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Qwest-MSN Subscription Switching: Unfair?
WallytheWalrus writes: "According to this article from today's Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the Minnesota State Commerce Department is investigating the fairness of Qwest DSL subscribers being switched over to MSN (as a part of the two companies' new "friendly strategic alliance"). A group of DSL service competitors have alledged that it's unfair that Qwest subscribers aren't being told of other ISPs available, and that if they do switch to MSN, switching out is overly complex and expensive. Can you smell the legal precdent abrew?"
is that they are forcing you to install "MSN Explorer" - other web software be damned.
For instance they give you an email address that can _only_ be accessed by using microsoft software. So if you are using Eudora (or linux), you're out of luck.
Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
After moving to Seattle, no more than 13 miles from the sprawling Microsoft campus in Redmond, I signed up for MSN through Qwest. After 3 weeks, and an astute deliveryman from Airborn Express noticing that the wrong address was on the package, a DSL modem finally arrived. The modem was defective. 60, no shit, 60 phone calls, at least 30 address corrections, and 4 months later I cancelled the service and called AT&T. One week later a package arrived, the new modem from MSN. In a service industry in their own backyard the behemoths of bullshit could not get a simple address corrected nor a simple modem delivered until after the service was cancelled. Never have I seen such a case of the left testicle not knowing what the right testicle was doing. Fuck them.
i've subscribed to Qwest DSL, and though a hellish argument with Qwest employees, i managed to get Qwest.net access, and to my knowledge, i will not be switched to MSN. this is, of course, due to the fact that i'll be using "every OS under the sun" as i put it 3 months ago (which was over a month before i finally got access).
it appears that MSN internet access is only "available" to Windoze users. i guess their service is "incompatible" with other OSes. were it not for good Mr. Torvalds, i would still be enslaved under Mr. Gates' tyrranical rule.
beleive me, i'll be switching to our local power company's ISP the minute Qwest gives me any lip. i'll do so after giving several Qwest employees a thorough verbal pounding.
grey wolf
LET FORTRAN DIE!
I know this isn't an "agony aunt" column, and that I'm not the only one to use Qwest... but I've had DSL for several years in Minneapolis- first through USWest- back in the early days when they gave me a free Cisco 675, and there was no hookup charge if I did my own "installation." I received considerably more bandwidth than I actually paid for.... those were the days. They just simply wanted DSL customers.
When USWest became Qwest, "they told me" I'd be forced to change to a qwest.net email address... well over a year later I still can access mail through both my uswest.net AND qwest.net... I still wasn't happy about the change (see other current topics about the headaches of switching addresses)
When I moved a few blocks away, DSL was interrupted for over SIX weeks. I never received a reasonable explanation why this was the case... and I fought for months over being BILLED during the transition. The Qwest bozos thoroughly melted down my account, and it took considerable effort to have my username (email address issue again) back...
The second I heard that MSN was assimilating us, I left for a local ISP- who BTW allows static IP for no additional charge (are you listening Qwest?). It took a few months to actually cancel Qwest billing me for ISP charges, but eventually they creditted the money, AND somehow they didn't screw up the actual DSL line.
I don't think Qwest knows what is going on... I STILL can access my qwest and uswest email- months after the accounts were cancelled- and I'm no longer billed... but whatever.
The real issue I have is that all the literature about the transition is spun to give the impression that the switch to MSN is a very positive thing for customers. I understand that is why we have "marketing," but the point I tried to impress to everyone at Qwest while I was jumping ship is that if I had wanted MSN, I would have gone with them in the first place. I knew even before I started with DSL that I could use a different ISP, but there were so few players that could piggy back (probably even fewer now) and the local press ran a bunch of stories about incredible hassles and waits for customers opting for non-USWest customers (even though it is still their line), etc... that I chickened out and took the easy road.
The local ISP has been absolutely wonderful. I had difficulties reconfiguring the router because they sent me some wrong info, but they actually knew what they were talking about and were not reading from scripts, and the whole issue was sorted out in less time than anyone would ever even spend on hold with Qwest.
The people I feel sorry for are like a co-worker who purchased his first PC at the age of 55 and purchased DSL..."kids these days" don't even have to listen to a modem dialing... Anyway, of course I had to set up his internal DSL modem (yuck) and hold his hand every step of hookup. He says he'll likely switch to MSN because (in my words) it is the decision forcing the least amount of action or effort on his part. He also doesn't really care about the "principles" behind the issue. Four years ago it was likely the case that only "power users" had DSL, but this has definitely changed.
The final irony is if I ever wanted to switch to cable modem, there is always Time/Warner... as in AOL!
Those that suggest you "dance like no one is watching" really want to see you make a complete fool of yourself.
I am still amazed at the multi-tier confusion that is the US DSL business.
I suppose it makes sense, sort of.
Canada:
If you have DSL... then whoever your ISP is owns all the involved gear except the telco lines. There is no DSL provider separate from the ISP (Maybe there is back east in Toronto.. I dunno, nowhere I've been though).
I really think the problem here is that you have just too many cooks.
You have a telco, who provides wiring
You have a DSL provider, who provides like, layer 2 networking over that wiring
You have an ISP who provides the rest. YIKES!
In many cases here, It's ONE company.. the telco. Why? Becuase.. nevermind monopolies and such.. it JUST MAKES SENSE
Look at it.
The telco owns the switches & property around the switches. So it's easy for them to get the CO DSL gear as close to their switches as possible.
They already have a network in place, with huge bandwidth.
OF course, we are a smaller market, so I suppose that has something to do with it. but hey, IT WORKS.
Now... I've also dealt with a DSL provider who was separate from the phone company.
Actually, here in Minnesota the PUC and AG's office told Qworst it IS slamming. I switched from basic Qwest Service (because it SUCKED) to VISI.com about 5 months ago. They switched me to visi, then slammed my connection to MSN.com. When I called I yelled and screamed, and called them names... it didn't work, so I called back with a PUC rep and an AG staffer on the phone. They told me that I was going to have to pay all of the fees associated with switching from MSN to VISI... I explained that I use Linux, hate Microsoft and had written them both email and a signed return receipt letter explaining that I did NOT want to be on MSN under ANY circumstances. They told me that was nice but I still had to pay, the PUC rep spoke up and explained that the conversation we were having was being recorded, that there were reps from the PUC and the AG office on the phone, and that it sounded like a case of classic "slamming" because Qwest was a party (as an ISP) to the whole thing; they also mentioned that it was fraud to have forced me to switch and then make me pay to switch back.
If you have problems with Qwest, call your state Public Utilities Commission. I've done it several times, and every time I've gotten what I wanted. Qwest is the PUC's bitch, and they know it. The PUC can imposed huge fines on them for failing to meet customers requests, and Qwest just usually pays the fines because it would cost more to go to court over each one. The only organization that keeps Qwest in check is the PUC.
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In a moment of weakness I did the switch this week end on our WQorst dial-up. What a disaster. We only use the account a few hours a week to check email. My girl friend choose qwest as part of a package ($13.95/month). I spent the whole weekend trying to get email working. Finally I figured out that they had not activated the email account and I could not get that concept through to the MSN SOB support monkey and asked to speak to his supervisor. No joy, you can not speak to a supervisor and they will not give you a last name or other unique ID.
I called QWorst and frankly they had a friendly support folks who seemed to know what they were doing, she answered the phone with her employee ID. When I explained how unhappy I was with the switch she suggested that I should speak to her supervisor and tell him. BTW, the supervisoe explained that ALL of my personal data from QWorst was shared with MSN. For as unhappy as I am with QWorsts business practices I have to say that I always enjoyed good tech support.
That said, I'm dumping MSN and moving to eskimo.com, a local provider that has been around for 20 years. Yes Virginia, there was a thing called BBSs, Fido and other coolness, but I digress....
-s