorry!
Then came the click that was music to my ears. Sorry, but I can't fix a mess that you made. Was the dealer wrong in signing him up for a second line he didn't need? Yeah, but who was dumb enough to fall for it? You made your bed, now sleep in it. You went looking for a "deal" and it bit you in the arse. Not my problem.
This was kind of the authorized dealer's fault, but also the customer's fault. In the end I hated them both.
SC: I just found out there is a contract on this second line and there shouldn't be!
ME: Okay, let's take a look at the line. I see here it was activated on 08/03/2006 at a store, and it was activated with a 2 year contract at that time.
SC: Okay, look, here's the deal. I lost my phone in July. You people wouldn't give me a good price on a phone since I just got it last April, so I went to one of your booths at the mall and the kid told me all I had to do was activate a second line on the account and he'd give me a free phone.
ME: Ok...
SC: So he tells me he'll give me this plan and it will cost a little more and I have to keep the second line, but the phone was free so I didn't see any way I could lose (foresight, obviously, is not your strong suit. Nor is thinking in general). Then he charges me an Activation fee after he told me he wouldn't,
(That's because he doesn't charge that activation fee. We charge it, and he has no say in the matter. But since you threw a big fit about it, we removed the charge as a courtesy back in September)
so then the plan he put me on didn't work as well as I thought it would, so I changed to a higher plan. So why should there be any contract? All I did was get a free phone.
ME: Right, but when he gave you that free phone, you would have signed a contract in the store.
SC: Uh...I don't....remember that.
ME (LIAR!): So, you went to the store and activated a line and got a higher plan just for the sake of getting a free phone?
SC: That's right. I don't even need that phone! It's never even been used!
ME: Hmm, well, I see here that it's being pretty consistently used every month. In fact, the last call was 10 minutes ago.
SC: Oh, well, I uh, I use it occasionally.
ME (more like daily): So...what can I help you with?
SC: Look, my bill used to be $45 a month, now it's close to $90 a month. Ever since I got this phone, my bills have been higher. I just want to get rid of it and go back to what I had before.
ME: Right, but if you do that, you'll be charged a termination fee.
SC: But that isn't fair! Why should I have had a contract for a free phone that I don't even want?
ME: Because the dealer offered it to you free with a contract on a new service activation and you accepted it.
SC: No I didn't!
ME: Yes, you did. Service cannot be activated without a contract, except for prepaid.
SC: This isn't right!
ME: I can't help but realize that had you upgraded when you called us in July for the $59.99 for the phone you wanted, this entire situation could have been avoided.
SC: Why was I going to pay for something when I could get it free?
ME: Because the "free" phone came with a new line and a higher plan. You do understand how many times you've paid for that free phone since August, don't you? Free phones don't pay the bills.
SC: Yeah, well, something is definitely wrong here. I can't believe you would take advantage of a good customer like this. I'll be talking with the Better Business Bureau, and I know you'll be sorry!
Then came the click that was music to my ears. Sorry, but I can't fix a mess that you made. Was the dealer wrong in signing him up for a second line he didn't need? Yeah, but who was dumb enough to fall for it? You made your bed, now sleep in it. You went looking for a "deal" and it bit you in the arse. Not my problem.
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