ESBI had charged our local embarq phone service as a third party provider for voice mail services for 14.95 a month for nine months. Problem is we have a packaged deal with Embarq that provides such service, why order a duplicate.
We contacted Embarq & insisted such be removed,
Embarq: "we cannot do such as this is a third party billing"
Me: "I'm going to pay my bill minus the 14.95".
Embarq: "Your still liable for the 3rd party billing and failure to pay such over time will result in a delinquant account and termination of your phone service will occur"
Me: "Why would I order another voicemail service when I already have one through Embarq?"
Embarq: "It's still one your bill sir"
Me: "How do I access my other voice mail service that I'm being charged for?"
Embarq: "I suggest you contact the company you ordered it through"
Me: "I didn't order a 2nd voicemail service"
Embarq: "Sir, please contact the 3rd party that is billing you for the additional services you ordered through them "
Come to find out my wife did admit to completing a pop-up prize form in one of the game rooms she was in at the time. She remembers something about phone service check boxes being at the lower end of the pop-up prize survey, she checked one yes, thinking she would get info on phone related services.
Here is the catch to fraud in my eyes... Wife clicks yes on a prize survey, we are automatically setup to be charged for an additional voice mail service. Ok, this is fine, since she inadvertantly accepted such.
Why didn't she get redirected to a ESBI website informing her of her purchase?
Why didn't she get instructions on setting up the newly aquired voicemail service purchased from ESBI.
Why, becuase I believe such services are non existant...
THIS IS FRAUD, charging a consumer for a non existant product...
I did contact the number for ESBI, after several attempts finally spoke to a person of male gender whom brought up my account and started to argue the fact that
ESBI: "my wife had agreed to such via an internet site"
ME: "we already have a voicemail package with Embarq, why do we need another?"
ESBI: "Not sure, but your wife agreed to such"
ME: "I dont think so, please remove such charges from our local phone bill"
ESBI: "I cannot do that, we are just a 3rd party billing company for the provider of services"
ME: "Bullsh*t! You either remove and recredit me the nine months charged or I will be calling the attorney generals office to find out whom to contact to have such charges removed"
ESBI: "OK, I think we can take care of this. You will be recredited on your phone bill for the entire amount, it may take two months for the credit to show up"
Low and behold it did!!!
Reading other posts about ESBI, just checked out the owner of ESBI's site here is the owners info:
Registrant:
Billing Concepts, Inc.
Billing Concepts, Inc.
7411 John Smith Dr #200
San Antonio, TX 78229
US
Email: [email protected]
Registrar Name...: REGISTER.com, INC.
Registrar Whois...: whois. Register.com
Registrar Homepage: www.register.com
Domain Name: billview.com
Created on...: Tue, Apr 06,1999
Expires on...: Fri, Apr 06
Record last updated on..: Wed, Jul 05
Administrative Contact:
Billing Concepts, Inc.
Hostmaster Concepts, Inc.
7411 John Smith Dr #200
San Antonio, TX 78229
US
Phone: 210-949-7288
Email: [email protected]
Technical Contact:
Billing Concepts, Inc.
Hostmaster Concepts, Inc.
7411 John Smith Dr #200
San Antonio, TX 78229
US
Phone: 210-949-7288
Email: [email protected]
DNS Servers:
Bcidns0. Billingconcepts.com
foghorn. Billingconcepts.com
Visit AboutUs.org for more information about billview.com
AboutUs: billview.com
Registry Status: clientDeleteProhibited
Registry Status: clientTransferProhibited
Registry Status: clientUpdateProhibited
See Underlying Registry Data
Domain Name: BILLVIEW.com
Registrar: REGISTER.com, INC.
Whois Server: whois. Register.com
Referral URL: http://www.register.com
Name Server: BCIDNS0. BILLINGCONCEPTS.com
Name Server: FOGHORN. BILLINGCONCEPTS.com
Status: clientDeleteProhibited
Status: clientTransferProhibited
Status: clientUpdateProhibited
Updated Date: 05-jul
Creation Date: 06-apr-1999
Expiration Date: 06-apr
Anyhow hope this helps others...
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