Lingo won't let go

hen in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the bands which have connected them with a VOIP (internet phone) and to assume among the powers of the earth, the station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to cancel the service.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, Lingo, a VoIP (Voice over IP) provider in the United States owned by Primus Telecom a telecommunications provider which went bankrupt on March 16, 2009, has terrible company policies, and chooses to punish those who decide terminate their services.

We the People of the St. Louis Mennonite Voluntary Service unit, in order to reduce costs,  to eliminate an underutilized service, and focus on a bold new future of using Google Voice (hey if they are going to take over the world at least they organized) establish that it was necessary to cancel our Lingo account.

Phone companies are instituted among Men and Women, deriving their just powers from the consent of their customers — That whenever any telecommunication company becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the St. Louis MVS Unit to alter or to abolish it.

The history of Lingo's customer service is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over customers. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.  Lingo's tyrannical and oppressive customer service is egregious and well documented. 

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: we have tried to cancel our service but could not do so online,  experienced long delays and disconnections while trying to cancel our service over the phone.  When we reached the Billing Department they too have been deaf to the voice of justice and simply transfered us to the Cancellation Department where we were subjected to further delays and swing music. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of St. Louis Mennonite Voluntary Servic solemnly publish and declare, That this unit is, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent from Lingo, that we are Absolved from all Allegiance to Lingo, and that all telecommunication connections between us and Lingo, is and ought to be totally dissolved. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

-The St. Louis Mennonite Voluntary Service Unit

Okay so, perhaps we plagiarized a bit, so here's what we actually sent them.  In our attempts to have our  service canceled we forced to listen to swing music and we were hung up on several times but hey maybe it wasn't their fault.  Maybe the phone company just had a connection problem.  Oh wait they are the phone company.  We did  eventually get our service canceled but unfortunately, we had already made the decision to publicly badmouth this company.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I was not pleased with the Lingo cancellation process.  I had significant delays while I was waiting to speak to Lingo representatives and I was hung up on two times.  Furthermore, it was disappointing to not have the option of canceling online. 

I would like to commend the people who were answering the phones as when I actually was able to speak with representatives, they were courteous and handled my misplaced anger professionally.  My dissatisfaction is with the company policies that discourage helping customers that are leaving your service.  I can assure you that I will never consider using your products again and I will do my best to ensure that I tell as many people as possible about my dissatisfaction with your company.

Sincerely,


Steve Eigsti