Verizon
Pennsylvania Directory Assistance charges for calls made by? My computer?

In April Verizon charged me $125.00 for 100 Directory Assistance (DA) calls ($1.25/call) made from March 12 - April 6. Many of the calls were during hours when no one was awake ormy computer was not turned on and some were on days when no one was home. I contacted Verizon and spent two and one-half hours talking with five Customer Service Representatives; only one of whom actually heard that I do NOT have high speed internet service and suggested that I contact Repair Service again to request an examination of my exterior phone equipment. When I called the following day to make this request I was informed that a decision had been made that my "modem had been hijacked" (and was making the DA calls) I immediately contacted billing (again) and indicated that not only was I disputing the charges, but I intended to file an informal complaint with the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission (PA PUC). This call was made six days before Verizon was to submit a request for payment, on my auto-payment account, from my bank.By law the disputed amount is NOT to be withdrawn from my bank account.
On April 24 I received a copy of a letter written by a local Verizon representative to the Verizon office in Harrisburg. Much of the information regarding my conversations with Verizon representatives regarding my computer was inaccurate. On April 28 I forwarded a response to this letter to both Verizon and the PA PUC.

In May Verizon billed me $96 for 63 Directory
Assistance calls (note rate increase to $1.50/call) and applied the $125 withdrawn erroneously from my account in April to this bill. On May 24 I was advised by the PA PUC that both (April and May) Verizon bills were considered incorrect and that "an adjustment was warranted".in other words: Verizon is to refund the charges for DA calls; however, I must pay future bills from Verizon or file a "formal complaint".

Since my computer spent 3 days in a shop being analyzed by a computer tech during May and I have not yet received my June phone bill: I opted to file formal complaint in anticipation of continued over charges for DA calls. The findings of the computer guru: no evidence that Directory Assistance (555-1111) calls were made by the computer. It is also her professional opinion that the computer is unable to make such calls if it is not programed to do so, and mine computer files show no evidence of ever being set to turn on or make phone calls.

It would be helpful to find others who have had similar experiences.

Company: Verizon
Country: USA
State: Pennsylvania
City: Philadelphia
Address: 1717 Arch St 17th Floor

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