The New Corporate Oligarchy Era

11Mar10

I’m learning quickly how much power and how little service these new mega-corporations are going to provide in the future – and it seems to be getting exponentially WORSE.

I’ve had two run-ins in the last month, first with ADT Security Systems (#ADT for all you twits), next with AT&T (#ATT) – which I’ve had many an issue with in the last few years.

We have had an ADT alarm system on our house for over 3 years, paying them approximately $37/month. The issue was initially my fault – I forgot to send payment to our city in order to renew a required alarm permit, necessary should I want the police/fire/medical to respond to an alarm event. Good enough. I needed to re-apply for the permit, so I called ADT in November of last year and asked them to send me the permit so I could send this back in. Nothing arrived. I asked again in December. Nothing. January, and again, nothing. I called them on February 16th and asked to speak with a supervisor – after the initial representative told me that I should have received the permit application and didn’t know why I had not. The supervisor gets on the phone and tells me “she doesn’t know why the previous 4 reps told me that they would send this out – that it wasn’t something they would or could do. That it had to be sent by the local installation office (which you can not contact, because they don’t offer any local #’s). I told her “get me a permit in 7 days, and give me a 3-month refund on my account or I will cancel my service”. Her response? “We can’t do that”. Goodbye ADT.

Next Corporate piggy: AT&T.

I don’t get a single bar of service at my “remote office”, which is also my Aunt’s house in Santa Fe, NM. I spend at least a month every year down there, working remotely while tending to the needs of the aunt, who is 85 years old & suffered a stroke last April. AT&T’s service has improved in our Denver neighborhood, but not downtown when you attend any big event at either Coors Field, the Pepsi Center, etc… Can’t make a call, send a text or get online – at all. I called them today to complain that I didn’t get service in Santa Fe, and the initial rep’s response was “we’re showing EXCELLENT service down in that location (after I even gave her the physical address). My brother, my wife and another I know with AT&T don’t get a single bar there either, you have to physically climb up on the roof of the house to get service, and that’s spotty at best. I told her this – and said that “regardless of what her little map said”, the service was non-existent and that I wanted the $80 early termination fee waived because of this. Her response: I can’t do that. My response back: supervisor, please. The supervisor came on the line and after I explained my predicament had the BALLS (even for a woman!) to tell me that they DON’T GUARANTEE SERVICE IN THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS. Are. You. Kidding. Me? So all of these ads in which you claim to have the most coverage nationwide, and maps you place online “claiming” service – those are all blatant LIES!

New Motto – AT&T: We’re a 100% deceptive snake oil sales company!®©™

100%, no questions asked consumer fraud. But because of the gargantuan size of this corporate behemoth, and fact that they spy on average Americans for the feds (fact, look it up), nothing can or will be done.

I’m beyond disgusted with the level of service these pigs provide. And the fact is, with deregulation, etc… you really don’t have a choice. You, Mr. and Mrs. consumer, must bend over and take it up the balloon knot without complaint. You will obey. OBEY.

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