CLAMP Campus Adventures

Showing the apartment to two more people today. One at 11 am and one at noon. Then I’m going to Rebecca’s scrap book thingie. Before all that I need to go to the bank and cash the rest of my bonds. This will put enough in the account that I can see what I’m going to need from the Smith Salomon Barney accounts. That is, if I can get the mortgage company to give me a solid figure on how much closing will cost me. Then I need to add money for my lawyer, and money for moving to that mix. I’m going to go with a solid $1500 estimate on the moving. Just so I have enough. I also need money to buy the paint, rollers, etc for painting. I’ve decided to have the party on April 13. That’s 7 days before I move in and 1 day after the phone will be activated. I have my new phone number now too.

So, I’m switching DSL providers. Why? Well….

Mindspring:
Elana: Hello, I’d like to relocate my service since I’m moving.
Operator: How long have you had our service?
Elana: 2 years
Operator: That costs $100 (on top of the $49.95/mo I pay now) and you’ll have to commit to another 1 year contract. However, if you like we can downgrade your service to dial-up for a few weeks and then upgrade it again.
Elana: Wait a minute. I’m putting in this order now so that when I move, I have a minimum loss of connectivity!
Operator: Oh, but we need your first month’s phone bill before we can even initiate a transaction for DSL.
Elana: What?! I didn’t need that when I connected in the first place! That means it’ll be at least a month on dial-up. That’s ridiculous when I just called the phone company and got the number!
Operator: Well, that’s our policy.
Elana: Well, I’m going to give Verizon a call and use their service then.
Operator: But I’m trying to help you! They’re going to make you wait too!
Elana: Yeah, right. Good-bye
<She’s trying to say something else at this point, but I’m already hanging up… click>

Verizon:
Elana: Hello, I just called to get my phone number for my new residency and since Earthlink was giving me a hard time about moving my current service, I wanted to see how long it’ll take you to set up DSL service at my new address.
Operator: I’d be happy to help you with that! What’s you’re new phone number?
<I tell him>
Operator: Just give me a moment to look it up……
…..
…..
Operator: Looks like you’re okay to go. Here’s how it works. When you have your line turned on, we run a test through the lines. At that point, when it passes, which it most likely will, we send you a free modem and the opportunity to select a digital camera or other $80 gift of your choice. Within 8 - 10 days you’ll get the modem and an email that says how you can activate it. You install the software and you should be good to go.
Elana: That puts me at about my moving date! That’s great!
Operator: We’re also offering a special deal. Your first 3 months will be $39.95 and after that you go up to $49.95/mo. If you’re dissatisfied with our service after the first month, you can cancel it at anytime without paying a thing. You must also return the modem in the self-addressed stamped envelope that well provide or be charged $150. We won’t make you sign a 1 year contract.
Elana: Sounds great to me. Sign me up.
<I sign up. I have to choose between Qwest and Genuity as my general providor… I choose Genuity as I got a lot of Not Qwest! responses when I asked online. I hang up happier.>

So, the bad news is that my email will change again. The good news is that I’ll have less of a hassel and I’ll probably keep my Mindspring accounts active through mid-May. I’m going to need to transfer my webpage data to Verizon’s pages anyhow.

And that’s… the rest of the story.