I’m writing to inform you that Qwest has made a very serious error concerning my email account with your company.
I moved from Phoenix, Arizona in July of 2007, to Dewey, Arizona and contacted Qwest to install my internet service. Qwest installed a DSL which was available in our servicing area.
Due to employment issues in that area my husband and I determined we had to move back to Phoenix in November 2007. This is the start of the nightmare and the following issues occurred.
November 2007
At the time of the initial installation of the DSL line we committed to stay with Qwest and had purchased your modem for the DSL. We called Qwest to inform you that we were moving and wanted our service transfer to our new location in Phoenix. (November 23, 2007, we contacted Nate in your new installation department) The official moved date was November 23, 2007, and Qwest was to install our internet service on November 26, 2007 at 10:00 AM) Qwest installer came to our door and said he had to go the main box and would let us know when he was done. We had our modem equipment ready for him once he completed his work at the main box. Your installer came back and said he was done and requested him to come in to our home to assist us with modem equipment. Your employee said he was only here to install the line. We did not know what that meant so we called your department to determine who would be helping us with the internet equipment. On November 27, 2007, I was contacted by Qwest to inform us that they only installed a telephone line and the Phoenix area did not use the DSL or the modern equipment that we brought with us from Dewey, Arizona. We never ordered a telephone line with Qwest and only requested the internet service since we purchased your modem box. I reiterated over and over again with your Qwest employee that is was imperative that I keep my email address and was told this was no problem and the email account would stay in tacked without any interruption.
The only reason I stayed with Qwest was because I wanted to keep my email account which was most important because I was self-employed and all my information was given to my clients.
Our telephone/television service was installed on November 26, 2007 by Cox Communication. I had inquired once we selected Cox if my current email account could be transferred to them and was told no. The cost for Cox internet service was cheaper than that of Qwest but I had to keep my EMAIL ACCOUNT, thus I stayed with Qwest. WE NOW AS OF NOVEMBER 26. 2007, HAD 2 TELEPHONE LINES ONE WHICH BELONG TO QWEST AND THE 2ND LINE WHICH BELONG TO COX COMMICATION.
On November 27, 2007, I was informed by Qwest that I had to wait for another week before your company would install only the internet service. (Dec 6, 2007). When I spoke your employee to determine if this could be done sooner I was told no, even though this was an error on Qwest part per Nate your employee on November 23, 2007. I was told that Qwest Phoenix installer was busy due to recent storms and I just have to wait like everyone else. I then asked for a supervisor and was talking with Mary from your Idaho office and was told that she would look into this problem and get back with me.
Mary called back and said she was able to get our service installed on Dec 3, 2007, and would waive the first month of service free due to Qwest errors. During all of these conversations I stated over and over “at this time the only reason I’m staying with Qwest if because of my email address.” Trust me after all this wasted time and errors from the start of the official transfer from Dewey to Phoenix I was not happy but could do nothing about this because of my email account with Qwest.
December 2007
On Dec 3, 2007, our internet service was installed and I asked your installer if I could access my email account with outlook. He told me to call Qwest choice on line and they would be able to assist me with that issue. I never did call and continued to use my email as normally. The biggest reason why I did not call that department was because when I first established my email account and tried to connect to outlook in Dewey, Arizona I was transferred to your technical department. During this time I had paid an IT person to assist me with the computer because I do not understand some of the language used in moving around in the computer itself. (Late July 2007) We tried to get this done however the persons we spoke to could not speak English very well and were very difficult to understand. The Qwest department reflected that they were not in the United States and finally gave up and just continued to use my email account without any more consideration of using outlook.
February 23, 2008
I signed on to my email account and everything was fine. On February 24, 2008 I tried to sign on and could not get to my email account. This was not disturbing to me since every week end normally on Sundays your internet service does not seem to work.
February 25, 2008 Monday
I tried to sign on and the page reflected “Provide account information * we’re unable to retrieve information for this page at this time. We’re sorry for the inconvenience, please try later.
February 26, 2008 Tuesday (800 244-1111)
The same message. I called Qwest and was transferred to your technical department. I was told by one of your employees (again that need not speak English very well) that MSN had major issues and would not be resolved for another 24 to 48 hours.
February 27, 2008 Wednesday
The same message.
February 28, 2008 Thursday
The same message. I called the customer service number again and requested that I be transferred to someone who spoke English. I was given a person by the name of Ron. Ron asked me for my account number and the bill that I took to work was dated Jan 3, 2008. I gave Ron my account number and he told me that my number did not exist and would transferred my call to Sara. I was on the phone with Sara for about 45 minuets and she came back to inform me that my account had been terminated. I did not understand since we pay our bills on time. Sara transferred me to Sherina at which time Sherina told me that my account had not been terminated and only a few department could review the “on line customer” accounts and Sara’s department could not see these types of accounts.
Sherina said she was going to transfer me to the technical department once again and I again asked before the transferring of the call that I would prefer to speak with someone I could understand and spoke English. Sherina gave me the telephone number 866 220-0375 and in the future if I needed assistant to use that telephone number and press 3 for assistance.
I spoke to John and asked for help. I informed John that I called on February 26, 2008, and was told that MSN was down and still today I could not get to my email account.
JOHN CONVERSATION
We are sorry to inform you that your email account was terminated because your new Qwest service provided “VDS” line does not support your email account. Your email account could only be supported with a DSL and MSN finally caught up with you and terminated and dumped your email account. Qwest cannot get this information back to you not even for 1 day.
I asked to speak with John’s supervisor and Dianna (Manager) reinstated the same conversation and added “We are very sorry”.
This is not believable to me so I asked for her supervisor name and telephone number.
HELENE SWEET 503 242-1657
Helene and I spoke however since I was at work and now been on the phone with
Qwest for over an hour and half I told Helene I would call her back and asked if she would be in the office. I left a message later that day played telephone tag. I did in fact try to call her several times that afternoon but received her voice mail.
February 29, 2008 Friday
I tried to call Helene and her voice mail reflected she would be out of the office all day Friday. I was very upset and pounded out to ask for the name and phone number to her supervisor. I asked not only for her supervisor name including who was the CEO of Qwest and needed that phone number. The Qwest employee would not give me the telephone number for CEO but only that of Scott Belcom who was Helene’s supervisor. (303 896-0403)
I called that number and spoke to a girl (I did not get her name) however was informed that Scott was not at his desk and asked if she could help. I told her no that I was very upset and only wanted to speak with manager and wanted help right now. She became very rude and said “Scott not at his desk and she would give him a message to call me”. I asked for the name once again on who was the CEO and the phone number. She replied the CEO name was Ed Mueller and could not give me the telephone number. I asked for Scott’s supervisor name and telephone number and was told his superior’s name was Coleen Dutch and could not give me her telephone number that I would have to speak with Scott.
Scott never did call me back that day.
I called the Arizona Corporate commissioners office and was given the executive phone number and somehow was transferred to the DSL department.
Rick Gray 208 385-2370 (DSL DEPARTMENT)
I again asked for the CEO number and was told they could not give me that information and asked what the issue was to determine if he could help. I told him that I really wanted to speak with CEO and did not want another person to help because of the bad information I had received over the past few months and did not want to get another employee involved because my entire email account was gone. I’m devastated over this because my email account had my business saved information and just could not believe this happened. Surely someone at Qwest could get this back and if this was Ed Mueller’s account they would get it back.
Rick told me that he was a manager promised me he could help me. I gave him the above employees name and he knew all them and said he could help me.
Friday 4:15 pm
Rick did call me late that afternoon and told me that Qwest had a product issue and confirmed that my email account was lost and could not be recovered. I told him that I called MSN and was told that MSN did not dump my email account because they only give product software support to Qwest and under no circumstances could MSN dump any of Qwest email accounts, they belong solely to QWEST.
Rick did confirm that MSN software only supports DSL email accounts for Qwest and after 90 days being off of the DSL lines, Qwest will terminated the email account and all saved data without any notice to the user and the VDS lines would not support the q.com email accounts.
Rick sent an email to Scott Belcom on Friday outlining the issue and did not know why Scott did not call me back. I told Rick this only was making me “boil” more and Qwest has not heard the end of me.
Conclusion:
1. My email account not only supported my personal email but that of 2 business accounts.
2. I had no upfront notification that my email account was terminated and cannot retrieve any of my data.
3. Qwest sold a product that was false including statements by your employees.
4. Qwest has a product issue and knew that after 90 days coming from a DSL to a VDS line all email would be terminated without notice.
5. According to John in your technical department my email address has already been given to someone else which is false according to Rick.
6. Qwest terminated email accounts are held for 180 days before re-issuing.
7. We have sent test email to my email address and do not get “postmaster notification” that the email did not go through.
8. Employees of Qwest should be trained on this important issue between a DSL and VDS and the email accounts. It is felt this is an important issue and consumer alert.
9. Internet service is normally down on Sundays which is not advertised to the consumer.
I feel that my rights as a consumer have been violated by Qwest and I have lost valuable information to me not only personally but that of my self-employment documents.
What is Qwest going to do to make this right for me as your customer?
Waiting to hear from you.
Read Next Complaint >>
