T720019@univscvm.csd.scarolina.edu (Volkhart Baumgaertner) (07/18/90)
I have been in the States since August (I am from Germany) and am
just trying to get a phone installed (the first in my own name over
here). However, there seem to be some problems. I am just about to
move, and my new roommate (who is also my landlord) had another
roommate some time ago who had a phone in his own name and apparently
still owes the phone company about 140 Dollars. When I called Southern
Bells customer service here in Columbia (SC) to order my line, my
order was taken, but I was told that I could only get my installation
if my roommate's former roommate paid his debts. My question is: Does
it conform to common practice if the phone company makes my
installation dependent on whether a person whom I don't even know pays
his bill?
Also, I was asked how much I estimated my mothly long distance calls
would be. I said that at my old address, where I shared my old
roommate's phone, it was usually between 50 and 100 Dollars. After
being put on hold for a while, I was told that according to the
information I provided the deposit would be 240 Dollars. This seems a
bit high to me, for I know that my old roommate, who initially did not
have to pay a deposit at all, even after repeatedly not paying his
bill in time, had to deposit only 135 Dollars, the amount of the
monthly long distance calls being about the same or even a bit higher.
I would appreciate any comments on this.
Volkhart Baumgaertner BITNET: T720019@univscvm
INTERNET: T720019@univscvm.csd.scarolina.edufaunt@cisco.com (Doug Faunt N6TQS 415-688-8269) (07/18/90)
I had a problem like that with GTE in South Carolina, also. I had service installed at my fathers house, so I could get in touch with him. They wouldn't install it there until I or someone paid his long overdue large past bill at that same address. After that was done, they installed the service, but several months later they transfered his (also) long overdue large bill from his former business location to my bill, and said that I owed that, also. A letter to the PUC got a response of "we're sorry, but that's the way it is". In South Carolina, I guess that's the way it is. Good luck.
blake@pro-party.cts.com (Blake Farenthold) (07/19/90)
In-Reply-To: message from T720019@univscvm.csd.scarolina.edu
You can probably get off without your roomate having to pay his old
roomates bill if you get the phone in your name alone (not yours and
the roomates) 'course you are on the hook for all the calls by
yourself that way.
I HATE Deposits with utilities. In Texas the Public Utilities
Commission regulates the power company. I've had a Southwestern Bell
phone so long I can't even remember having to use the section with
them (when I call they call up my record and say ... 'gosh Mr.
Farenthold you are a good customer can we sell you five more lines?)
I love section (3) (c) that purportedly requires them to give you
service if you have a good record with any utility. If the law firm I
was going to work for didn't represent CP&L I would have loved to make
an issue out of it ... but instead I just got a letter from my last
electric company saying I paid my bills on time.
16 TAC 23.43 (Title 16, Texas Administrative Code, Section 23.43)
(3) Subject to these rules, a residential applicant shall not be
required to pay a deposit :
(A) if the residential applicant has been a customer of any
utility for the same kind of service within the last two years
and is not delinquent in payment of any such utility service
account, and during the last 12 consecutive months of service
did not have more than one occasion in which a bill for such
utility service was paid after becoming delinquent and never
had service disconnected for nonpayment; applicants are
encouraged to obtain a letter of credit history from their
previous utility, and utilities are encouraged to provide such
information with final bills;
(B) if the residential applicant demonstrates a satisfactory
credit rating by appropriate means, including, but not limited
to, the production of generally acceptable credit cards,
letters of credit reference, the names of credit references
which may quickly and inexpensively contacted by the utility,
or ownership of substantial equity; or
(C) if the residential applicant furnishes in writing a
satisfactory guarantee to secure payment of bills for the
service required;
(i) unless otherwise agreed to by the guarantor, the
guarantee shall be for the amount of deposit the utility
would normally seek on the applicant's account. The
amount of guarantee shall be clearly indicated on any
documents or letters of guarantee signed by the
guarantor;
(ii) when the customer has paid bills for service for 12
consecutive residential billings without having service
disconnected for nonpayment of bills and without having
more than two occasions in which a bill was delinquent,
and when the customer is not delinquent in the payment
of current bills, the utility shall void and return any
documents or letters of guarantee placed with the
utility to the guarantor.
Of course this is the (old?) law in TEXAS, and your state may have
different regs. It is worth investigating.
UUCP: ...!crash!pnet01!pro-party!blake
Internet: blake@pro-party.cts.com
Blake Farenthold | Voice: 800/880-1890 | MCI: BFARENTHOLD
1200 MBank North | Fax: 512/889-8686 | CIS: 70070,521
Corpus Christi, TX 78471 | BBS: 512/882-1899 | GEnie: BLAKE
[Moderator's Note: Like yourself, I've had service in my name with
Illinois Bell for almost thirty years. When my first phone was
installed, they were not even requiring deposits in those days. PT]