Furious-At-Phone-Company Rant (Lengthy)

[Nada.Leona]

I'm not sure if this is the right forum to post this in, but here goes nonetheless (please move it if it isn't).

When I was living by myself, before and I moved in together in December, I was using my phone/internet company and paying them through direct deposit. I have used this company for well over three years and as of yet have had no problem with them.

When and I moved in together, I decided to stick with my phone/internet company because the company he was with had given me serious problems beforehand (which was why I had switched to my current phone company). However, I wanted to cancel my direct deposit because, although I'd be the one making the payments and dealing with the bills that come in, he was still going to pay me half of all our bills.

So in mid-December, I called my phone company and made a request for my old apartment's account to be closed and a new account set up at my new apartment. The rep I spoke with didn't give me her name, told me there would be no charge to the change of accounts, and that there would be a technician at my apartment two days later at a specific time. So arranged to come in late for work, and thus begins the saga.

The technician never showed up, which of course infuriated (and so he should be). So I called them back. There was absolutely no record of the call I made whatsoever on their records of my account. There was supposed to be a charge to cancel my old account and restart a new one, and there should never have been a specific time given to me to expect this technician. Because of this inconvenience (if you call missing two hours of pay an "inconvenience" -- we call it a waste of our time and a financial loss) we were told that the cost to us for the technician's service would not be billed to us. So I again placed an order to have my account switched to my new apartment, I again specified that I didn't want direct deposit on this new account, I again specified that I wanted my old account closed, and that was the end of it. I was again given a date that the technician would show, and a much broader timeframe (within 6 hours) to expect him. So again, arranged to come in later for work, and we waited.

Fortuneately, this time the technician did show up. So was able to go into work about an hour late. So by now they've cost us three hours of work. Guestimating that makes about $7/hr. after deductions, that's $21.00 out of pocket for us.

I received a bill for December on Dec. 30th. It was the normal price, $46.25. On Jan. 11th, I paid it (I know because I wrote that on my bill) through internet banking.

On Jan. 3rd, I received a second bill. This time, it said I owed $92.50. Confused as to why the bill was so high, I called the phone/internet company and asked what was going on. I had assumed that they had signed me up for the wrong phone package (mine is the cheapest available from them) and it could simply be switched.

I was informed that my payment of $46.25 had not been processed yet, but that that payment would go onto my account, and that I would only owe $46.25. I still didn't understand why this was the case, but assumed that they must've been correct, and I let it go. (Will NEVER do THAT again ).

ON Jan. 10th, I received a third bill, totalling $93.xx (can't remember what the change amount was). Upon closer inspection, I could see that there were two bills for one account and 1 bill for a second account -- clearly my old account in my old apartment hadn't been cancelled properly. I called the phone company a third time, asking why I was receiving a bill for an account that should've been cancelled weeks ago.

I was told that my old account had not been deactivated properly, and that the payment I had made on Jan. 11th was actually on my old account's bill. So my old account was to be closed and the new account was to be credited with the payment I made on the old account, giving me a credit of $14. I actually asked her, "So I owe your company nothing?" And the representative told me that no, I was paid up until the end of Feb., and that I had a credit of $14.00. At this point, I also again confirmed that i didn't have automatic withdrawl on this account and again I was told that I didn't. Satisfied, I ended the conversation. But something in the back of my mind said hang onto those three bills, just in case.

Just in case indeed!

Today, I opened my bank account online to discover they had taken $92.50 out of my account!!!!! I was shocked and furious. I had been specifically told by the last representative that I dealt with that I would not be charged any further money and in fact I had a credit on my bloody account!!! Now I'm missing $92.50??!!!

By this time, I was beyond enraged. I took an early lunch and stormed to my cubicle where I called the phone/internet company and requested to speak to a supervisor. After twenty minutes waiting for someone, I finally reached a supervisor. I told her, "This is the fourth call I have made concerning this situation and I want it resolved before you and I end this conversation."

I then repeated, in greater detail, everything you have read up until this point. After hearing my story, the supervisor looked into my account, and said, "Yes, there are some greivous mistakes here". She told me that she would look into the matter personally and would call back to me by the end of the day.

This conversation took place roughly around 11 a.m. By 3:30 p.m. I still had not heard from her and I called her back. I received a customer service rep again, who told me she was still working on the matter and would get back to me as soon as she could. With that, I left my home and work numbers and waited, planning to really give her a blast of hell should I not hear anything from her by 6 p.m.

Well, about 5 p.m. tonight (why it took six hours I'll never know), shortly after arriving home, the supervisor called me back. She told me that she had figured out what had been wrong, that they shouldn't have taken out $92.50, that it should've only been $46.25 and that I did have direct withdrawl on my account, after being told twice that I did not.

She told me I now had my bills paid up til the end of March, but that wasn't what I wanted. I wanted my money back. Unfortuneately, that would take a lengthy process that wouldn't be worth it in the end, as I'm getting paid next week.

But I was still enraged and I lit right into her. I told her that I do not make a lot of money and am on a very strict budget. I told her that now, because of her company's incompetence, I couldn't buy food or medication for my family this weekend, as I had planned to.

For my troubles, I'm also receiving a month's free service.

Thanks.

So, now there'll be no groceries until the end of next week. I have about $20 to live on until next Thursday, when I was expecting to have well over $100. I am so angry I am crying and I'm so frustrated. I feel bad about litting into the supervisor, because it wasn't her fault, but it was so frustrating to be told, "We took your money, sorry, nothing we can do about it."

Regardless, there's very little I can do about it at this point. I may shop for another phone company, and I just tried to call her back, but she has left for the day. I was going to request that I receive written documentation that I am to receive that free month of service and that the next two are paid for. But this not only means I have no money for another week -- it also majorly screws up my budget, which I had finally gotten settled this month into something that I could live with, it means that won't get a bill of his paid off, and it means that we will have no fruits or vegetables for a whole bloody week!

I feel so defeated and wronged.

[monkeywrangler71]

Don't let them make you feel defeated

First off, the numbers don't make sense to me, shouldn't you now be paid up until mid May? If they took 2 more months worth of payments after you were already paid to the end of Feb. plus had a $14 credit? Maybe I missed something.

Second, if you want your money back, call the bank and ask if they can return the payment. I haven't worked in a bank for several years, so I don't know how or if this is done now, but I know that you used to just sign a form stating that the automatic withdrawal had been previously cancelled, and the money would be returned to your account. This may mess up whatever arrangements you made with the phone company, but that can be fixed later.

Finally, follow up in writing, include everything they did to you, everything you did to try to fix it, everything that was promised to you, and the impact that this has had in other areas of your life. Then send the letter to their head office.

Sorry, don't mean to bark orders like that, your post just got me riled up a bit.

[kaykwilts]

I would be fuming mad. Do you have any stockpile that you can live on for a while until you are able to buy groceries?

[Buckeye5]

Oh Nada, I can understand your fury!! Are you aure that you don't have Verizon??? That story sounds like something that our phone company would do. I understand how someone elses incompetencies can kill the budget and make you seeing stars!!! Just today, DH's paycheck was shorted $300 for the second time in less than 2 months. The accounting clerk forget to put his and two other workers overtime in the payroll. She said it was hidden on her desk. He works for a huge money making electrical company. I was pissed. I hope it's okay to say that on here. The company won't issue a check for it, we have to wait another 2 week pay period to receive on the next pay. I told Dh , to tell her, that she could right us a check for the amount out of her pay and wait until the next pay period to be reimbursed. I knew that wasn't going to happen, but it made me feel better to say it. So I understand how other people's mistakes can wreck havoc and make a person have their undies in a knot. Maybe you could find some fruit and vegetables in the outdated carts. I try to find stuff like that.

[Marie78]

I am sorry Naderbug, I would be furious too. It's not right that they messed up so many times and it will cost you your quality of life to make up for it. I know how frustrating it can be to do everything right on your end and still have someone mess up. It's happend to me enough times that I now expect the phone, cable, and electric company to mess up and then I am pleasantly surprised if they don't. I have moved several times in the last five years, so I don't rely on these types of companies to get my request right the first (or second) time anymore. I am sorry this happened to you and then factor in your boyfriend's missed wages. I am sending (hugs) I hope they get it right this time around

[bumplett]

ahh Nader ~ you have every right to be upset & angry -- but don't forget to let it go -- as wrong as it is, don't let the anger eat you up --

it seems to me that people just don't care about how they inconvience or hurt others -- as long as it doesn't affect them it's no big deal

you can make it!!

[Amanda W]

I would have been furious as well.

[McD]

NADERBUG: YOU ARE NOT OUT THE MONEY! Go directly to your bank. Tell the tellers/personal banker/manager/whoever, that the phone company was NOT authorized to withdraw money from your account. They should have you fill out either an ACH dispute (or something similar to that) the bank by law is required to investigate whether the phone company was authorized or not to take the money from you. In the mean time, they have to provisonally credit your account the money. What this means is that they give you the money until the investigation is settled, if by some reason the phone company convinces them they were authorized to take the money, then the bank will take the money back, but in your case I doubt that will happen.

Good luck!

[jamie79]

I hope things are ok for you

[miss_thrifty]

Nader If its Aliant, which I have delt with them many times, theyre a pain in the a**. I hope its not.
I would call them explain out who i was talking to , what time , what would be said and what they promised and still they would mess up.
Aliant kept gave me two seperate bills after a year living where i am saying they never recieved two months of pay. We laways pay ontime. I was furious. The bank wouldnt take the blame of removing the old number and account number, removed it after and the Aliant told us they have the record of the old number from the old place but it was cancelled , so it should be fine. I would tell them, that account is closed, get rid of it off our names now!!!

[Nada.Leona]

No, this is EastLink. I was so pleased with their service before this, it's a real shame. Trust me, I know all about Aliant. I didn't have service with them a full year and they screwed everything up! I finally just called them, told them (not too politely) where they could stick it, and switched to EastLink.