Shorting Alltel

Note: I do not give financial advice. I do not own stock in Alltel. Or any wireless provider. However, if I did own Alltel, I would sell, and short them too. Customer Service Defined (by Alltel) I log in to pay my phone bill. Use my previously configured (and formerly working) wallet. Get a payment blocked message of some sort. Not a very informative message. I notice my address is missing the directional indicator "SW" and add that to my account. Decide to switch my wallet from the checking account to my credit card. Am told by the Alltel computer that my credit card number is invalid. The credit card that I have been using for years. That does not expire for many, many months. Re-enter. Same error message, "credit card number is invalid." Call 611 and get to an operator. Explain problem. She directs me to go to that screen (on my computer) and we try again. Same error. She says that she will transfer me to finance. I am then cut off. I call back, get another operator, and ask that he have finance call ME rather than transfer me. He says he cannot do that. But he investigates, and sees that the credit card processing system is off line for some reason. So, I remain calm and ask, "Let me just understand what is happening. Your credit card processing system is off line, so your computer tells me that my credit card number is invalid?" "Yes." I gotta say, "So, that is Alltel's idea of customer service?" He offers to take my card over the phone. Now, if the system is down, why would I give him my credit card number over the phone? I thank him for nothing, and hang up. So, I gotta ask you: "How's your company's customer service?" Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah www.ThroughputPress.com P.S. I am having trouble waiting for my iPhone with Cingular service! tag: Alltel