This sounds like it is the standard operating procedure, for BellSouth to try to rip-off customers with promises of one price, then rob them blind once they are bound under contract.

I saw advertisements for DSL Light for 24.95 per month. I called to sign up, and they would tell me that I could get the service only if I paid more than $100.00 per month. They instead wanted to sell me a bundle including their long distance, local and cellular service. I nieither needed nor wanted any of these services.

The rep offered me the DSL light (256K down) for $35.00 per month without the bundle. I went with it because it was still less than the offerings from the cable company.

I got my first bill for $49.00 per month, plus another several dollars for taxes. Plus $25.00 per month for modem rental. When I called to explain that I never heard about or agreed to any of these charges when I placed the order, the rep told me that if I didn't pay, I would loose my Internet service, be billed for late fees and early termination charges, and then get my credit report defaced.

Then three months later I got a letter in the mail from BellSouth explaining how the cost for the service would be going up AGAIN! This time, it was not a tax or government fee, they just wanted more money. The letter included a phone number that I could call to discuss the new charges, but only during a limited time in the middle of the day when I was at work and would not be able to call. But they still expect me to honor the rest of the agreement for a year of service.

Then They started billing me for long distance service that I never asked for...

I don't expect the service from the phone company to be perfect. Everyone makes mistakes, and sometimes it just takes a few minutes on the phone to correct an honest mistake. But BellSouth is using the annual contracts needed for DSL service to trap the customers into pay rates MORE THAN TWICE AS MUCH as I was paying the cable company for faster service.

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