World Class Group is a discount health plan. I'm not sure if they are out of NY. I called them in June when I saw an ad in a local newspaper and called to get the plan since my Medicare would not kick in until June.
I called in early May to cancel, but the representative said I could not cancel and to wait until end of May. I had a bank account set up solely for this World Class Group monthly billing of $29.95 (which they hicked up from $27 several months ago, but I did not ask any questions and just let it slide). I paid monthly faithfully with no lapse in service. Thankfully I never had to use the service.
Based on my bank statements I sincerely thought that my billing went through any time between the 19th-22nd of each month. So I figured I had time to call and cancel and stupidly waited until June 16th at 3:43pm to cancel. I got an answering machine (when their office hours were supposed to be from 8am-5pm). Since I figured that was done with, I did not deposit any more money into the account. I called again June 17th and left a message to ask if they'd had a chance to close my account.
I checked my bank statement online the evening June 20 and saw the bill hit on June 20, causing my bank account to be in the negative with a $32 insufficient funds fee. I called World Class Group to ask what happened. I think they are a VERY small operation because the lady I spoke to turned out to be the "director" of Customer Service (and each time I called I kept getting her). She said they had no record that I called in early May and no record of my June 16th call. I was told that they bill me on the 15th of each month and that even if I did call on June 16th, I missed it by less than 24 hours anyway. They then explained to me that the dates I see on bank statement are when the bank accepts the bill. Although I still don't understand banking things, I took her word for it and apologized for not knowing that and that I was basing everything on the date the bank statement listed.
I sheepishly asked if they would reimburse the $29.95 and the insuffienct funds fee since I was not allowed to cancel in early May when I originally called. She said that their customer service person should have closed my account in May when I called and there was nothing they could do about that now but would terminate the representative who wouldn't let me cancel. Since they have no record of the May call, she would only reimburse the $29.95 and that I had to take up the bank.
This was so upsetting to me, not just the $32 (I know $32 isn't much to most people, but to someone like me on a fixed income, that's a lot. I can do a lot with $32 like fill up my gas tank), but also that someone could be out of a job because of this. I tried to reason with her, stating that if she is willing to fire the poor representative, then should must truly believe that I did indeed call in May. Besides, how could she fire someone without proper documentation (i.E. The "lost" record of my May call). I had to jump through hoops and make several more calls to the different numbers they have and kept getting the same lady got no where. She said she just fired the representtive (I was so upset over this). She then got increasing defensive with me and I was so hurt because I didn't think it was asking too much, especially since I was a good customer and I was not allowed to cancel in May and that I had no way of knowing the billing date was the 15th of the month (obviously I would have cancelled before then if I'd known) and that she fired someone.
She starting getting angry and raising her voice and was ready to hang up the phone on me but then stopped when I told her that I didn't want to have to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau over $32 and that I wish she would see this from my perspective. That really got her blood going and she got even louder. I never once raised my voice during any of the many phone calls and her yelling at me really frightened me and upset me so much (I'm crying even as I write this).
She then angrily said that she didn't want to talk to me anymore and that if I was going to get so upset over $32 and would call the Better Business Bureau that she would just go ahead and reimburse the $32. Then she slammed the phone down and hung up on me.
I'm not sure if or when the reimbursements will come, but it's not enough to pay for the emotional distress this woman caused me today. I can't stop crying and just wanted to let you all know about this type of customer service and to beware.
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