Time to Change Some Laws

Regarding my last post about DirecTV and their abuse of power, I believe very strongly that it is time for changes in the laws (or maybe new regulations, if there aren't any) regulating all telecommunications companies. All companies that require customers to sign long-term contracts and require us to give them our credit card numbers before service is initiated whether satellite TV or cell phone, internet or wi-fi, are allowed too much power over us; and this needs to change. 

There is entirely too much room for abuse of that power and the companies are all too willing to take advantage of that room. I certainly have experienced this and am told by a friend that she was a victim of the same wrongs by one of DirecTV's competitors. Although that company claimed it was a "glitch" in their system which caused them to repeatedly double the amounts which they took from her. Uh Huh.

Sorry, but NO company should have the right of access to our private bank accounts. In my opinion, it is no less than extortion to demand free access to our money before giving any service. This takes away our right of choice, our right to decide whether or not we want to go on with a so-called service that we may feel has been misrepresented, or has declined in quality of product. It even takes away our right to dispute erroneous charges or fees if the company can just say, "You know what? You don't want to pay what we tell you to, we'll just take it anyway. Nothing you can do about it." 

EVEN WHEN THEY ARE NO LONGER SUPPLYING THE SERVICE, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE SHUT IF OFF, THEY CAN STILL ,AND WILL, TAKE YOUR MONEY!!!!! 

I did not ever have automatic bill pay with DirecTV; I always sent a check each month so I was doubly shocked when I got a notice in the mail from my credit union that all my money was gone and I was $249.25 over-drawn. My first thought was that someone had stolen my account number. When I called the CU and they told me it was DirecTV, I was stunned. I couldn't believe it. 

I have filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, but discovered I am at the back of a very long line. Over 26,000 of us. The BBB does not accredit DirecTV; way too many complaints. They have been investigated and sued by the government and fined millions. And yet, are allowed to go on committing the same abuses. 

To be fair, I expect that most other same-such companies do likewise.
Still doesn't make it right. That is what my mother always said when I'd whine that all the other kids were doing it, or were allowed to do it (whatever). "Doesn't make it right" or "Doesn't mean you have to."

Yes, I know, it is just business. But these companies have the gall to talk about "Customer Care". Does anyone believe this? Do I believe that anyone at that company "cares" about what happened to me, "cares" that the amount they took from me was greater than the monthly social security stipend I live on? NO, I do not. They don't care that due to lack of work, I can no longer afford their "service." Their sole answer is always to hide behind that contract they forced me to sign. Well, never again.

I have written to the White House, my two US Senators and the two US Representatives from my state of Maine. I think we should all do this until they listen to us rather than the telecommunications lobby. 

  P.S. That amount they said they were re-crediting has not arrived yet.

STUFF and nonsense

Cloudy and cool and supposed to rain. Got new glasses today and I still have to zoom way in to see what I'm writing. Oh well. Here's what they look like:

I had to put them down on my nose in order to keep from getting light glare in the pic. Not easy to do with Photobooth.

So-o-o-o, I finally got my ebay account set up and have two items listed. They are vintage magazines, The American Woman, from 1921, published in Augusta, Maine of all places. The cover art is fantastic, wish I could post a picture, but for some reason, the upload doesn't work. Not supporting the new Photoshop software, will have to figure that out. I am still SO computer illiterate. Maybe I have to send the photos to iphoto first. Whatever. They can be found on ebay under Collectibles>vintage magazines. Worth a look.

Maybe my life can become a little less cluttered by getting rid of some of the STUFF collected over 64 years. It has to, especially since J wants to go to the auction every weekend and get more STUFF!

Queen of the hill

We are trying to introduce our cat, Lacy, the stray we took in at J's, into this house (his mother's) with his mother's cat, Kit Kat. She is about 7 and has been queen of the hill all that time and she wants nothing to do with poor Lacy. She chased Lacy into the bedroom closet and I had to chase Kit Kat out of the room. Boy, she spit and growled at me; she wanted to attack me, I could tell, but she didn't. She is quite a spitfire that one. Poor Lacy didn't come out of the back of that closet all afternoon, but she is now laying on the bed in that little room. We've closed her in there for a while on the advice of the vet. She has her own box and food/water in there. He said for about a week anyway we should do this and let them sniff each other through the doors. One door is open about an inch w/a brick doorstop on the inside holding it and the other door into the living room is a folding louvered door. Hopefully this will work. J is not very optimistic, but I think it will eventually work. I hope that it will.

If you have any advice on this venture, please, I welcome any and all.

Changes

It has been two weeks of changes, both bad and good. First, J's mother's passing and our gradual move to the homestead. Missing her keen wit and helping family members claim photos and small treasures that they or their children had given Gram. Making small changes here and there, settling in. Making big changes, moving furniture; buying a new mattress. Planning more changes; discussing renovations, a new, bigger, flatscreen TV, new microwave. Today I bought a new dishpan, but it is too big, so have to take it back and get the smaller one. I knew it was a mistake, but thought I had to try it anyway.

Last weekend, got to see a good friend whom I had not seen in over 40 years. It was a true pleasure; we are both extremely excited about the idea of seeing each other much more often now that she and her husband have built a second home (their retirement home) in the area. The timing couldn't be more perfect as I've lost two good friends in the past two years, so it is especially gratifying to reconnect with an old friend and one that I loved so much. Life is good. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.