i signed up with SBC in april 2005 because i didn't think i was able to get other service for one reason or another. from the beginning i was bumped off the internet because of using the phone (the whole reason to get DSL!) and crappy phone service - static on the line etc...while on the internet. last week, my internet just went down - over the course of a week, i spent about 7 hours on the phone with SBC and they couldn't identify the problem so told me it was the modem and sent me a new one which took 3-5 business days which fell over the weekend so my service was down for 8 days! when i got the new modem, it still didn't work so i called my computer manufacturer - i had to spend $99 for the support since i was 5 months beyond my warranty but they helped me - SBC took me through virtually all of the steps the manufacturer did except about 2 - SBC should have been able to help me with this - they were 2 steps away from solving the problem but since they stick to the scripts and prompts, they kep passing me around. now, SBC has offered me a $5.32 in my bill - i asked for a month's compensation and a waiver of the early termination fee - they refused - i recommend looking for any other service than SBC and i will definately be looking so that when my contract is up, i won't support them anymore!

If you live where there is cable service (and I assume you do if you can get DSL phone service) read the latest update (scroll to the bottom if you don't want to read the whole thing!) to my nightmare exerience with them at [url]http://sbc.karltipple.com[/url] .

I have received some really helpful advice and suggestions from other readers of my site and this thread.

P.S. I'm sorry the link above did not work before; just discovered it and fixed it November 26.

KarlT

I have had nothing but trouble with SBC for my phone (local and long distance) and my web service. The last couple of weeks have been so bad its absolutely remarkable. About a month ago I opened my phone bill to find out my long distance plan had been hijacked by Sprint. SBC said that there was nothing they could do even though I was signed up for their long distance plan. It took over 3 hours on the phone to get it cleared up.
2 weeks ago my e-mail stopped working. After a couple hours on the phone with them the final result was "too bad you'll have to get another e-mail address and start over:. I was so fed up that I cancelled my phone and internet on the spot.
Guess what ...they charged me $200 for ending my contract early! I couldn't believe they cut me off and then I cancelled the service but they want to charge me for it.
I have never encountered a more incompetent bunch in my life. The process of fixing anything with these people is worse than I've ever experienced. You can spend hours on the phone only to be cut off.

Good Luck getting your $200 SBC AT&T Yahoo or whoever you are.

I have recently found that if you write their Chief Operating Officer rather than the worthless over paid crook CEO, you do much better. It finally dawned on me to write to him, certified with green signature card receipt, and in less than a week, a woman from his office called to ask what she could do for me. Try it!

Mr. Randall L. Stephenson, COO
SBC Communications, Inc.
175 East Houston
San Antonio, TX 78205-2233

Next, get yourself a web site and run your email thru it, and you will never have to put up with the problems of any ISP's mail, which is problematic at best, based on my experiences with SBC and before that, with AT&T.

[URL]http://sbc.karltipple.com[/URL]