What a great scam!

[skylive5]

So I get back from Vegas and open my phone bill that arrived while I was gone.

 

I see that the bill has doubled.... so I check it out and find a charge by some third party company I have never heard of.

 

I call QWest to find out what the heck and to get the charge off my bill and the fun starts.

 

The guy tells me, after hemming and hawing for 10-15 minutes, that it is not a QWest charge and that I have to call the third party company and complain to them. I say...this is your bill right? He says yes. I say... if this is your bill why can't you do something about this charge? He says...not a QWest charge and we can do nothing about it. I say... so any company out there can send you a bill and use my phone number and you charge me? He doesn't anwer the question but says I need to call the other company. I ask... if I don't pay this portion of the bill you are going to disconnect me aren't you? He says... yes. It went downhill after that.

 

Soooooo.... the moral of the story is that if you want to extort a lot of money... Start what sounds like a legitimate company, hire a billing company so you are a further step from notice, have them send a bill to QWest related to some phone number, and QWest will bill the customer. QWest will then tell the customer to screw if they don't pay it or if they question it. QWest has always been a fly-by-night company but now it is has become ridiculous.

 

I'm really not happy at the moment... and I have to wait until Monday before I can contact the billing company because they are closed on weekends. *sigh*

 

(I wonder if QWest and AOL are owned by the same slimeball? They do have the same practices.)

[The Holy Roller]

Please add Commerce Bank to the list of scumbag companies using scumbag billing practices.

 

Pay the bill with an unsigned check. That'll keep'em busy.

[Savage Beatings]

I would keep asking for Supervisors and Managers... even if they can't or won't do anything about it, I would want to waste as much of their time as possible and vent my frustration by totally reaming each one of them out in succession.

[nuke'em ttg]

I would keep asking for Supervisors and Managers... even if they can't or won't do anything about it, I would want to waste as much of their time as possible and vent my frustration by totally reaming each one of them out in succession.

 

my dad is the master of this technique.......especially with Qwest......and is successful.....kick some, Sky

[Down Goes Frazia]

 

Pay the bill with an unsigned check. That'll keep'em busy.

 

 

 

sky, we too had billing issues with qwest...... Mrs. frazia just about blew her lid. I finally told them to ufck off & switched to comcast digital voice. you keep your same number and because I have everything else with comcast..... i gotta great deal. $29.95 for 6 months, then $39.95 after that. - unlimited long distance, days, nights, weekends, birthdays, holidays, whatever. It's pretty F'n cool. and it all comes on one nice tidy bill... internet, cable & phone - one charge.

 

also the nice thing about comcast is they'll negotiate with you on price / charges. If a competitor ( like qwest) has a special.... I call comcast & threaten to swith to a different carrier..... they'll adjust your bill (as long as you're in good standing of course) to give you a better deal.

[Ursa Majoris]

I used to have my LD through ATT billed on the Qwest bill but now I have them separate. I had no idea any old third party could have Qwest bill you.....I wonder if this refusal to deal with a problem on their bill would stand up in court if you took Qwest that far?

[rocknrobn26]

I had a simialr problem w/ AT&T. We went round and round once or twice a week for a couple of months. It was a 900# that I know I never called. I seached the company, no luck. I had AT&T call the phone # on the bill and they said it was disconnected. That's what finally got AT&T to give me credit.

[skylive5]

...I wonder if this refusal to deal with a problem on their bill would stand up in court if you took Qwest that far?

 

 

 

I'm thinking about it.

[skylive5]

I would keep asking for Supervisors and Managers... even if they can't or won't do anything about it, I would want to waste as much of their time as possible and vent my frustration by totally reaming each one of them out in succession.

 

 

 

my dad is the master of this technique.......especially with Qwest......and is successful.....kick some, Sky

 

 

 

Oh you can guarantee I am not finished with QWest. This morning was just the first shot. I will wait until Monday when I am assured of having some upper managers onboard instead of weekend losers.

[JoJoTheWebToedBoy]

Phone bill cramming

Looked at your phone bill lately? You may be the victim of phone bill cramming. An extra $30 to $80 are appearing on some phone bills -- supposedly charges for Web sites, voice mail, 900 calls or other "enhanced" services that the customer never agreed to pay for. Customers who call their phone company to complain may be told that a third-party-billing company -- not the phone company -- is responsible for the charges.

 

It is legal for third-party companies to bill certain services through your phone bill but problems occur because phone companies have no reason to verify the charges before billing you. This leaves phone bills wide-open to unscrupulous companies that cram charges into your phone bill, hoping you won't notice.

 

The Federal Trade Commission reached a settlement for the victims of a similar phone bill cramming scam in 2001.

 

To protect yourself from phone bill cramming, call your local phone company and ask to have third-party billing shut off. If you are a victim, save all your paperwork, refuse to pay for the charges and contact the billing company immediately -- both in writing and by phone -- and refute the charges.

 

Link

Edited September 16, 2006 by JoJoTheWebToedBoy

[skylive5]

 

sky, we too had billing issues with qwest...... Mrs. frazia just about blew her lid. I finally told them to ufck off & switched to comcast digital voice. you keep your same number and because I have everything else with comcast..... i gotta great deal. $29.95 for 6 months, then $39.95 after that. - unlimited long distance, days, nights, weekends, birthdays, holidays, whatever. It's pretty F'n cool. and it all comes on one nice tidy bill... internet, cable & phone - one charge.

 

also the nice thing about comcast is they'll negotiate with you on price / charges. If a competitor ( like qwest) has a special.... I call comcast & threaten to swith to a different carrier..... they'll adjust your bill (as long as you're in good standing of course) to give you a better deal.

 

 

Have had the same number for over 20 years... so that sounds pretty good. And since I have Comcast broadband it sounds even better. Right now my basic charges are 38.95, so not a big deal on the bill I see.

[skylive5]

Thanks jojo.... I will quote that to QWest on Monday.

[JoJoTheWebToedBoy]

Thanks jojo.... I will quote that to QWest on Monday.

 

 

Added a link that may be useful

[skylive5]

Added a link that may be useful

 

 

Captured... thanks.

[keggerz]

Please add Commerce Bank to the list of scumbag companies using scumbag billing practices.

 

Pay the bill with an unsigned check. That'll keep'em busy.

 

what is wrong with commerce? I used to bank with them when i was in the philly area but now that I am in virgina I dont use them but i never had any problems with them

[twiley]

Please add Commerce Bank to the list of scumbag companies using scumbag billing practices.

 

Pay the bill with an unsigned check. That'll keep'em busy.

 

They're a client of mine.

[spain]

Please help me understand why anyone in this day and time even has a home phone. Everybody that knows me, knows to reach me on my cell. The only people that ever called my home number were telemarketers. I cut my home phone off about 5 years ago and have never missed it one bit. It just doesnt make sense to have a home phone anymore unless you cant get cell service at your home...

Edited September 16, 2006 by spain

[Ursa Majoris]

Please help me understand why anyone in this day and time even has a home phone. Everybody that knows me, knows to reach me on my cell. The only people that ever called my home number were telemarketers. I cut my home phone off about 5 years ago and have never missed it one bit. It just doesnt make sense to have a home phone anymore unless you cant get cell service at your home...

 

Sure it makes sense. There are those of us that never give our cell numbers out except to family and those that absolutely need to know it.

[cliaz]

I had a simialr problem w/ AT&T. We went round and round once or twice a week for a couple of months. It was a 900# that I know I never called. I seached the company, no luck. I had AT&T call the phone # on the bill and they said it was disconnected. That's what finally got AT&T to give me credit.

 

 

 

Ditto. I went round after round with them for 4 months about a stupid charge and then they reported me to the three credit companies. Then I went nutz and finally got ahold of a managers manager and threaten to sue them if they didn't remove the complaint against me and remove the charge from my bill.

[rocknrobn26]

Sure it makes sense. There are those of us that never give our cell numbers out except to family and those that absolutely need to know it.

 

 

Plus, as I mentioned before, when my Mom babysits the dog, many times we need both cell phones. Plus, she'd never be able to use it.

[spain]

Plus, as I mentioned before, when my Mom babysits the dog, many times we need both cell phones. Plus, she'd never be able to use it.

 

Your mom needs her own cell phone. You can show her how to use it. We got my mother in law a phone and she is 80. She uses it just fine. of course, she still drives across the country alone in her van...

[rocknrobn26]

Your mom needs her own cell phone. You can show her how to use it. We got my mother in law a phone and she is 80. She uses it just fine. of course, she still drives across the country alone in her van...

 

 

You don't know my Mom. Ain't gonna happen.

[The Holy Roller]

what is wrong with commerce? I used to bank with them when i was in the philly area but now that I am in virgina I dont use them but i never had any problems with them

 

 

Three summers ago my idiot son in college let's his credit card account with Commerce go past due for two months. He calls me begging and I agree to help him out. I call Commerce and explain the situation and they say, "Sure, you can make his payment for him." No problem.

 

Last December I get a letter from a credit card company I use and they tell me they are lowering my credit line because I have a history of late payments. What the f...? I've NEVER been late or missed a payment in my life with ANY debt!! So to make a long story short Commerce Bank added my name to my son's credit card account and sticks my credit report with a big red mark.

 

After many calls/letters seeking how this happened all I got was that I was now a joint account holder and responsible for any more debt. Needless to say I closed the account and had Commerce send a letter to the three major credit agencies telling them the account in question was closed and paid in full. At least, they sent me a copy of the letter they said they sent.

 

How can this happen?

[twiley]

Three summers ago my idiot son in college let's his credit card account with Commerce go past due for two months. He calls me begging and I agree to help him out. I call Commerce and explain the situation and they say, "Sure, you can make his payment for him." No problem.

 

Last December I get a letter from a credit card company I use and they tell me they are lowering my credit line because I have a history of late payments. What the f...? I've NEVER been late or missed a payment in my life with ANY debt!! So to make a long story short Commerce Bank added my name to my son's credit card account and sticks my credit report with a big red mark.

 

After many calls/letters seeking how this happened all I got was that I was now a joint account holder and responsible for any more debt. Needless to say I closed the account and had Commerce send a letter to the three major credit agencies telling them the account in question was closed and paid in full. At least, they sent me a copy of the letter they said they sent.

 

How can this happen?

 

So...your son was 60 days past due on his credit card and your name was on the account so they reported you to a collection agency?

 

Sounds like common practice if you ask me.

[rocknrobn26]

So...your son was 60 days past due on his credit card and your name was on the account so they reported you to a collection agency?

 

Sounds like common practice if you ask me.

 

 

Not really. If I read this right, the card was his son's and he (Roller) was NOT on the card! If that's true it's BS! But if Roller WAS on the acct., then that's normal.