- Report: #121643
Complaint Review: ESBI Enhanced Services Billing - Nationwide
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Author Not Confirmed
Why?
ESBI Enhanced Services Billing
esbi.com Nationwide, U.S.A.
Phone:
888-296-3724
Web:
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ESBI, Enhanced Services Billing Fraudulent Billing Nationwide Nationwide
Our company recently received charges on a Verizon bill from ESBI (Enhanced Services Billing, Inc.) for charges that we did not authorize and do not recognize.
We were charged a total of $99.90 for something they call WebXtes gold set-up fee and monthly fee (We were charged $49.95 for Oct. 27 and $49.95 for Oct. 28, 2004). I called ESBI on December 6 to inquire about the charges and they informed me that the charges were for a Website they were "hosting" for us, and directed me to corinthgroup.visualcomposer.com. This was a generic Website with my company's name at the top, one which neither I, nor any person from my company, had ever authorized. Minutes after my conversation with the representative from ESBI, the Website was taken down from the Internet.
ESBI informed me that they had an audio recording confirming my company's authorization. I informed them that we had no business with them and that I believed their company was running a scam. I asked them to remove the charges and to stop charging us. The company representative, who identified himself as Ron Madriz, said that they would not remove the charges and we would continue to be billed, claiming that we had authorized it. He said he could not send me anything in writing.
My company already has a web site and a credible web host that we have been using for many years. In addition, we are a three-person company. Any authorizations for Web revisions would come directly from me, and we would never pay for them through the phone bill.
We believe that this is the result of a phone call by a telemarketer to our company, in which they asked to send us a proposal showing us how to "optimize" our Web site. One employee, who was new, said they could send us a sample of their work, and we think they fraudulently spliced this phone conversation into a recording "authorizing" the work.
The employee at ESBI (Ron Madriz) whom I spoke with gave me the following address for his company:
2500 Wilcrest Blvd, Suite 540
Houston, TX 77042
This is the same address as the one for the company who was listed as the host of the false website. They are called WebXites, and I am not sure if they are falsely implicated in this scam. The information for ESBI that was included in my phone bill was: 1-888-296-3724; Web: www.billview.com/esbi.
ESBI is a scam. I am reporting them to the FCC. I am having Verizon reverse all charges to ESBI so they will bill me directly (if they dare) and I am having Verizon put a block on my account so that outside businesses cannot bill through my Verizon account.
FILING A COMPLAINT TO FCC:
Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Complaints
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554
Your name, address and the telephone number or numbers involved with your complaint; (if telephone related)
A telephone number where you can be reached during the business day;
Specific information about your complaint, including the names of all companies involved with your complaint;
Names and telephone numbers of the company representatives that you contacted, the dates that you spoke with these representatives, and any other information that would help process your complaint;
If telephone related, include a copy of the bill(s) listing the disputed charges;
What type of resolution are you seeking?
www.fcc.gov/complaints
Danielle
New York, New York
U.S.A.
We were charged a total of $99.90 for something they call WebXtes gold set-up fee and monthly fee (We were charged $49.95 for Oct. 27 and $49.95 for Oct. 28, 2004). I called ESBI on December 6 to inquire about the charges and they informed me that the charges were for a Website they were "hosting" for us, and directed me to corinthgroup.visualcomposer.com. This was a generic Website with my company's name at the top, one which neither I, nor any person from my company, had ever authorized. Minutes after my conversation with the representative from ESBI, the Website was taken down from the Internet.
ESBI informed me that they had an audio recording confirming my company's authorization. I informed them that we had no business with them and that I believed their company was running a scam. I asked them to remove the charges and to stop charging us. The company representative, who identified himself as Ron Madriz, said that they would not remove the charges and we would continue to be billed, claiming that we had authorized it. He said he could not send me anything in writing.
My company already has a web site and a credible web host that we have been using for many years. In addition, we are a three-person company. Any authorizations for Web revisions would come directly from me, and we would never pay for them through the phone bill.
We believe that this is the result of a phone call by a telemarketer to our company, in which they asked to send us a proposal showing us how to "optimize" our Web site. One employee, who was new, said they could send us a sample of their work, and we think they fraudulently spliced this phone conversation into a recording "authorizing" the work.
The employee at ESBI (Ron Madriz) whom I spoke with gave me the following address for his company:
2500 Wilcrest Blvd, Suite 540
Houston, TX 77042
This is the same address as the one for the company who was listed as the host of the false website. They are called WebXites, and I am not sure if they are falsely implicated in this scam. The information for ESBI that was included in my phone bill was: 1-888-296-3724; Web: www.billview.com/esbi.
ESBI is a scam. I am reporting them to the FCC. I am having Verizon reverse all charges to ESBI so they will bill me directly (if they dare) and I am having Verizon put a block on my account so that outside businesses cannot bill through my Verizon account.
FILING A COMPLAINT TO FCC:
Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Complaints
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554
Your name, address and the telephone number or numbers involved with your complaint; (if telephone related)
A telephone number where you can be reached during the business day;
Specific information about your complaint, including the names of all companies involved with your complaint;
Names and telephone numbers of the company representatives that you contacted, the dates that you spoke with these representatives, and any other information that would help process your complaint;
If telephone related, include a copy of the bill(s) listing the disputed charges;
What type of resolution are you seeking?
www.fcc.gov/complaints
Danielle
New York, New York
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Peter
Chesapeake,Virginia,
U.S.A.
Play hardball with ESBI
#2Consumer Suggestion
Tue, December 07, 2004
Their customers reps are told to be hard nosed. They want to put you off. Don't be - go back and say a fraud was committed and you want these charges dropped. Say you want the address of their head office for the FTC complaint you are about to file. Play hardball back. ESBI is part of the Billing Concepts Group, which following various acquisitions, is now headquartered at 2700 Patriot Bvd, Suite 150, Glenview, IL 60025. This is the address of Avery Communications which was recently folded into BCG. BCG contains a host of companies like this: ZPDI, USBI, ACI, OAN, HBS et al. Go back though every phone scam in the last 20 years and these companies were there. BCG is owned by a private equity fund called ABRY Partners, LLC, 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02199.
