Correctionsl Billing Services ,EVERCOM, Correctional Billing Services Evercom Blocked Number after one phone call Irving Texas
I called Cons Call Home to get a local number so my son could call his dad in another state at a local rate and they gave me a local number for the location he is in. I then had to set up an account for this local number with Evercom. They gladly took my visa card and accepted a minimum of 20.00 plus 4.95 tax to set up the account. I was assured that the calls would now be 1.05 to call his dad instead of the Evercom collect calls that was costing almost 20.00 a call. Everything seemed to be fine and my son made his first call and it went through and he talked his 15 minutes. Two days later when my son tried to call his dad, the message was that this line is now restricted. I called Correctional Billing Services, which is Evercom, and they proceeded to tell me that this number had been blocked because of security reasons. They then said that this number was a forwarding number and was not allowed. We argued back and forth to no avail and they made out like they didn't know who blocked the number and they couldn't unblock it. They suggested that I get another number and set up another account and I told them, "No Way" was I going thru that again. I then called Cons Call Home and they faxed me a letter stating that it is against the FCC rules for them to block a number and I filled out that report and sent back to Cons Call Home so that they can legally try to do something about this. They have had numberous calls in the last couple of days about Evercom blocking numbers so they are legally trying to do something about it. If you have this problem, call Cons Call Home at 1-800 524-6151 immediately and get this form to fill out and then email or fax it back to them with your problem that you had with Evercom.
As of the moment, Evercom has not unblocked this number for me and looks like they won't. I think Evercom is the biggest scam out there and they charge outrageous for long distance calls. It is unfortunate that companies can scam people out of money and use any excuse they want to justify their corruptness. I am determined to get this straightened out, and have already filed a complaint myself with the FCC. Hope this helps someone out there.
Faye
Benson, North Carolina
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Faye
Benson,North Carolina,
U.S.A.
Answer to Rebuttal
#4Author of original report
Tue, July 14, 2009
Thanks for your suggestion, but Cons Call Home is a FCC regulated company and they are the ones that gave me the local number to call my son's dad in another state. The attorney for Cons Call Home has a letter that I filled out, explicitely stating that Correctional Billing Services (Evercom) CANNOT block numbers provided by Cons Call Home. This is a routing number, not a forwarding number but Evercom looks at it as a forwarding number. Cons Call Home is taking legal action against Evercom as they should. Evercom is a sorry service to begin with and they drop calls all the time. And to answer your question about being in jail in the first place. Yes, that is true, but people do make mistakes and through some mistakes wonderful things can happen from it. God gave me this child through adoption and I love him as if I had birthed him. That still doesn't give these companies the right to rip me or anyone else off.
Tompc
Irving,Texas,
U.S.A.
Here's why you can't use a forwarding number
#4Consumer Comment
Sun, July 12, 2009
Faye, check with the court or your attorney. There are legal restrictions on who your son may call from prison (to protect victims, jurors, attorneys and other officers of the court). When he tries to use a forwarding number, neither Evercom (or any other prison telephone service company) nor the correctional institution has any way to know to whom the call is being forwarded. For the same reson, you can't include a prison call on a three-way conference or other call that was not originated (and validated as a legitimately registered number) from the prison phone system.
You're right, the cost to make calls from prison are high, but the simlpest way to avoid them is to not end up there in the first place. $1 minute phone calls is probably one of the lesser consequences of whatever crime was committed that caused his incarceration.
Faye
Benson,North Carolina,
U.S.A.
Correctional Billing Services Evercom
#4Author of original report
Fri, July 10, 2009
I have made numerous calls again since this complaint to no avail. They will not unblock my number because they say it is a forwarding number. I am so frustated but you can help if you are in this situation. Cons Call Home is collecting information to legally fight Correctional Billing Services (Evercom) and here is what you can do.
Click on this website and fill out a form which will let you describe your situation with Evercom or other billing services. The email address is:
(((Redacted))).
CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.