Get operator's names always, document every call you make to operator's, do not believe that they do because they don't and they ERASE things that are not in their favor...
About 4 years ago I tried to switch the name on our account from mine to a roommate since I was moving out. I should have known better because 3 years before I tried to switch an account and they couldn't do it right either. I was told a number of things that comforted me such as 'if the transfer does not occur after 1 month the phone will be shut off' so went ahead and started the process. I move out. Two months later come to realize the phone is still in my name. Call SBC, tell them with no chance to think otherwise to SHUT OFF the line. Call back a few weeks later. The line is still on in my name. Apparently the operators took a call from my ex-roommates who told her to keep it open. I tell them again, SHUT OFF the line. Call a week later. It's on still. They assure me they are researching my calls and see on their system all the times I called.
A month later...
Get a bill and note from SBC. It says as a result of their investigation they find me responsible for the bill (plus plenty of long-distance charges) between the time I started the name change through the 2nd time to turn off the line. Their reasoning - the numbers called before and after were the same so they must be mine. Wrong! I don't use Long Distance, they were the same because the same roommates who did called. I called to explain this and was floored. Apparently ALL the documented calls from the time I requested the changed which I know were documented from my previous calls were ERASED!!! There was NO information. On top of it all the 'woman' who was on the line did nothing but yell and curse into the phone...
Years later...
I continue to get letters from collection agencies, a different one every few years. I wonder if this practice is done to keep the claim on my credit report by switching companies. I have filed police reports and spent hours trying to explain this to new people but I can't get anywhere because every report I ever made has been deleted from their systems. Before I could call in and basically tell the operator where to look for what I wanted on her system because I knew it was there and went through it so much the operators sometimes let me know things. Then - poof - it's gone.
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