BGE SUCKS ! (article) by Tom Hyland on AuthorsDen

These Greedy Suckers add every imaginable 'line item' they can to your Utility bills, Screw the Public, and the so-called 'Public Service Commission' does absolutely NOTHING to Protect the Public! 'What a Country!' The PIC? As they are all in 'CAHOOTS' with one another, I call this 'The DOOM'S-DAY DOME!' P.S. Since posting this 4 days ago, sent 2 more emails to BGE - with copies to 2 Senators, the PSC, and the Consumer Advocate's Office of The Attorney General of MD. BGE has countered with 2 emails of apology & instructions - WHICH STILL DO NOT WORK! Upon return from work tonight, a phone message from another BGE Supervisor, who is supposed to call me in the am ... BGE SUCKS! © - Tom Hyland - 11/5/11 And yet another ‘run-in’ with the Wonders of Corporate America’s ASININITY! BGE stands for Baltimore Gas & Electric Company, our local ‘Rip-Off’ Artists here in Maryland ... For many years now, I have been paying my monthly bill ONLINE, with only a few infrequent problems. On October 29th, I went online to make my payment, but ALAS - the incomparable, magnificent Corporation decided to IMPROVE SECURITY by setting up a new system! After entering my ID, which is already in their Database, and therefore recognized, the very next step required was for me to answer a personal question ... “What was the name of your First pet?” HUH? If I had never ever entered such an answer previously, how in the HELL could their system Verify ANY answer? But I did try - When I was a young teenager of about 14, I had a parakeet, so I entered Pete - WRONG! Then tried Petey - WRONG! DUH? Then, I thought ‘maybe using my Last pet’s name might work?’ So, I entered Heather, my Lab/Doberman mix dog, who has rested in Heaven for several years now - WRONG! What to do? I thought that just maybe, as it was a ‘New & Improved’ system, I might have to actually REGISTER again, so I attempted THAT process. After taking the time to complete ALL the information: Name, Street Address, City, State, Zip, Email address, Confirm same, Phone number, et cetera - I clicked whatever button Submit/Continue was there, and VOILA! A RED ERROR CODE APPEARED! My ‘Catch-a-ma-what-a-call-it IMAGE’ ... DID NOT MATCH! Don’t remember the stupid name, as I had never ever heard of it before! Went back, reviewed all data entered, and tried Again - SAME ERROR! Then noticed at the bottom that I had USED 1 of 5 attempts! Tried again, to no avail. Then, carefully scanned the entire page, right to left, top to bottom - there was NO BOX present anywhere to type in anything, to confirm anything. Gave up in Disgust. Found a ‘CONTACT US’ button, and sent 2 different Email complaints, to 2 different Departments, expressing my complaint. On October 30th, late at night, tried again - exact same scenario was repeated. My Due Date of payment was November 1st, and I was concerned. I was not about to PAY any ‘Late Charge’ for BGE’s Incompetence! By now, you may be aware that I am a ‘Man of Principle’ ... On October 31st, ‘All Hallow’s Eve’ or Halloween, I returned yet again, determined that I was intelligent enough to figure this ‘problem’ out - BUT ... Exact Same results (am I the insane one?) - after trying 5 Times, I WAS LOCKED OUT OF MY OWN ACCOUNT! The site told me I Had to call and speak to a SUPERVISOR! Was it the fault of the HOBGOBLINS? After holding, I finally reached a human being, a lady named NICKEY - she got my account up on her screen, and I was still Online via my Land-Line. There was SUPPOSED to be a BOX on the screen, where you try to decipher the stupid wiggly letters and numbers, and MATCH them - but there was NONE! She walked me through various steps and procedures - Empty Cache, Reset Browser, etc. - All to No Avail - this lasted 35 minutes, which cost me $3.50 on my cell phone. I thanked her for trying, asked for BGE’s CEO name - Mr. Ken DeFontes, and bid her Adieu! This was 2:20 AM. OH - yes, she did Extend my due date until November 11th! Confirmation Number 534316635 ... how quaint - only 32 digits long! Now, Dear Friends, I AM PISSED! So, I called their 1-800-685-0123 number, November 1st, at 1:00 PM and HELD for 10 minutes (which cost me a $1 on my cell phone). But, Lo & Behold - I was told by their friendly computer-generated ‘voice’ that I could press a button, and get a ‘Call-Back’ which would maintain my order of waiting - I did so! Around 1:18 am, on November 1st, I received the return call from a M’s Martin, and asked to speak to a Supervisor, then M’s Parham listened to my sad tale of woe, confirmed that my due date had been extended to the 11th, verified my email address, and assured me that someone from the website’s Tech Support would send me an email to help me to unlock my account. It is now Saturday, November 5th, and no such email has ever been received, so I went back online, hoping they had ‘FIXED’ their screwed-up system. NOT SO! I AM STILL LOCKED OUT!. The following insert is a copy of my nasty email to BGE again: “On Nov. 1st I was PISSED, unable to PAY ONLINE because your website is SCREWED UP with the 'new & improved security measures' ... After trying in vain, for 3 days, and sending you email complaints, I WAS LOCKED OUT! I finally spoke to a Supervisor, Miss Parham, on 11/1 at 1:20 pm - She apologized, acknowledged that you were Aware of a problem with your 'system' and ASSURED me that I would receive an email from your website's Tech Support - THAT has never occurred - 4 days have Passed - I am still LOCKED OUT! My EXTENDED DEADLINE is Nov. 11 th - & now your site says ... MAINTENANCE is being done for the next 2 days! NOW I AM REALLY PISSED ! P.S. Your STUPID 32 digit ‘Confirmation’ number is absolutely ASININE ! Thank you for your submission. For your reference your confirmation number is 2e9f6852dd8e4e5283cbc7c678bbb3ad <- Brilliant, isn’t it? “ Hardheaded Irishman that I am, I called again today, at 11:43 AM - asked for a Supervisor again, and got M’s HOPE - and Boy, was she a ‘Doozey!’ As the Business Office is CLOSED on weekends (but available 24/7 M-F) - She could do NOTHING! She reminded me that I could simply MAIL my payment, I told her that I CHOOSE NOT TO! When I politely asked her if she could please NOTATE my account of my Complaint, she REFUSED to do so, only that she told me I could call back on Monday, when the Business Office was open! I SAID: “HAVE A NICE DAY M’S HOPE!” ... AND HUNG UP! SYNOPSIS? This Freakin’ Country is - “Going to Hell in a Handbasket” and ... It is ALL the Fault of CONGRESS and ... GREEDY CORPORATIONS! © - TKH. POST-SCRIPT ... Subsequently, I finally received a phone call on my cell # from BEN, a tech Support guy - we were on my cell again, for 86 MINUTES - a Cost of $8.60 to me - my Due Date was extended AGAIN to 11/30 - The next am, I spent almost an HOUR online, but it finally worked, and I Paid my bill, which was now 2 MONTHS worth! I immediately sent an Email to BGE to advise - later received a reply - yet Another Apology - but I was being CREDITED for my Cell expenses! HOT DAWG! Over TWO WEEKS - but Mission Accomplished!

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