I just got my Verizon bill and noticed that instead of the $48. And change they usually bill me, there was an additional $8.81 in "Miscellaneous Charges" from a company called ESBI.
When I called ESBI and asked them about it, they said I had signed up for unlimited long distance. LOL, I have a cellphone with 1500 minutes, no roaming... So, I don't think so. When I told them this, they were really quick to eliminate the charge and issue a confirmation number. What really bothers me is that they said that I had signed up for this on the internet. I had not, and when I later called Verizon and asked the customer service rep. Why Verizon would let themselves be linked to fraudulent scammers, she said that they didn't have enough time to check all the third party billers, and that all these billers needed was a phone number and they could add what ever charges they wanted to to your bill... Great answer, huh.
She also said that I could have been signed up by just clicking on a link for an ad or survey. ESBI really is heinous to make themselves look legitimate by getting themselves put on Verizon's bill. And Verizon is sinking rapidly in my view, as well, for letting them, and for not taking care about whom they are sharing their bill with. There is a name for people like that.
So, ESBI figures that if they throw enough you-know-what at the wall, some will stick, meaning that if they scam enough people, some of them won't notice that their bill is higher and they will continue to pay and pay for services not rendered. Caveat emptor.
The name of the Third Party biller is ESBI - no full name, no address, no contact info except this phone number: 888-295-3724, and a website: www.billview.com/esbe
The website has NO info about this company except a form to fill out that says they will contact you in two to three days. When You type in ESBI you are actually directed to a website called http://www.billview.com/esbi. Billview is actually http://www.bsgclearing.com / - BSG Clearing Solutions, a billing company that is owned by BancorpSouth Bank, Tupelo, MS.
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