I signed up with this long distance provider quite some time ago as their international rates were reasonable.
Part of their terms include email billing. They are to send an email when the bill is due. They provide a website to make your payments.
We use their service to make occasional overseas calls. We don't use it for domestic service since the cell phone provides that for free. Therefore we don't get a bill EVERY month.
Earlier this year, I received an email bill that showed the amount due with a due date approx two weeks in the future. Five days later I got a 30 day past due notice from Pioneer for that amount because the bill was actually from the previous month.
I was puzzled about the 30 day past due, so I emailed the company asking why they didn't send out their billing on time. They responded that of course they always send out their bills on time. So I figured that it must have been my mistake, I must have deleted the regular bill or something. I paid it immediately and let it pass.
Now, last week on August 8th I got a regular monthly bill. It says that I have an amount due on 09/05/07, or three weeks from then.
Yesterday, August 13th (five days later) I got a 30 day past due notice... Now I have been keeping a close eye on my email since the first incident to ensure I didn't delete or ignore any emails from Pioneer. I KNOW I didn't receive a billing for any amount that was due last month. I logged on to their website and sure enough there was an amount due last month, with an additional amount due this month.
What puzzles me is both amounts are added together and shown on the regular bill I got on the 8th that states the amount is due on 9/5/07. But the 30 day notice says I'm overdue for part of that amount. Now which is it? Due in a few weeks, or overdue?
I pay my bills on time. I would have paid last month's bill when due if I had received the billing. It amounted to less than $25.00, which I am well able to pay. I paid this one immediately on receiving the past due notice.
My point is, Pioneer doesn't abide by their own terms and conditions. If you use their services and get your billing by email, BEWARE! You MUST log onto their website on a regular basis and check for yourself whether you have a bill due or not. DON'T TRUST THEM TO SEND YOU A BILL according to their terms.
I switched carriers this morning. I refuse to deal with a company that treats its customers like this. I read a couple of other reports on this website this morning, and the responses by the company employees show their attitudes towards their own customers.
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