| Value Added Comm |
| Value Added Comm Zero Plus Dialing Cramming unauthorized phone charges on my bill for collect calls Internet, California |
| 15th of Aug, 2011 by User455073 |
| August 16, 2011 I recently had a tip from someone I know but can only make collect calls to us from his location. He calls on average two times a month. This has been going on for approximately three years. We belong to AT&T will both local and long distance service. However a third party billing has always been on the bill each month. AT&T told us they have no responsibility for these charges and only process the paperwork for them. ILD was one of the companies who was the billed on behalf of the third party. These calls were expensive. This company changed (I don't remember when) maybe a year or so ago to Value Added Communication and the third party clearing house billing is Zero Plus. The average collect call we receive from this person we know is only allowed 20 minute maximum time. When the bill comes in, the charges per 20 minute call is $26.00. This collect call is from Washington State to California. We were informed this person read a notice which we have not seen stating there has been an error in billing and each call will be reduced by approximately $10.00 for 20 minutes starting with our August 2011 bill. This was hard to believe so the bill we have now shows exactly that. The same 20 minute collect calls were just over $15.00 each. It seemed odd a company would reduce a call by that much. I called Zero Plus and was told they are a Clearing House and have nothing to do with the charges even though the bill says if you have and questions regarding this bill, to call Zero Plus at 888-507-0734. They kept telling me to call the name of the company listed on the bill for charges called Value Added Comm. I called 800-913-6097 and could only get a voice recording asking to input my hone number. It then says if your calling about the collect call from Washington to call our phone provider AT&T. At no time on this recording could you talk to a live person. It would continue to tell you to call your phone company and the call would hang up. I then called A&T 800-288-2020 who told me they could not do anything about the charges since it was third party billing and to call back the Value Added Comm. Frustrated I then called the FCC at 800-649-7570 as was told this Value Added company is "cramming you" but they said it was not in their district and to call the Federal Trade Commission at 877-382-4357. I called them and explained everything. I again was told this was called "cramming" and they took a complaint report from me but said their not sure how long this could take. They needed to look for patterns and more complains. Now I write here in hopes for some help. If their is a class action going on for this or these companies, I want to be a part of it. At no time when these collect calls come in does it indicate how much the call will be. We do accept it because of the importance of this person to us. I never signed or authorized any other company other then AT&T to handle our long distance and collect calls. I had been used to seeing this for approximately three years and thought where this call originates from this was the normal cost of a collect call. Now that we were told of this notice posted near the pay phones where the call is coming from has a disclaimer saying the price will drop by $10.00 because of some error, then we were at the least over charged $240.00 per year on average of two calls per month at $26.00 and now showing $15.00. I do not think I can get a copy of this paper to see where it came from but if you can help or tell me what else I can do, it would be appreciated. Two Federal agencies used the word "cramming" and as I was explained how it works, I want to file action on this and hope to get the real actual rates these calls should have been and get reimbursed the difference for all these years. I would be glad to release more information on the person we authorize to call us collect and address if needed but will wait for a reply first. |
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