# The Phone Scam You Don't Know About.



## Njaco (Jul 12, 2008)

Wanted to know if anybody else has this problem.

Came home today to my pre-wife in an uproar. She was paying bills and noticed that for the last 3 months we've been paying something that we didn't know about. Its $16.00 a month under the heading "Other Providers". That was strange because we've been on a plan that covers everything we use, phone and internet with no extras as one bill or one cost. This was new.

So we call the phone company (love how this stuff happens on the weekends.). They say they can't tell us what it is because the federal government does not allow disclosure of third party services by the phone company. Great. But they direct us to a website.

Here it is.

Welcome to ILD Telecommunications

Well, what an eye opener! Apparently, ILD and others can attach somehow to your bill and the phone company can't do anything about it. Read the consumer complaints. Wonderful stuff. 

Anyhow, she finally tracked it to this company....

netWatchHome

that has been charging us for the past 3 months for internet hook-up even though we never requested it and use another service! Great scam!!

Has anybody else been fleeced like this and what did you do about it? Check your phone bills VERY carefully!!

The war has begun.


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## javlin (Jul 12, 2008)

HAHAHA!! and they give you everything you need for the internet that is already built into Windows and Explorer,great company.Good luck in getting your money back might of been something that got clicked while on the net by accident.Kevin


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## syscom3 (Jul 12, 2008)

I have cable broadband so I dont worry. 

But .... Sounds like you need to fire off a letter to both the FCC, PUC of your state, and your local law enforcement claiming you've been subjected to consumer fraud.


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## Wayne Little (Jul 12, 2008)

That sucks NJ!!!


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## Freebird (Jul 12, 2008)

Njaco said:


> So we call the phone company. They say they can't tell us what it is because the federal government does not allow disclosure of third party services by the phone company. Great. But they direct us to a website.
> 
> The war has begun.



What kind of B.S. is that? If *YOU* {the phone company} send me a bill then you better be able to tell me what the f**k it's for!

They should not be able to add stuff to your phone bill without your OK.


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## RabidAlien (Jul 12, 2008)

freebird said:


> What kind of B.S. is that? If *YOU* {the phone company} send me a bill then you better be able to tell me what the f**k it's for!
> 
> They should not be able to add stuff to your phone bill without your OK.



Amen.


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## Lucky13 (Jul 13, 2008)

That HAS to be illegal mate.....! They should get a visit from the boys in blue...


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## Screaming Eagle (Jul 13, 2008)

damn that sucks njaco.


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## Njaco (Jul 13, 2008)

I'm still working it out. Appatently its something like this:

Scam Company A gets you signed up or gets your info somehow and creates an account and bills you for whatever they're selling - in this case as an Internet service provider.

Scam Co. A then contracts with Scam Co. B as a contractor to collect its bills. Scam Co. B, working as the bill collector, then contracts with Scam Co. C (the acutal phone company - this case Verizon) to bill the customer under "Other Provider". But here is the kicker. Apparently, federal law does not alow Scam Co. C to disclose who the other companies are! If you read through those complaints there is a lady who is being billed for an answering service that automatically takes her calls that she never signed up for. The best part is she doesn't have a password to get her messages!

Never fear, if this doesn't get straightened out, I have a few friends in high places. Dog- catching does have its perks! 

But think about it. $16.00 on my bill alone and it took 3 months for me to catch. If they get a ratio of 50% getting a clue and the others don't, that adds up $$$$


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## lesofprimus (Jul 13, 2008)

I say pull a Fight Club on em and blow their buildings straight into oblivion just like Ed Noton did...


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## Lucky13 (Jul 13, 2008)

I think we all should get together and teach them a lesson.....I'm sure that we could cause some major damage.....


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## Aussie1001 (Jul 13, 2008)

You said it man, nothing a few molotov's thorough windows to get fast answers....


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## Njaco (Jul 13, 2008)

I agree but where? The Phone Company just shrugs its shoulders and says "its a third party" whereas the cretin that started it probably has 10 workers with phones and a computer in a tiny warehouse somewhere with a bogus mailing address. This waiting until Monday to get answers is killing me!


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## Matt308 (Jul 13, 2008)

I've had the same thing happen with long distance carriers. Phone company claims they can't stop long distance carriers being switched. I DON'T HAVE LONG DISTANCE GODDAMNIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So dummy consumer (me) asks my phone company to put a note in my file that says NEVER ALLOW FOR CHANGES UNLESS CONTACTED FIRST.

No can do says phone company. Its Qwest by the way. They suck. But what are you going to do. Its THE ONLY phone company monopoly in town.


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## Freebird (Jul 13, 2008)

It used to be where the phone companies banks tried to give better service to attract your business. Seems like a couple of years ago they all go together and realized that if they all had crappy crooked service then consumers can't switch because the new company is as bad as the old one.

I had Cingular keep billing me for 3 months after I cancelled the account. 

I have the same problem with the banks, I was at an ATM that said "balance unavailable", so when I took out $100 bucks I only had $98.55 available. It then gave me a $30 overdraft.

I called them up and asked how you can overdraft a friggin ATM withdrawl - they said it's for my "convenience"

I had to call up an INSIST that I DO NOT WANT YOUR OVERDRAFT PROTECTION! {I never write checks on that account}

3 months later - the "courtesty" $200 overdraft protection is back on the account. 

You just can't win - It's like Whack-a-mole


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## Matt308 (Jul 13, 2008)

freebird said:


> You just can't win - It's like Whack-a-mole



Now that was funny!


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## Njaco (Jul 13, 2008)

> You just can't win - It's like Whack-a-mole



That WAS funny! 

But understand its not the phone company. They probably really don't know what it is because of regulations.

Its some third rate company that provides (they say) some type of service that is billed through the phone company. Like an answering service or third-rate internet service. Thats what kills me. The phone company can't remove the bill because its not their bill, its another company and until I can get ahold of them, $16 out my pocket every month.


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## Matt308 (Jul 13, 2008)

Had a similar issue with Juno, an ISP. Finally had to talk to someone in charge... in India.


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## syscom3 (Jul 13, 2008)

NJACO, its time for you to file a criminal complaint with your state consumer affairs dept and use that to have your local telco freeze the charges.

Untill you do that, theres nothing we can do to help you or give you other advice.

If that doesnt work, terminate your phone, and get a new number.


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## Njaco (Jul 13, 2008)

I definately will Sys. but I need to investigate alittle further. Found this on Sat and everything is closed until tommorrow. I have no problem going to the government or law enforcement or even the papers about this.


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## Freebird (Jul 14, 2008)

Njaco said:


> That WAS funny!
> 
> But understand its not the phone company. They probably really don't know what it is because of regulations.
> 
> Its some third rate company that provides (they say) some type of service that is billed through the phone company. Like an answering service or third-rate internet service. Thats what kills me. The phone company can't remove the bill because its not their bill, its another company and until I can get ahold of them, $16 out my pocket every month.



There is something wrong with this picture IMO. I don't think that the phone company should be able to bill you for anything that you don't actually dial up on their hardware. If it is a legitimate provider of some service they should bill you directly, not piggy-back on the phone company. What is to prevent any fly-by-night company from sending a bogus bill to the phone company to pass on to you? 

{On that note Njaco I had my own company "Scams-Я-Us" forward a charge for $500 to your phone company to put on your bill!}


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## Njaco (Jul 14, 2008)

Ok, guys it gets better. Just noticed a $500 bill under that "Other Provider" heading. Tracked to some transvestite sex toy shop in Canada.


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## timshatz (Jul 14, 2008)

I have something similar over here. 

Have a standing water pipe for this building. It is in case there is a fire, the Fire Company can access the water needed to fight the fire. The standpipe never pushes any water out of it. Just sits there waiting to be used.

The Water Company hits me with a $70 a month charge for the standpipe. Not a thing in the world I can do about it. The Pa Govt mandated the standpipe and then ok'd the water company hitting me with a $70 a month charge. 

Granted, we're a business and it's part of doing business. But I paid for the installation of the standpipe. The Water Company is just screwing us (with the help of the state assembly).


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## syscom3 (Jul 14, 2008)

$70 a month or for a year?

$70 a month for water seems quite excessive.


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## Soren (Jul 14, 2008)

Man how I'd love to just bust into one of those garages that these freaking lowlifes are hiding in! 

Njaco I'm looking forward to hearing about how you will deal with this, I hope you get those bastards behind bars!


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## Lucky13 (Jul 14, 2008)

Have them build something in Mojave Desert....as a chaingang..w*nkers!


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## Freebird (Jul 14, 2008)

timshatz said:


> I.
> 
> The Water Company hits me with a $70 a month charge for the standpipe.




To pay the roving inspectors to come around and check out your standpipe?




Njaco said:


> Ok, guys it gets better. Just noticed a $500 bill under that "Other Provider" heading. Tracked to some transvestite sex toy shop in Canada.




Enjoy your order!


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## Lucky13 (Jul 14, 2008)

Awfully nice of you to send Njaco an early birthday present FB...I'm sure that he'll enjoy it fully..!


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## syscom3 (Jul 14, 2008)

Lucky13 said:


> Have them build something in Mojave Desert....as a chaingang..w*nkers!



hey .... we have enough criminals here! Dont be adding to our prison population!


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## Lucky13 (Jul 14, 2008)

syscom3 said:


> hey .... we have enough criminals here! Dont be adding to our prison population!


But.....but...but..! How about using them for target practice with a .50 then?


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## Henk (Jul 15, 2008)

Talking about taking action. A guy here in SA was asking for his ID document for years and never got a answer so he held them at gun point with a toy gun and they gave his ID document to him very quick, but they arrested the poor guy and the public saw him as a hero.

No one is safe anymore.

The company that do our phone line and broadband billed us for 5 months for a service we did not use, so me and mom went to sort out her bill and a bid of harsh words and some proof and we got it all sorted out. F*ckers, they hate me and I hate them to.


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## Njaco (Jul 16, 2008)

Ok, things may be good.

Because of the heavy workload I wasn't able to follow up but my pre-wife did! And if there is anything that she is rabid about is tracking money! She called the original company - whose only service is as a subscriber to a ISP. ? - and was told we had "signed" up for the service in early April. She strongly told them that we had done no such thing and wanted it removed. The call-taker was going to credit $50 on the bill but that didn't jive because the bill was around $63. She was told that was for taxes. And she replied taxes for something that wasn't real? In the end, the total was credited and she let him know that she knew about the company from the numerous complaints posted on the net. He said if there was any further problems, to contact him.

I'm holding my breath.

frickin' scammers are everywhere. Its amazing!


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## Wayne Little (Jul 16, 2008)

Pr*cks!!


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## Lucky13 (Jul 16, 2008)

Time for one of those brown ticking parcels?


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## wilbur1 (Jul 16, 2008)

Shoot the commie bastards


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## Henk (Jul 17, 2008)

Got to work yesterday and the boss showed me that we have been paying a game reserve in a other province phone bill. We saw this last month and now again with the last phone bill we got and it has been going on for a while now ans we did complain.

Hate the filth on this earth.


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## Njaco (Jul 17, 2008)

I'm with you there Henk.


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