Cell Phone Companies Suck

I hate cell phone companies. I truly do. Yesterday I got a call from my provider during dinner trying to get me to renew my contract. I signed up 2 years ago and in the past few weeks I've been getting nonstop mailers, emails and now calls trying to get me to renew.

Cell phone guy: "So how many minutes do you use per month?"
Me: "Like 100-200"
Him: "Hmm, so it looks like ... umm, good ... so how often do you exceed your minutes?"
Me: "Never"
Him: "Oh, never, well ummm ... so I can see you only have a very basic LG flip phone. I can upgrade your phone with a $150 discount to something with music or video. Would you like that?"
Me: "I am NOT going to get a new phone if it will require me to renew my contract."
Him: "Umm, well, umm, can I ask why you do not want to renew your contract?"
Me: "I don't understand why I am expected to get into a new contract when YOU GUYS can go and change rates and fees on me during the contract. Why did my messaging fee increase? Why did the data rate increase? What's the benefit of the contract to me?"
LONG PAUSE
Him: "Hmm, well, ummm, I can see you have 1 phone on your account, I can add a new line and increase your minutes for a low rate, would you like that?"
Me: "I don't have any reason for a second line for a single person."
Him: "Hmm, well, okay, I ... ummm ... thank you Mr. Miranda for taking the time to talk with me."
CLICK - Call Time: 5:32

I was waiting anxiously to mouth off about the rates and fees changes but for whatever reason I held back. I guess that's just the poor guy's job and I don't need to make his job any harder. But that doesn't change my view of how much I hate cell phone companies. I think they are evil, greedy, cheats, monopolistic, and more bad things.

I was glad to read a Wired Blog post about 10 Reasons to Hate Cellphone Carriers. It summarizes everything I don't like and then some.

Okay enough brooding. No one calls me anyways.

Posted in: Technology, Rants,