This was on my QWEST bill It said it was for AOL Online Service which I already had INTERGRETEL rip-off Internet
On January 17, 2003, I got my QWEST phone bill and noticed an increased charge. After reviewing the bill, I noticed a charge on December 13, 2002, for AOL Online Services for $28.90. I have AOL, but it is paid through a VISA card and not my phone bill. I called the AOL phone number listed on the bill 1-888-839-8458, and after them even having problems figuring out what the charge was for, I was told the following: AOL employee Terry Lacrow said that there was an account for AOL open on this and that it was a different name than myself (I am the account holder), and that it had another address on this AOL account (not my home address). AOL REFUSED to tell me who had used my account to bill QWEST.
They gave me to their FRAUD department. I called the number given, 1-800-307-7969, and spoke to a "Jenifer." Jenifer said that I needed to fax the bill to them and/or call them from my HOME phone. And she of course told me that I would need a COURT ORDER to obtain information from my OWN account to find out who was having me pay for THEIR service. By they way this was coming directly out of MY bank account as AUTOPAY from QWEST and they STILL would not give me information about my OWN account on who was doing this.
I have faxed the info to tell AOL to STOP immediately any more payments. I have contacted www.intergretel.com by internet and told them to stop, and I have called QWEST and told them to not have them take payments, via my phone bill, and I stopped autopay. I have been told by AOL that I cannot get this person, who they will not identify off of my account until they "review" this. So this person who is getting AOL Online Service at another address, under another name I have no idea who it is will remain on my account until otherwise.
AOL was unbelievable when they said that they would have to talk with the "person" on the account, that was ripping MY account that I was paying for.
Susan
Vancouver, Washington
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
gregory
Redding,California,
U.S.A.
AOL ....if you'll pay their price ...you are foolish!
#3Consumer Comment
Thu, January 23, 2003
America Online is way overpriced.
Integretel,Inc was just found guilty of 'slamming' by the FTC in 2002 after a 2 year investigation.
Qwest is also in the dispute.
Treat them to a taste of their own medicine.
If you don't get the answer you need the first time then file a complaint at http://www.ripoffreport.com
1.File a complaint with your attorney general
2.File a complaint with the FTC http://www.ftc.gov
3.File a complaint with the FCC http://www/fcc.gov
4.http://thelist.internet.com/ allows you to shop around and get a good internet provider for less than $10 per month. Many of them allow you unlimited internet use too! Thank you Rip-off Report...
Chelle
Oklahoma City,Oklahoma,
U.S.A.
AOL on your Qwest Bill
#3UPDATE Employee
Thu, January 23, 2003
Susan,
You are upset with America Online because we will not release any information on an account that is not in your name nor your address. America Online has a certain priority to uphold when it comes to the privacy and security of any of our accounts. When a caller calls in, we have no idea who we are talking with, and without proper verification of said account we will not release any information. The reason we have this policy is to protect our members. It would be like someone stealing your visa card statement out of your trash, and calling us to get information about your account. If this person cannot verify the address or screen name on your account, we are not allowed to release information for your protection.
Now you said that this is being billed to your phone bill, and I can understand the frustration that comes with being billed for service that you didn't order, but as I stated earlier, without proper verification we don't have any idea who is on the other side of the line.
The representative gave you the number to fraud and they advised you to fax us a copy of the bill so we can prove that the phone number is yours. Once this is proven, and we find out who the person is that set up the fraudulent account, charges will be filed, and that person will be prosecuted to the full extent.
My problem is with your point of view against the company I work for. All AOL is doing is protecting our members. If you have a problem, my curiosity is why you didn't take it up with Qwest, because they are the ones that have to approve the billing on their phone bills that they send out.
If Qwest would have checked to see if the name and address matched, then they should have not allowed the billing to go through. America Online does not have access to the phone companies databases which have every phone number, address, and customer's name, so there is no way to prove on our end who the number belongs to.