I feel I must share my experience with Rip Off report in hopes No one else is faced with this. Recently I chose to switch to a VOIP phone service so that I might be able to cut some of my bills down. I am a disabled Single mom on a very Minimal income I am Blessed to have my computer and internet through the Blessing of a Dear friend's help so that i and my oldest son can take online classes. He is starting pre colleg classes and i am attempting to set off on a new career path after my "accident" left me unable to do what I was doing.
Personally I would go without a phone if I did not have kids and was not sick. But since I do need to have one in the home I decided that this was a cheaper service and it included unlimited long distance and with family and new found internet friends in other states it would be a better deal then what I have now.
I started my search and came across AT&T Call Vantage.
It all sounded great. I wanted to get full price information and so I entered my info. It stated that the order was Not final UNLESS I hit final screen submit and it was confirmed. So i take that to mean NO charges will go on my credit card If in fact the account is not formed and the order not put through. Which the order never went through i never was sent any email confuirmation nor did I click the final order button.
I got the total price and marked it on my paper and clicked cancel and closed the window thinking no mroe about it. I went on to the other places that i got through my search and done the same type things 3 days later i see that there was a dollar removed from my account by AT&T. Now I did the same thing at each Phone place this was the ONLY on who put a dollar charge Not to mention NO order ever went through OR was even Attempted to be put through I simply made the inquiry to see just what their total price would be compared to the other services.
I decided to call them to be sure no order was being processed as well as to find out Why this had been done.
The gentleman first told me they never charged my account and that I was Wrong. I informed him I was sitting there looking at the charge and that it came from AT&T from Basking Ridge NJ. I told him I would copy and paste it in an email and send it if he liked.
He then said he was sorry and would see to it that it went back to my card and he was not sure why this would have happened that they are not set up to do this and that No charges are ever made until i have my equipment and it is here and i activate my service by hooking it up Then and ONLY then would a charge ever be made and that it was a mistake and on and on yadda yadda yadda.
He then went on to tell me more things about the service and that how if I made the order I would have all these things and that they had a special running at this time that offered it for 20 some dollars for the first 5 months and also there was NO set up activation fee and there was No charge for equipment now that was a GOOD thing as the others did ask 70.00 for equipment and 20 some for activation.
So I chose to go ahead I mean AT&T is a good company. I have never had issues with them. They are offering a good offer and i can use every special deal i can get: 0)
So I said great when could I expect to get the equipment and would the charge be done when it shipped or before it shipped he said NO charges until I had the equipment and I activated it myself he said it would be here in 48 hours. He said I would then be charged when I activated it and the fee would be automatically removed every month on that day.
Now that was even better here it was Monday and I would have it on the 3rd when my check came onto my card. I could start it on the third and I would be billed every month on the 3rd. I would not worry it would try to be removed on the 1st or 2nd and I would know it would not have any issues. So he takes my credit card info and all my other info and says a email will be sent with number and all that. So I wait and wait.
Nothing comes I call back and what would you guess. They can NOT find any order in my name. There has been no orders at ALL made. YET I have one dollar coming out of my account from last Thursday when i went to the site and anther so called order where this man has my credit card info.
He did NOT put it through the site did not put it through YET here i am thinking my equipment is on the way. So if this is the case what is he doing with my credit card info? The woman said he should have gave me a new phone number then and there NOPE
I let the lady know I am not comfortable with this and that I live on very little and can not afford some one having my credit card info and possibly using it incorrectly. No one can afford to have this done period for that matter. While I am NOT saying this will definitely be the case it just seemed awful odd that this man had my info and SAID that it would be there in 48 hours (which i find is NEVER likely to happen) and he never gave me a phone number which i find is ALWAYS the case.
She tells me that I have NOTHING to worry about and that this would NEVER happen (yea Ok sure) Now I MIGHT be less worried if in fact all the other things checked out but we are talking about a man who has basically told me whatever to get me to agree then took my info and never put the order in. What would YOU think? She says it must have been a mistake. She then goes on to try to get me to order this service AGAIN. A third time I am supposed to TRUST what this third person says JUST because she says it
I mean come on I have gotten different stories from the site the first sales guy and now her?
This time she tells me there will be DOUBLE monthly charges coming out and I will NOT get the equipment for up to 10 days and that the card will be charged 10 days after sent. Now all this info is Totally not what the other party told me. Nor what the site said. (be careful if you go to the site do NOT give Credit info to get info they will charge a 1.00 to your account. I can hear in her voice she is Peeved and wants to get rid of me when I am telling her I can not afford to budget the extra 20 some dollars into my budget this month after NOT planning it from the beginning she keeps trying to tell me about the phone bill I already am paying and how this will save me money I tell her YES I know all that BUT I did not budget an extra 20.00 into this as the first TWO times no one stated this. (the site and the first sales person made NO mention of this)
She gets ticked because she sees she is NOT going to make this sale I keep asking who I might speak to regarding this person having my info. She keeps saying have a good day. She gets indignant and wants me OFF the line she keeps saying Have a Good day, and sorry good bye the whole time I am asking for a Supervisor as I want some sort of information or something regarding this person with my credit card info. She throws me on hold NOT asking may I but just does it I believe it was in hope that i would just go away hang up whatever.
Every now and then the line opens as if someone is there but no one answers my hellos and it is quickly sent back to the Music and hold like she is HOPING I will hang up
Well finally a man comes on he wants to know what I need How can he help me. I ask for a supervisor. He asks me for information name address phone number etc he informs me that AGAIN there is NO charges and NO account created and AGAIN he ATTEMPTS to sell me this service.
Also on top of it HE tells me there is NO two months service on the first bill and that i MIGHT get my equipment in 48 hours it gets shipped and they are never sure and that it is usually NOT the case and that the fees of 20 some dollars includes taxes and tat in 5 months the charges will go up to 30 some dollars and Again his story is different from what i am told by the first man as well as the woman i had just spoken to BUT I did read it on the site.
AGAIN they have NO clue why this man did NOT give me a phone number when i called and Why he would take the credit info and not put the order through. Although he SWEARS it would NOT be a case of misuse or chance he would use it or anything but that he is SURE! The man must have hit the delete button and it did not go through
OH SURE and that was also why he told me So many Untruths regarding charges and service?
ANYWAY I have since had to call my card company and change my card an IF I want it sent ASAP it will cost me 20.00 OR I can wait and get it in 10 days and pay nothing as they will NOT charge me for a new card only to overnight it if I indeed want it sent express. Thankfully i do have a wonderful card company an i decide i can manage until the 10 days to get my new card and lord knows how many to get a pin number AGAIN. But Thankfully i can rest in knowing my card will NOT be used by anyone BUT ME
I guess the Whole point here is SHOP AROUND! DO NOT use AT&T customer service for the Call Vantage UNLESS YOU absolutely KNOW the service info and you call a couple times asking for info WITHOUT giving credit card info this way you can get info and see which one you believe REALLY knows what they are talking about as NOT One will give you the SAME story. It seems NONE of the folks there selling it to you have A CLUE what the charges or service is and you will get MANY versions of this service and what it gives and costs etc and Most definitely Please be smarter then me and get NAMES for the people you speak to. I was a DUMMY and did not do this all I know is they were ALL located in Missouri.
I know the times I spoke to them and I know it was two men and a woman Other then that I know little that is little help in reporting issues I KNOW I was STUPID for giving that card info NOW. I Also know i was Stupid for NOT getting names and for those dumb things I am now paying with the headache of changing credit cards etc so that I MIGHT Not have any money removed from my account that should not be. Not to mention the feeling like a idiot for allowing this to even take place and falling for the fast talking sales person I spoke to the first time the one with my credit card information.
OH and my credit card company said that there have been SEVERAL attempts by AT&T to make a 1.00 charge to my card since Monday when i spoke to this man and gave him my info. Yet he NEVER put my account through? Why then are attempts being made to charge my card?
WHY? I wonder maybe see if in fact there is money on there so he can? Who knows I know I am NOW safe BUT what about someone who does now know and who MAY get this same man on the phone and be put through this or the person who wants a VOIP phone and does not know that there are several companies and does not shop around.
By the way a day later i got the Computer Shopper Magazine
they have a review of this service and tell about four or five companies which by the way DOES NOT include AT&T Hmm maybe i should have waited or visited their site BEFORE this happened may have saved me a LOT of hassle and headache.
GOOD LUCK
and Be Careful
April
Frederick, Maryland
U.S.A.
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