Verizon

Earlier this year, I spent some time on the phone with a nice lady at Verizon trying to figure out how to lower our outrageously high -- $150 a month -- bill for TV, internet, and land line phone. She explained that she could save us $5 a month, but we'd lose some TV channels. I accepted.

We did lose some channels. We lost everything except ABC, CBS, and NBC. (I exaggerate. But not much.)

But hey, we save $5 a month! Our bill was $144 a month all spring.

Then in mid-May I spoke to another nice lady at Verizon. I can't remember now what I called her about, but I remember being satisfied with our conversation.

Later that day I received a slew of e-mails "confirming" that I had signed up for all sorts of expensive new services. I phoned and spoke to another nice lady, explaining that I didn't request any of these new services; she said she'd remove them.

So a week ago I receive a bill in the mail. But it's not for $144, as it should be. It's for $244. (The "44" almost threw me off; I didn't notice, at first, that the first digit was different than it should be. I almost paid the damned thing!) The really cool feature of this bill is that it includes a $60 "early termination" charge -- for services that I never requested in the first place.

Another phone call to Verizon. This time I'm steaming. I tell the very nice lady who answers the phone that I understand that our conversation "may be recorded for quality assurance or for training purposes" and that, in fact, I am recording our conversation myself. She excuses herself for a moment and then returns to tell me "My supervisor advises me that I am not permitted to take part in recorded calls. Thank you for choosing Verizon. Good bye."

Another phone call to Verizon. Did I say I was steaming last time? I explain my concerns to a very nice lady. She apologizes for the "confusion," and says she will set everything right. She tells me, however, that she's not able to remove all the charges from this month's bill; some have "already gone through." I should pay $182 this month; next month I'll receive a credit for the extra $38, and my bill will be $144 forever more. I fussed -- but wound up saying OK.

Digression: All the people I've ever spoken to in Verizon's billing department -- that's the billing department; don't get me started on tech support -- have struck me on the phone as being very nice ladies. It's only afterwards that I learn they are either incompetent or crooked or both.

So, $182 this month, right? Well, . . .

A couple days later, Verizon's web site told me my bill had been reduced to $119. Or maybe it was still $244.

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I looked again today. Yep, it really is $244. Or maybe $152.

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I look forward to talking to another very nice lady from Verizon tomorrow morning