Legacy Long Distance Charged $20.75 for 30 second phone call to my debit card! Ripoff Cypress California
Here is my story to help others be aware of the rip-off that is occuring at pay phones everywhere by Legacy Long Distance.
It was Mother's day , May 14 2006. I stopped at the grocery store on my way to church services and when I got back in my car it wouldn't start. I started looking for my cell phone and realized I had left in on the charger at home. So I started looking for change in my purse to call my husband and could not find any.
I walked to the payphone to figure out what to do. I picked up the reciever and dialed 0 and was told dial 1 for collect call or 2 for credit/debit card. I pushed 2 and was prompted to put in my card # then experiation date then 3 digit security code on the back. As soon as I dialed the last number it started dialing and my husband did not answer, I left a voicemail. The call was probably a total of 30 seconds at the most. I made a total of 4 calls that way and never got through just hung up when voicemail answered. I was never told or promted to hear rates and assumed it would be the usual 50 cents.
The next day I had charges to my bank account from Legacy Long distance 4 for $20.75 each and 4 for $20.00 each. The $20.00 ones were authorizations. The final charges that went through totalled $83.00. What a rip-off!
I called legacy long disctance and was told that was the usual fee for people who didn't have coins available. This is insane and I am going to try to get this on the news so this doesn't happen to other people.
This put my bank account into an overdrawn status and I have incurred over $400 in bank charges because of this company.
Shalisha
Galt, California
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Andi
Lathrop,California,
U.S.A.
Legacy RipOff Stops Here! How to fight back.
#4Consumer Suggestion
Tue, October 03, 2006
If you have still received no satisfaction from Legacy or the bank in getting your money back and stopping the ripoff, contact the California Public Utilities Commission with a copy of the phone bill and / or the bank statements where this company's name and charge appear. File a complaint with CPUC and with your county's district attorney. You can also contact the Federal Communication Commission with your complaints. Contact information is pasted below. Good luck!
Send a copy of your phone bill or bank statement to PUC with a written dispute to
CPUC
Attn Consumer Affairs Bureau
505 Van Ness Ave
San Francisco, CA 94102
You can Fax it to 415.703.1158
File an Online Dispute
(If you can copy and paste your attachments)
www.cpuc.ca.gov/static/forms/complaints/index.htm
The FCC information is on their website at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints_general.html
Leticia
Anytown,Other,
U.S.A.
I agree with alma and have to add.
#4Consumer Comment
Fri, May 26, 2006
Most grocery stores sell these prepaid cards, so if you do not have one on you go and buy one with your debit card, so that you won't have to pay these rates.
If this happens again, just go to the customer service desk, and ask if they sell them.
Alma
Menlo Park,California,
U.S.A.
Use pre-paid calling cards....
#4Consumer Suggestion
Fri, May 26, 2006
To prevent similar ripoffs, have a pre-paid calling card for this kind of situtation. (You can find ones with only 4-6 c/minutes.) You have to call a 800 number - it is free, then you have to punch your code, then the # you want to call.
The cost: mandatory 25-50 cents for the public pay phone usage + 4-6 cents/minute. All these deducted from the amount on your calling card. No need for change to deposit.
Please, be aware, that your own phone company's calling card does not prevent you from extra charges by these scambag companies.
The main point: have an anonym pre-paid card - so scammers can not charge your home phone number.
You can use these pre-paid cards beside public payphones, in hotels, hospitals, etc. where otherwise you are charged skyhigh rates for both collect calls or calls made by your own phone companies calling card.