My Qwest Experience
Ga Mu
with Qwest Communications. Someone replied with some suggestions and
asked that I post the final outcome, so here is what I hope is the final
outcome. First some background re the trouble I was having.
In July, 2002, after relying solely on a cell phone, I decided to get a
land line. I called Qwest and ordered up service, Choosing AT&T as my
long distance provider. I got my first correct billing statement from
Qwest in August, 2002.
My billing statement for September, 2002, included long distance charges
from Sprint for calls made from a number other than mine. I called
Qwest to dispute the charges and their knee-jerk reaction was to tell me
to call Sprint. Qwest apparently is of the opinion that ALL long
distance billing errors are the fault of the long distance carrier. So
I called Sprint and was told there was nothing they could do for me
because I was not a Sprint customer, and that the charges appearing on
my billing statement were being billed to someone else and Qwest was
putting the charges on the wrong billing statement. I called back Qwest
and explained what Sprint had told me. Qwest told me they would reverse
the charge and let Sprint fix their problem.
My billing statement for October, 2002, included more long distance
charges from the same number and also included a charge for MSN DSL
service. I called Qwest and was told to contact MSN for the DSL charges
and to again contact Sprint for the Long distance charges. I explained
what had happened in September with Sprint, but the Qwest agent insisted
I needed to contact Sprint. I contacted Sprint and was told the same
thing I was told in September. I contacted MSN and was told that they
had no record of anyone every having their DSL service at either my
address or my phone number. I called Qwest back and explained the
results of my calls. Qwest told me they would reverse the charges and
let the third parties fix their problems. (Again, Qwest ALWAYS assumes
that all third-party billing errors are the fault of the third-party.)
My billing statement for November, 2002, included more long distance
charges from the same number, but the MSN DSL charges were gone. I
called Qwest and was asked to call Sprint again, but I protested and the
agent setup a three-way call between Qwest, Sprint, and myself. During
the call the Qwest agent was finally convinced that the problem was with
Qwest incorrectly cross-referencing third-party accounts to their
accounts. Finally, I thought, this problem has been solved. The next
day I called Qwest back and cancelled my service with them, citing their
inability to deal with billing issues as the reason I was cancelling the
service.
At the end of November, 2002, I received my final billing statement from
Qwest. It contained more Sprint charges. I called them Qwest,
explained what had been happening and also that I thought the problem
had been identified and resolved earlier in the month. The Qwest agent
reversed the charges again.
In December, 2002, I received a second final billing statement from
Qwest, which was also my second and only correct billing statement from
them. This one had my accumulated AT&T long distance charges on it and
nothing else (up to this point I had never seen AT&T long distance
charges on my bill). I sent in a check for that bill and thought that
was it. I would never have to deal with Qwest again. Ever. Was I ever
wrong.
In January, 2003, I received my third final billing statement from
Qwest. This one had more Sprint long distance charges it. I called
Qwest and explained all that had happened to the Qwest agent and asked
to speak with a supervisor. When I was told I would get a call back
sometime within the next four hours, I told them to forget it. The
Qwest agent told me he was going to separate my (actually someone
else's) long distance billing from my Qwest billing and that I would
NEVER AGAIN receive a billing statement from Qwest that had non-Qwest
long distance charges on it. Experiencing a lack of faith in what I had
been told by Qwest, on January 19, 2003, I filed an online complaint
with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) re this problem.
In February, 2003, I received my fourth final billing statement from
Qwest. I again called and explained all that had happened. This time
the agent told me he thought he knew what was causing the problem, but
he couldn't fix it. He told me he would reverse the charges back to
Sprint and email the "Methods Director" and cc his manager, and that
either he, his manager, or the Methods Director would call me back with
an update within a few days. I never got a call back. On February 20,
2003, I filed a second online complaint with the FCC, indicating that
Qwest had not responded to my initial complaint within the required
thirty-day period. I got an email response telling me that the FCC sits
on these complaints for up to two weeks before forwarding them to the
carriers, so the carriers actually have forty-five days to respond.
In March, 2003, I received my fifth final billing statement from Qwest
with more Sprint long distance charges on it. Even though I knew this
was not a Sprint problem, I decided to call them because experience
indicated that Qwest was incapable of resolving the problem. The Sprint
agent told me this was definitely a local provider problem and that I
should contact them and tell them Sprint thinks there is a prblem with
"cross-wiring". Rather than talking to the intellectual giants at Qwest
on the phone, I decided to fillout a complaint form on their website
instead. I got an email response back indicating they were looking into
the problem.
On April 14, 2003, I got a letter from a collection agency indicating
they were working on behalf on Qwest Communciations to collect on a past
due bill. (At this point I was ready to rent a van, fill it with TNT,
drive to Denver, and take out the largest Qwest building I could find.)
I called Qwest and, for the seventh time, explained all that had
happened. The agent put me on hold while he spoke with Billing to get
my account credited. He then setup a three-way call with Sprint.
During this call we learned that a couple had a Sprint calling card in
the woman's name which was tied to a Qwest account in the man's name.
We also learned that this couple had been contacting Qwest to inquire as
to why they weren't being billed for their long distance charges. The
Qwest agent left me with the impression that the problem was resolved.
Later in April, I responded to the last email I had gotten from Qwest.
In this response I told them what had happened on the last three-way
call and also told them that when I received my next incorrect billing
statement from them I would file a complaint with the Federal Trade
Commission.
On May 2, 2003, I received my sixth final billing statement from Qwest.
I don't know why, but it had a $6.65 credit on it. All the Sprint and
MSN charges had been reversed, so I owed them nothing and they owed me
nothing. I have yet to cash this check. With all the personal time and
cell connect time, this $6.65 means Qwest is paying me a consulting fee
of about $0.50 per hour for helping them resolve their billing problem.
So, that's the end of the story (I hope). Here on some observations and
conclusions based on my experiences with Qwest:
1) Qwest customer service agents can't figure out that one plus one
equals two. I was calling them to tell them they were billing me for
someone else's long distance calls and gave them the number those calls
are coming from. That someone else was calling Qwest to tell them they
are not being billed for their long distance calls from the same number.
But when Qwest puts one and one together, they get zero.
2) Qwest customer service agents are incompetent liars. One multiple
occasions I was told the problem was identified and would be taken care
of. It wasn't. On at least one occasion I was told I would receive a
call back. I never did.
3) Qwest doesn't give a crap about the privacy of its customers. In the
my speaking with Sprint, they refused to identify any of the parties
involved by name. Qwest, on the other hand, and without my asking,
stated the full legal names of both members of the couple involved.
4) The Federal Communications Commission works for the carriers, not the
consumer. On multiple occasions I was told to wait a couple of weeks
for Qwest to respond to my complaint. Today (May 19, 2003) is exactly
four months from the day I lodged the initial complaint and I have yet
to get a formal response from Qwest. (Both AT&T and Sprint, who were
mentioned in the complaint, responded in a reasonable time period.)
5) I will never again pay for Qwest service. The only condition that I
would consider getting any type of service from Qwest is if the service
is being financed by my employer.
Thanks for reading,
Greg
Jim McLaughlin
Three comments, from bitter experience with Qworst.
1. Keep a detailed contemporaneous computer stored Word document
written log of your calls. Get the employee number of the customer service
person you deal with in each case. Note the begin and end time of each
call.
Ask for the "trouble ticket" or "work ticket" number assigned to your
call by the representative to whom you are talking.
Try to "sweet talk" the person you are dealing with to give you their
direct dial number. Otherwise, next time you call, you have zero chance of
getting same person. Qworst customer billing calls are randomly routed to
agents in Minneapolis; Omaha; Denver; Seattle and Portland.
Use your log to write a detailed confirming letter to Quest, setting
out what they have promised to do and when they have promised to do it by.
Send the letter to Qworst's Oregon or Washington as the case may be
President / Chief operating officer. Its some woman, this week, who works
out of the 321 SW Oak street Building. Name is on he web site, or is also
available from:
ta daaah -- Oregon Public Utilities Commission.
2. Send a copy of your Qworst confirming letter to OPUC. State in your
letter that Qworst has promised X action by Y date. Tell PUC that the
first letter to them is not repeat not a complaint but solely to put the
matter on record with the regulator.
Send a similar letter to FCC.
Include copies of your OPUC and FCC letter with the confirming letter
you send to the Qworst
regional president.
3. In month 2, when Qworst messes up again, call them and go through the
routine with the service representative.
Write confirming letter. Send with copies of prior correspondence to
Qworst local executive folks, and to OPUC and FCC, this time making it clear
that you are complaining about Qworst. Copies of complaint letters to OPUC
and FCC to the Qworst local executive type, too.
Repeat every month until cured.
I doubt you'll ever need to go past month 4.
Keep paying your legitimate charges.
Pray that Qworst sends a collection agency after you, and that the
agency is dumb enough to sue you. If so, you have, with your log and letter
copies, just won the lottery.
"Ga Mu" <Ngam...@SPattbi.comAM> wrote in message
news:8oaya.939533$S_4.956111@rwcrnsc53...
Scott
things that seemed to have any impact on the situation was to start
contacting my state representatives. While I disagree with her on a
number of issues, state Senator Avel Gordly's office was very interested
in hearing of my problems and their phone calls on my behalf seemed to
be what finally got the problems resolved.
I would offer two comments:
First, under the Federal Fair Credit Collections Act, all you have to do
with the collection agency is to send them a letter telling them to stop
contacting you. Their only recourse is to sue at that point, and if you
include the details you've outlined, they are smart enough not to waste
their time.
Second, I would definately contact your State Representative and State
Senator with these details. Then if Qwest still can't find certain
parts of their collective anatomy with both hands, call the legislators
back and ask for their assistance.
Scott
Ga Mu
Thanks for info/advice. It appears the problem has been resolved, as I
haven't got a bill this month and I never heard back from the collection
agency. I will, however, save your posts just in case...
Greg
Phil Kane
Nobody mentioned serving "Letters of Intent to Sue" on the
General Counsels of both Sprint and QWest. That always works
wonders for me.
Then again, I'm a communications attorney well known in the
business because I spent 30 years on the FCC enforcement staff
and they know that I know just which buttons to push and in
what order.
I'm glad that you got the matter straightened out.
--
Phil Kane
From a Clearing in the Silicon Forest
Beaverton (Washington County), Oregon
Retired and Loving Every Minute of It
Work was getting in the way of my hobbies