In early July, I called Cingular Wireless to suspend my service, as I was leaving the country for a couple of months. When informed that I could not suspend service, I opted to cancel my cellular phone figuring that since I was a loyal customer for a few years, I could sign up for a new phone and plan when I came home. When I cancelled, I was told that I would be charged a "contract cancellation fee, " which I could not understand. I was well aware that if you terminated a contract before it's expiration, that I would be charged a fee. However, I had only ever signed a 1 year service agreement and NEVER even verbally agreed to extend this contract EVER. I had signed the contract SEVERAL years earlier (more than three years) so I was well past the end of my contract. I asked where a copy of this "signed" contract could be found, and they said they would produce one for me. I asked how I could have possibly signed a contract for this company and they told me that I had gotten a new phone months earlier (an ESN change). What happened, was that I had sent my cell phone in for a repair, and the salesman at the company was so kind as to give me a loaner phone until mine came back (stating that sometimes, it takes a couple months to get back - and it did take two). The loaner was returned as soon as my cell phone came back from the company. My ESN number was clearly changed back to the repaired phone that I owned. Somehow, Cingular decided to go ahead and conveniently make this a contract signing?!?!?!?!?!? For a phone I already owned!?!?
I started getting bills for $150 and never a copy of that so called "signed contract." To make things worse, they started to tack a $5 a month charge on the bill for every month I didn't promptly pay, even while I was fruitlessly trying to dispute this charge. I was told that I had to pay an extra month of billing for my service because I hadn't yet sent in a written letter stating that I wanted my service cancelled, and I agreed to pay an extra month.in the end, I payed $165 to Cingular as they threatened to hand over this "contract cancellation bill" to a collections agency. I feel really wronged by this company, especially as a faithful customer that had recommmended this service to others in the past. What put the icing on the cake was when my partner decided to cancel his account with this company I warned him in advance to send in a written cancellation as well as calling to avoid this extra month's service fee. Even with both methods, Cingular continued to bill him, for months, even with repeated phone calls from him. Last month, SURPRISE - they sent him a "contract cancellation fee" for $150!!! The same scam they pulled on me. Trying to milk us for every penny. The customer service this company provides is deplorable. While the employees are mostly friendly and helpful, the company is not what I would consider reputable. I hope you can help, I feel really wronged. Thanks!
Pauline
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
0 comments