A widow in Canton, Ohio, Ester Strogen, first leased two black rotary phones in the 1960s. Although most major carriers informed their customers that they didn’t have to lease anymore back in 1985, Strogen must have missed that memo and the phone company – who was getting $29.10 a month out of this poor, harmless lady – didn’t feel like mentioning it to her.
Strogen’s family finally cancelled her lease this month and calculated that she paid $14,000 for outdated phones over the years. Apparently there are still 750,000 people still leasing. Let’s all go over to grandma’s and make sure she’s not still leasing, everyone. It’s the least we can do.
I read this article last week. Amazing. Granted, she should have read the bill, but the total cost involved is unconscionable. When asked about it, the phone company simply gave their reasons why a person might legitimately want such a service.
But to me, the most amazing thing was that the woman, when asked about her current phone, said she missed the old rotary dial. Hah!
what’s a rotary phone? … just kidding
Hey, if the widow was happy using the rotary phone, who are we (or her family) to force her to upgrade?
That said, the phone company should give her a big fat refund for shafting her for that long.
Just let her keep her rotary phone.
Amen, Bassam. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a consumer advocacy group go after the telephone company in question. That’s simply horrible!
My mother was also paying for a leased rotary phone, but it was no where in the house and she has been using a touchtone forever. When she recently passed away, I found this out and also the AT&T bills. When I contacted them to have lease agreement cancelled, I was transferred to leasing company, QTL, and was told lease could not be cancelled until phone was returned to them! Are they kidding?