I immediately noticed an unauthorized charge on out Qwest phone bill because our phone bill is the same every month, and this bill was $50 higher. On the last page titled 'ESBI' for 'Enhanced Telecommunications Services' were two unidentified charges: Orbit Telecom Monthly Fee of $14.95 and SBO-Online SBO Survival kit of $29.95. This report is about the Orbit Telecom charge.
I called the 800 number for ESBI, who I gather are just a billing company for Qwest. They transferred me to Orbit Telecom. Orbit Telecom (Sarah) said the charge was for 'enhanced voicemail service' and said they had my email address, birthdate and IP address (they never revealed it). Sarah at Orbit Telecom was very aggressive and obnoxious and insisted that we must have authorized these charges despite our objections. I told them I do not have a voicemail service nor any need for one and that the information they claimed to have is all publicly available.
No-one in my family ordered this service or authorized these charges. I requested the service be cancelled and all charges removed. They said it would take up to 2 months to do so! I told them I was not going to pay any unauthorized charges. We also called Qwest, repeated the story, and refused to pay the unauthorized part of the bill.
I was extrenmely surprised how easily a company can bill us (via our Qwest phone bill) for charges that we did not authorize. This is fraudulent and theft, pure and simple. Who knows how many people don't notice these charges and are ripped-off by these thieves.
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