Phone service nightmare

To the editor:
    Back in November of 2008, my family and I moved across town. Part of the moving process involves switching your phone over to your new address. I called Fairpoint to schedule this, and during my call their sales rep tried to get a sale from me. He offered me a great price if I added DirecTv to my phone/Internet bundle.  The price would be good for 12 months and was too good to pass up, so I said "sure, why not." After being on hold, he informed me DirecTv requested a $200 deposit. At that point, I decided against adding satellite to my package. I told him I'd just keep the phone/Internet bundle that I had. He then told me, "Sir, I can offer you a better price if you enter into a 12-month agreement with us." The price he quoted me seemed too good to be true, so I jumped at the offer.
    For the next three months, my phone/Internet bill was lower than ever. Then in February, my bill went up without explanation or notification of such an increase. I called (and was on hold) numerous times trying to figure out why my bill had suddenly changed. If any of you have tried calling Fairpoint, you'll understand my frustration. Numerous times, I was disconnected after holding 15 minutes or more. After finally getting through to the Portland office, I was told there was nothing they could do about it. I asked to be transferred to a supervisor and was. While the supervisor was bringing up my account, I was once again disconnected. Finally, after calling and waiting on hold for another half hour, I was on the line with a supervisor again.
    I explained everything to the supervisor and she informed me that the sales rep had probably given me extra discounts which are not actually offered by Fairpoint. I told her whether or not they were offered by Fairpoint, the Fairpoint rep had given them to me and I had three bills clearly showing this. The bills clearly stated "This discount appears up to and including your Nov 24, 2009 bill". After much discussion, we agreed that a one-time $90 credit would be applied to my account. This was satisfactory.
    I recently received my April 24 bill and much to my disappointment, the credit did not show up. My bill therefore was $90 higher than expected. I again called (and was on hold with) Fairpoint. I again spoke with a supervisor ("Tommy from the Portland office"). He told me I did not talk with a supervisor because if I had it would be noted on my account. The supervisor I talked to on March 31st told me she was crediting my account and noting it on my account as well.
    Tommy would only offer me a waiver of the $80 early termination fee if I was not satisfied with my Internet. I told him my satisfaction with my Internet was not an issue and I wasn't looking to cancel. I then asked, "How can Fairpoint charge me an early termination fee if I don't honor my 12-month contract, yet Fairpoint can change their price at any time?" He informed me, "Because we are allowed to do that, sir." What a farce. I explained that all I wanted was to either have the $90 credit applied to my account, or to have my discounts put back on until November, 2009. He told me that "under our old system, reps could add bogus credits to sometimes get a sale." Under the "new system" apparently these credits are removed without notice.
    Apparently, all of the horror stories I've heard about Fairpoint Communications (Fairpoint New England) are true. I have definitely witnessed this first-hand. This afternoon, I filed complaints with both the FCC and the Better Business Bureau. Will it help me straighten out my account? Time will tell, but I doubt it. In the end, I'm probably stuck with a larger bill than I have budgeted for and there's probably nothing I can do about it.
    Excellent service, Fairpoint!
John White Jr.
Houlton