Complaint Review: Voicestream T Mobile - Bellevue Washington

To Whom It May Concern:

September 26, 2002

I am writing this note in hopes of coming to some satisfactory conclusion. I am very disgusted with T-Mobile Voicestream. I don't know where to start, so I will try the beginning.

I have two children ages 12 and 13. Both wanted a cell phone. My own personal arrangement with them was after they earned $150.00 they could go ahead and get a cell phone. In my mind they would at least have the first couple of months paid. Both boys worked all summer long and very hard to earn this money. They also did a lot of research regarding different cell phone plans. They liked Voicestreams $29.99 plan the best. After they earned this money, we want to Menlo Park Mall (in Edison, NJ) and signed up for your service. We were told the plan had 200 minutes (free time) and 500 text messages. The weekends were free. Well from here on in it is down hill.

The children called up to find out exactly how to use the phone correctly. They went over everything with your customer relations department. Around the 20th of August they called to see how many minutes and text messages they had used. My son Dan (848) 219 1398 at that point had used around 620 text messages. My other son Ken (848) 391 5794 had used around 870 text messages. We were told Dan would owe approximately $12 additional dollars and Ken would owe approximately $17 additional dollars.

Now we get our very first bill. Dan's charges are an additional $35.85 for 1,217 text messages. Ken's charges are an additional $79.50 for 2,090 text messages. I do not know the exact date I received my bill, but I called up at that point and asked that a complete bill be sent to me. I had a 76 page phone bill out of which maybe I received 20 pages. I also questioned the text messages at that point. They said they would look into it for me. I am not denying they used more than their 500 text messages, I am denying that they used that amount.

During the first months bill Ken (848-391-5794) did not have any phone service from August 13 14 15 16 17. He could not even dial 611. We took his phone back to the mall. A representative there called your customer service department and told him what to do and he had a phone again. Now since he did not have a phone for those days, how could he possibly text message someone. I cannot figure that out.

Another problem we have had was, my husband and two boys went up to Oswego, New York (September 14 and 15th) to go salmon fishing. Neither phone had service from where they were. They had to go to a pay phone and call my 800 number to talk to me. One of Dan's friends called me up at home and asked to talk to Dan. I told her he was not home. She told me he was on line. Again, how is this possible if there is absolutely no service?

On September 19, 2002, Ken's phone was right in front of me. I was on my home computer. After approximately 20 minutes on line, Ken little walkie-talkie icon appears on my screen. Ken was in school in Gym class and his phone was right in front of me. Why did the walkie talkie icon appear on my buddy list?????

I called on September 18 to try and resolve this matter. I spoke with Sasha a customer service representative for 72 minutes. She then transferred me to a technical support person. This tech person talked to both of my boys on the phone and had them do different things to their phones. When I got back on the phone he said to me in a few minutes a message would come across their phones. Please take out the battery and wait 3 seconds before you put it back in. As of September 26, 2002 we are still waiting for that message. Also I believe it was in this conversation that we received 100 free phone minutes.

I proceed to call back on September 19 to find out what happened. This time is was a much shorter period of time on the phone. I only spent 39 minutes. I talked to a technical support person named Paul. I could not give you any more information regarding Paul because he would not disclose it. I asked for a last name or badge or id number. Would not give anything to me. I next asked to talk to a supervisor. His response was what about. I told him my bill. Again what about your bill. This is after spending 39 minutes discussing it with him. In the end he would not give me a supervisor and hung up on me. I called back and spoke to David #0151801. He apologized for Paul's behavior and told me they had submitted an ABR form. Once the results came back from that, they could determine if the charges were legitimate or not. Also he told me, I had to keep calling back to find out the results of this ABR form. He was not sure how long it would take, but keep calling. I am very sorry I do have better things to do with my time then to keep calling Voicestream and spending a lot of time of the phone.

My son Dan had called on September 17 to try and find out what was going on. He spoke with a Stacy who said he was the third call that night with the same exact problem and would look into it. She also said she would give both numbers a $10 credit. So I guess we are not the only ones with this problem.

Now some of the responses I have gotten from your Customer Service group are:

1. They are not logging off correctly. If this is the case, how would they know first of all until the bill came in? Secondly, they are logging off exactly as your customer service department told them to. Also on several occasions they have logged off right in front of me and the walkie talkie icon appears on my buddy list.

2. They said that one of their friends has their password and are logging on. I do not know for 100% sure that their friends do not have their passwords. They are telling me friends do not. But my point here is, if the walkie-talkie is on my buddy list, I thought that meant they were on a phone. None of their friends have cell phones that are IM capable. So please explain that one.

Then I decided to go to your web site and right a complaint on that. I wrote on September 19, 2002 at 8:08 p.m. To date (AGAIN) I have not heard one word. Reference #020919-001806.

Now we are up to today. I called and spoke to Brenda and I asked to be transferred to a supervisor. Brenda was nice enough to transfer me to Denise #1048932. She told me all of the charges were true and correct and no credit can now be given. (This obviously is a very shortened version of our phone conversation). I asked Denise if she could give me the name of the president of T-Mobile and the Corporate Office address. Denise told me as per company policy she could not give me that information. I understand the Presidents name, but the address. What is up with that?

I tried to go online and find out some information. Permission was denied. Denise told me they were updating the site. I then asked her how I was supposed to go about getting this information since I could not even go on the site because my permission was denied. All she told me was that she had to follow company policy, but would give me a fax number to New Mexico. Now I have to place a long distance call to get this long lengthy message to you. I asked her to have her supervisor call me. Denise said Scott would call me back within 24 to 48 hours at my home phone number. I am not holding out to much hope that he will even call back. Again, she would not or could not give me Scott's last name or badge or id number. So I do not know Scott who.

It also seems that according to your customer service department again, you have no record of me ever asking for a complete or duplicate bill. You have no record of someone calling from Menlo Park Mall to help my son Ken turn on his phone. You have no record of the Tech support person who told us to wait for a message. You have no record of any of my transactions only your own transactions. Why??????

Now my son Dan has just told me that when he called last night to find out about the ABR form, your customer service representative said if we did not pay the bill, our service would be shut off. I have been calling, writing, e-mailing your company regarding this bill and my dispute over the charges. I do not believe their services should be shut off. I will gladly pay

848-391-5794 $25.99 (service charge)

$25.00 (one time charge)

$17.00 (for 370 text messages above and beyond 500 free text messages)

Total of $67.99 not including tax

848-219-1398 $29.99 (service charge)

$12.00 (for 120 text messages above and beyond 500 free

text messages)

Total of $41.99 again not including tax

A total of the two lines would be $109.98 not $214.24. There is a big difference in the two amounts. I can be reached at my home telephone number of 732 248 5964 weekdays from 9a.m. to 11a.m. My fax number is 732 287 6514. I will gladly pay the above amount and dispute the rest. I do not see a reason to pay the entire bill when I do not agree with it at all.

cindi

edison, New Jersey

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