"Offers" from Qwest

Yeah, right.

All I want is high speed internet. All these ads on TV make it look like
Qwest has the best deal going. Ha!

There is an online promotional offer for DSL at $19.99 a month. But take a
look at what Qwest says when I tried to actually get it:

"Thank you for using Qwest.com. A Sales and Service Consultant will be with
you in a moment. Currently, your estimated wait time is 1 minutes and 22
seconds.
Thank you for contacting Qwest. My name is Jay. How may I help you today?
Chris: I want your online DSL special, but it won't accept my address
because there hasn't been quest service there
Chris: the previous owners had Comcast telephone service
Chris: I've already called your new service people, and they've assured me
that DSL is avaialble
Jay: There has been no Qwest service at the residence previously? Not even
local service?
Chris: Yes, over five years ago.
Chris: the address is [snip]
Jay: So currently the local service is with Comcast also, I assume?
Chris: Was. The previous owners just had it disconnected.
Chris: prior to that, they had Qwest. I know this, because I'm related to
them, and know the history of the house.
Jay: That is where you are going to run into problems. To receive the
promotional pricing on the DSL you would need to have a local service.
Chris: why?
Chris: what is the price without phone service?
Jay: the Price for the DSL Deluxe as a stand alone service is $49.99 per
month plus taxes and surcharges.
Chris: Fifty flipping dollars?
Chris: let me get this straight...if I get your basic phone service at
$14.88, then I can have the promotional price?
Jay: If you subscribe to basic local service, you would receive the
promotional price of $24.99, if you add a qualifying package to the local
service you would receive the promotional price of $19.99.
Jay: Please click here for a description of the Qwest Choice Home package.
Jay: Please click here for a description of the Qwest Choice Home Plus
Package.
Chris: So, with a phone line it's $40 a month, without one it's $10 a month
higher?
Chris: that doesn't make any sense. All I want is high speed internet.
Jay: I will be right with you.
Jay: There are price breaks for having multiple services.
Chris: Comcast will give me highspeed internet for $42.00 a month, no extra
services required.
Chris: I don't want a phone line, I'd be paying for a service that would
allow telemarketers to call me.
Chris: So I don't see it as a price break, I see it as Qwest trying to make
me buy more than I want so they can rip me off later.
Jay: That is also a promotional offer, after the 12 months the DSL would
resume standard billing of $44.99 per month.
Chris: Which is still more expensive than Comcast.
Chris: The only reason I began looking at Qwest was because your promotional
"$19.99" pricing lasts 6 months longer than theirs, which would result in a
savings.
Chris: but you have so many restrictions on it, it basically looks like a
bait and switch to me.
Jay: I am sorry, but that is what we have to offer.
Chris: Come on, somewhere in your myriad of confusing offers there has to be
something for people who strictly want DSL and nothing more.
Jay: There are no promotions running for DSL Stand Alone accounts.
Chris: None at all?
Jay: Nne at all.
Chris: Somebody in your marketing department needs to wake up. A lot of
people are going strictly to mobile phones these days, I certainly can't be
the first
Jay: None at all.
Jay: It is $49.99 per month plus taxes and surcharges.
Chris: Now I know why everyone else in my family hates Qwest.
Chris: Thanks for nothing."