Sprint Sprint debited $2100 without authorization for a $59.95/monthly plan. Now they're charging me another $1900! Pasadena Internet
I have a $59.95/month unlimited minutes internet card from Sprint. I've had the card about a year now. In early August 2007, I got a bill for $1685. I called up Sprint and after a couple hours on the phone was told it was a "huge mistake on Sprint's part, the charges were now dropped, and we've credited off the $1685." I then paid them $59.95 via a direct debit out of my bank. I did not setup a recurring debit. I only authorized the one time debit of $59.95.
6 weeks later on Sept 17, 2007 my bank was debited for $2148.77- $500 more than the first erroneous billing. Since Sept 17th, I have spent 25 hours on the phone and made two 2 hour visits to the Sprint store. I have been guaranteed and promised the $ would be credited by various managers at least 8 times, but the $ still hasn't been credited.
In one case, the customer service manager ok'd the credit, but then the credit manager simply refused to issue the credit. In his notes he said "we will call customer to tell him we refused the credit." HA! I have been promised return phone calls at least a dozen times, but no one, no one , NO ONE, has ever called me back.
Two weeks ago I spent another two hours at the store and was promised the $ would be credited back to my bank in the next 4-6 hours. Never happened.
Yesterday, I received ANOTHER $1985 BILL! Instead of crediting my account, they've tacked on another $1900 in bogus charges. Not only that, but they dated it a week ago, gave me 24 hours to pay it, and have now terminated my service and sent the bill to a collection agency!
This is the worst customer service experience I've ever had. They have virtually no support, no dept is ever able to help, oftentimes after 45 minutes on hold you're told they "can not access your account info please call back and enter correct prompts" Then, before you can say anything, click .
Every phone call takes at least two hours before you can finally get through to someone. I've been disconnected dozens of times after an hour or more on the phone. I've been transferred to the wrong dept and sent back to yet another wrong dept over and over and over. I'm now entering my 3rd month of disputing the charges and it has been 6 weeks since Sprint , without authorization, took $2148.77 out of my bank account . Now they've billed me another $1900, so we're now at over $4000 in overcharges for a $59.95/month unlimited plan.
I would end my service with them, but until I get my $ back I'm scared to do so. I know that if I terminated my contract I'd never get the $ back, plus I'm sure they'd find some way to hit me w/ cancellation fees etc...I'm about to contact the local news "we'll fight for you" consumer advocates. Anyone got any suggestions as to what I should do?
JD
Pasadena, California
U.S.A.
10 Updates & Rebuttals
Naomiowins
St. Paul,Minnesota,
U.S.A.
Try this..
#11Consumer Suggestion
Mon, July 14, 2008
First of all gather up all your invoices and make sure Sprint doesn't charge you for calling them (you just never know what they charge you for).
You should really calculate everything and go through the invoices with them and explain your situation.
Mark the time and day you called and always make sure to get the rep #.
Make sure to be aggressive and do your math before calling them. Just so you know what your going to talk about and prove to them that you mean business.
If you can go to a sprint kiosk and dispute it..i would do it there too so you can scare away potential customers so they don't get jacked too. Just don't get so enraged that the security has to drag you out..but you really should act disgruntled (good chance they will pretend that they can't help you and that you will have to call sprint on the phone..)
Pdr
Louisville,Kentucky,
U.S.A.
1900 "mysterious charge" and auto debit
#11UPDATE Employee
Thu, February 28, 2008
The 1900 dollar charge is just a "temporary credit". It's where we remove the disputed charge for 7 or 30 days (in your case 1900) and then it's put back on. Most people get confused with this because they think it's a permanent credit, but it's only a temporary fix. As far as taking money out of the account, no way do we do that unless someone, even accidentally, set up auto pay. I've seen many accounts that THOUGHT they were making a one time payment and set up auto pay.
The one rep was correct..Sprints system isn't set up to issue money back to an account, the bank would have to dispute the amount...why haven't you done that? That's the only way to get your money back.
Lynn
Pasadena,Texas,
U.S.A.
Talk to your bank
#11Consumer Suggestion
Tue, November 06, 2007
If they keep debiting your account without permission, talk to your bank about it. The least they can do is to close that account for you. Then Sprint can't debit anymore money while you try to get the credit you are due.
Lynn
Pasadena,Texas,
U.S.A.
Talk to your bank
#11Consumer Suggestion
Tue, November 06, 2007
If they keep debiting your account without permission, talk to your bank about it. The least they can do is to close that account for you. Then Sprint can't debit anymore money while you try to get the credit you are due.
Lynn
Pasadena,Texas,
U.S.A.
Talk to your bank
#11Consumer Suggestion
Tue, November 06, 2007
If they keep debiting your account without permission, talk to your bank about it. The least they can do is to close that account for you. Then Sprint can't debit anymore money while you try to get the credit you are due.
Lynn
Pasadena,Texas,
U.S.A.
Talk to your bank
#11Consumer Suggestion
Tue, November 06, 2007
If they keep debiting your account without permission, talk to your bank about it. The least they can do is to close that account for you. Then Sprint can't debit anymore money while you try to get the credit you are due.
Beth
Tucson,Arizona,
U.S.A.
I'm completely aware of some of the shady stuff Sprint does...
#11UPDATE Employee
Sat, November 03, 2007
And in all honesty, the only reason I suggested going straight to your bank is because
1) This is what I am told that Sprint has the capability to do (READ: they will refuse to do anything else.)
2) I see the "run around" that people talk about with Sprint every single day. Person after person after person, constant "umm I don't know let me place you on hold and find outs," only to be cold-transferred to a completely wrong department time after time, or to be disconnected "on accident" ... Sprint isn't gonna do anything for you and you're going to need to take matters into your own hands. At this point in the game, you're never going to get your money back if you wait for them to do it.
Bottom line is this, who knows why Sprint does what they do, but as a peon (and not the person who makes the rules, Robert from Buffalo,) I can tell you that the way you're approaching it isn't going to make your money come back.
Jd
Pasadena,California,
U.S.A.
Then why have all your managers lied to me and said the refund was on the way?
#11Author of original report
Fri, November 02, 2007
If Sprint is "not able " to refund the amount they debited, why have 10 managers guaranteed and promised me my credit was being applied ? You've also now again erroneously billed me yet another $1900, then you sent me a letter giving me 24 hours to pay it. Then you cutoff my service.
I proved these transactions occurred by faxing in my banking statements showing the last two months of debits, but you've now sent me a letter saying you've never been paid for the last two months. And, you've penalized me $25.
Quite simply, I'm just appalled by your customer service. This is the absolute worst customer service experience of my 37 years. Again, just yesterday I was promised I'd receive a call back and have a form emailed to me. I told that rep that this was probably the 20th time I was promised these things with no followup. He guaranteed he'd do it. Nothing.
Now I'm being told some runaround that
1 You don't owe me anything because you never charged me BUT YOU DID.
2 The best I can possibly hope for is to get some kind of credit to my account that I'll then have to start trying to get you to reimburse me for. Forms will be requested, calls will be made, but you're never going to refund me. Because you don't want to. So you just make it impossible in the hopes I'll give up. Or,perhaps, your company is just disorganized to the point of incompetence.
Please call Julio the store manager in Pasadena at 626 351 6025 . Julio has entire case history and all paperwork you need. Or provide me w/ fax # and I'll fax into you.
I'm giving Sprint til 11-7 , 3 months to the date this began, to get this problem fixed. Then I'll be contacting my attorneys and all local media consumer advocates. My patience is at an end.
Robert
Buffalo,New York,
U.S.A.
More options.
#11Consumer Comment
Fri, November 02, 2007
How typical of a so called employee to post such a rebuttal.
There is a big difference between "not having the capability" to do something and not WANTING to do something. If SPRINT can access the account to make a debit, SPRINT can access the account to make a deposit. Sprint's automated billing system may not be able to do it but I'm very sure that someone at Sprint could do it if properly motivated. It's the same financial system whether it's an EFT or done through the ACH - if you can make a debit, you can make a deposit. Seems sprint doesn't WANT to.
Other options: I would send a certified, return receipt requested letter to Sprint Corporate HQ stating all the facts of the matter and demanding a complete refund of all misappropriated funds within 10 business days. I would state in the letter that is the misappropriated funds are not received within the described time I would be filing criminal fraud complaints as well as seeking legal remedy through civil court. I would spend the extra postage to send it priority mail as well.
If the monies are not forthcoming, follow through with a criminal complaint for fraud with Federal, State and Local law enforcement. Also file a civil suit in small claims.
To simply say that the only option is to complain to your bank is not being completely honest.
Beth
Tucson,Arizona,
U.S.A.
It doesn't matter how many hours you spend on the phone...
#11UPDATE Employee
Fri, November 02, 2007
Sprint doesn't have the ability to reverse automatic debits from your checking account. I'm sorry that happened to you, and I'm VERY sorry that no one told you that apparently, but at that point, all you can do is go to your bank and dispute the charges with them. The bank will charge the money back into your account. That said, you can cancel whenever you want because Sprint has no control over your money if the bank takes it back.