CenturyLink Sucks! ...So I wrote my congressman about it.

11/10/11

Dear Representative Platts,

I hate to bother you about something so trivial when you are faced with so many serious problems in Washington today, but this has really become a bur under my saddle.
Back in July of 2010 I tried to “port” my home phone number from our local phone service provider, CenturyLink, to Vonage. Although I followed all instructions from both companies my original phone number was never “ported”.
Vonage informed me that they had done everything they could to get CenturyLink to release my phone number but that CenturyLink refused to do so. After getting nowhere with CenturyLink myself, despite several attempts, I became frustrated and threatened to file a complaint with the FCC. CenturyLink's response to that threat could best be described as taunting. They encouraged/dared me to file a complaint as they referred to the person I would be dealing with at the FCC by her first name, “Sharon”.
Sure enough, “Sharon” was less than sympathetic to my plight and took CenturyLink's side without any clear explanation of why CenturyLink should be exempt from the Phone Portability Act or why the provisions of said Act would not apply to me & my phone number.
I was provided with the option of taking this all to the next level which, Sharon informed me, would involve a filing fee. Well, I wish I had taken it to the next level but I didn't and now the time limit has expired on that option.
Now, to add insult to injury, I recently called CenturyLink to see about changing my phone service back to them because of problems with Vonage and they wanted $90 from me to “port” my current phone number back to them!
I've included letters I got from CenturyLink and the FCC for reference. They seem to assert that I didn't have a phone number with CenturyLink to be “ported”. That, of course, is absurd and can be quickly refuted by my own records (see included documentation).
Anyway, I just think that any money that we, the taxpayers, are spending on the enforcement of the Phone Portability Act is being wasted. The most disturbing element of this experience was the obviously cozy relationship between the people at CenturyLink and Sharon Bowers at the FCC. So, if you could possibly have her fired, that would be great and I will vote for you forever.