I owed a debt with Sprint/Nextel. A Pentagroup rep contacted me and offered me a settlement equalling less than half of my original balance so of course I was relieved that I no longer owed as much as I did before.
Well, a couple of months later, when I call to pay the balance on the settlement, they direct me to a different rep, who then gives me a number to a different rep. When I finally got to speak with someone, she told me that someone else had to process my payment and that it would be a $5 fee in addition to the $180 dollars I had to pay.
It's funny more fees are added on when you are trying to clear a debt and when your credit AND money is at stake. So then this rep sent to another rep to process my payment, who then told me my fee would be $10 which is for $5 for every $200. When I questioned the fee and what is was going towards, the processing rep returned me to the last rep that told me $5. This rep told me, "Oh, I'm sorry. I quoted you the wrong price. I forgot to pull out my paper." Now I honestly thought that was VERY unprofessional. She also told me there was nothing she could do about misquoting a fee price and that I neede to talk to her manager who then told me either I pay the fee or she will personally close my account before RUDELY hanging up the phone in my face.
I called back to the main office who then directed me another rude and unprofessional individual, the vice president (I'm not sure if it was of the company or just that department). I asked him could I voice my concern and he allowed me to before abruptly cutting my statements off and telling me he doesn't care who said what, either I'm gonna pay the fee or I'm not. He also told me that he was not about to sit on the phone and listen to me babble on about something so stupid and that if I didn't let him finish what he had to say (remember he cut me off previously) he was going to hang up the phone and I was just gonna have to do what I had to do.
I called back and of course, he hung up again. I called the number on their website to speak to someone above him but they sent me right back to a regular rep who told me that I wouldn't let the vice president talk, I deserved what I was getting and that they are doing me a favor and that I better find the money the best way I knew how because when she hangs up the phone on me, my settlement will be null and void because I just don't seem to understand the objective of doing and running a business.
I am very appreciative that they helped save me some money but if I had extra money to spare I would have paid the bill before it went into debt collection. I also think that as someone who has the type of credibility on the line, info should not be kept undisclosed. I was fully unaware of any hidden fees nor did I have any literature from Pentagroup explaining that those types of fees applied based on my ayment method. No one talked to me in a sincere manner nor did they act like they cared. They acted as though the money was going in their pockets. They disrespected me by hanging up repeatedly and treating me as though I was this evil and disgusting person because I acquired a debt that was placed with collections and therefore placed in their hands.
I have contacted the chairman, chief office executive, and the president and no one has responded to me. This type of treatment is why customer service matters so much.
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