|
Well I made the call and let them know.
So after spending 15 minutes on hold so I could explain things, then getting transfered to a supervisor, etc etc, I was informed that I "must be available from 8 am to 8 pm on December 26th or the 28th, we will let me know by 5pm of the 24th", and was then transfered once again without another chance to speak.
I told the person setting up the appointment flat out that I would not be in town from the 23rd till the 27th, and was really casual and cooperative. He inquired why he had been told to double book me, and I explained the situation. His read on the situation, as a long time employee of the company was that it was good that I phoned because they can go back up to a year with retroactive billing. It was implied that he didn't dissapprove of the fact I was getting free gas.
Incidently, I still have no moral qualms about it. I'm not about to mug an old woman's purse or anything, but I am of the opinion that this is a much greyer area. Certainly I understand why some people would think that any 'theft' is absolutly wrong and we have an entire politics forum to debate that.
The company in question is a former government owned and operated corperation and after deregulation is a virtual monopoly. Natural gas prices are literally five times what they were ten years ago (or so I'm told, I wasn't paying bills ten years ago). Now I understand basic principles of economics, but supply and demand doesn't account for econimic disparity gaps. That is to say that larger busineses are willing to pay whatever it takes, as are the oilmen and untill this last year, the cattlemen. As a somewhat less wealthy university student, I find the prices to be unfair. Enough gas to heat a small apartment from a hugely profitable and non-socially concious corperation is allright by me.
The future potential bill wasn't though, and that is why I phoned.
|