Problems with Flashcom, a national DSL service provider
From: Ed Anderson
Subject: Re: More Flashcom woes (long story)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.xdsl
Organization: large. http://www.pinch.com
X-Signature: Keeper of the Skin archives at http://www.pinch.com/skin/
Date: 19 Jan 1999 07:48:11 GMT
Message-ID: <36a438bb$0$16671@@-DESPAM-@@nntp1.ba.best.com>
Jason Campbell wrote:
> ... 192/192 ...
> The install is next week, and I'm hoping that on balance they turn out
> to be an acceptible provider. I will be paying close attention to
> reliability of the link, as that's what has made me leave my current
> (servers allowed) cable modem setup. You can bet that given the small
> number of Flashcom datapoints which show up on Deja News that I'll
> post about my experience, good or bad.
Hi again, Jason. I hope it works out for you. Let us know.
From the 192k SDSL, I'm guessing Covad. That should avoid the billing
problem of trying to split the DSL billing off from the voice. Despite
Brad Sach's claim that Flashcom never got anyone's phone bills, I've been
told by an employee that it happened to others. Any other PacBell Fastrack
partner might have the same problems. Pacbell won't install ADSL without
voice services on the line. Covad leases the copper and uses their own
loop, so the billing is completely separate.
Rant Alert! Stop reading here if you haven't seen my previous post or
http://www.pinch.com/flashcom/
To followup my last story. I had already decided that I couldn't trust
them to provide service without pulling the rug out in another month, so I
bailed to PBI. The next day, I got a call from Flashcom's sales mgr, who
offered me the new PB deal. I told him my story. He closed my account, and
actually apologized. He said he would ease the transition, that routing
would not be changed until he put in a request. Oh, he avoids accounting.
I also got an email from Flashcom's president Brad Sachs, who had simply
hung up on me last time I called. He said he was planning to call me to
let me know about new PacBell "negotiations", until he saw my post. Right.
What he did instead is offer me a deal. I could keep my service at the new
Pacbell rates, but only if I posted a retraction and a public apology, and
all for "FREE."
I wish these guys would stop doing me favors. I can't afford it. I told
him I had closed the account, and asked for a new deal. If he would return
all of my money that doesn't belong to him, plus the money I blew on his
"service", then I would acknowledge it publicly and drop any pending
formal complaints. (Before hanging up on me last week, I was told to take
it up with their attorney, but they wouldn't provide his name.) The only
response I've received, is to have my line cut a few hours later, either
to block email access, or just out of spite. I've already been *double*
billed to the end of the month.
All I ever wanted them to do is keep their end of the contract. If I sign
a one year contract, I've got a reasonable expectation of not being
surprised by a rate hike or a cut in service. Now that PacBell has lowered
their rates, Flashcom would obviously be shooting themselves in the foot
if they continue with their PacBell CLEC boycott. I'm dubious about any
high level "negotiations" at all.
Still no response from their accounting dept. After leaving several
messages to an unidentified female voicemailbox, I got a call from a
gravelly voiced guy named "Hurt" in accounts receivable. No joke. I'm glad
I don't OWE them money. He listened to my story, blamed the lack of return
calls on a telephone installer, and said he would get back to me. Nada.
Today I got a call from a female employee at Flashcom. Hey, it must be
accounting with an answer. Not a chance. It was another new employee who
called to inform me about my upcoming installation. Wow, what a twisted
deja vu. She couldn't figure out who had initiated the order or why. It
got bumped to a cowOrker, who folded in the "two Ed Andersons" excuse,
*again*. This must be a different Ed than the Ed I was confused with,
getting installed in October. I really feel sorry for all the other Eds,
who by now must be getting notices of their accounts being closed.
-- Ed "I hope the Eds aren't getting my overbilling refund, too" Anderson
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Problems with Flashcom, a national DSL service provider