This is utter crap

Take a look at this email I got from my ISP:


Dear Valued Big Net Customer:

We would like to inform you that as a result of the changing DSL/internet marketplace,the Federal Government has recently mandated that for all dedicated subscriber lines(DSL) a Universal Service Fund (USF) tax be
charged on all installation services and monthly DSL bandwidth charges. The USF tax is administered by the Federal Government and is used to provide funding for educational institutions to purchase computer and technology equipment as well as to support hearing impaired individuals with telecommunication services.
As a result of the Federal Government mandate, Big Net is required to charge a USF tax fee equal to approximately 6% of your monthly DSL invoice. Beginning November 1,2000, the USF tax fee will be shown on your Big Net monthly invoice. Consequently, for customers that have received DSL service since January 1, 2000, he USF tax fee will be charged to the current credit card number that Big Net has on file and will be retroactively applied to the installation services and number of months DSL service has been received.

Big Net appreciates your business and cooperation in this matter, and looks forward to providing you DSL and Internet service in the future.

Now....I am extremely pissed off. After 3 months of crappy service, they do this to me. I called the billing department after recieving this on Thursday, and they said they would give me a credit for the retoactive charges...I said "Hold up what do you mean credit, I didnt authorize this charge".....They had already charged my credit card!!!

This is total BS. There are no new mandates for DSL companies to pay this. They are getting charged from Covad (bignets CLEC) and don't want to pay it so they passed the buck to us and expect us to pay. I don't think so.

If I am not mistaken I can now cancel my contract, because they changed their pricing. I think there is a 30 day window where if you do not agree to the changes the contract is then null and void. I am going to talk to our contract attorney at work. I might even get him to call on my behalf just to get out of this damn company.

I have already called Telocity and once I can get away from BigNet they are my next isp. Argh It makes me mad when I think about it. I will keep yal posted on the events.

Goob

Taxes are stealing.. This is just prove. Big companies can suck too.. can't wait til I have my own http://www.augustknights.com/ubb/wink.gif

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SlAuGhTeR
slaughter@wolfteam.com
SlAuGhTeR [aYg]
'The slaughter fest has begun, punk.'

The federal government passed their bill knowing full well that telecommunication companies would in fact pass their requirements on to us the customers. I remember the BS in congress about this awhile ago and how concerned congress was for the needy. They couldn't loosen their grip on their current funding available through our tax system to implement these new programs. Congress held hearing and those SOB's swear up and down that we would not be charged for providing these new programs. The telecommunication industry was going along (tax break incentive) working side by side with our government to provide these new services and bear the financial brunt associated with making these programs reality. The whole telecommunications act is a farce. The issues have only just started, just wait...

[AK]NeverRetreat

You know...they usually implement these taxes so that the money can be used to fund telecommunications implementations in poorer and less populated areas. Do poor people really need DSL? I guess next thing that Clinton will do will be to place a tax on computers so that it can be used to subsidize the purchase of computers for the less fortunate. It really horrifies me that the best thing that we can do for a poor kid on an Indian reservation in New Mexico is hook them up to the Internet with a government-bought computer. This "digital divide" malarky is just that. The last thing a poor person needs is to get on the web. Most ecommerce sites don't accept food stamps. And what do you think that the first thing will be to get sold when the family needs to buy food or cigarettes or Budweiser? I think we all know the answer to that question.

I can only hope that Billy-boy reads this message or at least uses his Carnivore system to eavesdrop on it. It'll be nice to have a squad of the Reno gestapo at my house when I get home from work tonight since that seems to be the pattern when someone disagrees with the precepts of one of his pet projects. Sorry...done ranting...you will now be returned to your regularly scheduled life.

[AK]Zorro

Chief Operations Officer
<a href="http://www.augustknights.com" target="_blank">AugustKnights.com</a> WizOp

My DSL provider is so screwed up they don't realize my DSL is connected! I got calls up to a month ago apologizing for the delay in connecting it - and then the calls stopped. I've had DSL for three months, and no bill but the one for my ISP. Life is good! :-)

Update....

I got them to fully credit my account and had my contract canceled. I am sending my router back tomorrow, so I will be back to a modem for about a month. I did order ADSL service through Telocity. They seem to have a good reputation and a solid performance record. We will see. Since they have no contract, I can switch to Bellsouth if I have any problems.