- Report: #144315
Complaint Review: SBC - Internet
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SBC
sbc.com Internet, U.S.A.
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SBC Gave us a new number when we moved, number had money owed on it from previous customer, stuck us with their bill 'cause we had their old number, RIPOFF! Internet
We were customers in good standing with SBC for several years. Therefore, when we asked to transfer our sevice due to a move in 2002, everything went through without a hitch. Since we were moving from Converse, TX to Marion, TX, which has a different area code, we were assigned a new number.
About a month after our move, we found a less expensive phone company that had a better offer on their long distance charges, so we switched services. Approximately 2 months after changing services, we were contacted by the collections department of SBC.
It turns out that the new number they had assigned us for our move had over a $200 balance left on it from calls made in 1998. We did have SBC in 1998, but we were living in Converse and had a completely different phone number with a different area code. One would think SBC could figure this out!!!
After trying to reason with SBC and getting absolutely nowhere, we flatly refused to pay a bill that didn't belong to us. We didn't hear back from SBC, so we thought the matter was dropped.
Now, a couple weeks ago, we got a collections notice from a collection agency called Westmoreland, which is owned by Capital One. (We have two accounts with Capital one that are both in good standing.) It seems Capital One "purchased" our bogus, alledged debt with SBC and are now trying to collect on it, knowing we value our good credit rating with them. (Capital One)
This entire scenario would not have occurred if SBC would do just a bit of research and see that it was not us who had that phone number back in 1998. We didn't even live in that area code!!!
Sheryl
San Antonio, Texas
U.S.A.
About a month after our move, we found a less expensive phone company that had a better offer on their long distance charges, so we switched services. Approximately 2 months after changing services, we were contacted by the collections department of SBC.
It turns out that the new number they had assigned us for our move had over a $200 balance left on it from calls made in 1998. We did have SBC in 1998, but we were living in Converse and had a completely different phone number with a different area code. One would think SBC could figure this out!!!
After trying to reason with SBC and getting absolutely nowhere, we flatly refused to pay a bill that didn't belong to us. We didn't hear back from SBC, so we thought the matter was dropped.
Now, a couple weeks ago, we got a collections notice from a collection agency called Westmoreland, which is owned by Capital One. (We have two accounts with Capital one that are both in good standing.) It seems Capital One "purchased" our bogus, alledged debt with SBC and are now trying to collect on it, knowing we value our good credit rating with them. (Capital One)
This entire scenario would not have occurred if SBC would do just a bit of research and see that it was not us who had that phone number back in 1998. We didn't even live in that area code!!!
Sheryl
San Antonio, Texas
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Sheryl
San Antonio,Texas,
U.S.A.
SBC phone sevice never sent us a copy of bogus charges, just had collections start calling us, no DSL
#2Author of original report
Sun, May 29, 2005
Thank you for your reply:) We have spoken with SBC a number of times and got absolutely nowhere. They told us the charges were for long distance calls. We told them we did not make those calls because we didn't even have that number back in 1998, and they responded, "Well then, who did?" as if we should know! The charges were for more than $200 even, although at this time I don't remember the exact amount. (DH has the paperwork.) We are country dwellers and have never had DSL, although I would like to:P We did not keep our old SBC bills. After we changed services and everything seemed fine, we saw no reason to keep them. When we began getting collection calls from SBC it was from "out of the blue." They never even sent us a hard copy of the false charges to my recollection. We will try to attain a copy of the bogus bill by following your suggestions. You have given some very good advice and we will most certainly be giving SBC a few more calls. Perhaps they previously wouldn't allow us to speak with the "right person," which I find to be very unethical and unjust. I still believe it was aweful of SBC to treat us the way they did when we tried to straighted out this mess previously. They would have nothing to do with anyting we said. According to them we owed the money, period. Then, three years after we had heard nothing more from them, they went and "sold" our account to a collection agency after they had applied someone else's bill to our account! Sheesh!
J
Anytown,California,
U.S.A.
Call SBC did you have DSL at your old address or new address?
#3Consumer Comment
Sun, May 29, 2005
Call SBC and ask to speak to the final account collections center. Have one of your old bills with you when you do it. Have the final account collections center rep first look up if you have any unpaid bills under your social security number. If they do not find any have them look up the telephone number. Ask what customer code is on the account with the bill and compare it to the customer code on your account (the customer code is the last 3 digits after your phone number on the bill, the fourth digit is called the check digit). If they don't match then ask the rep why you are getting collection calls from an agent about an account that is not yours. Any account that you have with SBC can be located by your SSN. Call the collection agent and ask them to send you copies of the bills they are trying to collect on. Another question I have is did you have DSL at your old address or new address? The 200.00 ammount is also the early termination fee for disconnection of dsl and if you had dsl at either your old location ot new location and switched local service to another company, you would be charged a 200 early term fee. Another thing you might look into is what SBC DSL calls dorminate dsl accounts. That happens when you get assigned a telephone number and the previous owner had dsl service. When your number becomes active it reactivates the dsl account and it usually results in dsl being charged when you don't have it or the early termination fee being charged onto your account by mistake. You can check that by calling sbc dsl at 1-877-722-3755. I believe the number to the final accounts collection center is 1-800-870-9582 but I could be wrong. Hope this helps
