I had a very similar issue with a different phone/internet company when I was on dialup.
When I called the help desk to see if they could help my suddenly-lower connection speed, the technician told me to switch the dial-up number several times. Finally she told me to leave it on one specific number. It didn’t seem to help, but every once in a while the connection speed seemed to be a few kbps better (31.2 instead of 28.8), so I left it there.
Turns out that number was a “regional toll call.” NOT long-distance, mind you, which I would have recognized by needing to dial a “1.” So until the next bill (around a month), I was dialing up and paying per-minute tolls, without any way of knowing I was doing so. When the nice fat bill arrived, I immediately stopped using that number, but they want payment. I called and talked to a supervisor at some length…she was willing to split the toll charges with me, so I pay 50%. I explained that I’ve been a customer for years, I was only using the new number for dialup, it’s the only toll charge on the bill, and I was only using that number at the direction of their technician. She replied that the technicians know nothing about billing rates; those arms of the company are entirely separate. I replied that their advertising claims “bundling” phone and internet will be an advantage to consumers because one company handles everything and is more efficient. She replied that it’s up to me to verify each and every call is not a “regional toll” call. I replied that I’d never heard someone say “Let me verify that this isn’t a regional toll call,” or recommend that I do. I asked how I should go about verifying. She replied that I should call one of their technicians. I explained that I’d been on the phone with their technician when said technician instructed me to use the number in the first place. And round and round.
The matter was sent up the chain and I was supposed to get a callback. Nothing happened, so a few days later I called again. After the usual runaround, I learned that the charges had all been credited to my account, although no one ever said anything about it.
I paid the actual regular (non-toll) charges I really did owe, and dropped them like a hot potato and went with a different company.
Months later I got a bill for $0.00. When I called to sort THAT out, the person looked at the account records and said, “Oh yeah, the account was closed due to customer defaulting on payment.”
Like hell! The account was closed by the customer due to the service provider being criminals.
No, the problem is the insert says the MINIMUM bill will now be $5.99, and should it actually be less, then you still owe them $5.99. I have been ignoring these things for years. This sounds like pure fraud to me.
Well, obviously the MCI computer system is totally screwed up because tonight I got through is about 5 minutes. Turns out, that although I canceled our long distance service ages ago, they didn’t listen. The bills have been for that direct dial long distance service (for long distance we use either our cell phones, or have to dial 1010811 before the long distance calls, but it is a much cheaper rate). They canceled, gave me a confirmation number and everything. They told me to be sure to tell our local carrier that we have cancelled our long distance service, and warned me that our long distance calls will now be much more expensive. Since I haven’t used direct dial long distance for years, I don’t think I will bother.
I filled out the forms that prevented switching my services without my sending written permission to the local carrier. It prevented a few mishaps with carriers like MCI. Having a written record of discontinued and changed services that somebody verifies at the local provider is always useful. I received two notices from MCI stating the local provider couldn’t switch me over without written permission. I hadn’t asked to switch to MCI either time.
Back when I was in College, (junior I believe) I was sent a bill from the college for $0.00.
I threw it away.
I received another bill a couple weeks later for $0.00.
I threw it away.
A couple weeks later I received a bill for $0.00 and a threatening letter that if I do not pay it, I would be expelled from school.
I wrote a check for $0.00 and sent it in.
A month later, I heard about a couple hundred students being expelled for not paying a $0.00 bill. It was all automatic…no human looked at it. The college was very apologetic and reinstated them, but it caused all sorts of hiccups.
