Companies responsible for "parenting" our children

[Annichka]

The horror stories go on though. Back in 1998, when I purchased my first new car on my own, the car dealer discovered I worked for the phone company, and he wanted to know if anything could be done about his $900 phone bill that his daughter rung up! I told him most likely not, being if his daughter was the one that abused the priviledge, then the company would sustain those charges. I wanted to say something like "Make your daughter work off the charges" but I held my ground on that. Not my place to tell a person how to raise their kid.

I don't know I got a call from a woman that was furious because her son, who had the same name as his father and all of the account info including the passcode, bought a phone for his girlfriend on their business account ans started up service on it for her. Now the woman wanted me to credit her back for the cost of the phone and the bill it ran up.

ME: Sorry ma'am all of the charges were legitimate, made by an authorized account holder and that was 3 months ago. if you would have recognized it within the first 30 days we could've done something but-
CS: Then who is going to pay this bill? I wanna credit! I am not paying for my son's girlfriend's bill? I can't find her she left the state!
ME: (obviously forgetting I'm talking to an irrational person) Well since your son was the one who bought the phone and it was his fault the bill got so high maybe you should charge him? *oops*
CS: WHY WOULD I CHARGE MY SON I WOULD NEVER DO A THINHG LIKE THAT WHAT KINDA PERSON DO YOU THINK I AM!
and so on for another 45 minutes she ended up hanging up on me.

[tollbaby]

When my kids are a little older, I want to get them those kid phones.... My son goes to school in another town, the same town they have karate lessons in. In a couple of years, he'll be old enough to go straight from school to the dojo without coming all the way home, and I want a way to keep in touch with him. Heck, I'm tempted to get one for me where the only people I can call are my ex-husband, my mom and my roadside assistance (i'd add boyfriend, but he lives on a different continent). The only reason I want a phone is for when I'm on road trips or something happens to the car.

[protege]

I must be in the minority. I mean, I pay my cellphone bill. I don't rack up text messages or photos, etc. In fact, I rarely use my cellphone, except for long-distance calls, since I don't have that on my home phone. Even so, the cellphone doesn't see much use, but I like having it in the car. (No, I *do not* talk and drive) It came in handy when the Mazda decided to spit out its timing belt, and leave me at the side of the road last year. Without it, I would have had to walk home and/or push the car!

[tollbaby]

See? That's exactly why I want another cell phone (got rid of my cell service back in January, when I didn't have a car). I would use it if I got lost and needed directions, if something happened to my car, or if my kids (parents, babysitter, ex-husband) needed to get a hold of me in an emergency. That's pretty much ALL I want it for. I hate bloody text messaging and I don't like to talk while driving (I do own a headset, but prefer not to use the phone. I'll call you back when I reach a rest stop!).

It pisses me off to no end to be stuck behind some grandma going 30km/h under the speed limit and weaving because she's on her phone (a common phenomenon in my neighborhood). GRRRR.

[powerboy]

I like my cell phone, but I do not use it, that much. I now mostly use it for an alarm. When my contract is up, I want to go with a Go-Phone, or just a regular pre-paid phone. I do not answer most of the time, when some-one calls. I mostly got a cell phone in the first place, was for emergencies.

[Andara Bledin]

Another reason I like T-Mobile: I can add 5 numbers that are not part of the T-Mobile network and they will be treated as if they were. That would include my home phone, my work phone, my mom's number, my... er.... Yeah, I don't make a lot of calls.

And if I did use that feature more heavily, I would also have the option of changing what 5 numbers those were each month. Quite nice.

^-.-^

[raven_illusion]

had to share my little comment on this one....
"
Ignorance is not an excuse, Bills are detailed on where each charge comes from. Contract/Plan Detail are provided at the time of purchase, I know this have been said before but I am shocked at the number of people who want to blame others their mistakes. I know a $1000 bill is a hardship, but did anyone stop to explain to the child what she was getting? Also, Grandma bought the phone knowing the mother was a single working mom, I think grandma needs to step and take some responisblity for the bill."

But sadly back when I did tech for an HS ISP we would get this all the time when it came to "My kid ordered $300.00 in porn and it is your fault for not blocking that content."

[greensinestro]

had to share my little comment on this one....
"

But sadly back when I did tech for an HS ISP we would get this all the time when it came to "My kid ordered $300.00 in porn and it is your fault for not blocking that content."

Yes, just like the days when I worked for Adelphia. It was always our fault, not the customers, for not ordering blocking programs to block the porn movies ordered, let alone the football games and baseball games.

[Annichka]

Yes, just like the days when I worked for Adelphia. It was always our fault, not the customers, for not ordering blocking programs to block the porn movies ordered, let alone the football games and baseball games.

My friend worked for a cable where this woman called in every month to complain how the son was getting past their password and ordering porn... every month.. they went through the orders date by date when the woman exclaimed "it couldn't have been on that date, little billy was at camp!" looks like the father was ordering the porn and using the son as a scapegoat!

[Andara Bledin]

My friend worked for a cable where this woman called in every month to complain how the son was getting past their password and ordering porn... every month.. they went through the orders date by date when the woman exclaimed "it couldn't have been on that date, little billy was at camp!" looks like the father was ordering the porn and using the son as a scapegoat!

Oooh.... I bet she had a few choice words for him after that.

And I hope she apologized to the kid, if she'd already accused him of it.

^-.-^