Comments on: Stonewalled by customer service? Put some power behind your beef http://www.mightybargainhunter.com/2005/07/26/stonewalled-by-customer-service-put-some-power-behind-your-beef/ Helping readers to use bargains wisely since 2005 Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:24:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: mbhunter http://www.mightybargainhunter.com/2005/07/26/stonewalled-by-customer-service-put-some-power-behind-your-beef/comment-page-1/#comment-39 mbhunter Thu, 28 Jul 2005 22:08:16 +0000 http://mightybargainhunter.com/?p=78#comment-39 Wow. $1300 is an impressive amount of money. It seems like any big company has its own set of procedures, and the way that they get compliance is by getting your attention with a hefty fee and leaving you to figure it out for yourself before you get your money back. This is unfortunate. What used to be "keep your loyal customers happy" has changed to "take advantage of your loyal customers." It's kind of like when I switched my address for phone service while with AT&T. I had been with them for 5 years. Reasonably loyal customer. I had had a 5c/minute plan in place. Well, little did I know that I had to call them up to get back on that plan. They charged me 25c/min MINIMUM for over a month -- THE most expensive domestic plan they had! So much for being a loyal customer. It's little wonder that they got bought out. Wow. $1300 is an impressive amount of money. It seems like any big company has its own set of procedures, and the way that they get compliance is by getting your attention with a hefty fee and leaving you to figure it out for yourself before you get your money back.

This is unfortunate. What used to be “keep your loyal customers happy” has changed to “take advantage of your loyal customers.”

It’s kind of like when I switched my address for phone service while with AT&T. I had been with them for 5 years. Reasonably loyal customer. I had had a 5c/minute plan in place. Well, little did I know that I had to call them up to get back on that plan. They charged me 25c/min MINIMUM for over a month — THE most expensive domestic plan they had!

So much for being a loyal customer. It’s little wonder that they got bought out.

]]> By: Karen http://www.mightybargainhunter.com/2005/07/26/stonewalled-by-customer-service-put-some-power-behind-your-beef/comment-page-1/#comment-38 Karen Thu, 28 Jul 2005 18:23:10 +0000 http://mightybargainhunter.com/?p=78#comment-38 I strongly urge as many people as possible to avoid AOL. I had them a few years back, when I moved out of my parent's house (I paid for the account at home and took it with me). When I moved I was using dial up for about a month, but my plan had been used on broadband at my parent's. I switched the plan online and thought everything was taken care of. By a major stroke of coincidence, I checked my bill online the day before my account was to be debited. If I hadn't checked, they would've debited $1300. You read that right. Apparently if you switch the plan online, there is no guarantee of when they actually process your request, and you are charged fee upon fee for the usage you are using under a different plan then you have, until they decide to get around to switching you. BUT - if you call in your request, no problem, done same day. I placed a stop payment on my account, fought with AOL on the phone for 3 hours. A) if I had known that I needed to do it by phone I would've because B) who in their right mind would choose to instead pay ridiculous amounts of money and C) who would pay $1300 for AOL, nevermind for a year, but for a MONTH??!! At first, I tried to settle with them for half the amount, just to get it taken care of, even though I felt it was very wrong. After all my fighting, do you know they had the AUDACITY to DENY my payment?? Like any payment at all, not because they were forgiving the 'debt', but because they would instead have their collection company handle it. 2 years later, and that still blows my mind how they responded. Long story short, I wrote a letter to AOL, provided a hefty packet of documentation (had emails also) and wrote the BBB. I did receive one collection letter, of which I sent them a copy of all my correspondence to AOL and the BBB. I included the advice " You can see from my correspondence that I have no intention of paying a wrongful debt when I did no wrong, and you can continue to send me letters, but be advised you will only be wasting your postage." I did not receive any more letters afterwards. And it is not on my credit report. Want to know the funniest part of this story? I think one of the customer service reps felt sorry for us (there was one really nice girl that we spoke with), because while we never paid a dime of the $1300, our account was CREDITED 2 months later $400 something dollars... too funny. We MADE money on it. I strongly urge as many people as possible to avoid AOL. I had them a few years back, when I moved out of my parent’s house (I paid for the account at home and took it with me). When I moved I was using dial up for about a month, but my plan had been used on broadband at my parent’s. I switched the plan online and thought everything was taken care of. By a major stroke of coincidence, I checked my bill online the day before my account was to be debited. If I hadn’t checked, they would’ve debited $1300. You read that right. Apparently if you switch the plan online, there is no guarantee of when they actually process your request, and you are charged fee upon fee for the usage you are using under a different plan then you have, until they decide to get around to switching you. BUT – if you call in your request, no problem, done same day. I placed a stop payment on my account, fought with AOL on the phone for 3 hours. A) if I had known that I needed to do it by phone I would’ve because B) who in their right mind would choose to instead pay ridiculous amounts of money and C) who would pay $1300 for AOL, nevermind for a year, but for a MONTH??!! At first, I tried to settle with them for half the amount, just to get it taken care of, even though I felt it was very wrong. After all my fighting, do you know they had the AUDACITY to DENY my payment?? Like any payment at all, not because they were forgiving the ‘debt’, but because they would instead have their collection company handle it. 2 years later, and that still blows my mind how they responded. Long story short, I wrote a letter to AOL, provided a hefty packet of documentation (had emails also) and wrote the BBB. I did receive one collection letter, of which I sent them a copy of all my correspondence to AOL and the BBB. I included the advice ” You can see from my correspondence that I have no intention of paying a wrongful debt when I did no wrong, and you can continue to send me letters, but be advised you will only be wasting your postage.” I did not receive any more letters afterwards. And it is not on my credit report.

Want to know the funniest part of this story? I think one of the customer service reps felt sorry for us (there was one really nice girl that we spoke with), because while we never paid a dime of the $1300, our account was CREDITED 2 months later $400 something dollars… too funny. We MADE money on it.

]]> By: mbhunter http://www.mightybargainhunter.com/2005/07/26/stonewalled-by-customer-service-put-some-power-behind-your-beef/comment-page-1/#comment-37 mbhunter Thu, 28 Jul 2005 04:40:37 +0000 http://mightybargainhunter.com/?p=78#comment-37 I was happy to see AOL's head on the chopping block. There are only so many coasters and sun-catchers you can make with those blasted "Try AOL free for 156,000 hours this month" CDs. That, and I had the audacity to cancel my free trial with them. They got mean to me on the phone in a big hurry. This was in 2001, so they were probably still riding high on the hog and could afford to blow off customers that were obviously using and abusing them. But they would need to give me broadband at a stupid price for me to ever patronize them again. I was happy to see AOL’s head on the chopping block. There are only so many coasters and sun-catchers you can make with those blasted “Try AOL free for 156,000 hours this month” CDs.

That, and I had the audacity to cancel my free trial with them. They got mean to me on the phone in a big hurry. This was in 2001, so they were probably still riding high on the hog and could afford to blow off customers that were obviously using and abusing them. But they would need to give me broadband at a stupid price for me to ever patronize them again.

]]> By: Karen http://www.mightybargainhunter.com/2005/07/26/stonewalled-by-customer-service-put-some-power-behind-your-beef/comment-page-1/#comment-35 Karen Wed, 27 Jul 2005 19:02:55 +0000 http://mightybargainhunter.com/?p=78#comment-35 I enjoy reading that column on CNN Money. It always feels good to see a company scramble to save their reputation, when threatened with negative publicity. However, it's frustrating at the same time, to think they moved that fast only because of that. Overall, it's satisfying to know that readers will probably come away from the story with a little caution at using the company's services. Good does prevail against evil :) I enjoy reading that column on CNN Money. It always feels good to see a company scramble to save their reputation, when threatened with negative publicity. However, it’s frustrating at the same time, to think they moved that fast only because of that. Overall, it’s satisfying to know that readers will probably come away from the story with a little caution at using the company’s services. Good does prevail against evil :)

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