Correctional Billing Services Extortion and Horroble Business Practices This company has cut me off from my loved one right before the holidays. Dallas Texas Internet

I received a call from CBS this evening and they said they found out from my telephone company the block had nothing to do with non-payment, so they gave me my old spending limit back. I checked the web site and it says clear, but I'll believe it when I actually receive a call.

I believe most of these posts for CBS on this web site, mainly because I've done the research since I first posted on here. While I'm glad my issue was resolved, I know that many are not. It's bad enough having to pay $8.40 for a 15 minute call without all of the other hassles. I will continue to look into it. There needs to be increased regulation for sure and a federal investigation/audit should be conducted.

Good luck to all and remember, get it in writing and keep good records.

Christie

So, I called CBS yesterday on the way home from spending Thanksgiving with my family out of state to find out if there was any update in response to the fax I sent. (Nothing) The customer service rep was new and did more than any other rep has done thus far; she told me she would follow up on my fax.

When I got home I checked my e-mail and received an e-mail from CBS(although, interestingly enough, the e-mail address does not have their name in it). The woman stated "We are in receipt of your fax questioning the spending limit on your new telephone number. I have some inquiries out to the billing department and will get back to you as soon as I receive an answer from them. The short answer to your question is that because we bill your local phone company, we in essence, extend a spending limits to you. This limit is based on many criteria, including but not limited to our collection rates with the local phone company. Normally, seeing your old spending limit, we can just update your new spending limit. However, your old phone number had a block sent over by the local phone company. I am researching the validity of the block and based on those results, I will address your issue."

I called AT&T today and they were really puzzled about this....They said I have an excellent rating with them and blocks have nothing to do with them, that's CBS(this I already knew). My account for my old telephone number is paid in full and two different reps from AT&T have told me this. I turned off the phone and closed my account when I moved. Notice that in the above quote they still refuse to give me a full explanation regarding my spending limit. This is also the first time anyone has indicated that they normally base the spending limit on a previous telephone number if there was one.

I am sure I'll have another update next week. Stay tuned!

I talked to AT&T who stated they cannot do anything about CBS and agreed what they are doing is wrong. I have spoken to several different customer service representatives now and one supervisor at CBS. No one will help me. They won't raise my "spending limit," which is basically a credit limit by a different name, although if this were a credit-based decision my spending limit would higher than $60 bucks for a 90 day rolling period. They won't give me a straight answer as to why my limit is so low or why my limit on my previous phone line, also through AT&T, was so high. If they don't believe what they are doing is wrong I don't know why they would refuse to tell me what the spending limit is based on??

Well, I typed everything up and faxed them today. I am also mailing it to them certified also this afternoon once I get off work. I am requesting specific reasons regarding my spending limit. I also said again I have no problem with them pulling my credit report or obtaining info through AT&T to determine my credit worthiness in order to make a credit-based decision regarding my spending limit. However, I am not, as I have told them, setting up an account where I pay them directly. I should be able to have the same set-up for billing through my phone company as I had with my last telephone number and I should not be penalized with a lower spending limit by doing so. I have already mailed copies today to the IN Atty General and put in a formal complaint with them as well, copied AT&T as they have a contract with CBS as far as billing goes and copied the central prison of the state where my loved one is at. I also put in a complaint with the FTC. I am putting in the FCC complaint next.

I am not giving up. I'm going to keep going and going until someone listens. This is wrong.