Don't Order Online from AT&T

I have a general disdain for my local cable company. They don't do anything too egregious, I suppose, but the way they nickel and dime customers is annoying. Currently, I have digital cable, HD service, DVR, and Internet through them to the tune of over 120 bucks a month. Recently, someone discovered that one can receive DSL through AT&T for substantially cheaper AND they also offer VoIP phone service for the same price as Vonage. (I use Vonage.) This seemed like a no brainer to me.

Through the entire process (Online and on the phone before talking to a human) AT&T urges people to order their services online to get better deals. I'm sure this is an attempt to keep call volumes low. I noticed that if you lack an AT&T land line, the DSL packages went from the 20 dollar range to the 50 dollar range. I couldn't figure out why anyone would get VoIP service from them as well, because you would still end up paying over 70 dollars for the whole package. (Why would you get a land line when you use VoIP for your phone service, outside of wanting to help out AT&T shareholders?) What's the "CallVantage®" of that, exactly?

After getting in an argument with an automated voice recognition system, it mercifully and soullessly transferred me to a warm body. She was kind enough to inform me that they don't even offer VoIP, because they were still operating on SBC's system.

Confused about how SBC and AT&T are related? Let Stephen Colbert explain:

Deregulation Sucks! | Send To Friends | Animated Cartoons at JibJab

If I would have taken AT&T/SBC/Cingular/Whatever's advice and just ordered online, I would have had to have gone through the hassle of not only disconnecting my previous services, but then sending all of AT&T's shit back AND resigning up for all the old ones. Fuck off, AT&T.