deceptive billing practice - file FCC complaint

[mckmck]

I accidentally overpaid, called customer service, they promised to cancel the overpayment and offered to take the correct payment. I trusted them, made the correct payment, they never canceled the original overpayment. I called after several weeks, they still refused.

It's lying - and just plain bad customer service. Sure, they keep my money a little longer, but then Amex get's involved, has to call them several times, collect information, all to dispute the charge.

I file complaints with the FCC, better business bureau, states Attorney general, all of which doesn't take much time these days.

I hope it's worth the little extra interest they keep on my payment, I suppose it's policy just to screw enough accounts in bulk so it makes them a bit of extra change.

If anyone else has the same issue, I'd love to hear about it and what you did to try and correct the deception or draw attention to it. I suspect using social media maybe good as it will dissuade others from using Verizon.

[budone]

So, you overpaid, THEN sent another payment in? Maybe I am reading it wrong but that is how I see it.

If so, why not just let the over payment remain and have a credit going into next months invoice

And what good does filing a complaint with the FCC do? They do not handle billing disputes.

[mckmck]

It was a payment error, they were canceling it, then they refused after

getting a corrected payment from me. I just don't appreciate being screwed

over needlessly like that. It's a deceptive practice that over time and

tons of accounts becomes a profit center for them at our (the customer

base) expense. Obviously lots won't make the effort to call them on it,

it's too cumbersome, so they get away with it because we're all complacent.

[ashtontr]

Customer Service doesn't control your money, the treasury department does, and they can't contact them via form, most they can do is fill out a form, and usually it gets refunded the same day, depending on the time frame of which the form is submitted. It has to be submitted the same day the payment is made in order to get the refund the same day. Otherwise it can take up to 10 business days to get your refund.

[mckmck]

Ashton - this was same day, few minutes after the charge. And, I followed

up over 10 days later, and they would not drop the erroneous charge. So

it's not at all about lapse of enough time, or forms, it's a flat refusal

to do what they promised, in spite of having taken a replacement payment in

the proper amount. Possession is 9/10ths right? They got my money, deceived

me, then kept it. Period.

On Mon, Sep 16, 2013 at 12:49 PM, Ashton Roesbery <

[ashtontr]

Wait, you're saying erroneous "charge." What charge? I thought all we were talking about was a payment not being refunded/overpaid?

[mckmck]

sorry, 'charge' to my credit card. I paid online, called immediately, they

said they'd reverse, and take my correct payment which they did.

On Mon, Sep 16, 2013 at 1:58 PM, Ashton Roesbery <forums@verizonwireless.com

[ashtontr]

Try calling again, they'll be able to decipher what the treasury department left in the remarks/what the status of the reverse is.

[mckmck]

I see, thanks. But, they didn't say it just hadn't taken yet, they said

point blank they were not going to reverse it. That's when my

recourse/protection fallback is to go to Amex and get them to dispute and

take it up with VZ at another level. I'm guessing most people would just

roll over though and let them have the money. It's not just verizon either,

lotta service companies seem to have found a sweet spot dollar amount that

most of us will figure is not significant enough to spend time over

correcting. Multiply that practice across thousands/millions of accounts

and it amounts to a good profit center for the company. Need more

complaints, and then some regulation to stop the practice I say.

On Mon, Sep 16, 2013 at 2:10 PM, Ashton Roesbery <forums@verizonwireless.com

[#10]

I have been reading this so excuse me jumping in.

If you paid by credit card the company need only go back into the payment screen and post a credit back for that amount.

Verizon took this posters money in seconds, so they can give it back the same way. And they can do it.

Secondly as I just did this morning you can call your credit card company and they will do a charge back, this can be for defective goods and services, double billing, incorrect billing, failure to provide what was paid for ( as in my case and not Verizon) the card issuer will credit back that amount and notify the merchant why it was taken away.

Very few times is a charge back not placed permanently back to their customers account.

Now what "Treasury Department" are you referring to? it would be accounts receivable or accounts payable in Verizon's finance office. The US Treasury has zero to do with it.

Original poster, just keep on AMEX for the money back. They have limited time to put the amount back,

Good Luck