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Cell phone billing woes.
Apr. 7th, 2011 09:39 pmhttp://www.facebook.com/notes/kae-oz/cell-phone-hell/10150160040559019
It seems every month or so I am having to spend time dealing with my cell provider, T-Mobile, correcting billing issues. After a lot of time and frustration, it usually works out more or less. Like the time I had outrageous text fees and the customer rep said that I had no text service, just fax service. I had been with them for years and never had a fax service in my life. But they insisted that was all I had and never had text service. But when I pointed out that there had never been previous text charges on my bill and no history of use of fax, they said they would change it over to text service retroactively and credit back the text charges, but never admitting their error. That's just one of the many.
In February, I wanted to utilize my insurance to replace my Blackbery because the track ball kept locking up. After at first being given the run-around by both T-mobile and Asurion things finally settled to them saying they can take care of it at no cost to me, as long as there was no water damage to the phone. They mailed me a new phone - without battery or backing. I put my old battery and back on the new phone and mailed back the old phone sans battery and back in the box they sent. When I received notice of my new bill, online as I am with the paperless billing, it says my upcoming bill is $536.03. When I utilized their online customer service chat, she said the charge was from Asurion, labled "Out of Warrenty" and could not access the reasoning and I would have to call them. I call Asurion and they said it was not them, and that the insurance claim was incomplete, and they kindly reconnected me to Tmobile customer service on the phone and they explained the situation to them for me. The Tmobile rep then said that when they received the phone, there was internal damage, and this was the fee. When I told them I had talked extensively to both Tmobile and Asurion reps, the Tmobile rep said as long as there wasn't water damage I would not be charged anything and I in no way agreed to pay $240 for a phone that did not even come with a new battery or backing, all I kept getting was "I understand your frustration".
A new phone with a contract extension is half that. If they had gone ahead and went through Asurion, the deductable would have been half that. Even then, I would have opted to going back and using my old Blackberry or buying one second had before any of these options. I was assured I would not have to pay anything.
I have offered to return the phone. The rep said "We get that a lot" but I still can't get my money back. My frustration has hit its breaking point.
I want to not feel like I am being held hostage by my phone provider any longer. Is there anything I can do? Any paperwork, copies of bills, contracts, they have to legally provide me free of charge?
What can I do?
It seems every month or so I am having to spend time dealing with my cell provider, T-Mobile, correcting billing issues. After a lot of time and frustration, it usually works out more or less. Like the time I had outrageous text fees and the customer rep said that I had no text service, just fax service. I had been with them for years and never had a fax service in my life. But they insisted that was all I had and never had text service. But when I pointed out that there had never been previous text charges on my bill and no history of use of fax, they said they would change it over to text service retroactively and credit back the text charges, but never admitting their error. That's just one of the many.
In February, I wanted to utilize my insurance to replace my Blackbery because the track ball kept locking up. After at first being given the run-around by both T-mobile and Asurion things finally settled to them saying they can take care of it at no cost to me, as long as there was no water damage to the phone. They mailed me a new phone - without battery or backing. I put my old battery and back on the new phone and mailed back the old phone sans battery and back in the box they sent. When I received notice of my new bill, online as I am with the paperless billing, it says my upcoming bill is $536.03. When I utilized their online customer service chat, she said the charge was from Asurion, labled "Out of Warrenty" and could not access the reasoning and I would have to call them. I call Asurion and they said it was not them, and that the insurance claim was incomplete, and they kindly reconnected me to Tmobile customer service on the phone and they explained the situation to them for me. The Tmobile rep then said that when they received the phone, there was internal damage, and this was the fee. When I told them I had talked extensively to both Tmobile and Asurion reps, the Tmobile rep said as long as there wasn't water damage I would not be charged anything and I in no way agreed to pay $240 for a phone that did not even come with a new battery or backing, all I kept getting was "I understand your frustration".
A new phone with a contract extension is half that. If they had gone ahead and went through Asurion, the deductable would have been half that. Even then, I would have opted to going back and using my old Blackberry or buying one second had before any of these options. I was assured I would not have to pay anything.
I have offered to return the phone. The rep said "We get that a lot" but I still can't get my money back. My frustration has hit its breaking point.
I want to not feel like I am being held hostage by my phone provider any longer. Is there anything I can do? Any paperwork, copies of bills, contracts, they have to legally provide me free of charge?
What can I do?
