Enhanced Services Billing Inc ESBI Cramming- Unauthorized Charges San Antonio, Texas

As you can see, this is just one of many reports against this company.  A simple google will reveal thousands of cases.  I am documenting my experience on here for anyone needing ammo to go after these scumbags.

Enhanced Services Billing Inc (ESBI)- described as a third party biller- put two 14.95 charges on my bill this month- one for an 800\vmail service from Digital Vmail Inc. and the other for some type of download service from UNITEDTEL.  Neither of these charges were ordered or authorized.

I was told I had ordered from an old inactive email account of mine that hasn't been used in years.  The ip address the order supposedly came from is vastly different from mine.  

AT&T, who did note that I am disputing the charges, told me they couldn't do anything else.  Citing some FTC ruling or Congress passed law in 1996, they said they could not block ESBI from billing me thru AT&T.  I was told to contact ESBI.  I will have to call and dispute all future charges I told would be coming.

ESBI said they could do nothing and that I would need to contact the two companies for which they billed me.  They also refused to do anything that would prevent me from being billed by them in the future.  I got the run-around, and when I asked ESBI rep "Emma" to speak to a ESBI supervisor, she said "okay" and proceeded to transfer me to Digital Vmail- not a supervisor. 

Digital Vmail & Unitedtel both said they would credit and cancel my account.  However, they indicated that it could take several months and to expect additional charges.

ESBI is doing this to thousands of people- as a simple google will reveal.  ESBI was disciplined by FTC in 2001 for this but has continued anyway- probably because the revenue is staggering when you figure how many people are blindly paying. 

I filed complaints with FTC, FCC, PUC & the Texas Attorney General (ESBI is located in San Antonio).  I am meeting with my Congressman's office tomorrow.  I advise you to do all of the above if you are an ESBI victim.