How NOT to handle an expired card

[wolfie]

Every time I get a replacement credit card, there's one place I forget to provide the information to - this time it was my ISP (mea culpa). I don't use e-mail much (over a month since I last checked), so the first I saw was last night around 9 PM when the ISP disconnected me and attempts to dial in failed at the "verifying user name and password" stage. When I called tech support, I got the simple message "Goodbye". I called again this morning, and was able to get the problem corrected right away. I checked my e-mail, and there was a message saying that if I didn't update my information my service may be disconnected on or after April 17th.

Some things that could have been done better:

- Since they're the ISP, they should be able to tell when someone starts a new web session, and put up a click-through screen letting them know there's a billing issue (i.e. catch the people who don't use e-mail). When they "pull the plug", make that the only web page they can access. This page should have the contact phone number and the times when it is staffed - because after the "plug gets pulled", the customer can't go online to look up the phone number.

- When they "pull the plug", do it early in the day, NOT immediately before the support line shuts down for the night (so that someone who gets cut off, and calls in to find out why they lost service, can REACH SOMEONE WHO CAN CORRECT THE PROBLEM, rather than needing to wait until the next day.

- Note that the message said service may be disconnected on or after April 17th. I got cut off yesterday (the 13th). Check the calendar, guys.

[Dreamstalker]

Our ISP is somewhat legendary for their horrible phone service and even the automated pay-by-phone service has problems (we've gotten cut off a couple times, at least twice was due to them screwing up billing info). Our preference is to pay the bill online; how hard would it be for them to make their page the only accessible one until the issue is corrected?

The previous time we were disconnected, the letter was dated AFTER we had paid up (luckily we had confirmation numbers, but it was a somewhat epic phone fight trying to get them to believe we paid).