🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <310r9b$dp@vine.cp10.es.xerox.com> max_kislik.es_ae@xerox.com writes:
>You are taking what I said out of context!
>
>My main complaints were:
>
>1) The 80% increase that GTE customers will be sufferring.
>
>2) The disparity between the rates proposed for Pac Bell and GTE.
>
>3) The reasoning that was given for the rate increase:  increased competition.
>   If they wanted increased competition with the above rate, they should let
>   phone customers choose between Pac Bell and GTE!!  With the huge disparity
>   in rates ($11 and $17), I wonder how many cumstomers GTE will have left if
>   they allowed such competition.  Don't you think its hypocritical to tout
>   "competition" but allow such disparity to exist.
>
>4) The $17.50 rate isn't all:  there's an extra $3.50 charge for an "interstate
>   "line subscriber", $2.50 charge called "temporary surcharge... as allowed by
>    the PUC", and 10% city tax (in Santa Monica, where I live).  That's almost
>    $30 for basic service, not $17 or $20.  And that's before a single phone
>    call was made.

I am a new GTE customer and I got my first phone bill a couple of days ago.
I found there was a $10.00 temporary surcharge. But this was only the
largest surcharge. There are other numerous surcharges. 

I just moved from Indiana to LA. When I called to get the phone service to 
my home, I could not believe that the basic phone service charge was only
about $13.00. But after getting the phone bill, I realized that I have been
tricked: the actual bill is more than doubled. 

>5)  The increased competition claim is bogus!  You'll have to dial an extra 5 
>    digits to reach another "intra-LATA" carrier.  Just dialing the number will
>    get you standard GTE/Pac Bell rates, which they say they will reduce 
>    significantly (yeah, right).
>

The problem is there is no competition in local phone service. You have to 
have phone and GTE is the only one that provide that service in the area. What
can you do? I doubt if there is another service that play the same kind of 
game with the curstomers. Even cable company has to consider the customers'
concerns since people don't have to have cable in their home.

>6) There may be other factors why basic service in Ohio and Maryland is higher.
>

I just don't believe that actual phone bill for basic service is higher in
Ohio based on my own experience.

>Max
>max_kislik.es_ae@xerox.com
>

James