Complaint Review: Southwestern Bell Telephone Company - Arlington Texas

If you look on the bottom of the bill you'll notice your phone number, customer code, amount owed, and two sets of dates.  The dates are your due date, and cut off date.  If you want to arrange a new payment date you need to contact the residential customer service phone number. If you are doing this on line and do not obtain a confirmation; you may assume you wanted your payment extended. If you didn't get a confirmation number then the extension was not approved.

Your due date was apparently before the date you posted, your cutoff date which was more than a week previously. My guess is you failed to make any arrangements until you received the cut off notice, and then expected that everything was okay.


 Pay your bill on time, get a better credit rating from SWBT and you'll be given more time when needed. As no company will allow you to consistently pay late. Did you also have to pay a reconnection fee to have service turned back on? You have options on local phone service with all the internet & cable options.

You SBC fans need to search for my post on SBC. I had two accounts with SBC (different locations). SBC placed their Internet service on my home phone bill WITHOUT my permission. I refused to pay that portion of the bill and continually called to attempt to get it corrected. I came home from work one day to check my voice mail (I pay a hefty fee to have extras on my home phone) and my phone wasn't working. I thought it was an outdoor line problem because it had happened before. When I called SBC I was forwarded to their "collections" department and I get this obnoxious rude broad screaming at me that I WILL PAY XXX AMOUNT OF DOLLARS OR I WON'T HAVE A PHONE! I hang up since talking to this idiot isn't getting me anywhere, call back and manage to get myself routed to billing where they discover that they have taken the amounts I have sent for my home phone and put it on the other bill which left me with one big credit on a phone that is only installed so that property can have a working alarm system. I had never paid SBC late. They had a million and one excuses as to why this happened, however, they could not explain how this amount was posted to the wrong account when I send computer generated checks for my bills and the ACCOUNT NUMBER IS PRINTED ON THE CHECK, NOT JUST THE CHECK STUB. I had to go through corporate to get the internet service removed and have since been charged for long distance service which I had to again call and get removed. I can understand why someone would need to ask for an extension to pay their bill and I can understand how frustrating it must be for them to get that extension and then get tromped on my Big Phone Company. BTW, my phone was turned back on immediately after I contacted the billing department and they found THEIR error.

As an employee, I'm sorry that you had to take such drastic actions and mislead so many people into believing that your story is one of pity and the Big bad Corporation is out to get you. But all the bickering here is very simply cleared up by the Editor and Fannie. On the original statement, she says she made certain arrangements and then got turmed off. What she is not disclosing to all of you is that the statement she recieved on April 14 was in fact her "NEW" statement and the "Current" charges listed on said statement were due on April 14, not "ALL" of the charges. SBC honored our agreement for payment. As our last resort, we suspended our most valuable assett- Our customer. You all must understand these events are not ones of glory for SBC, we do not get any pleasure from cutting off a customer of which is our only source of income. Please, look at these stories and view them as though you owned the company. This is just a venting pot for disgruntled parties. This forum is an excellent way to way people about hazzards of certain companies and fraud and "RIP OFFS",but come on, some person getting ticked because their phone got cut off and they didn't pay the bill. What's next...Oh I have one..I feel "RIPPED OFF" when I by beer and I try to twist off the cap and realize I have to use a bottle opener. I hurt my hand and may need mental therepy to help the anguish I am experiencing. I feel I need at least a free years supply of beer with twist off caps. Be sensible Editor and read the report before you allow yourself and asst to go off in such support with out knowing or reading all the facts. Or leave comment unmoderated to allow "TRUE" reporting.

ok ...in response to you all, i am an employee of sbc and my heart goes out to customers who have circumstances that prevent them from paying a bill on time but befor you trash a companys billing and collecting procedures let me educate you on how the system works...... a customer is rated over a period of time on how they pay their bill ..a new customers credit is checked and scored if a customer has proven worthey by thier credit history they are given a grace period like most companys give .and it is normally 30 days after the due date .if your bill is not received on the due date a letter is then mailed out 14 days after the due date to remind you to pay your bill ,or to call in and make arangements ..on the 30 day after the due date your service is then shut off and in many case we do courtesy calls befor so .but if a customer continues over a period of time to pay their bill late they loose the privledge to have a 30 day grace period because they have failed to paid within that period and the grace period shortens ,this continues to effect the length between their due by date and thier shut off date ..it is no different than a credit card company lowering your ballance or not extending you a higher credit amount because you have ruined that privledge ..you have made the company question your intentions .so please get your facts strait befor you start talking about something you know absolutly nothing about .

She has failed to see the rapid decline in customer service and acknowledge the fact that we pay businesses for services and products but THEY WORK FOR US AND WE CAN FIRE THEM IF THEY DON'T PERFORM TO OUR SATISFACTION. That's not to say we can be unreasonable but we can expect decent treatment, them to be fair, reasonable, do what they promise and for them to CARE! The truth is, businesses don't care. Here's a little test for you --- find any publically traded business and get a copy of their annual financial report. See how much money is paid to the top people. Knowing that, realize they have employees who do not even earn a livable wage. How can any company with a small number of employees making six figures + with the bulk of their employees not even earning a livable wage care about anyone! They don't and they never will. I would recommend that Fanni wake up but understand that won't happen. Instead I'll end this by saying this ---- Arguing with a fool is like wrestling with a pig in the mud. It doesn't take long to realize the pig enjoys it!

Fannie,
You have, once again, failed to see the connection between the extension granted by SWB until the 14th, and the erroneous shut off on the 11th. SWB made an error, pure and simple.

The easiest way to correct it would have been to apologize, and grant a credit for the reconnection fee improperly charged! That would not only have been the easiest - it might have retained a long term customer. The real winner in this is ATT - they have a customer - SWB doesn't.

You, earlier, implied that the complainant was a deab-beat non-payer. I doubt an extension would have been given if that were true. That, however, is not the issue - suspending service prior the extension deadline is the issue. If you don't understand that, ask an adult to explain it to you.

To the original poster.
So your power was shut off 3 days after you requested, but you wanted an extra 3. It was shut off by the 11th. You were expecting until the 14th. So certainly, by the 11th, you must have had the check in the mail, right? Certainly the phone company received your check by the 14th, right?

I think the original poster explained the situation quite clearly. Let me break it down for those of you who evidently are a bit slow:

Her bill was due on 26 March.

She requested an extension until 8 April.

Now here's the important part: She received a bill granting the extension until 14 April.

Her phone service was shut off on 11 April.

She doesn't deny that she paid the bill late. What she seems to be complaining about is that the phone company GRANTED HER AN EXTENSION on the bill and then SHUT HER PHONE OF BEFORE THE NEW DUE DATE.

Get it now?

You misunderstood my original rebuttal. Please read the originan RoR and then what I said.

The poster is not a victim of anybody but herself. Here is the timeline:


March 15th (or so) - bill comes. Due March 26th.

March 24 - calls phone company. Asks for extension til April 8th. Granted.

April 8 - Bill not paid by agreed upon time

April 11 - telephone shut off

May 18 - says she's a victim

What is wrong with this picture. How, in any way shape or form, did her phone company do anything wrong? She asked for a favor, got it, didn't hold up her end of the bargain, so service was stopped. I'm all for victims' rights, WHEN THERE'S A VICTIM.

You misunderstood my original rebuttal. Please read the originan RoR and then what I said.

The poster is not a victim of anybody but herself. Here is the timeline:


March 15th (or so) - bill comes. Due March 26th.

March 24 - calls phone company. Asks for extension til April 8th. Granted.

April 8 - Bill not paid by agreed upon time

April 11 - telephone shut off

May 18 - says she's a victim

What is wrong with this picture. How, in any way shape or form, did her phone company do anything wrong? She asked for a favor, got it, didn't hold up her end of the bargain, so service was stopped. I'm all for victims' rights, WHEN THERE'S A VICTIM.

You misunderstood my original rebuttal. Please read the originan RoR and then what I said.

The poster is not a victim of anybody but herself. Here is the timeline:


March 15th (or so) - bill comes. Due March 26th.

March 24 - calls phone company. Asks for extension til April 8th. Granted.

April 8 - Bill not paid by agreed upon time

April 11 - telephone shut off

May 18 - says she's a victim

What is wrong with this picture. How, in any way shape or form, did her phone company do anything wrong? She asked for a favor, got it, didn't hold up her end of the bargain, so service was stopped. I'm all for victims' rights, WHEN THERE'S A VICTIM.

You misunderstood my original rebuttal. Please read the originan RoR and then what I said.

The poster is not a victim of anybody but herself. Here is the timeline:


March 15th (or so) - bill comes. Due March 26th.

March 24 - calls phone company. Asks for extension til April 8th. Granted.

April 8 - Bill not paid by agreed upon time

April 11 - telephone shut off

May 18 - says she's a victim

What is wrong with this picture. How, in any way shape or form, did her phone company do anything wrong? She asked for a favor, got it, didn't hold up her end of the bargain, so service was stopped. I'm all for victims' rights, WHEN THERE'S A VICTIM.

Carrie,

As our EDitor-in Chief has said many times, and we will say it again (even if we want to cut and paste to save some time) until all you thick-headed cretins get this straight; this website is dedicated to defending victims.

At least you are no longer attacking victims, now you are attacking the EDitor. We understand why you're so grumpy...just go get laid and everything will be right with your world again. (I'm also a woman, so I understand how it is when it's been a while.)

What do you care how we form a response? If it is germaine, unlike your comments, we will use them as we please.

And aren't Fannies always behind you?

Grace
Assistant to the EDitor

You are so original Mr. Editor. That's the same lame response you gave me for responding to the

Pep Boys idiot. Can't you come up with different responses, or is it all just cut and paste? For that matter, why do you need to respond at all? Can't we all just voice our opinions without you always putting your 2 cents worth in? I'm all for defending true victims, but a person who's bill is due on the 26th and asks to let it get paid late on the 8th, which is almost 2 weeks late, is hardly a victim. If there are more extenuating circumstances to this story, then Bethany should have explained it a little better in her letter. Because she didn't, she looks like a late payer of her bills. There are definately true victims on this site, especially those people who have bought crappy homes from Fuller Homes, etc, and these people deserve justice, but Bethany is not one of those people. Mr. Editor, you need to distinguish the true victims from all the cry babies who messed up or didn't use their god given common sense.

Fannie,

You need to know that this website is dedicated to defending victims. And that includes onslaughts from corporate shills. You are the loser, my dear, having fallen prey to one of the most mundane fallacies, and so out of touch that you don't realize the extenuating circumstances.

We don't care if someone is only ripped off for $5, that person will not be ridiculed. We don't care if they misspell words or make mistakes with punctuation, they will not be corrected. We are dedicated to justice and fairness. Ad hominem attacks will not be tolerated; it's like being raped twice.

You requested til the 8th to pay your bill. That was already late. Why can't you pay your bills on time? The company was nice enough to give you an extra three days ON TOP OF the extra days you already requested. As for the reconnect fee, they have to charge it or people like you would constantly pay bills late, and expect the service to be reconnected at your convenience when you save up enough pennies to pay your bill. PAY YOUR BILL ON TIME and none of this would have happened.