U-Verse Woes

If I don't have a post for a while, it's because U-Verse is playing up again. I was without internet for a good bit of yesterday evening and I finally called tech support and a recorded msg. told me the outage had started up again and to NOT reboot my modem. So, I didn't.

After being without Internet all day today, I called again and got a real-live person who told me to reboot my modem. So, I did.

All was well for a while until about an hour after getting back online when I was knocked off again. I did the modem thing again and so far, so good.

Yesterday I got an email about my telephone bill.  It was nearly twice the usual amt. and I was floored.  I went to the AT&T site and paid my last month's bill (not due for a few more days) and tried to find out why it was so high, but the site is really hard to navigate (for me), esp. trying to find detailed information about the bill.   I made yet another call and yet again had to wade through the computer prompts to find out what the deal was. 

After being put on hold - again, for the umpteenth time this week- (I think I've spent more time on hold than I have online since Friday) I got to speak to another real-live human.  I voiced my displeasure as politely as I could (my tongue is still bleeding from biting holes through it) and found out I had been charged $49 for service connection and $100 for the modem.  I was not told about either when I signed up for U-Verse.  I mentioned "Deceptive Trade Practices" and "Duplicitous" several times and reminded them they were "not the only game in town", telling them I could get phone, Internet and cable from the cable company for about what they had been charging just for phone and 'net PLUS they offered much greater speed. I  managed to get a credit for twenty bucks for the outage and half the service connection fee reduced off the bill.

During the brief time when I was online, I did some research about the outage and AT&T is blaming it on a software upgrade that "only" affected 1% of their customers. I was in that 1% but it didn't make me feel special.   I read a post by a woman in the AT&T forums that said she had been offline, surprising to her because she had had U-Verse for three years and only been knocked offline a couple of times.  Me?  I had had U-Verse for six days and been offline for four.

They'll not be getting any recommendations from me.

Across the U-Verse

"Oh boy!" I thought. Twice the speed for half the cost. That's what I was told by the AT&T representative and I believed her...and for one brief day, it was true.

Then came the outage.  At first it was annoying, getting knocked offline, then after an hour or two, all the lights on the modem were green and it was clear - and fast - sailing again.  Then came Black Monday (which started late Sunday afternoon into the early parts of today) when I didn't have any access at all.

AT&T spokespeople and techs are being deliberately vague about what's causing the problem; some articles I've read are blaming it on various conspiracies, while others say they think it's the work of hackers angry at the "Six Strikes" policy.  I don't care WHAT is causing it, but I just want my Internet.

I guess I'm lucky; I only have U-Verse for my Internet;  others have also been without their cable TV and phone if they've signed up for the complete package.  Made me glad I decided to hold off on that for the time being.  At least I could get on the phone to complain and although my cable is outrageously expensive for what I get, it was good that I could watch TV while I was offline.

I even took the time during a short window of opportunity when U-Verse was up to go register on the AT&T website forums to see if there was a workaround;  I saw a few and will try them if the outages persist.  Reading a HUGE thread of complaints on the subject - well, I didn't read ALL of the complaints, but was glad I skipped to the very last posts in the thread - and saw this.  One holier-than-thou jerk said this, a message I've seen at least a hundred times before in some form or fashion:

(excuse the caps, that's the way it was written)

BACK IN MY DAY WE HAD TO USE DIAL UP, TOOK 5 MINS TO LOAD IT UP AND COULDN'T TALK ON THE PHONE WHILST ON THE INTERNET, YA'LL AINT GONNA DIE NOT HAVING INTERNETS FOR MORE THAN A DAY, QUIT YA GRIPING, BELLYACHING, AND MOANING AN GO OUTSIDE YA VARMINTS!

The outage has almost been worth getting to read the reply to it:

Look. No internet, TV, or PHONE. OK? Couldn't even call 911 if there was an emergency. It's 6 degrees outside. So why don't you go out there?

Anyway, this is the tune that used to go through my head when I'd see anything about U-Verse;  if the outages persist, it will be AC/DC's "Highway to Hell".

Across The Universe - The Beatles