Complaint Review: Birch Communications

During my weekly visit with my 85 year old father to review mail and pay bills, he had welcome letter from Birch Communications.  He asked me who it was.  After reading I asked him if he had been contacted by someone about his phone service.  He said no and that he was with ATT.  I explained that according to the letter he was now with Birch.  He had no memory of talking to anyone at Birch.  

I called Birch and they told me that my father had agreed to switch his local and long distance phone service.  He further told me that they had a recording of him agreeing to switch phone service providers. Again I asked my father if he had done so and he said no.  I asked to hear the recording which was vauge. The part that was recorded was of someone asking my father for his name and address and to press #.  There was also question which my father did not understand about change to phone service and press #.  

When I explained that my father did not know what was going on or what the call was about I was told that it did not matter.  He had agreed to switch service to Birch.  It was futher explained to me that if he cancelled then he would be responsible for paying 1/2 the monthly total of $50 for the 36 month contract term which amounts to $900.  As a 85 year old on a fixed income this is not possible!  I was told that if I could produce a power of attorney then I could get the service teminiated. 

What a sham! What a scam! Amazing you can establish a contract by phone but you can not cancel a bogus service. Fortunately I do have power of attorney.  I will also be consulting with our attorney.  In the meantime I have made sure that my father is on the DO NOT CALL list.  

My warning to others is BEWARE!  So many of our elderly are caught unaware of the scams and bogus sales that are out there.  Now I have to spend additional time trying to get this resolved and get ATT of which there was NO contract back. 

Buy Beware!!!!!!