TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A 93-year-old Eastside resident says she has been dealing with an unreliable landline for nearly three years, leaving her frustrated and looking for answers.
Mary Grace has kept track of the times her phone connection has become unstable. She says the problems have included static and periods when she could not count on the phone working properly.
"Tomorrow the phone could go out for a few hours, you don't know," Mary Grace explains.
She says she has continued paying more than $100 a month for her CenturyLink service throughout the problems.
“Why did they fail me when my bills are paid?”
For Mary Grace, having a dependable phone is especially important. “I think that they have failed me very much, and I don't know if I'm the only one that they've failed, and at my age, I need a phone. I need something that's dependable.”
In October of 2023, Mary Grace says a temporary line was placed in her backyard. Initially, she felt it was very unsafe. If it were windy, the line would become unstable. "I'm gonna say about a year later that the phone went out again for an extended period of time, and the second technician that came for the second time of it being out then secured it," she explains, "now it's a bit more secured with bricks and rocks on top of the line."
Her daughter, Geri, says the situation has raised concerns beyond the inconvenience of a faulty service. Geri says she worries about what could happen if her mother needs to make an important call and cannot rely on her landline.
“I think it's also a big safety issue for my mom as a senior citizen that she has, you know, a dependable way to communicate that she's comfortable with," Geri explains.
I reached out several times to CenturyLink about Mary Grace’s experience and concerns, but the company has not responded.
Geri says the lack of communication has added to the family’s frustration.
“No courtesy phone call back to talk with the manager or to hear what my mom has to say, that this is what's going on, or to even say hey, we’re working on it," Geri explains.
"I don't want to have to change my number at the doctor's offices and change my number at the bank and change my number at all these places," Mary Grace explains. But she's reaching a point where they are considering switching phone companies now.
For help navigating the situation, I reached out to the Pima Council on Aging (PCOA), which works with older adults and their families on issues that can affect their daily lives.
Sarah Lahiff is the Community Resources and Benefits Manager at PCOA. She says having someone help navigate a difficult situation can make a huge difference.
Lahiff also says older adults should speak up when they encounter problems with businesses or services.
“I encourage older adults to advocate for themselves; to have their voice be heard, to have the potential for systemic change within companies and businesses that they're encountering for both themselves and for potentially other older adults in the community," Lahiff says.
As of September 18, Geri says her mother does not have a working phone line and has not heard from CenturyLink for weeks. Geri says she scheduled an appointment with the company for Sep. 26, the earliest option available.
KGUN 9 will continue to follow this story.
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Athena Kehoe is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2024 after graduating from Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Athena by emailing athena.kehoe@kgun9.com or by connecting on X/Twitter.
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