Earlier this year, I tried out a softphone product from Primus. After several hours working with the product and waiting on hold, I was told by tech support that it was not designed for Vista, so it would not work. Since then I have worked with determination to ensure that I would not be charged for this lack of service.
2 HOURS being transferred, on hold, arguing with a manager, waiting, then being called back by the manager with apologies and the promise that all charges would be dropped.
15 MINUTES wondering why primus was leaving me automated messages with their mailing address.
30 MINUTES wondering why I received a letter stating my service (what service?) would be disrupted if I did not pay the balance owing on my account and trying to use the number provided to speak with a representative on my cell phone.
30 MINUTES calling today from my home phone, being transferred, and transferred, then finally having a credit memo applied to my account.
TOTAL OF 3 HOURS AND 15 MINUTES
The charge on my account I was fighting was $12.14. At any point in time I could have paid the small balance and been done with Primus entirely. Instead I choose to labour frustratingly through and value my time at $3.74 per hour. I would do the same again.
And oddly enough, from the horror stories I've heard from others (while I was being consoled for my subsequent Bell horror stories) most would do the same as I did.
As a business graduate, I could defend my position with the argument that I had "slack capacity" in my life, or that a penny saved is a penny earned without taxes. However, I think the overriding influence that made me do it was first the knowledge that I was in the right, second, my brute-force stubbornness, and third, my time already invested in the task.
In the end, I get to enjoy one of my life's small victories and I did save some money.
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