While checking my AT&T bill the representative kindly pointed out new 'OAN Services, Inc.' monthly charge of $15.25, equal to $14.98 which is a third-party charge from Ideal Savings Now. LLC-V Mail, plus. 30 local govt. And tax fees. I thanked the representative for pointing this new charge out and asked what service it was for.
I was told it is a third party charge for something I ordered on the Internet. I said I have not ordered any such thing nor would be inclined to since I am looking to decrease all bills not increase them. Since it is a voice mail service that one can access anywhere, I indicated that I have a message box and don't travel, so I don't need another voice mail messaging method.
When I said I did not order this service I was told that I might have shown interest in a pop-up advertisement or accidentally filled out a form for this service - NOT! I said I have a pop up blocker and the information for my address was obviously either taken from my computer information stored or elsewhere from the Internet. What I don't understand is why AT&T would automatically allow a third party 'vendor' to put charges on my AT&T bill. Is AT&T getting something from this arrangement with OAN Services?
A few years back it was possible to charge some types of services to your phone bill until AT&T stopped allowing any third party vendors to do this. I told AT&T that I did not allow this service nor order this service to be charged to my phone, that my personal information was being used fraudulently (btw, with OLD address information). They told me I'd have to call Ideal Savings Now to get the charge removed. I said if a class action suit charges OAN or Ideal Savings, et. Al., with fraud that maybe they should consider not allowing unverified charges to my phone bill.
Next step was I called OAN Communications who said I should call Ideal Savings Now who said I must have inadvertently signed up from interest in a pop up or website for savingsfair.com. I just love when someone TELLS me my motivation to get themselves off the hook for something I had nothing to do with in the first place. I'm afraid to go to savingsfair.com for fear new charges will start all over again.
The representative of Ideal Savings Now said he would take off the charges for September which were incurred in Aug. (allegedly) and for October's as they'd already gone through via this savingsfair.com site. He also mentioned that the voice mail services were very inclusive and a great thing! I said well, fraudulent charges to my phone bill is not exactly a good way to advertise any company, don't you think?
I fully expect the charges to be removed. Try to remove from your bill first by pressing for someone to talk to, with a phone number. The rep at Ideal Savings said he would take off the charges and he was courteous about it. Frankly, I think the BtoB interactions in this business communications are a little glib between AT&T and the two other vendors. What they stand to gain from this I don't know (or 'who's zooming whom, ' in other words).
Finally, I told the Ideal Savings rep that they should not be passing along these charges for savingsfair.com because the services are not verifiable orders from customers, i.E., they are fraudulent. Besides creating a BBB report for investigation of savingsfair.com for fraudulent practices, I will only take further action if the charges are not removed from my AT&T bill. (Otherwise, there could be a class action suit in progress or a phone call to a TV station - for now it is not necessary.) I hope to not see this type of third party billing to AT&T again on my phone bill!
0 comments