Complaint Review: MCI WorldCom Wireless

In September of 2000 I got a cell phone from MCI WorldCom wireless. I am from Erie, PA. I have an area code of 814, my phone was given an area code from OH. Which means I could call out from my phone since I had free long distance, but no one could call my phone without getting charged for long distance. The very day I got the phone I called to get a new number that had my area code.

I was on hold for a very long time, and switched over to a couple different people before I was eventually cut off the line. Over the next few months I kept trying to get it fixed, and was always told there was nothing they could do. I was never given the option of getting a new phone.

I used the phone every now and then, and my monthly fee was $50.00. I certainly didn't use it enough to pay $50.00 a month. Anyway in March of 2001 I was finally told oh no problem we can give you a new phone number.

I was shocked this person sounded like I could have all along. Well, this person had me program a new number into my phone, and said it would be activated within a few days. So I waited nearly a week and it wasn't activated.

I called about once a week to get my phone working, at this point it didn't work at all, not even with the old number. I was also still getting billed for it.

So between March 2001 and September 2001 when my contract was up I wasn't able to use the phone at all. When I would call I would have rude people tell me that it should be working, and then when they would try to call it and find out it didn't work they would tell me they would put the work order in and it would be working within 24-72 hours. This went on for months. I tried to get them to just cancel the phone, but they said I would be charged a $200.00 fee. I didn't want to pay that, but they were not understanding at all. So I decided to just wait out the contract, but I kept getting billed for time I couldn't even use it.

A couple of times they took the monthly fee off for the months I couldn't use it. Also I was being charged for months I could with the old phone number many months after those months. Very bad billing system, very inconvenient. Every now and then I would call to try and get it working, I would ask for a supervisor or someone hirer up and most of the time I was told I couldn't talk to one that they would get the phone working. When my contract was up I called to get it canceled and to try and get my bill fixed.

I will admit I was angry, but the person on the line was SO RUDE, he finally put on a supervisor and he said that I should have gotten a new phone. I was NEVER given that option. And he refused to get rid of my remaining $398.78 bill (which I still owe) for my inconvenience. I just find this company very poor, that because of their mistake I was never able to really use my phone and I'm still paying for it.

Sarah
Erie, PA