Telephone Bill Warning

Hi,

I just wanted to tell everyone to make sure and watch your telephone bills very closely. I have AT&T but I’m sure this issue is not just limited to them.

I usually have my AT&T bill auto pay and get an email alerting me that it will be paid at such and such time and the amount of the bill and a link to preview it. I never thought that much about it. Then in October I looked at the billed amount and it looked awfully high. So I started investigating as to why. I was being charged for services that I did not recognize nor did I know the name of the company billing them. It was a 3rd party company and not AT&T. If you have other phone services those companies can charge you through your phone bill and not directly.

I contacted A&T to ask them about it and while they said they could credit a month, or two, of the charges I had to contact the billing company because they could not remove it nor credit me 100%. Did I mention there were 18 months worth. Yes, I know I SHOULD have looked over my bill along time ago but the charges started at the same time I added my second phone line so there were extra charges for the services, etc. so at first it didn’t appear off and then I got sick later that year and for a long time was basically making sure things were paid and not paying attention. My bad. Live and learn! I contacted the company to find out they have my phone number but some else’s name and address. I had to fax copies of the bills and a written letter stating I wasn’t’ that person and that I wanted the service cancelled (well duh, I didn’t want it to begin with).

I was going back through my phone bills in December to find that nothing had been done and I was being charged still. Again, I called them and went through the same thing and did the same thing. This time when I contacted AT&T to see what more they could do they said they could put a feature on my line stating no 3rd party company could bill without authorization from me.

Again, I look at my January bill to find, guess what, more charges. So my December request was never handled. I faxed yet another letter and phone bill copies to prove I’m not who they have listed even though we’d already been through this.

Today, I receive an email from AT&T asking for me to authorize more charges from a 3rd party company. Only it didn’t say who it was not that it matters since I didn’t request any 3rd party charges to begin with. So, I have now contacted the FCC requesting action be taken and a full refund for 21 months now, as the company in October said they would only credit three months which is wrong.

So any, the point to all of this is…

Watch your phone bill, including cellular, especially if you have a newer phone number. Upon research I have found that within the first six months of 1998 alone this company had over 700 complaints file against them.

If you are ever contacted by these companies don’t give them any info. BTW, there are three company names, two phone numbers but one fax for all of them.

Horizon Telecom 800-736-7500
Reduced Rate LD, LLC 800-441-9678
OAN Service, Inc./Operator Assistant Network. 800-441-9678
Fax number is 877-539-7924

I listed phone/fax numbers just in case there maybe a different name they are going by because who knows.

I hope, and pray, you haven’t had to deal with this same issue. I also hope should you find the same thing on your bill this might help you resolve it. I can give you contact info to the FCC if you need it. If you have had any similar issues I would welcome feed back on how you dealt with it.