Author Topic: Stupid phone company ^%&$*%!  (Read 498 times)

Hawkmoon

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Stupid phone company ^%&$*%!
« on: April 07, 2021, 01:39:03 PM »
Land line department:

I still have a land line. A short while ago I was on hold with the VA hospital, trying to make an appointment, when I heard a series of obnoxious beeps. It sounded a lot like a call waiting signal -- but I never signed up for call waiting (or I didn't think I had -- more on that later). I think it's awkward and rude. In this case, even if I had known how to switch over to the incoming call (which I don't), I wouldn't have done so because if the VA had come back to the call while I was taking call #2 they would have hung up and moved on to the next patient.

I received an e-mail from the person who tried to call me. It was important -- she was calling to schedule a job interview. She said she didn't get a busy signal, and the call didn't switch over to voice mail (probably because I use an answering machine and haven't set up voice mail). I called her back and we got the interview set up for next week. So far, so good.

Then I called the phone company to ask if I can disable call waiting, since I don't like it and don't know how to use it. Answer: Nope. It's part of a package. To get rid of call waiting I would have to give up the entire package, which includes unlimited long distance calling. I don't want to give that up, so I'm stuck with call waiting.

RATZ!
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100% Politically Incorrect by Design

Brad Johnson

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Re: Stupid phone company ^%&$*%!
« Reply #1 on: April 07, 2021, 01:43:33 PM »
Forward calls to your cell while you make important land line calls.

Brad
It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
-HankB

Hawkmoon

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Re: Stupid phone company ^%&$*%!
« Reply #2 on: April 07, 2021, 02:28:19 PM »
Forward calls to your cell while you make important land line calls.

Brad

Thereby adding another thing I'd have to learn how to do, and another layer of complication. Thanks, but no. All I really want is to be able to disable call waiting so a second caller gets a busy signal and knows I'm on a call.
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100% Politically Incorrect by Design

Brad Johnson

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Re: Stupid phone company ^%&$*%!
« Reply #3 on: April 07, 2021, 03:03:25 PM »
I had an AT&T land line at the old house. IIRC, it was *70 to disable call waiting, then # to start a call. It would revert to normal when I hung up.

Brad
« Last Edit: April 07, 2021, 04:17:26 PM by Brad Johnson »
It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
-HankB

Declaration Day

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Re: Stupid phone company ^%&$*%!
« Reply #4 on: April 07, 2021, 04:04:05 PM »
I haven't had a land line in 20 years, but when I did, I HATED call waiting. I never used it myself, and got annoyed if the person I was talking to did.  Usually, I would tell them to just call me back later.

Kingcreek

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Re: Stupid phone company ^%&$*%!
« Reply #5 on: April 07, 2021, 05:00:38 PM »
We have a landline with frontier communications. Cheapest plan with no long distance, no caller id, and no call waiting.
Only because I live out in the sticks with weak and sometimes no cell signal, and don't want to rely on cell service for alarm system and potential 911 calls.
What we have here is failure to communicate.

Ben

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Re: Stupid phone company ^%&$*%!
« Reply #6 on: April 07, 2021, 05:19:12 PM »
We have a landline with frontier communications. Cheapest plan with no long distance, no caller id, and no call waiting.
Only because I live out in the sticks with weak and sometimes no cell signal, and don't want to rely on cell service for alarm system and potential 911 calls.

Frontier? You are a brave man.  :laugh:
"I'm a foolish old man that has been drawn into a wild goose chase by a harpy in trousers and a nincompoop."