Telco DSL Never a Scam

Reader, an SBC employee, replies to editorial comment criticizing telco DSL deployments and customer service.

[Response to The DSL Monster Scam from March 14, 2001.]

[March 18, 2002]

Dear Editors:

As an employee of SBC-Advanced Solutions Inc. and an active member of Broadband Reports (formerly DSLReports) I applaud Mr. Alex Goldman on his investigative and informational report on DSLMonster. The site and its promises had been under heavy scrutiny since its inception, with due regard. I'm very glad (although I do feel sorry for those unfortunate persons who were "duped" by this scam) that the truth about the scam has been revealed.

I, however, want to express my concern about Mr. Goldman's deflection from an "investigative" report, to an 'Editorial" report. While I fully understand that there have been many obstacles faced by any DSL provider, I feel that Mr. Goldman overstepped his bounds on this latest report and I quote:

"Of course, there's another vital issue here. If the local phone companies provided better service than the service provided by this scam operation, the scam would not have been possible. Anyone who lost $129 on DSL they'll never get is still better off than someone who paid $300 to sign up for DSL and then another $500 to cancel five months later after receiving nothing."

Please let me go on record as saying that I, as well as my fellow employees and our management, have very often gone beyond and above obligations, as a DSL provider or an ISP, to ensure that our customers are satisfied and happy with their Internet connection.

There has never, and I repeat, never been a situation where a customer has spent $800.00 to "try" to get a DSL connection to where the customer was not reimbursed for all expenses when the connection was finally found to be unworkable. I do realise that there have been many problems with the different billing organizations and work units involved, as well as the time length to get these problems resolved, but they have and will be continually be resolved in the timeliest manner allowed.

I would enjoy your response, as well as a direct communication from Mr. Goldman concerning my views and rebuttal. Please keep in mind I'm not addressing Mr. Goldman's reporting as a journalist, just his diversion into an "Editorial" stance into the state of local telco providings as a whole.

Regards,

Kenneth McAdams
Data Services Technician
SBC-Advanced Solutions Inc. (LFO-Houston)