UNLIMITED Long Distance Doesn't Necessarily Mean UNLIMITED

"Blackberry Hill" is becoming startling similar to "Green Acres". I have not had to climb a telephone pole to make a call yet and I don't much look like Ava Gabor but we are experiencing some "technical difficulties".

A couple of months ago, I tried for a couple of days in vain to get online. Then my son called the 800 number that was used for our dial-up internet connection. There was a recording that stated there was a problem with the number and could we please call back another time. We waited a few days and were still unable to get online so I called the Internet Service Provider (ISP). The guy who answered the phone replied with a slow drawl that the phone company was no longer letting their company use the toll-free number-he emailed me that information, by the way; need I remind you that I couldn't get on the internet and therefore couldn't get my mail!!?? Anyway, this made dial-up for me impossible (EVERYWHERE is long distance from Seymour).

Then I decided I would just go with AOL until the phone company makes DSL available in our area (tee hee). AOL would have a toll-free number from Smallville, USA, right? I mean, they are ubiquitous, aren't they? Well, after spending 30 minutes on the phone with a very nice and helpful man, and then installing the software, I discovered that AOL DID NOT, in fact, have a toll-free number from Seymour.

Undaunted, I remembered that I have unlimited long distance so dialing a long-distance number for internet access would most certainly not be a problem, I reasoned. Most people would have called the phone company just to make sure but, no, not me. Why do you think I love email and blogging so much? I never have to talk to anyone! I would rather spend an hour on the computer, send a few emails and blog a few lines to let my circle know what's going on in my life than spend 5 minutes on the phone! It's just so inconvenient.....[smile].

So, between my aversion to talking on the phone and my ability to convince myself with some degree of confidence that "everything will work out just fine", I started using the internet which was dialing a long-distance number each time I connected.

I don't spend much time surfing the web but the kids do. Imagine my surprise when I received our telephone bill last week. It was $799.00! Yes, that's right, $799.00! Turns out that internet connections are deemed "data calls" and don't fall under the unlimited umbrella. WHO KNEW?

There is a happy ending to this pitiful tale. The phone company felt so sorry for me and my ignorance that they decided to write off the charges. WHEW!