electric mist

getting screwed

I was going to write a long ranty, and I do mean RANTY piece about how a certain cell phone company can stick their little orange logo up their collective asses because they tried to overcharge me $469.10. As if I wouldn't notice. Nor did they think I was going to notice that the hours we were supposed to not have charges (the nights and weekends) were, indeed, being charged to us. And I guess they thought I had developed complete amnesia when it came to the whole mobile-to-mobile part where I paid extra for the service of being able to talk UNLIMITED FOR FREE from mobile-to-mobile because crazy me, I actually expected to be able to talk mobile-to-moble for free. That's just how insane I am. So when I point out to them that half of the time, they didn't give me the mobile-to-mobile part free, they gave me three different explanations of what I had bought. Over the course of four phone calls to them in two days, there were three explanations as to why there were charges:

1)

"When you purchased this, you were only buying it for the state of Louisiana."

"All of the phone calls were made in the state of Louisiana. "Really? Oh. You're right. My manager isn't here right now, though, so I can't give you credit. You'll have to call back."

Me: steamed.

2) Upon the call back, the new explanation was:

"Oh, no, this isn't mobile-to-mobile for the whole state. This is only for your calling area."

"I have a national calling plan. Why isn't it for the whole calling plan?"

[dumb silence]

"Um, there are actually two mobile-to-mobile calling plans, and you got the state one."

"Everything was in the state, so I still don't see the problem."

"Well, you were supposed to call from the strict calling zone (which usually follows the major interstates.)"

"Are you looking at the bill? We did call from those zones. I want the credit."

"Really? Oh. Yes... I'm looking at your bill now and I see that they were. Well, we'll have to give you credit for them. But we don't have the ability to go through each page and separate them out, so you'll have to do that and call us back."

Me: fully ticked.

3) Call back again... the last guy was supposed to have made a note on the account AND was supposed to have given me credit for the night-time calls they accidentally charged us for. Which, turns out, he did not do. So I start explaining to the woman who answered why I was calling and I'm about to list the calls when she says:

"Oh, those calls don't qualify. You were roaming."

"How does that matter? We aren't charged for that."

"Yes, but if you're not on OUR tower, then the mobile-to-mobile isn't free."

"So that whole FREE UNLIMITED mobile-to-mobile I bought is only free if we're on your tower."

"Yes. And only in your home town."

"So the explanation yesterday about it being for the whole state was wrong. And the other one about it being in our "calling area" which includes the towns listed on the bill... were wrong."

"Um, yes."

[toni's head explodes in frustration]

then:

"Look, I specifically told the person I ordered it from that we have a nation-wide calling plan and we needed mobile-to-mobile to work wherever we went, since our jobs took us over a five-state area. Why would I call and order something that was obviously going to be useless to me if it was explained to me properly?"

"Um, I'm not sure."

"Well, it's like this. You can give me my credit or I can write to the FCC and show them what all is wrong with this one bill. God only knows how many other people they will make you have to refund."

"Um, I think I can get you that credit."

No kidding.

And that is the short, not-as-ranty version. There was oh-so-much more. They do this sort of thing every month. There is always some little something that someone managed to not explain when they offered me something "better" which ends up costing more. Grrr.

Yes, we should leave them and move to another carrier, which we will probably do. Unfortunately, we got the "free phones" when we first signed on with them which meant a two-year contract. And to buy out that contract for all six phones is more than it's worth right now. By fall, though, I'll move. I really shouldn't have to hock a child just to pay a freaking phone bill.

Posted by toni at June 2, 2004 03:56 PM