Helio, Inc Overages charged! Charging for Text messaging when included in plan Los Angeles California

I received my bill for July, 2008 and had a heart attack! Charged for 569 minutes in overcharges. I didn't think twice since this is my son's phone. I paid the normal fee for the plan we were on and decided to wait another month to see what was going to happen. Well, imagine my surprise when the phone bill was even higher the next month. This raised all the red flags in the world since this was the only time that my son had ever gone over his minutes in a year of service. Got to looking at the bill and noticed tons of 1 and 2 minute charges and since some of these numbers were my own, it really got me thinking. I looked at my own list of sent messages and just about all of them from me to him were charged as voice calls...How do I know they were text message? He never answers my calls so I always text him! Goes without saying that if my texts were charged, then all the others were too and this was only the one bill. The next one is worse. After just two days they were charging him overages and he had not even used up the 500 minutes for the plan!

When I called in reference to these two bills, I got the call center in the Phillipines. You can just imagine, it goes from bad to worse. I did explain that I had some charges on the bills that I was questioning and if they could not help me to say so now because I did not want to waste their time or mine. Of course, this did not happen. They had to pull up the bill (okay by me) and look. I explained several times the issue and was put on hold (after being disconnected and having to start all over again). Now remember, I kept asking if I was wasting my time or not. After coming back on the phone (I was put on hold), the gentleman said that these charges were on my invoice and that he could not adjust them. He did admit that there were several charges that were 1 and 2 minutes. I asked him if he was calling me a liar because I could verify my charges (texts) and he said no that he was just telling me that the charges were on my invoice and that he could not help me.

Synopsis of the bill
- July had overages of 569 minutes of which 138 minutes (text) were charged to the original 500 and should not have been.
- Additionally, there were 107 minutes of text message that should not have been charged.
- I do have some overages that need to be billed to that bill.
- August found them charging overages after TWO days and only 113 minutes of the plans original 500. Can't figure this one out at all. The gentleman on the phone would not even discuss this bill.
- If you call and ask for a supervisor, you will not get one in any circumstances.
- Check your bills!! This is a disgrace. Do not use their service!!

Fitz
Sanford, Florida
U.S.A.