dheeraj@cs.umd.edu (Dheeraj Sanghi) (12/11/90)
I am having a dispute with C & P) ?Bcregarding some credit that is due to me. I have tried to solve it with them for last one year, but to no avail. Would someone on the net-land suggest where all I can take my case so that a settlement is reached fast. Here is a description of my case: I was a C&P customer for 3 years until Dec. 89, when I asked them to disconnect my service. (I was moving out of that apt.) I kept getting bills for next six months. Currently, the situation is that they have removed charge for all the bills after Dec 89, but not given me credit of the amount I have paid them in advance. I have called them at least 25 times in the last one year, and I have heard all kinds of lies and excuses. For the first few months they maintained that their computers are having some problem, and as soon as that problem is rectified they will issue a final bill and a check for whatever is due to me. In fact, on an occasion, one representative asked me angrily why I keep wasting C&P's time when I have been told ample number of times that it is a computer problem. What I finally got was a threatening letter that if I did not pay the six month's telephone charges, I will be taken to court. When I called them after that, they started a pack of lies. In one day, I talked to this rep for FOUR hours (three of them on hold while she talks to her superviser, the billing dept. and whoever else), who first told me that I never gave any disconnect order. When I informed her that the number had been issued to another person, and that that person is also getting his regular bill for the same telephone number, and asked if C&P is so careless as to give an in-service number to another person, she immediately found the disconnect order on file. She then said that C&P cannot give credit for AT&T charges (Reach Out America charges for first hour every month for six months), even if it was C&P 's mistake. After a long while she agreed to remove all charges for the six months. Then she told me that even though I had service in Dec for only 2 days (and I had paid for whole 31 days), I would be charged for the whole month. In a very rude fashion, she asked me if I expected C&P to keep track of every hour of service provided. I reminded her that I was not asking for credit for hours, but for 29 days out of 31. Another of her lies was that since I had not called C&P for over six months and it was not possible to do anything about it now. I had kept a log of all calls and read that out to her, and she also found a similar log on her terminal now. Finally, she told me how much do I think C&P owes me. I said, a little over $24. She promised that I would get a check for 24$ in 5-6 weeks. This is when I did a few dumb things. I believed that representative. I did not call C&P for two months. I threw away the log of all calls. When I called again after two months, a similar set of lies were tried again, but finally they promised to "look into my complaint." I have kept calling them, but every time they are waiting for a duplicate copy of the bill from their archives. The amount is not a whole lot, and the recovery process has already cost me scores of hours. Is there some way I can get some payment for my time. Even at the minimum wage, it would be a handsome sum for a graduate student. Thanks in advance, dheeraj Dheeraj Sanghi (h):301-474-3592 (o):301-405-2723 Internet: dheeraj@cs.umd.edu UUCP: uunet!mimsy!dheeraj
William.Degnan@f39.n382.z1.fidonet.org (William Degnan) (12/15/90)
On <Dec 10 19:41> Dheeraj Sanghi (dheeraj@cs.umd.edu ) writes to All: DS>I am having a dispute with C & P) ?Bcregarding some credit that DS>is due to me. I have tried to solve it with them for last one year, DS>but to no avail. Would someone on the net-land suggest where all I DS>can take my case so that a settlement is reached fast. You can write to John Glynn, Office of People's Counsel, American Building - 9th fl., 231 East Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD 21202. The phone number is (301) 333-6046. However I suspect that a letter will actually be faster. This is an agency of your state goverment that acts as a consumer advocate for residential and small-business utility ratepayers. I suspect that the C&P will dread a call from the OPC almost as much as they would a call from me. Let us know how you make out. Disclaimer: Contents do not constitute "advice" unless we are on the clock. William Degnan | wdegnan@mcimail.com Communications Network Solutions | !wdegnan@at&tmail.com -Independent Consultants | William.Degnan@telemail.com in Telecommunications | UUCP: ...!natinst!tqc!39!William.Degnan P.O. Drawer 9530 | ARPA: William.Degnan@f39.n382.z1.FidoNet.Org Austin, TX 78766-9530 | Voice +1 512 323 9383 [Moderator's Note: Mr. Degnan is generally correct that 'commission complaints' get relatively fast resolution with telco. Many telcos have a representative working full time with the state commission; or they may have a telex/fax linked to the commission at all times. For many years, maybe still, IBT's order of priorities was (1) commission complaints, (2) management complaints, (3) walk-in and telephoned customer complaints. I'd say try contacting the commission. PAT]