TALK AMERICA ripoff fraudulent billing after cancellation Palm Harbor Florida
I am currently being harassed about a bill I do not owe. I am trying to figure out what can be done, other than paying the mafia-type bill collectors to get off my back.
I cancelled my Talk America service in November of 2005, and have continued to be billed for long-distance service I did not have. I have written emails on the Talk.com website, and have received no replies. I have called the call center upwards of 20 times, and have been lied to and told "it's all taken care of" by various people and that I don't owe anything, only to get another bill, in amounts higher and higher!
I have also been repeatedly hung up on and/or put on hold up to 90 minutes at a time. I continue to receive taped messages every day on my answering machine, to pay this bill for canceled service. (When I call the number back that is left on my machine, it is the call center again, where I get no replies, put on hold, etc.)
I recently filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, and the Reference number for my complaint is 8140076.
I am now engaging in a campaign to discredit Talk America and make sure as many people as possible know about their shady business practices and outright theft. I will take legal action if that is what is necessary.
My (former) account number with Talk America is 0019254658. I appreciate whatever help you can provide.
EF
Greer, South Carolina
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Shelley
Potluck,Florida,
U.S.A.
Hope this helps
#2Consumer Suggestion
Wed, May 17, 2006
Not sure if you are aware of how the tel-com world works. However, when ever you cancel a long distance account you always receive a final bill as long distance bills in arrears. Long distance monthly fees are not pro-rated because they are a "Monthly" billing fee. Also you can't just simply call a stand alone (aka 3rd party) long distance carrier and say "cancel my service" the stand alone ld carrier does not have direct access to the pic/lpic switches to make the change. You must contact your local phone carrier and request that your ld carrier be changed to the one of your choice or none at all. When your local phone provider physically makes the change in you switch the current ld provider is electronically notified that they have been removed as the carrier. If this is not done, the ld carrier is still programmed in the switch as the ld carrier and when ever you pick up the phone and make a ld call its going to route through that provider and you are going to be continually billed for having access to their switch. My question to you is: Did you call your local phone carrier and request the change? If so did you check with them to see when they physically made the change and notified Talk America? 9 times out of 10 the consumer thinks they are being errouneously billed and they aren't, either their local phone carrier dropped the ball (didn't make or delayed the change), the consumer called their local phone carrier and didn't request that both pic/lpic switches be changed (consumer is still being billed for one), the consumer simply called the standalone ld carrier and said cancel (wrong), or you stopped using ld and assumed that would cancel the bill (really wrong). I hope this information helps.