Complaint Review: WorldCom Wireless - Nederland Texas

While in the employ of WorldCom (2001), I took advantage of a special offer available to employees wishing to use a WorldCom Wireless cellular telephone. Several months passed before I received appropriate billing, and as a new customer I was floored by the high cost of calls. The bills were so confused an unintelligible that I couldn't adapt my use of the phone to reduce the cost.

I attempted, on numerous occasions to contact a customer service representative who could help me understand the billing. The lines were never free and I had to resort to emailing.

I was repeatedly called by people who harassed me for payments over the phone, but who couldn't and wouldn't answer my questions. They denied any knowledge of my complaints and wanted to have nothing to do with me unless I was making a payment. Needless to say, my interactions with the collections department was completely frustrating. On one occasion a representative took information from me to make a payment and never processed it, leaving me to believe that she had.

By September 2001 I was no longer working for WorldCom and was completely frustrated by the billing process. That fall, I was finally able to negotiate a payment amount with a representative that was to be an amount suitable to pay for my use and the closure of the account. The sum came to over $900. In frustration, my wife and I made the payment feeling that it would finally be over. We wouldn't be bothered again.

Unfortunately, the lack of communication or the high rate of attrition at WCOM didn't allow for this horrid experience to end. The bills continued to come, each one showed a credit balance. Month after month the credit was eaten away by monthly charges for an unused, thought-to-be-dead telephone. My wife couldn't believe my explanation that this was how WorldCOM closed accounts, and I couldn't believe my ears when I called to inquire about the matter. I was told that no mention of closing the account had ever been made. I couldn't believe that no fair accounting of my situation had been documented within their "system". No representatives had recorded the gist our discussion nor its conclusions.

I explained in no uncertain terms how things had gone for me and the polite lady apologized to me and told me not to worry. "You won't be bothered again, Mr. Stroud." She went on to explain that she had spoken to her supervisor and that my account was closed. She gave me confirmation # 542048 to reassure me. I thanked her and thought the issue was resolved.

In May we received yet another bill for services on this completely useless telephone. By this time my wife was beside herself. I called in June and it seemed as though the people had NO IDEA about the situation. What happened to all of the documentation? What about confirmation numbers? The gentleman was Luis. He was very embarrassed and explained that things were chaotic at WorldCOM. He too apologized and gave me a confirmation number (# 5687675). "Mr. Stroud, you won't be bothered again. This account is closed. We're sorry for the confusion."

When July's bill came I became a bit irate. For weeks I battled the question of how to handle this. I thought that I might ignore it, but I could see that wasn't going to work. As a last attempt to reason with this issue I called on August 21st. The young man on the phone was indignant. He couldn't see any indication that I had experienced this chain of promises and frustrations. I demanded to speak to a supervisor. That gentleman attempted to merely absorb my frustration without losing his cool.

I appreciate his professionalism, but I didn't appreciate his unwillingness to treat me with some sense of dignity. His computer was truer than my experience and recounting of the tale. He stated that he was forced to believe the scant notes left by long-gone employees and contractors of the days before WorldCOM's bankruptcy. All I could do is listen in disbelief as he told me that I could refuse to make this payment, but I would have to live with the consequences. I had no recourse. There was nobody else with whom I could reason.

For well over a year my wife and I have battered this thing around. I have spent countless hours on the telephone, writing emails and generally worrying over this thing. We have not used the phone in over a year, and bills keep coming despite all my attemtps to communicate. They have threatened that my credit rating will be affected if I don't just pay the amount they are asking. I can't. I'm still trying to gradually pay off the credit card that I used to when I thought I was closing the account for good. I have nothing else to give.

John

Ashburn, Virginia

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