Complaint Review: MCI TELECOMMUNICATIONS

October 18, 2007, I cancelled my long distance service with MCI. Since that time, I have had no long distance service with MCI or any other company. I continued to have local services only through Verizon.

On my billing statement dated 5/16/08, I noticed $838 in long distance calls placed from my residential line between April 5, 2008 and April 14, 2008. I immediately contacted Verizon and spoke with Karen in customer service; she referred me to MCI.

I first contacted MCI (800-876-3675) on May 28, 2008. After innitiating the tele-prompt and entering my account information, I was informed by a recording that I no longer had long distance service and that my service had be disconnected on Oct. 18, 2007. I continued through the tele-promts until I was able to speak to Jason, a supervisor in customer service. He verified that my long distance service was infact disconnected on Oct. 18, 2007. He told me that he would research it and a credit would be issued in 7-10 business days.

The following month (6/15/08), I received my bill from Verizon. I discovered that the long distance charges still appeared on my bill. They were now past due. That afternoon, I received a "courtesy" call from Verizon stating that my local telephone service would be disconnected if I didn't pay the past due charges. I informed the billing service representative of the billing error and told her that MCI was supposed to have credited my account. She agreed to temporarily flag my account until the matter was resolved with MCI.
I then called MCI again. I spoke with Karla in customer service. I asked to speak with Jason, but she refused.

After several minutes of arguement, she agreed to pass me through to her supervisor, Angela. Once again, I had to explain the entire problem to Angela. Angela put me on hold for several minutes while she "researched" my account. She confirmed that my long distance was infact disconnected on Oct. 18, 2007. She told me that my request for credit had been denied, because the calls were direct dialed from my phone; the same phone that does not have long distance services.

When I again questioned her, she told me that the "Back Office" had researched my December 2007 bill, rather than my April 2008 bill. Naturally, I questioned the compentency of employee who had done the research. She said that she would note my complaint. Angela agreed to resubmit my request for credit and told me that it would take 7-10 days. I told her that that was not acceptable; she said that she would send it through to the "Exculation Group" and that they would respond within 96 hrs./May 28, 2008. Of course, I never heard from them.

I called MCI for the third time on July 1, 2008. I asked to speak to the exculation group, but I was told that that department did not have a direct line; customer service refused to connect me. I then asked to speak with Angela again, but the customer service representative claimed she couldn't transfer me. Finally, she connected me through to her supervisor, Anna.

After explaining the problem to Anna, she told me that she would contact the exculation group herself and that she would call me the following day. Of course, I never heard from Anna or MCI again.

It is now July 4, 2008, I have had many sleepless nights due to the unresolved billing issues. Is it time to see an attorney?

MCI victim
Blythe,, California
U.S.A.