HELP! Best course of action?

dlbrantley · #1 07-23-2001, 08:05 PM

This is long so bear with me.. I need any input I can get though!

We signed up with Swbell DSL in July of last year. When we moved in February of 2001 we were told that it would be faster and easier to change phone numbers and transfer our DSL over to the new number. Since the wait was 3 months if we kept the OLD number we just changed to a new number.

The next month, March, we received a $600+ bill. Normal bill is barely $100.

In April we received a $980+ bill..May it was $500 +... June it was $300 + and our most recent bill is $122.39...STILL an over bill AND a double charge of TWO accounts even though it was merged THREE times

So far we've been overbilled $1337. We have more than $300 credit coming to us right now that STILL hasn't shown up on the bills.

I got our most recent bill today and called them YET again. This time I was on the phone for 2 hours and they did a manual merge (instead of the paper merge where the manual merge is done later..or NEVER in my case) and a supervisor assured me that it was done and everything was perfect on my account again (yeah..right). So I hung up and went to check my e-mail.

My e-mail didn't work. So I called back AGAIN and was transfered to the tech department by the billing department..the tech department said they couldn't help me so they transfered me to EOC..they didn't explain ANYTHING to the person they transfered me to so I had to go through the WHOLE FREAKING story for the 50th time. She said SHE couldn't help me and told me that *I* had to set up the account using my self help CD. BS! THEY have to set up the main account. She said..okay..yeah that's true but I can't do it.. so I made her transfer me to someone who CAN help me.

Suprise suprise..I'm BACK to billing and have been on hold for MORE than 30 minutes with no end in sight.

I'm sick and tired of this. I spend an average of 4 hours a month on the phone with them trying to get this all straightened out and EVERY supervisor I talk to promises that it's okay. NO ONE will give me their code or name and if I ask for a supervisor AFTER asking for their name they hang up on me.

Now I'm being told that there is nothing wrong with my e-mail account while at the same time being told that my account HAS been canceled.

Who can I contact to take care of this?? It's obvious Swbell CAN'T take care of it. I seriously have reached the point where I think I should get my DSL for FREE for a year. I'm extremely tolerant of companies screwing up for the most part but my patience have been shredded along with my last nerve.

I'd give you my e-mail address to reply to but that wouldn't do a lick of good now would it. MAN I'M PISSED. I have a BUSINESS that I can't get e-mail for now..I'm averaging 75-100 e-mails in a day too.

**MrsNormanMaine**[$] · #2 07-23-2001, 08:23 PM

Does the local paper or one of the local TV news shows have a consumer activist/troubleshooter type? They love these sorts of situations and the minute bad press is threatened, things are usually magically resolved.

MNM

mnehr · #3 07-23-2001, 08:40 PM

I work with swb a lot, and I have found that through all of the changes they keep making, very few people have their heads on strait there... it is pretty scarey, and the upper level management still runs the business like they have a monopoly..

Call into the regular customer service office (800-638-4357), and ask the the customer service manager.. (you will probably get someone in Dallas, almost all their lines through out the country route through there....)

Use these words (trust me, it works)...
'I have been advised by my attorney to give your company one more opportunity to have a complete resolution to my problem before we pursue litigation..... explain your situation in the simplest possible terms, giving dates and names if possible, and let the actress side of you come out.. imagine you are an attorney, and keep your cool... I know a few of the managers, and they just laugh at people who get irate and (in their words) 'throw temper tantrums'...

Tell them exactly what you expect as a resolution, and you give them the time limit that you want your resolution by (48 hours is reasionable).. if you do not hear from them, contact the PUC (public utility commission) forget the BBB or things of the sort, they are ineffective..

The radio and newspaper idea is not a good idea.. most will not be too negative about a company that advertises with them.. usually when someone gives that threat, it tells the party listening that the person on the other end does not know what to do...

SWB falls under the juristction of the PUC here in Texas and there are strict guidelines for responding to them (like 10 business days..) If you are in Texas, call 512-936-7000 for the PUC..

If all else fails, get an attorney to draft a letter to SWBs corporate office for you.. a couple of hundred spend there is worth far more than the thousand plus you will loose if this is not resolved..

And one more thing... Shut off your DSL with them as soon as this is resolved..

dlbrantley · #4 07-23-2001, 08:40 PM

They do but I tried them when I got royally ripped on furniture I bought from an old family business here. They did NOTHING about it. They only take cases from the poor and hardshipped people...(un) fortunately I'm not a sad enough case.

Now they're trying to give me a $20 credit..I've been on here for FOUR hours now. I'm so frustrated I'm about to cry..my neck is killing me too. They're also telling me that e-mail isn't available for 48 hours..that's more than 200 e-mails at minimum being bounced back to the sender.

mnehr · #5 07-23-2001, 08:41 PM

I just noticed you were in MO... sorry, I don't have the PUC info for there.. but I am sure their regulations are the same...

**AuntieEmma**[$] · #6 07-24-2001, 02:13 AM

Ouch - what a hassle! I hate companies like that.

Here's a list of the State PUCs -- http://www.consumeraffairs.com/links/state_pucs.html

You should be able to get info there on how/where to file a complaint.

Also, if the bill is on a credit card, contact the credit card company and tell them you're disputing the charges.

ThePirateKing · #7 07-24-2001, 03:55 AM

My firebrand auntie got into the local news a few years ago when her water started coming out of the faucet dark brown. She called the city utilities and was told "Oh, yeah, they're doing some work on your water main today. Don't worry, it's OK to drink."

She promptly filled up a Mason jar with the brown gunk, drove down to City Hall, crashed into a city council meeting and plunked the jar down in front of the mayor, offering him a drink of her "safe" household water.

They delivered Culligan to her house for two weeks, courtesy of the mayor.

dlbrantley · #8 07-24-2001, 01:02 PM

Okay here goes nothing..I have my entire conversation written down and I'm going to call in and make my demands. If I don't get any action my brother is going to get me the address for the President's office at Bell telephone...nice having someone on the inside to help me...to bad it hasn't done jack so far.

**Prepoia**[$] · #9 07-24-2001, 02:53 PM

Auntie Emma

Thanks for the link. I bookmarked it and the Michigan one. So often things happen and I never could find this.

Sandy

dlbrantley · #10 07-24-2001, 04:47 PM

I got my e-mail accounts back in 18 hours vs. the 48 minimum they stated. I threatened a lawsuit and stated that I know for a fact that it doesn't take that long to reconfigure 5 ip addresses (yeah well I didn't but it was obviously a good bluff).

Now I have to battle the charges. Swbell telephone said the total amount of credits given since Feb 10- June 30 is $1369.92 vs. the $837 that Internet is giving me. I'm giving them 10 days to work it all out and contact Swbell telephone over this and tell them I don't owe this month. By then I'll have copies of all my bills and can have proof in front of my face.