MCI/Worldcom billing hell?

Mailman List Mirror (Read Only)
1

So, how many of you out there have been been lucky enough to experience the
joys of trying to get MCI billing errors corrected?

On today's episode of "This American Life", they detail the experiences of
the show's producer, who had her long distance service slammed over to MCI.
A call to her mother that should have cost a couple of dollars ended up as a
$900 past due amount that MCI tried to collect.

Here's the synopsis published at the show's website (www.thislife.org):

On Hold, No One Can Hear You Scream. This show documents This American Life
Senior Producer Julie Snyder's ten-month battle with her phone company (MCI
Worldcom), which overcharged her $946.36. She spent hours on hold, in a
bureaucratic nowhere. Finally, she enlists the aid of the national media �
specifically host Ira Glass. You can register a complaint about the phone
company at the Better Business Bureau or at the FCC. To reach Jim Myers, the
MCI executive interviewed in the story, email him at jim.myers@mci.com.

An audio archive of the show will be available next week from the show's
website.

In the meantime, I'd suggest that you send your tales of woe to Jim Meyers
of MCI to dispute any argument that MCI's pervasive, systemic billing
problems are isolated, rare occurrences.

2

So, how many of you out there have been been lucky enough to experience the
joys of trying to get MCI billing errors corrected?

On today's episode of "This American Life", they detail the experiences of
the show's producer, who had her long distance service slammed over to MCI.
A call to her mother that should have cost a couple of dollars ended up as a
$900 past due amount that MCI tried to collect.

  Actually, this was on awhile ago, this is a rerun of
the TAL episode.

Here's the synopsis published at the show's website (www.thislife.org):

> On Hold, No One Can Hear You Scream. This show documents This American Life
> Senior Producer Julie Snyder's ten-month battle with her phone company (MCI
> Worldcom), which overcharged her $946.36. She spent hours on hold, in a
> bureaucratic nowhere. Finally, she enlists the aid of the national media �
> specifically host Ira Glass. You can register a complaint about the phone
> company at the Better Business Bureau or at the FCC. To reach Jim Myers, the
> MCI executive interviewed in the story, email him at jim.myers@mci.com.

An audio archive of the show will be available next week from the show's
website.

In the meantime, I'd suggest that you send your tales of woe to Jim Meyers
of MCI to dispute any argument that MCI's pervasive, systemic billing
problems are isolated, rare occurrences.

  I didn't listen this week, but when this first aired (perhaps a year
ago or so?), this was a residental billing issue. The person
involved may not be employed there anymore, or not in the same
group, and likely not able to help with misbilling of dataservices
that has happened in the past.

  - jared

(btw the realaudio usually goes online mid-day monday after the show first
airs. WBEZ has it on friday night, and others play it throughout the
weekend. My local NPR station plays it once on sat, and once on
sunday).

3

  I didn't listen this week, but when this first aired (perhaps a year
ago or so?), this was a residental billing issue. The person
involved may not be employed there anymore, or not in the same
group, and likely not able to help with misbilling of dataservices
that has happened in the past.

Not only is it quite likely the person isn't there anymore (this is MCI after all) but emailing them would likely be fruitless or would result in a reply along the lines of "Please contact customer service."

I actually had MCI residential quickly correct a billing mistake several years back. Was a lot less than $946.36, too..

I wish that I could have enlisted the media when SBC screwed up another T1 installation. I'm batting 0 for 3 with SBC so far, the most interesting one was them testing a circuit clear across town, insisting that it was mine. I'm sure many of you can beat me by miles, though..

4

  I didn't listen this week, but when this first aired (perhaps a year
ago or so?), this was a residental billing issue. The person

  yup, it aired 12/5/2003 for the first time.

  http://thislife.org/pages/archives/archive03.html

  http://thislife.org/ra/253.ram

involved may not be employed there anymore, or not in the same
group, and likely not able to help with misbilling of dataservices
that has happened in the past.
  
  - jared