November 19, 2005

• Simple Things

  
  

   

  
  

  After a great day filled with awesome things, the day wraps up.  I got a letter from our cellular carrier last week offering a free phone with the activation of another number on our account.  My step-mom was wanting a cell phone so I called the number to receive the Motorola phone that was offered on the flyer.  I called the number and the very first thing they told me was that they were out of the Motorola phone but that another phone of “similar” value was still available.  Since I was planning on getting a phone for Linda, I proceeded with the sales pitch.

  
  

   

  
  

  After going through the pitch, I agreed to receive the “similar” phone from the offer and have them send me the phone.  The sales person proceeded to try to sell me accessories for the phone that I did not need over and over.  I finally announced that I would deny the offer if another attempt to sell me anything occurred.  He said that the final thing he wanted to “offer” me was insurance on all of my phones for X amount of money.  I declined and told him to ship me the phone.

  
  

   

  
  

  I got the phone today.  The instructions said to make sure to accept the terms of the agreement before calling the phone number to activate the phone.  It also stated that the terms of the agreement would be shipped out around 3 days from the time I received the phone.  So I get the phone 3 days before I will receive the terms of the agreement that I am to accept before activating the phone.  That makes sense.  The flyer also stated that if I did not receive the terms within 3 days that I could go to a web site to review the terms of the agreement.

  
  

   

  
  

  I made it clear to the telemarketer that I wanted the new phone to be activated on my existing account as an additional phone for $9.95 per month.  I went to the website to review the terms of the agreement and it showed the monthly fee as $69.95!!!  I called the “customer service” number that was available within 30 days of activation and was told that I would actually be on the “9.95″ plan once I activate the phone.  So I had to agree to activate the phone on a plan that showed $69.95 before I could see that I would actually be paying $9.95 per month.  I was in a catch 22.  The customer service representative told me that I had to agree to the terms of service posted on the website before I could see that I would actually see that I would only pay $9.95 for the additional line.

  
  

   

  
  

  I told her that I could not accept the terms of the agreement and that I needed another option before I activated the phone.  She said that I could go into one of their stores to get the assurance of what I was sold.

  
  

   

  
  

  I went into one of the stores with the phone that was supposedly “comparable” to the Motorola phone.  The comparable phone was a piece of junk.

  
  

   

  
  

  The representative at the store was so helpful.  I decided that if I was going to activate another phone with a 2 year agreement when it was a piece of junk that I wanted to make the 2 year agreement worth while and upgrade to a nicer phone.

  
  

   

  
  

  Making a long story not so long, I bought a Motorola Razor phone.  I put the better half’s sim card in the Razor and will now give the middle J her good Motorola picture phone and take his phone and put the new sim card in it to give to my step-mom.  Sounds complex but it is not.  The wife gets a cool new phone and the middle son gets an upgrade from the phone he has been using for 6 months or so and my step-mom gets a cell phone for the first time in her life.

  
  

   

  
  

  I just love technology.  When I was buying the new Razor phone I resisted telling the sales person that I was selling cell phones before she was born.  That was back in 1983 when the cheapest “car” phone was selling for $3500.  I was selling them to oil company executives and they were a hot potato.  The finest “portable” cell phones weighed only 2 pounds at the time.  I had a leather shoulder holster custom made for the first Mitsubishi portable cell phone on the market.  It was about as big as a VCR tape and was the coolest thing on the market.  I would walk into the office of a big whig to sell him a car phone and have someone call me while I was there.  Stopping the sale to answer the phone that I pulled from the holster made a sale every time.  What a long way we have come to everyone and their sister carrying a cell phone in their pocket.

  
  

   

  
  

  Just to think where we will be in a few years.  Man!!!

  • 12:29 am
  • 4 Comments