It seems to me that utilities have the most confusing and often faulty websites. Things that do not lead where they say they will, pages that throw you out so you have to log-in all over again, and just generally annoying, user-unfriendly or unclear features.
Anyone else have this sense? Do you think it’s on purpose — something in the DNA of utility companies that causes them to baffle their customers — or is it just a general inability on their part to get it right?
I include, just for conversation, Comcast, Verizon Wireless and Qwest.
(Over the phone, Qwest tells me today that my monthly bill will be about 10% more than the amount on the order confirmation they sent me. Trying to find a place to deal with this online is what lead me to the above confusion. I got cut off trying to handle it on the phone. Imagine that.)
The 10% is to allocate the costs until the next billing cycle date. You were about 3-4 days from the billing cycle date.
They have to recoup all costs and thus maximize profit 🙂
But for 4.+ download speed, you can’t complain too much. I have the same service but only get 2.6.
What was quoted to me was my monthly total, but perhaps you’re right. I understand the first month will be more.
I’m getting 9+ consistently. I had a bug in my home phone lines since eliminated.
Oh, and I’m supposed to pay $51.99 for life for internet and they are already telling me it’s $56.99. Far as I know, I’m still alive and I intend to be for a while, long enough that those $5 could really add up. 🙂
Utilities usually have more transparent billing schedules than private competitive markets. For example, my water bill is a fixed monthly fee times a flat useage charge, with no option for what kind of plan I want. The regulated portion of my natural gas and electricity service is very similar. Phone companies also had very simple billing schemes until competition came to the long distance market (local service is typically a flat rate per month), and don’t even begin to talk to me about wireless phone service billing.