- Report: #1192345
Complaint Review: CenturyLink - Charlotte North Carolina
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CenturyLink
P.O. Box 1319 Charlotte, 33914 North Carolina, USA
Phone:
1-800-201-4099
Web:
centurylink.com
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CenturyLink ilegal Billing Charlotte North Carolina
My husband and I switched our cable and internet to Direct TV and CenturyLink in August of this year. Direct TV offered a bundle with CenturyLink which seemed reasonable so, we went ahead and ordered our cable and internet with both companies. At that time, there was no explanation as to how the statements would be set up or sent out. We just assumed that, each company would have it's own billing cycle and bills sent to our home each month - until we received our very first bill. The statements were together in one bill however, the bills come from CenturyLink and not Direct TV. We find this to be very strange since Direct TV is the company we signed up with for originally. Basically, we are questiionning why Direct TV doesn't send out the billing statments, instead of CenturyLink. This seems really strange.
A few months passed and everything seemed fine with our services and our billing statments until today. We received our regular monthly bill from CenturyLink for our bundled services and there were charges added to our bill that were not supposed to be on the bill. Let me explain:
On October 4th, 2014, we had called Direct TV to drop all of our premium TV channels. We didn't want to pay a $40 fee each month for those channels. We were told we had to keep those channels until November 7th, which would be the end of the FREE 3 month period for those channels. Then on November 7th, those channels would be dropped from our account before the next billing cycle was to begin.
We were told that this would make "things easier" for the billing department at Direct TV and cause "less confusion." Statements from CenturyLink/Direct TV are dated and sent out on the 10th of each month. We had been assured by Direct TV that the premium stations would in fact be deleted from our account and not charged on the next months billing cycle. Direct TV was supposed to notify CenturyLink of the change so that, their billing department would include the $40 charge on the next months billing cycle.
When we opened up our billing statment from CenturyLink today, not only did we received a "late charge fee" of $54.04 (that is $40.00 for premium stations that were supposed to be cancelled along with a charge of $14.04 for taxes and misc. service charges), we also received an additional charge from Direct TV for another $40 for those same premium stations. So $80.00 was added to our monthly bill from CenturyLink and shouldn't have been.
I called both Direct TV and CenturyLink today to find out why we were being charged $80.00. When I called Direct TV first, they told me that no one had "posted" the information that had been sitting in the computer cancelling our premium stations and because of this, it DID get charged to CenturyLink's billing statement. I was told by Direct TV that they DID send CenturyLink information related to our account cancelling those premiium stations. Direct TV then asked me to call CenturyLink to verify that $80.00 had been credited to our account.
Unfortunately, when I called CenturyLink they denied receiving any credit from Direct TV either this month or last month and told me that I was a liar. CenturyLink made it very clear that unless Direct TV calls them or sends them information related to any account, they will not post or include that information. I was advised several times that CenturyLink had NEVER once received any of my account information from Direct TV.
CenturyLink also explained to me that, it didn't matter that Direct TV was giving me any credits on my account (for whatever reason). It was CenturyLink's policy to charge back those credits to their company account. When I asked why they were dong this I was told that, CenturyLink "paid my bill in full each month" prior to Direct TV posting any of their information on that billing statment each month. CenturyLink explained that I owed them the FULL amount on my billing statement, no matter whether or not I had a credit from Direct TV.
When I told CenturyLink that was illegal and outrageous to do this to a consumer, they wouldn't speak to me or assist me in any way and hung up the phone on me. I called CenturyLink and Direct TV back at least 3 more times to try and get some assistance. I was told the same thing repeatedly that I owed CenturyLink the money and my credit was never sent to them nor would it matter if it was sent to them. I was told repeatedly that I was horrid and didn't listen to anything that was being said to me. The bottom line was that, CenturyLink doesn't give credits to anyone, including consumers who bundle with Direct TV, because they pay your account in full first the, send out the billing for Direct TV. This didn't make any sense to me either. How is it possible that they pay my bill first? I pay my own bills for both companies. Why would they say such a thing to a consumer? It would cost them millions of dollars if they paid each consumers bill first.
So I called the headquarters of CenturyLink and was blown off by them as well. I was told to call the phone number on my billing statement and that would be the ONLY help I would receive regarding my account. I had no choice after going around and around in circles all day with this, but to get rid of my bundled accounts and separate them in the hopes of straightening out this issue.
Unfortunately, I was threatened by CenturyLink and told that I MUST pay the incorrect bill in full or suffer the consequences of being sent to collection. The total of that bill was for $234.14 - which is $80.00 over what I should pay. Regular billing from Direct TV is $73.00 for my TV package plus all of the additional charges that are put in there for state and local taxes etc. Those taxes and extras come to $46.99 which is unbelievable. So the total for the Direct TV is $119.99 each month. This is a middle of the road package (not a full premium package).
CenturyLink offered a discount if we bundled with Direct TV. CenturyLink's internet services for us were $61.94 less $32.00 for the bundle discount. This brings the total to $29.29 each month with taxes etc. added into that. The total is $34.34 each month. They also add in $8.40 for Broadband connection on the internet. This brings it to a total of $42.74 for internet only from CenturyLink.
So the grand total each month for both services should be $42.74 for internet and $119.99 for TV services. When you add those together it should be $162.73 since they are bundled. This amount from Direct TV seems to fluctuate each month and that is very confusing, especially since you signed up for one set amount.
Because I couldn't get anywhere with either company (both seemed to be lying to me), I unbundled both accounts to receive separate bills each month. This way, there could be no dispute about credits etc.
Something needs to be done about CenturyLink's policies. They are illegal and uncalled for. Charging a consumer for a credit received from another company and then threatening them is unbelievable. CenturyLink should really be put out of business due to the amount of illegal money they are making off of consumers. Thank You.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
susan2518
Cape Coral,Florida,
Charging for Services Not Received is NOT Acceptable
#2Author of original report
Tue, December 02, 2014
To answer your rebuttal: I was very surprised when CenturyLink told me that they would charge back my credit. True I have no "proof" that Direct TV gave me a credit in the first place however, when you call their offices they DO have all of my information in their computer system that actually goes back for months. Frankly at this point it's hard to believe either company and my husband and I feel that we are caught in the middle (of what I really don't know).
We have been with CenturyLink for a very long time for other services and the comments that were made to me regarding their paying for our services first, then sending them to Direct TV is NO LIE. They actually told me that someone needs to be paid and a credit (or fake credit according to you) just won't work. We pay our bills on time and fully. But being charged for services you've cancelled then told you didn't cancel them, just doesn't work for anyone. This is especially true in these bad economic times. Centurylink also told me that I have no proof of credit. What is it exactly that I am supposed to do? I have called Direct TV dozens of times and have been told that I do have a credit. Direct TV in turn has tried to blame CenturyLink and the reverse is true as well. If this isn't putting a consumer in the middle then what is it exactly? This is NOT professional and no one to date has come forward to even try and assist us from either company. It seems they want to blame each other.
I really don't feel that it's fair we are being charged for services we DID NOT RECEIVE. I have called Direct TV as well as CenturyLink dozens of times and have gotten no where with either company. More confusing still, and this was in my original letter, if you sign up with Direct TV and they offer bundle packages to consumers - why aren't those bundle billing statements coming from Direct TV and not CenturyLink? Do you think you can answer that one? One company is obviously much larger than the other and somehow controls how their billing is done. At least, this is how it appears to me.
I really don't care for your flippant remarks and feel that you are judging someones character, without knowing the truth of the matter at hand. Just don't assume things. I am not a liar and I WAS told everything I have written into my letter by both companies. Talk about surprised - I was shocked that I was told what I was. Frankly it's appauling and surprising from two large companies to have been treated so poorly and without being able to resolve our issues. Getting billed for services YOU DON'T HAVE is not acceptable for anyone.
Robert
Irvine,California,
Seems your issue is with DirectTV
#3Consumer Comment
Tue, December 02, 2014
Do you realize how many times in this post you stated something similar to "DirectTV told me...."
My favorite was this one....
We were told that this would make "things easier" for the billing department at Direct TV and cause "less confusion."
Really? So a company that is providing you service requires you to keep a service to make it "easier" for them. Yea I'll let you think about that one.
In your entire report you are "assuming" that DirectTV actually sent the credit, but no proof.
However, you do have Centurylink saying that even if they did get it, they wouldn't give it to you. So if they are as dishonest as you say, why don't they just say that they got the credit and they kept it? Why would they go through an additional lie and say that they never received it, only to tell you that if they ever get it you aren't getting it anyways?
Seems like there is a missing piece you are not telling, or perhaps don't exactly understand what they are saying.
On that, just a little point on business.....
It would cost them millions of dollars if they paid each consumers bill first.
- Yes, and they get those millions of dollars back when the consumer pays them. This is actually very common in the business world. After all how do you think retail stores work? They get stock delivered to them and pay their vendor even though the merchandise may sit on their shelves for weeks or months. Where the store only gets "paid" when a consumer walks into a store and purchases the item. The only difference here is that instead of the vendor(DirectTV) delivering physical merchandise to the store(Centrylink) they are delivering a Service.
Oh and before you say it..NO I do not now or have I ever worked for any company. I am also not saying that either company is totally right or totally wrong, just that you need to perhaps take a different look at this.
