I got my Verizon billing notification on-line today and noticed a line for "other providers". I clicked on this and read that OAN Services was billing me $12.95 plus state and federal taxes for voice mail services. I already get voice mail as part of my Verizon Freedom package and so thought that it must be a mistake. I called both the numbers for OAN Services several times and got a fast busy.
Their website does not work, either. I called Verizon and was connected to OAN. Their music on hold was loud and every few seconds the automated "attendant" chimed, making it even more annoying. I finally got a person after 13 minutes who assured me that they were completely unable to help me, they're just an innocent third party billing service, but here's the number for USA Voice Mail, have a nice day, CLICK!
After dialing this new number and holding AGAIN, I got an USA Voice Mail employee. He assured me that I was completely aware that I'd signed up for the service, I had to acknowledge that I was 18 and authorized to make charges on my home phone bill. I assured him that was not the case and that he was to IMMEDIATELY remove me from his "service" and to credit my phone bill for any charges associated with this "service" - Funny, how I NEVER got anything from USA Voice Mail, you know, a welcome to our services email, package, letter, postcard or what have you, strange how the only thing I got from them was a BILL! The Rep told me that I could send them a request in writing to do an IP address investigation to let me know exactly which site I'd been on when I signed up for their "services".
The name on whois associated with USA Voice Mail is Richard Fanslow, who also has fanslow.com. I don't know if he is the owner, but his fanslow.com is registered in Lombard, IL.
I will be reporting these folks to the FCC, PUC here in Texas and the Florida attorney general's office. These people have to be stopped, this sort of thing will shut down commerce on the internet.
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