On the last week of August we noticed that there was a problem with our phone line. Our phone didn't ring. Although we could make calls without any problem, people couldn't call us.
On Friday September 1st we called Bellsouth and they told us that they would check out the problem. Notice that at this point they never mentioned any kind of charge for that service.
On Sunday September 3rd we made a trip to Charleston. When we got home at night, we found a message from Bellsouth hanging to our door. This message stated that 1) they didn't find us at home; 2) they checked out the problem and their diagnosis was that the problem was inside our home and 3) they would charge us $85 for such a diagnosis and they would apply additional charges if they come into our home in the future to actually solve the problem.
On September 4th we realized that the problem was solved: the phone was ringing again. It is very important to notice that we did not make any change whatsoever. So, we figured that whatever the people from Bellsouth did the previous day (oustide our home), it worked.
On September 5th (September 04 was labor day) I called Bellsouth asking for their message and charge. I received good news. I was told that if the people from Bellsouth did not come into my house, I would not be charged. I was explained that everything outside my home was Bellsouth's responsibility.
A few days ago I received my phone bill which includes the $85 charge in concept of maintenance labor. I checked out Bellsouth's website and I found in the service agreement section, the following passage:
BellSouth maintains all of the equipment and all of the lines up to where the telephone line connects to your home at the Network Interface Device (NID). There is no charge for repairs to this portion of your telephone service.
Why were we charged $85? Was it just for checking out the problem outside my apartment? Is it for getting an incorrect diagnosis? I did not get any coherent explanation.
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