Verizon

Anyone else having these problems with Verizon or PUC? I know I am not the only one:
(12-12-09)

Texas PUC,

I am writing again about Verizon's billing for services that were never provided. Let me first state that I wrote last year about being billed for several hundred dollars of services that were not provided, and which Verizon admitted were never provided. In spite of that PUC "suspected" that my internet dial-up provider was sending a mystery signal to 411, and I was told by PUC to pay those charges. I am still shocked that I would be expected to pay for services that Verizon admits were never provided, but I did pay them. I will also add that decisions like these are one reason many people in Texas do not see PUC as actually helping consumers. I also had a colleague tell me the same thing happened at her office.

In spite of that Verizon turned the account over for collection almost a year later, and in dealing with the collection agency I found that Verizon actually owed me a sizable refund on the account they had turned in for collection. That is because they continued to bill long after the phone line had been canceled, and long after the date they said they would no longer bill for services. By sending my billing records the agency dropped the case - but Verizon has still not refunded my money.

When I had to deal with a collection agency, and still did not get my refund, I changed my home phone lines to Suddenlink - an option which only recently had become available. I carefully made sure that both lines I had maintained with Verizon had been canceled, and I was told that I would get a small refund in fact. That was about 5-6 months ago although I can find that record too if needed.

It came as no surprise that Verizon continued to bill me for phone services even though they owed me a refund and the phone lines I had used with them for years were clearly disconnected at the time noted above. They have billed me each month for services they are not providing, and a couple of days ago I got notice that this account is now "turned over for collection" too.

The facts are clear. 1) Verizon owes me a rather large refund, approximately $290.00, 2) Verizon has twice now billed repeatedly, for months in fact, for phone lines that were verified by them and by me as disconnected, and 3) Verizon has falsely claimed these accounts are overdue, and turned them over for collection even though they were in fact overpaid.

Good for you taking it up with the PUC - go get'em!

Don't back down either!

Good luck to you, Aragorn.

Sonia