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In October of 2006 I made a call to a Verizon operator to establish a International Calling Plan were I was assured that within 36 hrs of that call my line for overseas calls would be established.
Unfortunately the Representative did not provide me with a Plan Reference Number or Code which in hinsight would have saved me paying up a sum of $ 3288.45.
THIS IS WHAT FOLLOWED...
In November I received a total due sum of $ 1467.82.
This is when i initiated calls to Verizon and contacted the General Attorneys Office for the Bureau of Consumer Protection in writing.
After making a overseas holiday trip for 6 weeks I found to my surprise a additional monthly Verizon bill for the sum of $1812.29.
The International calling Rate quote should have been 0.12 cents per minute and a $ 4.00
monthly Service Fee.
Instead I was being charged a average of $ 3.00 per minute.
My payment arrangement for the phone bill was direct from my bank account.
Needles to say I had those charges reversed as unauthorized.
(When i made arrangements with my bank in person the teller to my surprised informed me
that I was the 3rd person that week who has discrepancies with Verizon.)
When a Interstate call is made Verizon let's you know wether you have a plan for it or not and if you do decide to make a call following rates will apply.
Well when I called overseas I never got that courtesy I guess because my International Calling Plan must have been in effect after all.
That was one issue I laid out in a written letter as a response to the General Attorneys Office request but never got a satisfactory answer in the next written response that went via the GAO office from the same Verizons Customer Relations person.
They just kept bringing up the Risk Block issue which by no means has a real relevance to
issuing a International Calling Plan.
In the second response to the Bureau for Consumer Protection from Verizon simply communicated their Long Distance Billing Department have preserved the right to arranged for a Debt Collectors Office to get in touch with me.
This issue never seemed to get acknowledgement passed the same Customer Relations
and a Verizon Toll Billing Inquiry Center.
Upon calling a Verizon Representative I was told they will look into the matter on Monday and apply the charges to the calling rate I expected and just to call back that Monday to arrange for all of that. That was before the Thanks Giving Holiday weekend.
Monday I called Verizon again and talked to a guy named Larry who really
added insult to injury. His phone etiquette was rude right from the get go.
He simply told me that the Rep. I talked to the previous Friday was poorly informed and that the outstanding amount is what it is . Basically telling me I never arranged for a International Calling Plan.
Talking to a Customer Relations personal that Monday has brought no light into the issue either.
The above person added in a written statements to the General Attorneys Office that they had to place a Risk Block to my phone number and had notified me by mail which I never received. Never got a phone call/message either.
Mind you during this time I had my mail held by the local Post Office as I traveled overseas
but when I checked through the mail I didn't find no mentioning of a Risk Block issue.
Now, Risk Blocks are placed when you run a unusually high bill .
I have had a Home Line with Verizon for over 8 years and bills were always paid on time with direct debit from my bank.-So why issue a Risk Block in the mail. Long standing customer should deserve at least a phone call!-
After being in touch with the Consumer Protection Bureau in writing and getting more or less non responsive letters to the issues in question through the CPB they finally suggested to bring the matter in front of a civil court.
The Bureau of Consumer Protection informs you that you should not establish direct contact after they have started contacting the company.
Never the less at least 2 phone messages were left on my answering machine to get in touch with the very same Customer Relations person.
The moral here is that never to make a Transaction for Services without a Reference Number/Code of some sort. |
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