Vonage Took money out of account without authoraty. Internet

In January I called to check how much it would be to cancel a phone line, since I had broken up with my ex and moved back home. They told me it would be $92.98 to cancel it. I had to wait until I got my tax return to afford that kind of bill.

So in March I called to cancel it, on a wednesday. The lady told me it would only be $42 to cancel it and I asked her about the $92.98 I was told before and she commented that she didn't know where they came up with that figure. I said okay and went the next day and deposited $45 into my checking account. (I ended up using all of my income tax on a knee injury since I don't have insurance to cover medical bills and lost wages!) I called them on Thursday to finish cancelling that one and my parents agreed to switch to Vonage so I was also setting up a new account with them.

The gentleman I spoke to on Thursday told me $42, just like the lady told me the day before. I questioned teh $92.98 with him as well and he assured me that it was only $42, so I okayed it.

They took $92.98 + $1.25 out of my checking account for cancelling the line. My dad gave me money to through in the bank to avoid an overdraft. I called back and argued with them and they told me it was because I didn't return the device (the device hooks up to your computer).

I spoke to a supervisor and she told me that the $50 was because I didn't return the device and I told her that's all fine and well and would've been great except for the fact that two different people told me $42 and I agreed upon $42. I also told her that I double checked the $92.98 with both of those individuals and they both told me that no, it was only $42. Her response was that they would go through the call log, listen to the conversations, and if in fact I was told $42, I would get the $50 refunded back to me.

About two weeks later they sent me an email saying that it was $92.98 to cancel it and that's why they took it out of my account. I was furious, so I called to cancel the second line that I had started, but didn't use yet. The device was never taken out of the box!

I argued with this one guy about it while I was on my lunch break. He kept saying that the account was already cancelled and I couldn't get it through his thick skull that it was the other account, which was open, that I was trying to cancel. I ended up hanging up on him and calling that night after I got home.

The night that I cancelled the account, or so I thought, was around April 10th-April 12th. I don't remember exactly.

On May 27th, Vonage took $30.59 out of my checking account, which almost overdrew my account, again! I called back and they told me the account was never cancelled. I argued with them about it because I did call and cancel the account and I even sent back the device that was never taken out of the box.

I went to the bank and cancelled my MAC/VISA card because they put it through as a POS. The bank told me that even if I did switch to a different checking account, the bank still has the obligation to give Vonage the requested amount and take the money from me because they had an "authorization" form from Vonage.

I called back and argued with Vonage all week. Finally I spoke to a supervisor that was willing to help. She said that since I did call within the 30 days and I did send back the device, they would refund my the $30.59 taken out on the 27th and also the $15.85 start-up fee that I should've gotten in the first place.

When she put me through to an account manager, he was as rude as could be. He constantly tried shoving special deals and offers to me, I even yelled into the phone "I don't even have the d**n device anymore so why would I want to use your company anymore especially after you people are constantly screwing me over and taking my money". I asked to speak for a supervisor several times but he wouldn't listen.

I told me it would cost $92.98 to cancel the phone and I told him that no it wouldn't because of what the supervisor had told me. I then asked to speak to her again. He said he had no clue who she was. I told him to give me to any supervisor then. After arguing for a couple more minutes he put me on hold to wait for one.

He got back on and told me that he could give me a deal where I would only have to pay $35 to cancel the phone. At this point I was ripping my hair out! I screamed into the phone to let me please talk to a supervisor now. It didn't sound as nice as it looks typed.

Finally a supervisor got on. I explained what the other super had told me and he said okay. Do you have a pen and paper. Before I finished typing "disputing number" I told him to hold on a minute. I asked him what the disputing number was for and he told me so that I could dispute the $92.98 fee for cancelling the phone.

I told him I didn't have $92.98 sitting in my account for them to take and for me to hopefully get it back, especially when I never got the $50 back from cancelling the first account. He kept arguing with me about this and that and I told him that I wanted to speak to the super I talked to before and he said he didn't know who she was.

I had found out from her that she was at the NJ call center, so I told him that. He said he was at the NJ call center too and didn't know who she was. In further arguing, I told him I wanted copies of all of the phone conversations I have had with them, and he said that they would go over them with me on the phone if I made an appointment to do so. I told him I wanted copies and he started yelling, so I yelled to him that he had no idea out for beyond pi&d I was. I told him I had an appointment with a lawyer on Friday and he said fine then and hung up on me.

When I spoke to the nice lady I explained to her how I had my card cancelled. She said she needed something to refund the money to so I gave her my child support card number, especially since you can't use what isn't on their, and of course there was no child support on it!

In the end, they pulled $92.98 out of my account as a POS (when my card was cancelled!?) and deposited $30.59+$15.85+$92.98 onto my child support card.

My dad once again had to deposit money into my account to avoid an overdraft fee since it took 2 days for the money to be on my child support card.

I still never got the $50 from the first line back. I have a new checking account, and my phone line is finally cancelled through them.

When asked why they couldn't just cancel the $92.98 fee instead of taking out of one just to put it on another, the lady told me that was what was suppose to happen. Personally, I think that supervisor made sure it came out since I told him I didn't have it!

Skc1984
Bradford, Pennsylvania
U.S.A.