Fighting the Lernaean Hydra

In Greek mythology, Lernaea Hydra, was a serpentine water monster that possessed many heads. The half-god and hero Hercules,  was sent to kill it as part of his 12 Labors. Only he could perform such a task, because for every head that was chopped off, the Hydra would regrow two heads.

Oh my dear friends, for some months now, I feel that I am also fighting a monster like the Hydra that regenarates heads, without an end:

It all started in the beginning of the summer, when my parents decided to discontinue their internet connection at home. It took my mother several visits to the telephone company offices to have her request registered. Each time, she would go there (by bus, under high temperatures, in the town next to hers) they would send her away without giving her any proof that her request was registered.  I later realized that they were avoiding to do it, in order to keep on charging for the unwanted internet service! In order to send her away, they would tell her that they would call her on her mobile phone later in the day to confirm her request. And so, each time, they would ring her once and hang up! That obliged my mother to call them back so that she gets charged for the calls! “Things will be settled within 10 days” was what she was told every time. But things never did. My mother had to take several pills to tackle her high pressure throughout the summer. Her request was finally recorded at the end of July.

Nothing happened for weeks. One day in September, my parents told me, exasperated, that their fixed line had stopped working all together. I spent 3,5 hours talking (on my mobile phone) with the telephone company. They informed me that they had closed the case since they had discontinued the internet – 39 days after the application was registered. Their slow implementation meant extra months of charging! “But the phone is not working” I told the technician on the other line. “This is because your parents telephone line is damaged. I will register an official request to have it fixed” he responded. In the meantime, my parents have been receiving telephone bills with full charge. I requested a reversal of the charges. ” You have to call another department to discuss this” I was told. And the bills keep coming!

Two days later, someone called (always someone different) to inform me that the damage had been repaired. He hung up without waiting for verification. His claim wasn’t true since my parents phone still didn’t work! I had to make another call (again talking for hours – one “responsible” passing me to the other). To my surprise, they had closed the case “as solved”. I had to file a new request to ask for the damage – which was never repaired – to be repaired again! I also asked to register an official complaint. They didn’t like the idea and tried to lure me by offering some free time on my father’s mobile phone. They passed me on to talk to several people until I had my complaint registered. I told them what exactly to write and took the incident number.  Then, I heard nothing for days. My parents phone kept on being dead.

I have been calling every few days (of endless talking hours), using my mobile, to request the status of the repair. When I gave my compaint number, I felt that something was rong. I asked the person on the other line to read to me what was written on my complaint, To my surprise, they had not written what I had asked for! I therefore had to ask for a new compaint to be opened! By now, I have lost track of how many complaints and incident numbers we have opened!

This is because, every time I talk, a new Hydra head comes up:

First, I was told that it was due to a damage of the specific line. Another day the problem was due to a more general damage that affected an entire network of cables and impacted more telephone lines. (Needless to say that my mother asked in the neighbourhood: noone else seems to have any problems with their telephone lines). Later on, I was told that they had to get approval to order new cables. As of yesterday – 80 days on – I was told that they are waiting for approval from the archaelogists to be allowed to excavate!!!! My parents live in this house for the past 60 years – no arcaeologists have ever been involved in any cable excavation!! Why now?

Please, someone needs to find Hercules to kill this monster!!!