December:
5th: Called Qwest to cancel phone (local, long distance, Direct TV bundle) service. Work order number D27818416. Called Direct TV to find out how billing would work with the Bundled Service being cancelled. Was told Qwest would notify Direct TV and they (Direct TV) would then send out a paper billing for the partial month and open my account on the website so I could sign up for paperless billings.
10th: Phone is still working. Billing date for Qwest. Received normal bill, including full month charges for local, long distance and Direct TV.
15th: Phone is still working. Called Qwest to find out why. They found the work order and phone call note from the 5th with a Hold on it but no reason stated. The rep said she would prepare a new bill back-dating to the 5th. A new work order number C7019R023 appeared on my account on the Qwest site stating the long distance portion of the bill is still in process.
22nd: Received Final Bill, but did not agree with the amount. I could see how much Direct TV was charging and was in agreement. Qwest portion of the bill included no long distance. Called Qwest to ask how this can be the final bill if the long distance is not included. The rep (Kimberly) told me it is included. I asked why it does not show it that way. She did not know, but knew it was the right amount as the right number of days was deducted. I asked when the Direct TV service would be unbundled and she said it already was. That happened when the phone was shut off on the 15th and I would have to call Direct TV about the billing. We ended the phone call, I was not satisfied, but in light of the fact, I was leaving Qwest, I paid it that day.
Called Direct TV to ask about separate billing again. Was told I was bundled with Qwest and they had not heard from Qwest and I would have to talk to Qwest about the billing. I see a pattern.
January:
10th Received a Revised Final Billing (due Jan. 26) from Qwest for long distance for December. The amount was shockingly close to the over-payment I gave them on the final bill. Found the dates on the billing to be for charges from Dec 4 Dec 15. Called Qwest and asked why I was charged up to the 15th when I cancelled on the 5th. Told them I figure I owe for 5 days of long distance as my long distance billing runs from the 1st of each month. The rep (Casey) looked at my account and said she could see what I meant and she would zero out the balance, but unfortunately, could not right then as the system was down. She talked and typed like she was making a note to do it when the system came up and said she would call me back that day or the next to confirm it had been done.
12th: Called Qwest to find out when they were going to zero out the balance on my account as it still showed up on the website. The rep (Al) told me it had been done and could take up to 3 days to show up on the site. I told Al my bills and payments never take 3 days to show up. I asked Al about the bundled service with Direct TV. He said he knew from working with disconnections that the Qwest system automatically triggers an end to the bundle when phone disconnection occurs. He then went on to tell me that I should remember that I am working between two companies and it could take up to a month I told Al something must be wrong with the system as my disconnection did occur a month ago, regardless when it should have. Al had no response. I told Al I was thankful I did not get Qwest broad-band what with all their system problems and ended the call.
17th: Received a notice dated January 15 from Qwest stating they are sending my delinquent account to collection. 5 days after I got the bill and 11 days before it was due.
If I had known on December 5 that cancelling Qwest phone service and unbundling Direct TV would have been this ridiculous, I would have simply stopped paying the bill in November and let them shut it off. It would have been done a lot sooner. There's a reason why Qwest only gives phone numbers to contact them. It is because they want their customer service reps to tell the customer anything they want to get them off the phone, but they do not want any of their stories on paper.in my case, we are talking about overcharges of small dollar amounts, but I know they are doing the very same thing to others and getting much more. Just think, they only have to overcharge 10,000 customers $10.00 to make $100,000. I am sure they do not stop there.
Linda
Des Moines, Iowa
U.S.A.
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