New AT&T terms of service: We'll cut off your Internet connection for criticizing us

Sounds like Hitler days are back to stay.

So, just go with another internet company. Looks like it wouldn't make really good business sense to piss off customers when there are so many other options.

Especially when they aren't the best service in the area...

Haven't you ever seen a sign on a store door that says, "we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone"?

There you go. Businesses have the right to decide who they want to do business with. If you don't like it, head on down to the next service provider.

My personal choice is satellite internet from HughesNet. A little pricey, but doesn't rely on wires at all, except those in my house, and when we return to Alabama we don't have to worry about whether or not we can get service.

quote:

Originally posted by PBA:
Sounds like Hitler days are back to stay.

LOL PBA, it IS true, we are NOT "WE THE PEOPLE" anymore, and probably never will be again. SAD BUT TRUE.

quote:

Originally posted by Sassy Kims:
Haven't you ever seen a sign on a store door that says, "we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone"?

There you go. Businesses have the right to decide who they want to do business with. If you don't like it, head on down to the next service provider.

Let them refuse business to the very people who PAY them and then exercise their RIGHT to voice complaints, won't be long before there is NO AT&T.

They are NOT the only game in town, lol.

quote:

Originally posted by Kindred_Spirit:

quote:

Originally posted by Sassy Kims:
Haven't you ever seen a sign on a store door that says, "we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone"?

There you go. Businesses have the right to decide who they want to do business with. If you don't like it, head on down to the next service provider.

Let them refuse business to the very people who PAY them and then exercise their RIGHT to voice complaints, won't be long before there is NO AT&T.

They are NOT the only game in town, lol.

K.S. AT&T, Comcast plus a few others will control it all. Then we have to go along with what they ask to get service. So many wrote to congress and ask them not to give these compaines so much power, but not enough seem to care, so now they have this power.Thanks to the American people.

quote:

Originally posted by Kindred_Spirit:

quote:

Originally posted by Sassy Kims:
Haven't you ever seen a sign on a store door that says, "we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone"?

There you go. Businesses have the right to decide who they want to do business with. If you don't like it, head on down to the next service provider.

Let them refuse business to the very people who PAY them and then exercise their RIGHT to voice complaints, won't be long before there is NO AT&T.

They are NOT the only game in town, lol.

And that's the way it's supposed to work. If they can't satisfy the needs of their customers, then the customers will go elsewhere.

But, they have a right to operate their business as they see fit...even if the way they operate it is a losing proposition that drives the customers away. It's their choice. And they are not the first big corporation that has made bad choices (Remember "New Coke"). And they won't be the last.

The right to criticize has the same basis as the right to believe.

If our right wing friends lost their right to criticize anyone or body or thing they would start a protest.

In the past, ATT has had a long career attempting to control everything . Yea, I know , this is a new and different ATT, but following is a short history lesson in case you are interested.

RKO- You may have seen on old re-runs of movies or shows that show a broadcast tower on top of a globe that says RKO General. This was a branch of ATT which back in the day provided the wired link between a radio studio and the broadcast tower. ATT would refuse to provide the link unless they had a contoling interest in the radio station. Same with early TV. As fate would have it, microwave links were developed which could by-pass the ATT wires, and that attempt at control went away.

Carterphone Decision- In 1968 a man named Carter had a mother who was hard of hearing. Being somwhat of a tinkerer, he made a small amplifier, which could be put on the earpiece of a telephone , and held on with an elastic band. There was NO electrical connection between the telephone and the amplifier. It worked well, and he began to market these amplifiers Called Hushaphones . ATT filed suite in 1968 against Mr Carter on the basis that attaching something to a telephone had the potential to damage their entire network. The court finally ruled in favor of Carter.

MCI- Along about the same time, a man who owned a trucking company in Chicago , and had a fleet of trucks which he dispatched to St. Louis regurally, had a problem. After the trucks were a distance from Chicago, he could not communicate with thim via radio. His truckers had to make calls along the road to get their orders. Someone told the owner, that he could put up relay towers along I55 and therefore could stay in radio contact with his trucks all the way to St Louis. He decided to build these radio relay towers. ATT filed suite against him, stating (in their arrogance) that NOBODY, but ATT and ATT alone had the right to put up radio relay towers. The trucker went to court, and although he had to sell shares in his company in order to fight ATT in court, he ultimately won. He then decided to re-sell long distance services to try to re-coop his losses. Called his company Microwave Communications Inc (MCI). This is the very decision handed down by Judge Green which caused the breakup of ATT (the term they used was "disaggregation"

I said all that to say, that ATT has a LONG record of trying to rule and control everything. At every turn , it has come back to bite them. This will also, but it will probably take a while.

I remember when they would only let AT&T answering machines on their phones -- phones only had the headset resting in the machine. Courts blew that out of the water. Arrogant and stupid is no way to go thru life.

Anyone remember when, if using OTHER than a Bell/ATT phone, you had to call the FCC and give them the serial number of the phone?

My friend refers to them as "the evilness that is AT & T".

when they took over bellsouth, we had a mix up at the house and the bill was 2 weeks late being paid. we were disconnected, and informed that we couldn't just pay the bill. we were expected to sign a new contract and pay close to $300 to "start all over again, with AT&T". I'm no longer a customer of AT&T, and couldn't be happier!