One random day last month my phone was unexpectedly disconnected.
I called to enquire and found that my phone company, had been accidentally charging me for every single minute I spent on the phone, despite my having free calls evenings and weekends, top 5 free, free internet, instant messaging and 400 free minutes that I NEVER use.
“Ooops.. We’re so sorry about that, we will delete all the charges on your account and restore your service immediately.”
“Thank you, but while I have you on the phone, do I owe you anything at all?”
” No M’am, in fact there is a credit on your account of $11.00.”
Yesterday my phone was disconnected again. I called and inquired.
Well, m’am, you have gone over your spending cap of $200.00 and that is why you are disconnected.
“My bill is never over 96 dollars,” I explain. “Could you tell me how it jumped from a credit of $11.00 up to $258.00 in 3 weeks?”
It took over an hour of arguing and being transferred to several agents of different sorts to be told that despite the fact that the phone company disconnected me without justification last month, that they were still charging me for the RECONNECTION fee!!! In addition there were some “old unpaid charges from a few months ago that just showed up on your bill. You can see it on your bill, next to other charges …”
“I don’t have any old unpaid charges from a few months ago, I had a credit of $11.00!!!!”
“well M’am, I will make an exception and lift the reconnection fee for you but you will have to pay $158.00 to have have your service restored.”
The next morning I go to my financial institution to pay my bill but call my phone company first to confirm whether it was $158.67 or $158.96 or…
“Neither M’am, it’s $258.97″
“I think you must be mistaken, yesterday it was $158. and change”
“I know what it was yesterday m’am, but that was yesterday. Today it is $258.00 if you want the service restored.”
I calmly spoke, I panicked, I begged, pleaded and cried…
” I am a single mother of 3 daughters, I work on call as an intervention counselor at a women’s shelter and I literally do not own $258.00. PLEASE! please don’t do this, my job can’t reach me, my kids can’t reach me, I NEED my phone! Can I speak to your supervisor please?”
“It’s $258.00 M’am.”
“please”
“It’s $258.00 M’am.”
“how much is it to cancel my contract with you then?”
“$280.00 plus tax”
“I think I have just cause to cancel the contract, who do I talk to about that?”
“No one.”
I kid you not.
It’s weird how something as insignificant as a cell phone account telephone agent can make me feel so desperate, pathetic and oppressed. I should probably work on that. In the meantime…
Dear Telus Mobility… I HATE YOU.
