Vonage ripoff fraud unauthorized billing dishonest scam Holmden New Jersey

In January 2006, I signed up for Vonage service, thinking unlimited nationwide calling for one low price was a great deal. I should have remembered all mothers' advice: "If it seems to good to be true, it probably is."

Having ordered things online before, I am used to waiting 4-6 weeks for things to arrive, so I wasn't watching my mailbox with joyous anticipation or anything. But was starting to wonder where the package was so I could hook up the line. At about the same time, I had an unrelated dispute on a credit card billing that had me checking over my statements. That's when I noticed that I had already been charged for a second month of service with Vonage. Thinking it rather pushy to charge me for a second month of service before I even received the package, I went on line to find the customer service number so I could find out what was going on.

When I called, I was told wait times could be 45 minutes, but that I could use the web to send an e-mail to customer service. Not wanting to spend 45 minutes listening to really bad hold music, I sent an email asking for help, as I had not received my package. I got an email back saying that it had been delivered January 19th. This is now the third week in February. Obviously, something is not right here.

So, I endured a 45-minute wait time to connect with a customer service rep. I explain that I never received the phone adapter and want to know why I am being charged for services when I haven't even been able to connect. The customer service rep insisted that the package had been sent. I don't dispute that they may have sent something; I am willing to take theme t their word. The fact remains however that I never received anything.

The rudeness of the rep has me rethinking my association with Vonage. I am big on customer service and would rather not deal with 45 minute wait times and rude service reps. I tell them that they don't need to send another package (which they wanted to charge me for), I am no longer interested in having Vonage services, I will continue with my regular phone service. The rep tells me they want an opportunity to make things right and I declined.

Having dealt with numerous service providers in the past, I have canceled services a time or two. That one phone call would be enough. Evidently, not with Vonage.

In March, I was tied up with a convention out of state and so did not pay much attention to credit card bills, just sent in payments.

In April, when my cards were running right below max limit (due to that convention), I got an email from Vonage stating that they were unable to bill by credit card. What?!?!? I canceled them back in February! My first call is to my credit card company. It seems Vonage has continued to bill me all along and has never canceled service.

I called Vonage again to get everything cleared up. I am thinking it is a simple clerical error, no big deal. They'll just apologize and credit my account. Wrong! Not only would they not apologies, nor credit my account but now they want to charge me an additional $40 cancellation fee! They say I am now outside my 30-day guarantee period. I didn't even know I still had an open account! Even going to a supervisor did not help. This man was rude, implying that I lied about not receiving the phone adapter to begin with, despite the fact that their records showed that it have NEVER BEEN ACTIVATED!

Vonage does not require a signature for package delivery does not insure the package or make any attempt to ensure the customer is protected. The justification for billing me for no service, I was told, is the fact that they have a tracking number to prove' the package was delivered. If I chose' not to activate the phone adapter, that was my choice' and I had to pay the bill regardless. When I asked about the request for calculation in February, I was told they had no record of that, just that I was inquiring about the location of my equipment.

I asked if it made sense for someone to continue to allow billing for something that was never turned on and was told it was my choice' to never turn it on. When I restate the fact that I never received anything to activate, I was told: So you say. But the postal service, a government agency, says they delivered it so you have it. Did you call the post office? They can tell you they delivered it.

Am I crazy here or what? I did not receive a package from Vonage with a phone adapter. The phone adapter sent to me -verified by their records- has never been activated. Yet Vonage says I must continue to pay for service or pay $40 cancellation fee.

I have notified my credit card company that these are unauthorized charges and have stated they are not to accept any more billings from Vonage. I have requested a dispute form from the credit card company and will use their services to resolve the billing fraud. Hopefully, that will end the problem. I know some people say they have had great service with Vonage. I just hope things continue to work well for those people, because if they do not, they will find themselves with no customer service, with billings that never end and with a supervisor from Vonage implying they are mentally deficient in some capacity. That was my experience.

Terry
Sacramento, California
U.S.A.