Qwest sucks, update 6/6/05

[ttown]

OK....

Long story: I've been a Qwest customer for many many years with the most basic residential plan. A year or so ago, I was persuaded to sign up for their pay-as-you-go (no monthly fee for inactivity) long distance. I ask if I'll EVER be charged to cancel. Their answer: "No". So I say OK.
About a month after I signed up, out comes an announcemenet that they will start charging $0.99/mo to participate in this wonderfull plan. So I call to cancel the long distance. (I make little use of LD, and have a cell-phone with minutes to spare). What do I see on my bill? A $5 cancellation charge. I call and complain... and customer service agrees to credit me the $5. OK, all fixed... or so I thought.
Next bill comes up... $5 credit (yay), $0.99 charge for LD, + taxes + fees: $1.21 for LD.
Dammit! I cancelled! Call to complain, credit issued, was promised it wouldn't happen again.
Repeat the same problem for the next 4 billing cycles.
Screw this, I thought... I'm outta here! So I cancel my account with Qwest and go with Sunrocket VoIP -- which both gets me out of Qwest, AND saves me about $10/mo -- sweet!
My next bill comes... showing credits, cancellations, and a refund due me for about $2. I get the check from Qwest, and sigh with relief that my nightmare is finally over.

BUT NO! Today in the mail... A bill from Qwest for $1.21.
This is absolute insanity! How do I make it end!!??

I've talked to numerous customer-service people, a supervisor, -- gone so far as to cancel my account -- and yet the problems continue.

What do I do? Besides spending 10 minutes on hold every month to have them reverse the $1.21 charge.

cliff notes:
Had Qwest Long-distance, $0/mo fee
Qwest changes to $0.99/mo fee + tax: $1.21
for x = 1 to 4
Call to cancel LD
Customer services reverse charge and promises it won't happen again
Still get charged $0.99 + tax
next x
Cancel Qwest all-together out of frustration
LD billing continues
What do I do now?

update 6/6/05:
had them send me a letter a month ago saying my account is closed in good standing w/ $0 due.
6/6/05 -- another bill!

 

[Soapy Bones]

My dad has a similar situation as well, he was being billed for an 800 number that he never knew he had. He canceled it and it was still being billed months later, he finally got mad and just canceled quest all together, to yet again get more bills from them. He even faxed them a written statement to cancel the service, they said they never got it.

Quest can burn in the deepest part of hell as far as I am concerned

 

[cyclohexane]

I had similar situations with AOL years ago, just keep bugging them and it should stop within 6 months.

 

[Bootprint]

Tell them if they bill you again, "the terrorists have won" and explain that they must be anti-american, you'll have to report them to Homeland security.

 

[huesmann]

Stop the paying.

 

[ttown]

Originally posted by: huesmann
Stop the paying.

If I do nothing... will someone higher-up at quest notice and investigate, and finally fix the problem?
My only fear in not-paying is it eventually and wrongfully showing up on my otherwise spotless credit.

edit: to clarify... I never have, and never will, [directly] pay a fee for LD

 

[DaveSimmons]

Does the bill have non-Qwest contact info for state oversight (utilities commission, etc.)?

State Attorney General's Office if that doesn't work.

Local newspaper or TV consumer-affairs do-gooder if that fails too.

 

[Pepsi90919]

cliff notes:
Had Qwest Long-distance, $0/mo fee
Qwest changes to $0.99/mo fee + tax: $1.21
for x = 1 to 4
Call to cancel LD
Customer services reverse charge and promises it won't happen again
Still get charged $0.99 + tax
next x
Cancel Qwest altogether out of frustration
LD billing continues
What do I do now?

lol

 

[Yzzim]

The next time you call and cancel your service make them fax you and mail you a letter saying that the service has been cancelled and all charges have been paid in full.

If you get a bill next time don't pay it. If this somehow ends up on your credit report you have proof that you cancelled your service and IT WAS PAID IN FULL.

 

[CyraKrin]

tell them one more bill like this and you'll contact the better business bureau

 

[ttown]

Originally posted by: Yzzim
The next time you call and cancel your service make them fax you and mail you a letter saying that the service has been cancelled and all charges have been paid in full.

If you get a bill next time don't pay it. If this somehow ends up on your credit report you have proof that you cancelled your service and IT WAS PAID IN FULL.

I think this is the winner.
I dunno why I didn't think of it.

thanks

 

[Sphexi]

Don't pay. Forward the bill along with a letter explaining what happened in POLITE tones to the State AG's office. Let them deal with Qwest's obviously lacking billing department.

 

[Qwest]

I rule YOU suck.

 

[ttown]

Originally posted by: Qwest
I rule YOU suck.

LOL

 

[ttown]

Originally posted by: ttown

Originally posted by: Yzzim
The next time you call and cancel your service make them fax you and mail you a letter saying that the service has been cancelled and all charges have been paid in full.

If you get a bill next time don't pay it. If this somehow ends up on your credit report you have proof that you cancelled your service and IT WAS PAID IN FULL.

I think this is the winner.
I dunno why I didn't think of it.

thanks

Welp... Did all that a month ago... And today I get another bill for $0.99 + tax + more tax = $1.21

I thought the last one would be successfull, since I've been bombed with many junk-mail letters and flyers asking me to come back to qwest.
Another funny thing is that the bill says "Now that your account is closed, your calling cards are no longer valid."

Do I sit on the bill till a collection agency comes calling, or do I report to BBB? Or ?

I've kept fairly detailed notes on me calling over and over and over having my charges reversed, service canceled, etc.

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: ttown

What do I do? Besides spending 10 minutes on hold every month to have them reverse the $1.21 charge.



What do I do now?

you could just pay it, your time is probably worth more than $1.21

 

[KC5AV]

Originally posted by: FoBoT

Originally posted by: ttown

What do I do? Besides spending 10 minutes on hold every month to have them reverse the $1.21 charge.



What do I do now?

you could just pay it, your time is probably worth more than $1.21

Then, what happens next month when they bill him again? I'd say contact the BBB and the State AG office.

 

[Bryophyte]

Originally posted by: CyraKrin
tell them one more bill like this and you'll contact the better business bureau

Screw that, contact the BBB now. You should PM Wduaqnug for his advice...he's very experienced with this sort of thing.

 

[ttown]

Originally posted by: Bryophyte

Originally posted by: CyraKrin
tell them one more bill like this and you'll contact the better business bureau

Screw that, contact the BBB now. You should PM Wduaqnug for his advice...he's very experienced with this sort of thing.

Sent an email to qwest asking for a mailing address for the dude that typed-up/signed the written statement about me that said my account is closed and "no further charges will be generated as of the April revised bill". Said in my email that I need a mailing address for him because I am naming him in a BBB complaint.
We'll see how fast they respond......

 

[Juno]

Originally posted by: Qwest
I rule YOU suck.

:laugh: