Verizon madness

So I'm using Verizon's on-line configurator to get my new phone. At first, it looks like a pretty good system. It gives me all the options for the packages, or I can pick a-la-carte. Great. I pick a plan that gives you three "goodies," and the configurator automatically picks CallerID, home voice mail, and call waiting. Fine. I click continue. Nope -- in big red ERROR letters, it says I can't hve home voice mail unless I pick call fowarding. So why the hell does it pick those thre for you? Fine, I deselect call waiting, and select call forwarding. ERROR. You must select call forwarding! Um, I did... there appears to be no way out, so I deselect all of the options. The configurator happily allows me to continue... well, this won't work, so I try again. Eventually, after maybe five attempts, I am able to select voice mail, callerID, and call forwarding. Why the hell don't they just automtically check those boxes in the first place? Why needlessly make the customer jump through hoops?

I realize Verizon is a monopoly, and thus doesn't give a rat's arse if the customer is happy or not, but really, that's no reason to rub it in...