My modem & browser was hijacked by a spyware program called CoolWebSearch in December. Shortly thereafter I noticed the modem was not dialling my ISP. I fixed this problem, but figured I would see something different on my next phone bill.
Sure enough, there was a $40 charge for 5 calls to a 1 900 number. BTW, the number my modem was dialling without my permission did not say 1 900. I can't remember the non-descript combination of numbers it was dialling, but it was not 1 900.
I contacted my phone company Verizon, and the operator was familiar with Integretel. She told me to dispute the bill with them. Verizon allows you to pay just the "regular" part of the bill, while disputed portions are being challenged.
I called Integretel. I had a similar experience to Michelle from Manchester NH. Here is what Integretel will try to do if you call:
1. They will say that you somehow did this, and will say you have to pay the bill or they will turn the bill over to a collection agency. Do not listen to this threat.insist that they refund the bill.
2. Then they will offer to cut the bill in half, and you pay one half (and they will couple this with the collection agency threat). Do not get suckered by this "make nice" ploy either.
3. Then they offered to waive the entire thing, but they needed my address. I was suspicious of this, because they didn't need my address to bill me. But the operator was insistent, so I gave them something other than my home address.in hindsight, I should not have given them any address. I did tell the operator that if I saw anything from them that was not a waiver of the bill, I would raise hell with every consumer protection agency, and then some.
Now, having done some research, I see that this company is trailing a long line of problems, including FTC fines in and a recent court case that they lost in NY State. Yet they are continuing with these business practices. Even the guy on the Integretel website looks like a sleaze bag.
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