You all probably remember the ubiquitous AT&T 7 cents a minute commercials, right? And how they made so much fun of MCI and others for charging 25 cents a minute? And how they were sooooo much better becasue they were going to be 7 cents a minute, regardless of when? So I sign up. And I asked them then how would they notify for a rate increase. Because a long time ago, MCI did the big low-deal thingie, but within six months, they'd gone up higher than they had been prior to the special. And AT&T assured me that they weren't going to be going up, given the competition, but if they did, there would be notice of it to me.

Well, they notified me, all right. After I'd made a zillion phone calls (long ones) this month, I got the bill, and after the face of them raising their prices to 30 cents a minute (daytime), they put a little announcement on the bill about the rate increase. Had I known, I'd have used my cell phone, where I have all kinds of unlimited minutes and free long distance.

It's not that it's a lot of money, it's that they can do this whenever they want and get away with doing it to what? millions? of people. Imagine how much extra money they made that month with everyone still thinking they were only paying 7 cents instead of 30.

Sneaky bastards.

Feel free to rant about the businesses you hate who try to pull fast ones. Or remedies. Or better yet, revenge. (heh. Kristin, this one's for you.)

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2001

Answers

You know, if you italicize something, you ought to at least put the right word. (sigh) That should have been after the fact. duh.

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2001

... and here I was just thinking I wasn't up with the current lingo you kids are using these days. Why, when I was a boy, on BBS's we didn't even have italics!

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2001

Ah, a chance to show off my useless knowledge-

As of Wednesday, phone companies have to actually tell you exactly how they calculate your long distance rates (try getting this information today). Prior to Wednesday, all the telco's had to do was file this information at the FCC. After Wednesday, they have to notify the public when they change rates- to AT&T, this means put it on their website (and nothing else), to MCI, it means a notice to you in your bill, and to everyone else- we'll only find out after Wednesday.

Welcome to the exciting world of detariffing.

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2001

I got nothing for AT&T. But they drive me nuts. First, they charged us the long distance rate for our local dialup, admitted it was charged in error, and then took 18 months to resolve it, which lead to them putting credits on our account, but not confirming them, so the balance carried over (hundreds of dollars!). They sent that damned account to collection agencies several times, and I logged ridiculous hours on the phone trying to fix it, which included talking to more than 50 customer service reps and many, many hours of time on the phone.

We then switched LD carriers, but our local telephone company switched a long distance call thru to ATT instead of to a 10-10-220 number, because they said, they can do that if they can't get an immediate circuit thru to our long distance carrier of choice. Since we no longer had an account at ATT with a reduced rate, they charged us the full toll fees - $77 on a 45 minute call, instead of the (aprox) $6-8 it normally cost us.

Calling them is a nightmare - the last time, I was transferred to 13 different people in 4 different states, all claiming to be Customer Service Managers, but without any authority to fix the problem. 9 of them claimed to see a pending credit for the amount on our account and agreed that ATT was in error, 4 of them didn't. The last person disconnected our call without any resolution, by explaining that it was after 9pm and everyone had already gone home, which would be acceptable except I had been on the phone with the company since 6:30. 2 and a half hours on the phone and she hung up on me.

Either we pay that bill now, or it shows up on our credit rating as having a judgement against us to pay a debt. The legal fees to straighten it out properly would be at least several hundred dollars. So we are hijjacked into paying a company we aren't signed up with nearly $100 (late fees, etc) for one phone call that ought to have cost less than $10. And that is theft. But I can't afford the legal bill to dispute it. And i shouldn't have to.

i hate them. I hate them. I hate them. I hate that they have zero accountability, that if you call them up you don't know who you are talking to in what state, and that you can't just deal with one person to resolve a problem. We are in the process of getting rid of everything we have with them - cable modem, tv cable - but it isn't enough - i want their office buildings to all mysteriously dissapear from the face of the earth one morning, never to be seen again. I want the CEO to cry.

I hate ATT. I hate them.

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2001

This is why I use Working Assets for my phone company. Not always the cheapest rates, but I have never felt like they've screwed me big-time.

You know who I hate because they're greedy like this? Austin-area landlords. I want to break my lease two months before it's over, during a time of year when they'll rent the place in five minutes because college is about to start, PLUS they'll get a lot more rent per month with a new tenant, and they still want to charge me a very unreasonable releasing fee. Not to mention that my "deposit" is nonrefundable whether I break lease or not. Landlords/apartment managers in this town are still out to grab every last dime they can, no matter what the long-term costs may be.

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2001

We ditched AT&T after they started charging us $7 a month because we weren't making enough long distance calls. We switched to Working Assets. I have no idea how they fit into the price range of long distance companies, but we've never had a bill over $20 and they never make me crazy, so I don't care.

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2001

I'd never even heard of Working Assets. Thanks -- I'm off to research them and see what I can find.

Kristin, the same sort of thing happened to me with Bellsouth. They overcharged me for a service and it took months and months for the credit to actually show up, in spite of the fact they would tell me every single month.

There may be some attorneys in your area who would write them a letter for a small fee -- if you already have contact names and dates where they told you a credit was due, you can usually get it resolved with an attorney's letter. Also, the credit burueau may be able to help you dispute something before it goes on your record. They also may be able to point you to some other service in your area who could help (cheaply). It's so frigging aggravating to not have any power over these types. (I usually tell them for quality control purposes, their phone call is being recorded. ;) ) It wouldn't hurt to write up complaints to the BBB in your area. (Hey, what's the rule on small claims court? Can she sue them in her area since that's where the service was rendered? Or does she have to sue them in the state of their home office?)

(uh, not that you'd want to, necessarily, but I'v always meant to ask this.)

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2001

Try here, Toni.

Working Assets is kind of a hippy liberal company that donates a percentage of profits to various causes, mostly environmental. They also give you the option of contributing more through your phone bill. I don't even care about any of that: I like them because my bill is always right and I never feel like I'm getting screwed. Plus they're always putting a coupon for a free pint of Ben & Jerry's in your phone bill, and how often does MCI do THAT?

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2001

MCI is no better. They switched us from residential to small business (we are no kind of business at all here) without notice, and our rates went up to $.30 a minute all the time. It took months and hours to get it sorted out---I actually went through the local phone company, since they were running an "anti-slamming" campaign. I was really surprised that SWB would intervene on our behalf, but it got immediately resolved, with a credit plus $100 on our bill.

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2001

Plus, AT&T hates Working Assets... When my ex and I had WA, AT&T would send a switchover check every few months, in increasing amounts.

When they offered us $100, we took it, and then switched back to Working Assets a month later. Within six months, we did it again. That was fun.

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2001

Oh, yeah, I used to do that with MCI and AT&T. But by the time I switched to Working Assets I was so mad that I told AT&T in writing not to contact me anymore, and they haven't, at least not by mail. I still get the occasional telemarketer, but far less often than I used to.

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2001

Just to add a dissenting voice: I've had Working Assets for years, and though they've been okay in general, I've had massive problems with them a few times. And each time, the problem was nearly impossible to resolve. The operators were extremely friendly, but nothing would ever change. I mostly use 10-10-811 nowadays; it's cheaper than W.A. and I like to know exactly what calls I'm making with them.

That said, I once had a problem with AT&T that nearly drove me to bomb research. The least problematic phone service I've ever had was with Excel. I wonder what happened to them...

Speaking of sneaky bastards, anyone here other than me ever been "slammed" by a phone company? That's when some lackey changes your long distance without your permission. That sucked, and happened to me three times.

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2001

I realized sometime last year that I don't need to carry long distance on my home phone. I use a prepaid phone card for about 5 cents a minute. Carrying AT&T for 5 bucks a month plus the 8 or nine cents was costing me and extra 20 bucks on my phone bill every month. I charge my phone card (I have the calling and pin numbers memorized) every 3 months or so for 500 minutes ($25).

I use it from payphones, home, work, and hotel rooms on trips. I even use it when I don't want to pay long distance charges for my cell phone. It sounds like a hassle, but it's cut back on the headache of trying to figure out my phone bill.

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2001

Sneaky bastards part deux: Did you guys hear about the Hooters incident in Florida? It was on the news here, apparently, but I haven't seen it online yet.

They had a contest in a region to see which waitress could sell the most beer in a month. The highest sales record-holder for each bar would have their name put in a drawing for a new toyota. So at the end of the month, they all come together for the big drawing. Several bars are involved. One woman wins and is blind-folded and led out to the parking lot... then the blind-fold taken off, and there sat a small toy YODA. (As in, from Star Wars.) Of course, she's furious. And it turns out, her manager (who was in on the joke) couldn't resist during that month of adding his own spin on it, because he kept saying, "We don't know if it's going to be a van or a truck or a car, but you'll be responsible for your own insurance and license if you win." Turns out, she has witnesses that he said that, which is very misleading.

Are these people idiots, or what? Assuming it's true, did they really think the waitresses were so stupid that they would just forget the next day and go back to trying hard to sell beer? It's not terribly bright to tick off your very best waitresses, and the image that management now has with the public... geez. Talk about your sneaky bastards.

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2001

How do you know if you've been slammed? Is it obvious?

--

I hope that waitress sues Hooters for a ton of cash. What assholes!

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2001

When I signed up with Ameritech for local service I specifically requested no call waiting, no special features whatsoever on my line. The salesperson tried to push some package including 3-way calling and a bunch of crap I would never use. I very clearly said that I did not want it.

So what did I find on my next bill? The whole package, of course. Another phone call and 15 minutes on hold got it removed, but I was pretty peeved.

But with local service, you're kind of screwed either way. The only 'competitor' in town was a place that could, maybe, get your phone hooked up in 2-3 WEEKS after you contacted them, and charged even more for setup. I needed a phone, and not next month, so what could I do? I don't even know what our long distance carrier is at the moment. We don't make long distance calls, but want to retain the capability just in case we should need to. Ideally, a company with no monthly fee would be what we'd want, but damned if I can find one. Working Assets isn't one, alas. I wouldn't mind 25-cent-a-minute rates, since we rarely/never make calls. (My mom, halfway across the country, has this kind of cool deal through her employer where she has an 800 number that I can call. She pays the bill for it, but it's way cheap and I can use any phone anywhere.)

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2001

The local phone company for promising to deliver DSL since september 1999, but failing to do so: "Type in your zip code in see if the telephone exchange in your area is already upgraded. Congratulations!! We promise we'll going to make you an offer you can't refuse."

ISP Euronet, for offering very expensive Internet access through satellite, with a slower transmission speed than an 14k4 modem.

My mobile phone company, for having the worst roaming contracts imaginable. Travelling in a foreign country, and Germany is only 100 kilometers away from where I live, means any conversation on the phone will cost more than $3 per minute. Plus, I'll pay all the costs of a call from my native country as well, when someone there calls me without knowing I'm abroad.

Former monopolist KPN for finally offering me GPRS for a fixed fee of $15 a month and round about $150 extra for any 10 Megabytes of data transport. What are they thinking?

-- Anonymous, July 31, 2001

I've had Verizon (née Bell Atlantic) short distance - basic phone service, whatever you want to call it - for as long as I've had my own phone line. From three different New York boroughs to Jersey, I've kept Verizon, and I've been reasonably satisfied.

I also have an AT&T calling card that I never, never use but keep just in case. I used to throw out the bills, because they were just zero balance. Recently, I've been getting a shitload of AT&T bills. I thought "huh." I looked at one, it said "zero balance," and I kept tossing them because I just didn't want to bother.

So that's the setup.

Friday afternoon, Anthony calls me at work to let me know a bill collector had called demanding payment on my phone bill, claiming it was three months overdue. I was horrified, because I'm trying to fix my bad credit, and have been paying all my bills exactly on time. I demanded he give me Verizon's customer service number, so I could call and find out what the hell was going on.

Of course - and you all saw this coming ten or twenty sentences back - it not Verizon, no no - it was AT&T who called, demanding payment for a service I did NOT sign up for. Ever.

I don't know where the fuck they got the idea that they could be my phone company, and I was furious. I have been calling and talking to fucking morons since then, on the phone forever, and no one has ANY idea what I'm talking about. I signed up, they tell me. And they can cancel my service, sure, but I still owe them money! They refuse to acknowledge that they signed me up totally without my consent, and are sending my bill -- now over $300 -- to collection.

Motherfuckers.

-- Anonymous, July 31, 2001

I can't tell you how much better I feel, not being the only one getting reamed by ATT. But what drives me nuts is the helplessness of it all - that there is no option to not pay what they claim you owe them. Because if you don't, they trash your credit rating over it, and I know, you can file an appeal that appears on your credit rating, but nobody reads it.

I want to start a company just like ATT, where I randomly select people, send them bills for my 'service', and then blackmail them into paying me.

-- Anonymous, July 31, 2001

I like how in Seattle most of the landlords have started charging "consulting fees" that go up to $150. This is just a "fee" you pay ON TOP OF YOUR APPLICATION FEE for the privilege of talking to the apartment manager for all of ten minutes. And believe me, the apartment managers don't see a dime of this $150. The folks I know in that racket haven't gotten raises since these fees were instituted.

Basically it's a "we're screwing you because we can" fee.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Capitalism is great in theory, but it just doesn't work in practice.

-- Anonymous, July 31, 2001

(durn, I'm beginning to feel like David's Nagging Capitalist Shadow)

Why not, David? Try charging a consulting fee like that in St. Louis, Atlanta, or hell, even DC, and you'll soon see no more prospective applicants. Anyway, the issue isn't an inherent defect in capitalism, but rather another system that can grow out of capitalism- monopoly. I think they know something about that up Seattle way.

(Of course, that wouldn't stop me from going in to see what was available in these complexes- what do they do, demand cash up front?)

-- Anonymous, July 31, 2001

wow, cool, so AT&T hates Wkg Assets? Is that why I keep getting those these checks? I've cashed three of them over the last year or so, and best of all, AT&T has never switched me over....i think it's cuz i screen my calls, and they can't confirm...woo hoo! That almost makes up for the time AT&T slammed me off Sprint....

p.s. and on a completely unrelated note, do cats shed more this time of year? my cat is leaving hair all over the frigging place.....

-- Anonymous, July 31, 2001

Jen, I thought "slamming" your ld without notice was now illegal in most states? I don't know who you would contact to find out. If nothing else, call whichever local TV station has a "we help the poor consumer!" report. They *love* stories like this, they'll go to the phone company, they'll do a report on what other people should do, and they may shame the company into dropping the charges.

-- Anonymous, July 31, 2001

Jen and Kristin, I'd be writing a letter to my state attorney general, or any state consumer protection agency I could find, or both. Plus the FCC. Seriously. Do that. Make copies of everything you have from AT&T. And stop talking to them on the phone -- put everything in writing and send it certified mail. Start cc'ing stuff to the AG (or whoever you contact), and making sure that cc list is nice and visible.

-- Anonymous, July 31, 2001

this takes a lot of time and effort but if you're truly ticked off:

add up all the time you spent trying to resolve (or are still spending). calculate a bill for your time. write a polite and professional letter outlining your experience and asking for remittance on your bill. be sure to mention that your time is just as valuable as anyone else's. Include all your notes of conversations with the company's employees and include their names.

find the name of someone high up in the organization (for a publically held company, you should be able to find out the name of the President or CEO - trust me these guys HATE getting these kind of problems) giving you grief. send letter directly to this person (if they aren't in the accounts payable stream, ask that your bill be forwarded to the correct person) if you can't find a name use ACCOUNTS PAYABLE SUPERVISOR on the correspondence. send everything via certified registered mail (so you'll know it's been received and who signed for it) CC: your state attorney general and the BBB make sure to include the collection agency if involved and BE SURE to include the cc: on the letter itself. (so the company knows what you're doing).

Ideally, your bill is almost as much, equal to, or more than the amount you're being dunned for but don't inflate it beyond the point of justification. once you've gotten the little green card back from the post office, call the company and ask for the person who signed card. confirm that they've gotten your letter and ask when you can expect payment. If they tell you they forwarded your letter to XYZ in such and such department, get that person's phone # and call them - repeat your request for payment.

Continue to follow up on your bill - even if the person on the other end acts like you're a nut case. Explain gently that you've spent a lot of time, money and energy trying to fix a mistake made by ABC company and that your time, energy and effort are valuable commoditie, hence the bill. Make sure your bill has terms on it like NET 30 days. If they make no move to pay, send a past due notice with a late fee added AND add in the time you spent on the first call and overhead (stamps, stationary etc)

Hopefully, by this point someone at ABC company will decide that maybe it's just not worth it and will offer to settle your original problem if you'll just go away. Get it in writing and take the offer. Make sure they clear the debt with the collection agency IN WRITING (get a copy) if it's gone that far.

if they don't respond in a manner that suits you Or you just don't want to bother with all the above, then go to the AG office or try the BBB. I know this seems extremely wacky but it has worked for people I actually know (none of this neighbor's brother's goat's cousin's owner stuff)

jai ps I also work in A/R and I've seen it done on the company I used to work for - nothing gets the local office moving like an irate customer contacting the CEO boy oh boy.

-- Anonymous, July 31, 2001

Yeah, I do a lot of letter-writing follow up. I get the name of the person and in big corporations, I get their employee number. I had a dispute with Nextel which was almost identical to Kristen's with AT&T and it went on for months. They kept over-charging me, and then telling me over the phone that it was being fixed (retroactively) and I would see a credit on the next bill, but the next bill would be huge -- no credit and the problem wasn't fixed, so it got to the point where they were telling my I owed them something like $1700+ dollars... when in fact, they owed me a little over $200. All the phone calling did zero good. So I started writing down names, employee numbers, recording the conversation (since I had agreed they could record me, they couldn't exactly refuse), transcribed the "we'll fix it" comments and sent it in writing, certified mail. I hadn't cc'd the AG (great suggestion, Beth) or the BBB yet, but those would have been the next steps. They did get it cleared up. It was startling how fast they were able to do it when I put it in my letter that my attorney would be contacting them next and he would use the information and would be talking to the people I had quoted.

But I agree with Kristen -- it's the helpless feeling that's the worst. They put you through all of that because they know you'll get tired and just pay the damned thing, or you'll really feel you have no recourse. Just think about the elderly people trying to follow up on all of this when they can't enter all the account digits fast enough into the telephone to get the right department to start with.

-- Anonymous, July 31, 2001