I'm not stupid. At least I wasn't before I started the telephone marathons I've been through during the last couple of days. Now my brain feels like it's been through a chipper/shredder.
It started yesterday. We've been having such problems with our internet service that I was not happy and Jesse was downright disgusted. So quietly, without saying anything, he began researching to find a better provider. This week he came to me and talked me into giving Charter a try. So I called and set up an installation, which took place yesterday.
After the installer left, we checked things out, and gracious goodness sakes alive! Our internet is so much faster and more reliable (at least so far). We love it. So I called Windstream to unbundle and get rid of their internet service. Well, it turned out to be a lot more complicated than just stating my request and having it done. This fellow talked a blue streak, spitting out numbers and details of stuff I didn't care to know about.
"Just tell me how much my bill will be now with just my phone and television," I instructed.
More talking, more numbers, more details. Blah blah blah blah blah. The man must have been an old-fashioned used-car salesman in another life. Again I stated my goal of cancelling my internet service and getting a price for television and phone only.
Well, I won't continue the narrative of all that transpired. It's too sordid. Suffice to say that I got angry and testy, and the Windstream guy said some things that I believe were unacceptable--like I should have told them I was having trouble with my internet (I had called them virtually every week for a couple of years) and that it was probably an equipment issue. I told him that I had been married to a salesman for 20 years (not Vann) and knew exactly how they operate, so now please do what I've requested. He kept talking.
I finally got tired of the hassle and gave up. Although the Windstream internet got successfully cancelled, I'm not at all sure what I'll be paying for phone and tv service. That guy finally gave me a quote that is $50 less than what I had been paying (at least I think he did). But I don't believe him. Because he started out telling me it would be $10 less. So I'm going to wait until I get my first bill, at which time, if I'm not happy, somebody is going to hear from me.
Well then, this morning I had finally decided to sign up for a Medicare Advantage. I've had Medicare since 2009, just Medicare--no supplement or Advantage. My one night in the hospital last February set me back about $1,200.
As I said in the beginning, I don't believe I'm stupid, but numbers are not my game. And the Medicare programs have always seemed so complicated that I just could never decided whether I needed one of not. But that $1,200 sort of suggested that I did.
I settled on calling the AARP number and after holding for 20 minutes or so, got to talk with a very nice fellow who explained everything to me in terms that seemed as simple as pie. So I told him to sign me up. Trouble was it took him quite a while to explain it all to me and then another quite a while to sign me up. All in all, I was on the phone with him for 69 minutes and 43 seconds. I'm exhausted. But I now have coverage that, if I had had it in February, would have meant that I would have paid the hospital $250 instead of more than a thousand. Oh, and at no additional premium above my Medicare Part B cost.
So no more numbers today. No more rude rude men or extended sessions on the telephone. I'm going to sew.
This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.
On 12/06/2012, Joanne said ...
I've been telling y'all for years to get on Viva-Medicare. But does anybody listen to me? AARP is good, too.
On 12/06/2012, Ramey said ...
This is very alarming to me, since I need to sign up for Charter, and will probably have to deal with Windstream since we have phone and Internet from them; and, I'll need to do the AARP Medicare Advantage before too long!
On 12/06/2012, Helen in Switzerland said ...
Aren't these people just dreadful - I know exactly what you mean - you never get a straight answer to a straight question and it drives me nuts too!
On 12/06/2012, Jeanne said ...
Oh my goodness Susan, We have experienced similar situations and more often then is acceptable. This is more common than you know. The sales pitches are so annoying. You poor thing. Bill was on the phone with apple just yesterday for 1 1/2 hours to get a small problem solved. He was exhausted. I have no idea how to fight back.
I think you will be happy with AARP. My MIL had it and it served her well.
Now rest up and think about sewing. I can lose myself when I sew on a project.
Wishing you happy days ahead.
Hugs, Jeanne
On 12/06/2012, Linda said ...
My sympathy to you - being on the phone exhausts me also, and I've been that way for many years. I don't even have the patience and stamina to be on the phone with my family. They all think I'm weird. ;)
I agree with Jeanne - time to think about sewing. You deserve it!
On 12/07/2012, Barbara Anne said ...
I hear you sistah! We have Verizon everything and I was on the phone for more than an hour the other night because suddenly I couldn't get emails from a friend in Indiana. She got my emails without trouble. I talked to Sharon who turfed me to India because she got the idea we have DSL. The man overseas turfed me to Justin who tried to fix it, but ended up messing up DH's email account so I had to call back and got George. More talk. Turns out when Verizon.net and .com merged, passwords had to get more complicated, so now we have new password. Blah, blah, blah. Damnation.
Years ago I asked some nice but fast talking New Yorker if she knew what part of the country she had called. She didn't. I told her she was talking to someone from the South and we talk and listen more slowly. If she wanted me to understand what she was saying, she would have to slow down. Fortunately, she got tickled and we had a nice slower conversation thereafter.
I'll bet everyone could write a book about this annoying subject. Oh, wait! I did write a book ...
Speaking of annoying, my new Shade Cascade fabric arrived and it doesn't match so am about to start unsewing two dark green "logs" from twelve chevron log cabin blocks. Phooey!
Happy sewing. Hugs!
On 12/08/2012, laura said ...
I am glad you kept your sanity and went to sew!
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