SBC Internet Services Cancellation ordeal still in progress
I had the SBC internet service for a couple of years
all I needed was to log on and that was about it.. and for that it worked just fine.
However, I came into some financial hardships due to medical problems. I knew that SBC took out a full year in advance for their services. They never call for authorization or even to see if I would want to renew.. the first year I knew this was coming up so I called them to see when they would be taking the $174.00 out of my account. I authorized it at the time.. but I was the one to initiate the call.
This year, as I stated I was having financial issues and could not afford for them to take out $174.00 out of my account. I needed it for bills and to save towards rent.
Therefore, I called or better worded I tried to call in on February 20, 2006 to cancel this service. The number posted in the Yellow Pages in my area (Campbell) went to a singles line. I called the home service number and told them I wanted to cancel my internet service. They of course could not help me as that was not their department
I was transferred to the internet department and went thru their prompts
I hit the button to cancel the service and was told and customer service rep would be with me shortly.. shortly never happened
. I was on hold for over an hour and a half the first time before I gave up
I tried repeatedly that same day with the same results or lack of results
I never got a live person on the phone. Everytime I called back (still calling the home service number as the internet service number was bogus) I would tell the customer service rep what I wanted but no one would answer over there and I didnt want to be placed on hold again. And every time I got transferred because they could not help me and then placed on forever hold after going thru all the prompts
. Soooo I decided to do this online.. I sent a request thru their online service and that sent me a resolution with a case number but a link that would take me thru the same steps as I just did online and would issue yet another case number
once I realized this I decided to respond to the email instead of clicking the link
. That generated an email from a David Rick of AT&T Internet Services (they are taking over SBC Internet)and yet another case number on February 22, 2006 at 9:13am. He stated:
Thank you for contacting AT&T Internet Services
We understand from your e-mail that you wish to discontinue your SBC Internet account. Please know that we value you as a member and regret that you are considering cancellation of your SBC Internet account.
We would like to inform you that as of 2/22/06, we have suspended your SBC Internet account. According to our policies and procedures, an SBC Internet account is automatically disconnected after the thirty days of the suspension period. Please be assured that your account will be disconnected
So come 3/23/06 I go check my bank account online and $174.00 was taken out of my account. I contacted by bank and placed a disputed alert on the item. I also called SBC Internet customer service and spoke to a woman there
I told her the story and she stated she would do a conferenced call with the cancellation department
after holding for over half an hour we finally spoke with someone. I reiterated to all parties on the line that I NEVER authorized anyone to take any money out of my account and that I had cancelled this account a month ago and that I wanted that money credited back or wired back to my account
this woman told me that she had placed it on excellerated status and initially told me that would be about a week as apposed to 10-15 days,,, which to me is completely unacceptable.. if you know you took the money out and you have proof that the account was cancelled why would it take you 10-15 days to resolve this??? No one at that department could answer that for me. The next day I called back and she was just an idiot maam I told you yesterday that this would take 10-15 days now she claims that the excellerated status is 10-15 days
I repeatedly asked for her manager, who turned out to be an even bigger idiot that she was
. I asked this woman to explain to me as to why they would take money out of an account when they received notification 30 days before that this account was requested to be cancelled
and she said maam you are trying to get me to say something that I cant say and that this would take 10-15 days
I told her that was unacceptable as this would affect checks out there as well as what I was saving towards rent..... I told her that she could wire that money back to me.. and she had no idea what wiring is and she also stated that I was on a yearly account and that was why the money was taken out and I kept stating to her over an over that they had NO AUTHORIZATION from me to do so that they in fact had word from me that I didnt want to continue the service and that they were not to take any money out of my account, she acknowledged the receipt of the emails but, she belittled me for doing it online and never talking to anyone live.. I tried to explain to her the frustration of being placed on hold for long periods of time before giving up and she couldnt care less
I told her that even though it was online I had a response from someone in her office acknowledging that this account was to be cancelled.
I asked her why it would take this long and all she could say it was only one department and they needed that turnaround to process a claim.. this I could not believe! They are a nationwide company! They knew I cancelled this a month ago and still took this money out
and instead of crediting this back to my bank account they say I have to wait 10-15 days!!! For what? So they can make interest on my money that they STOLE from me??? I repeatedly asked to speak to her manager and all she would say is you can call back everyday and everyday I will tell you the same thing and she never sent me to another manager.. I finally got so frustrated and angry that I cussed at her and hung up. And as of today, this is still an ongoing issue.
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