On or about November, I called PeoplePC to sign up for an internet account, with automatic billing to my credit card.
The sign up process was very tedious because the representatives spoke very broken English. It was as if I was talking to someone in a foreign country.
After about a month, I called to cancel my service. Again, I had to go through the confusion of talking to someone who I couldn't understand, and who apparently couldn't understand me, either. Even though the person on the other end of the line kept trying to get me to stay with PeoplePC — and I kept refusing — I thought I understood that I had cancelled my service once and for all.
I was wrong.
I know I should always thoroughly check my credit card statements each and every month for errors, but I admit I don't. Several months had passed and I notice for the first time that there is a $3.95 charge to my account from PeoplePC. Naturally, I then checked more past statements, and notice the same $3.95 charge each month since I had (I thought) cancelled my account.
Right away, I called PeoplePC customer service. Yet again, I get the people with the bad English. Just for fun, I asked where I was calling — it was Indonesia. After being passed up the ladder a few times to (hopefully) a "decision maker, " I learn that my account with PeoplePC had been cancelled. However, they said I had requested and was still being charged for antivirus protection at $3.95 per month.
I said I didn't order antivirus protection, I didn't need antivirus protection, and I wanted all of the monthly charges credited to my account. The person I was talking to said she couldn't do that.
I decided to take the matter up with my credit card company. They agreed to deduct three of the six charges of $3.95 and deny any more payments to PeoplePC. When PeoplePC found out about this, they threatened to send the matter to a collection agency.
Apparently, PeoplePC didn't want a credit card company pushing them around. I agreed to call off the credit card company if PeoplePC would cancel the antivirus protection and credit all of the erroneous charges to my account.
This was two months ago. I have not seen the credits yet.
What many people may not know is that Earthlink owns PeoplePC. What's more, the mega-influential AARP endorses PeoplePC.
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