🚀 go-pugleaf

Someone calling themselves Jordan C. Rosenthal (gt5885b@prism.gatech.edu) wrote:

      [ stuff about spontaneous disconnects and failed connects deleted ]

) I wanted to complain to their customer service/tech support but spent 1/2
) hour on the phone in the morning, and 1 hr at night without ever getting
) anyone to talk to.

Yes. MCI misconfigured my account as a regular PeachNet account and as such
I cannot connect to Tech. This was in December. I've been trying to reach
them ever since. I've been calling once per day for the past two weeks,
staying on the phone for 90 minutes (speakerphones are worth the money) to
two hours each time without getting through. Despite the lack of service, I'm
being charged the regular rate. I called MCI and MCI One and got no help and
they refused to provide any alternative contact other than the (800) 200-7696
number for PeachNet. They could provide no additional numbers or any
address for PeachNet or CampusMCI.

At this point it's time to play hardball. I've already contacted the Better
Business Bureau and the Public Service Commission, both of which are very
interested (especially with the sweet deal MCI gets, being the sole provider
permitted to access state computing resources). Remember that AOL's crappy
service ended in a class-action suit that ended up with them paying millions
in damages.

Anyone having any service problems with MCI Internet service, be it through
CampusMCI (PeachNet), MCI One, or whatever, please let send me a note with
your name and e-mail address (and/or phone number) along with a description
of the problems you've been having.

One way or another we'll get our money back, and possibly a competent ISP
to replace MCI/PeachNet. For anyone considering MCI for Internet service, they
should probably be avoided, ESPECIALLY CAMPUSMCI and PEACHNET. All other ISPs
see below.


) Anyway, 2 questions:

) 	1)  Is anyone else having these problems.  (Note, I have done nothing
) 		new to my computer and have had the service almost since
) 		they started it last summer with the only problems being
) 		those that I knew about due to newsgroups or their customer
) 		service.)

Periodic problems trying to dial and waits exceeding two hours for customer
service. They've also made it impossible to close an account with them once
started (the only recourse is to stop payment, though they'll continue to
charge up you charge card).


) 	2)  Who should I complain to?  I know its probably not this group.

Write a letter to the Better Business Bureau briefly explaining the nature
of the problem and requesting a form to file a formal complaint. Next, contact
the public service commission and explain your problem. At this point, OIT
is probably not worth contacting ("they're very busy/keep trying/they're
getting better, etc."). Bring the matter to the attention of the admin and
the Board of Regents.

For other ISPs out there, Georgia Tech permits interactive connects to campus
computing resources EXCLUSIVELY to MCI, meaning any student, staff, or faculty
that wishes to work from home or gain access to e-mail and files at Tech
is required to get Internet service through MCI (Tech also has some dial-in
lines, but they have connect time limits, no PPP support, poor connect speeds,
usually busy, etc.). Connections from any other ISP are refused. If you feel
that the state is granting an unfair monopoly to MCI, please make your voice
heard. The members of the Tech community could really use a good, honest, and
stable Internet service provider.

*** rant mode: off

--
James McIninch
School of Biology, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA 30332-0230
james@amber.biology.gatech.edu