I started calling on Tuesday to set up new phone service. Warning, this is a long post.
I called SBC first to say that I was moving and needed to get my current service disconnected next week. They were very polite, and said that if I got my new number, it could be added to the automatic disconnected message. That seemed to be a great idea.
SBC ++
There is only one vendor available where I am moving, Alltel. Apparently the cherry picking is a lot more productive in urban areas, where you have to shoo away sales people who want you to be a customer.
Didn’t seem to be a way to set up new service online when I checked their web site. I got a live person when I called their general purpose phone number, who imediately put me on hold, where every few minutes I heard suggestions to use the web page instead. After 20 minutes, I gave up.
Alltel --
I then tried one of the customer service numbers from their web site. Must have skipped a line when I was reading their web page (remember, I have mitochodrial myopathy, eye muscles are affected too), found I called the GA number instead of the PA number (there were only 2 choices). After being on hold for over half an hour, was transferred to another on hold and got someone live after almost an hour from making the second call. I was then informed that there was no such address as 233 Cribbs Road. The person I talked to also seemed confused that the phone exchange was Elderton, but the mailing address was Rural Valley.
Alltel --
I then called home and got phone numbers of people my parents figured lived on Cribbs Road and also the phone number for the local 911 agency. I tried that first, confirmed that the listing hadn’t been changed since the week before and that what I had was correct.
My mom ++
I called Alltel again, this time got a representative who seemed to know a lot more.
Alltel ++
I was well on my way until they wanted my social security number. Since I have been having dealings with SSA lately and lots of experience setting up databases and knowing not to use social security numbers for identification, I objected, so couldn’t proceed. I got a work order number and gave up.
Alltel --
I checked the Social Security Administration and Homeland Security web sites that evening to make sure the government hadn’t changed policies. They hadn’t. Officially, social security numbers are for use by the Social Security Administration for determining benefits. The IRS (and employers) piggyback on that. Some governent bodies can require giving a social security number for getting licenses, but that is not for indentification, but to find people who are delinquent for child support.
Federal Government ++
Yesterday morning, I tried calling Alltel one more time, this time didn’t have to wait on hold nearly so long, but got the same story about how they needed my social security number for identification, credit check, preventing fraud, etc.
Alltel --
I asked to talk to someone who knew about legal matters, got a supervisor then got transferred to someone who realized I was saying that what they were requiring was illegal. That representative said that people not wanting to give out social security numbers was quite reasonable given the problems with identity theft.
Alltel ++
But, they still needed the last four digits to proceed. Flash of insight, earlier in the day SBC (current vendor) asked for the last four digits of my social security number as identification, but I didn’t remember ever giving it to them. Apparently Alltel had it on their system too. Wonder how many other private corporations have them already?
Here is the icing on the cake, after I gave the last four digits, I had the option to choose a new PIN.
Alltel ++
The customer service representative suggested using my birthday.
Alltel --
Personal privacy and security --
AAARRRGGHHH!
Maybe I should have been looking for security jobs at phone companies all this time.
What is this ++ and -- stuff? They are increment and decrement operators in Perl. Also used in scoring experience points on Perl Monks.
Well, I got up way too early this morning. Time to get a bit more rest, then start packing again…
