Telephone Calling Card

I've had the same Calling Card for almost 10 years.   I  LOVE that card.    I can go to Walmart, give them $5 and they give me a bunch of minutes.   They don't charge me minutes JUST for using it, I have the bunch of numbers we have to key in all memorized so I can use it when I'd rather not use my cell phone and Ted has it all set in my phone I use here at home so I just push two buttons and then dial the number I want to call.

BUT...two weeks ago I went to get it filled, gave them my $5 for 100 minutes and when I got home went to make a call and it said I only had 50 minutes.    OOPS!!!!   Somethings wrong here.

So I get on line and check my calling card number and pin number and it tells me I have 309 minutes.   THAT'S NOT RIGHT EITHER.

The next day I drove to Lewisburg and had the girl in the AT&T office check it and she said it told her I had 109 minutes.    That sounded about right so I figured it had corrected itself.

I got home, went to make a call and was told I had 32 minutes.   SO...went back to Walmart and they put 100 more minutes on the card for me but when I got home and went to use it I still only had 32 minutes.

SO...yesterday I went to buy a new calling card.   They range anywhere from $10 to $65 and most of them have a set number of minutes on them and expire after 30 days.    NO, NO, NO.

When I got home I figured I'd just have to learn to use my cell phone more but then realized Ted still has his AT & T calling card and they keep telling us when we make a call we can get more minutes over the phone just by pushing the LB key and then 3 or something.   I've never done this but why would they do that if they were closing out this wonderful calling card?

SO...today I FINALLY found a phone number to call for customer help on the CALLING CARD page of the Internet but was asked to pick out the department I wanted from at least four offered, then had to give them my home phone number (it isn't even with AT & T), then my address and zip code and my cell number that's not AT & T either.   I FINALLY got to a stage that they said they would have a representative help me but they were experiencing a high volume of calls and to please hold - then some LOUD rock and roll music came on and nearly ruined the little hearing I have left.

I held for 5 minutes but wanted my land line open because we were expecting a call and so I hung up.  

WHY can't we just get SOMEONE to answer the phone when we call?    I know, it progress and people cost money but is there something left out there called SERVICE?