| Slammed for 25 Grand |
|---|
New York Post 1/3/2006
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/60856.htm
January 3, 2006 -- Bedridden for 17 years, Timmy Secor can't work a
computer - he can't even lift his head from his pillow - but
Verizon bills him as if he were a millionaire keyboard whiz.
He's been overbilled 25,000,ドル a friend said.
His monthly tab includes 19ドル.95 for dialup Internet service he's never
used and 39ドル.95 for a nonexistent Web page.
There's no explanation for the 29ドル.95 Verizon collects for a company
called Directory Billing Service or the 21ドル.45 "multiline charge" for
"Business Network LD."
With other mystery charges and the regular ...
TO READ ENTIRE STORY you have to agree to nine pages of privacy policy
and fifteen pages of terms of us 24 pages total. I don't have time to
study that much legalese.
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: That's okay, I got it from my RSS feed
and have the entire account here for everyone to read: PAT]
PHONE USER ON HOOK FOR 25G
By BILL SANDERSON
Bedridden for 17 years, Timmy Secor can't work a computer - he
can't even lift his head from his pillow - but Verizon bills him as if he
were a millionaire keyboard whiz.
He's been overbilled 25,000,ドル a friend said.
His monthly tab includes 19ドル.95 for dialup Internet service he's never
used and 39ドル.95 for a nonexistent Web page.
There's no explanation for the 29ドル.95 Verizon collects for a company
called Directory Billing Service or the 21ドル.45 "multiline charge" for
"Business Network LD."
With other mystery charges and the regular Verizon charges, fees
and taxes, Secor's September phone bill was 575ドル.76.
"These phone companies are bankrupting me," said Secor, 63, who runs a
modeling agency from his hospital bed in his Upper East Side apartment.
The law requires Verizon to bill its customers on other companies'
behalf. Consumer advocates call it "cramming."
Verizon has refunded 4,950,ドル and an official told The Post that the
company was working on Secor's "issues" but declined to comment
further.
Arnold Martin, a pal helping Secor with the problem, figures he's
overpaid around 25,000ドル over the years.
It's a mystery how his phone bill got so bloated.
One company, Simple.net, says Secor responded in 2004 to a mail
solicitation that contained a check for 3ドル.25. By depositing the
check, the company says, Secor signed up for dialup Internet service.
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[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I have gotten a lot of those 'checks'
for amounts ranging fom fifty cents through several dollars, always on
the condition 'cash this check and you authorize us to do whatever.'
I always throw them away, which Mr. Secor should learn to do. PAT]