Elderly Woman Subscribes to DSL Without Knowing It

Like many people, Lisa Reagan and her sister handle all their elderly mother`s bills because she is no longer able to do it on her own. That`s why the family was so suprised when they found out their mother was signed up for Bellsouth DSL, especially considering that she lives in a nursing home and has never used a computer. Reagan says she can`t believe a mistake like this slipped right past her. "Mama said oh look Donna got me cable and pulled out a box. I said Mama that`s not cable, that`s a DSL modem," Reagan said. Apparently, the box had been sitting under her mother`s bed for months. Somehow, Reagan`s mother, Donnie Gowens, who has had 5 strokes and lives in a Shreveport nursing home, had been signed up for BellSouth DSL internet without even knowing it. "She couldn`t use a computer if you put her in front of one and told her what to do," Reagan said. Reagan and her sister did some investigating of their own and discovered their mother had been a subscriber for months, and the family was paying for it. "My sister couldn`t figure out why she had been paying out more than $80 every month," Reagan said. She says Bellsouth owes them at least $200 for a service she never ordered and her mother never used. Now, she`s trying to figure out how this happened. Bellsouth officials say they cannot discuss the details of the account but assure us the family will be credited for the DSL charges. Reagan and her family just hope this kind of mistake never gets past them again. Bellsouth is still investigating the situation. Officials say one way to avoid mistakes like this is to place a password on your account and inform the company of any special circumstances, such as those in Lisa Reagan`s mother`s case, in relation to the bill.