Alert: extra charge on my phone bill

[PSL1013]

I noticed an extra charge this morning on my home phone bill from MYTELEBILL VOICE MESSAGE MONTHLY FEE for $8.48. I called my phone company and they removed it this time but said if it's a monthly fee that they will not be able to keep removing it and I need to call this company...well I tried calling the number for them that is listed on my bill as MYTELEBILL, LLC # Questions? Call 1 800 736-7500 but I get a recording that says...can't complete number as dialed after they automatically tried connecting me. My phone company said it is from clicking on a pop up on my computer....it definitely had to be from doing some offer on SR but I have no idea which one it was? I'm very, very careful when doing these, so this one is a very sneaky charge. Go check your bills everyone. No idea if I will be able to get this resolved or not and it makes be very leery of wanting to do offers. :(

[SunshineGirl]

I posted about having something similar happen a couple of months ago. You can't get it just by clicking on a popup, but you do have to be VERY careful on any page that you give your phone number. I think where they must be getting them is when you put in your phone number and then a couple of pages later click a box to "receive information" about something.

I've mentioned before that I am not too keen on the freebie offers because of things like this. :(

[PSL1013]

I posted about having something similar happen a couple of months ago. You can't get it just by clicking on a popup, but you do have to be VERY careful on any page that you give your phone number. I think where they must be getting them is when you put in your phone number and then a couple of pages later click a box to "receive information" about something.

I've mentioned before that I am not too keen on the freebie offers because of things like this. :(

Like I said, I'm very careful and don't know how I would have asked to receive more information but I guess it could of happened? What irritates me the most is that it states that it is a monthly charge and if they have no phone number to get in contact with them to dispute this, than this is just wrong. I did have my phone company put a block on for third party numbers but she also said that it would not block these kind of charges, which makes NO SENSE to me.

[SunshineGirl]

Like I said, I'm very careful and don't know how I would have asked to receive more information but I guess it could of happened? What irritates me the most is that it states that it is a monthly charge and if they have no phone number to get in contact with them to dispute this, than this is just wrong. I did have my phone company put a block on for third party numbers but she also said that it would not block these kind of charges, which makes NO SENSE to me.

That doesn't make any sense. Blocking third party charges should block ALL third party charges. In this case since you can't get ahold of the company, I think it is fraud. You can't just charge someone for something and then not let them get in touch with you to cancel.

[PSL1013]

That doesn't make any sense. Blocking third party charges should block ALL third party charges. In this case since you can't get ahold of the company, I think it is fraud. You can't just charge someone for something and then not let them get in touch with you to cancel.

That's exactly what I told my phone company, all she said was to keep watching my phone bill and call back if I have anymore problems, I think she was trying to get me off the phone because I kept arguing with her, I was not happy and she knew it. :(

[SunshineGirl]

When it happened to us, they just reversed the charge and put a block on it. :(

[PSL1013]

When it happened to us, they just reversed the charge and put a block on it. :(

She said she removed the charge and reversed it back to the company saying that I disputed it? No idea what will happen next month but rest assured, I will be on top of it!! :rotfl:

[jnorth1007]

I had this happen when I first started doing SR. It was the $1000 in free grocery coupon offer that did it. I only know because the lady who I got in touch with told me. I ddn't see it anywhere on the offer when I was doing it. Now when I see it there is a little note added about a "free" voice mail or something so they must have had a lot of reversals and complaints. The phone company reversed it for me back then and put a block on third party charges and I have never had another problem since.

[PSL1013]

I googled the company and got another phone number and called and talked to someone I could not understand :rotfl: but I do know that she canceled it and I will not be charged again, hopefully!

[~Kathie]

Pam,

I'm glad you found the number and were able to speak to someone. Hopefully it will be canceled.

I would call the phone company back and speak to a supervisor. Many times they can do things regular CS can't. I don't know why the CS agent told you the charge can't be blocked.

If you don't mind me asking what phone company do you have??

Hope it gets resolved!

[PSL1013]

Pam,

I'm glad you found the number and were able to speak to someone. Hopefully it will be canceled.

I would call the phone company back and speak to a supervisor. Many times they can do things regular CS can't. I don't know why the CS agent told you the charge can't be blocked.

If you don't mind me asking what phone company do you have??

Hope it gets resolved!

Well she did the block and told me at the same time that she has a block on her phone and her nephew clicked on a popup on her PC and she was charged on her phone bill....I don't know what to believe, as Tricia says....a block is a block and it should all be blocked, I think I will call back and double check, that's a good idea, thanks. I have ATT, have had them (SNET before they took them over) and my same phone number for over 30 years. Maybe I got someone new that didn't know what she was talking about? :rotfl:

[JohnZ47]

I had this happen. We were being charged 19.95 per month for some sort of business web hosting. AT&T told us we had to contact the company. AT&T also told us that we couldn't block third-party billing.

We finally reached the company and had the charges reversed.

Because AT&T refused to resolve the issue, we have switched to Time Warner digital phone (who can block third-party billing) and, due to bundling, are saving $45 per month. :banana:

One thing that annoyed me was that I was never contacted with any information to access the web hosting site. Had it been a legitimate business wouldn't I have been contacted with information on how to use the web hosting site I was paying for? :confused:

[jnorth1007]

That is so odd because I have AT&T and they are the ones who suggested I block third party billings so I wouldn't have to worry about mistakenly signing up for things like this. I wonder if it is like everything else...just depends on who you talk to LOL I know I get this with Disney constantly. One swears you can't and one swears you can.

[JohnZ47]

I think that is the case. The first time we were charged the CSR was very friendly and helpful. We thought that it was taken care of.

When it happened again, we got a CSR that was surly and didn't want to do anything. So we decided to call again later that day and got another uncooperative CSR.

That was the point that we decided to switch.

[PSL1013]

I think that is the case. The first time we were charged the CSR was very friendly and helpful. We thought that it was taken care of.

When it happened again, we got a CSR that was surly and didn't want to do anything. So we decided to call again later that day and got another uncooperative CSR.

That was the point that we decided to switch.

well there better not be another charge on my bill or there will be hell to pay...first they put a 3rd party block on (I will have plenty to say about that, if and when) and 2nd, I got hold of the company that did the charging and she said she canceled it. I hope this is a one shot deal all around, it better be.

[dawgsgirl]

AT&t told me that it costs $8.00 per month to have the third party block???

[PSL1013]

AT&t told me that it costs $8.00 per month to have the third party block???

she told me this morning it was free of charge....I don't think the right hand knows what the left hand is doing at ATT, I think I'm going to give them a call and find out.

[jnorth1007]

I have had a block for over 2 years now with AT&T and I have never paid for it.

[PSL1013]

ok, here's the scoop. I got a REALLY knowledgeable and very informative CS agent when I called just now, what a difference from the person I talked to this morning. Anyway, there is no charge for 3rd party blocking and it does NOT block 3rd parties from charging on your bill, what it does is block someone from calling collect to your phone and you can block other phone numbers that keep calling but only numbers that originate in my state. I didn't want to block these, so she removed that order....she explained the reason that the telephone company can not block 3rd parties is because they don't know who these companies are and I could have initiated the charge. She said that if it happens again, to call back and they would always remove any charge that I did not have knowledge about. She also saved me $6 on my phone bill by adding the call waiting feature which I did not have....now I'm getting more for less, I am so glad that I called back. Happy ending to this story. :)

[Breeze88]

Be real careful if you see Orbit telecom too, they're tagging you for $14.98 on your phone bill if you don't cancel within 72 hours.

I called and got a cancellation number and a cancellation e-mail just came through, but it could have ended up being a big hassel.

[speechteachri]

OK, add me to the list of suckers who is now having extra charges show up on the phone bill! AAARRRGGHHH!!!

The problem is, the charges have been there for 4 months:mad:, and I just noticed...how stupid am I? I look at my bill every month, and for some reason, when I went to pay it tonight it struck me as being really high, so I looked more carefully, and there were charges from 2 different companies! I just spent over an hour on the phone and internet tring to get info. Can't call the phone company until they are open tomorrow, which means not until tomorrow afternoon when everybody will be wanting to get home for the long weekend...that should be a fun conversation!

So far I was able to get one charge credited and cancelled , but because one of the companies has 2 separate companies as "clients", and they could only cancel 1 of them, I still have some work ahead of me.

This is so NOT how I wanted to start out my holiday weekend!!!

Now I'm MAD!!!

I know some people really like the freebie offers, but I know Tricia has admitted to not really liking them. I ALMOST NEVER do them for this very reason! I would just caution everyone once again.....BE CAREFUL!! And Check you phone bill carefully!!!

[Blessing and Miracle]

I'm sorry and I hope the second charge is handled as quickly. We have SBC and they are pretty quick to resolve issues. I llike to use my cell phone now. You have third party charges automatically blocked. Can I say that? If not sorry and please delete.

[athoods]

Glad you shared your info. off to check my online bill now

[Shadey55]

I had this happen too for $19.95 per month for some sort of voice mail service that I supposedly agreed to. I called the company and they said they would reverse the charge...but I am skeptical that this will happen. Do you think I should call verizon as well? She said I signed up for this on April 19 and I should of received an email welcoming to the voice mail program. I never received an email. Blah.

[speechteachri]

I had this happen too for $19.95 per month for some sort of voice mail service that I supposedly agreed to. I called the company and they said they would reverse the charge...but I am skeptical that this will happen. Do you think I should call verizon as well? She said I signed up for this on April 19 and I should of received an email welcoming to the voice mail program. I never received an email. Blah.

You should definately call verizon and have them place a block on your phone for 3rd party billers.

As an update, after 2 calls to Verizon, and to 2 of the 3 companies who were charging me (still one to call to cancel on Tue) I have had 2 of the chargers cancelled, and Verizon has credited me. They were not surprised. When I went on the verizon message boards there were many complaints about the companies in question.

it took a little time and effort on my part, and I will keep checking my bill tomake sure everything really is settled, BUT, it looks like things are mostly set...thank goodness!

[Leslie]

I am so glad I saw this post in the forum. I got my phone bill today, and guess what? There was a third party charge on it for $9.10. I called the company and had them remove the charge. I also called the phone company twice, and have been told both times that they don't allow you to block third party charges.

Thanks for posting your experiences here, so I could be on the lookout for charges on my phone bill!

[arob414]

Caught a $9.25 charge on my regular phone bill, last night. It was for email hosting, don't even know what that is. It was too late to call, last night. Tried calling, this evening. It isn't too late, but could only leave a message.

[PSL1013]

It happened again to me, second time now! :( Just check this months bill and there was a charge from a voice mail onetime set up fee of $8.94....ATT took the charge off and I called the company and she cancelled the sign up and then said she put a block on my phone number so I couldn't be charged again. I check my bill EVERY month anyway, so I'll catch it again if they charge me again. I have no idea how I got signed up with this again because I'm so careful doing those offers....it must really be hidden somewhere deep, I read everything and I'm not seeing it?? :confused:

[~Kathie]

It happened again to me, second time now! :( Just check this months bill and there was a charge from a voice mail onetime set up fee of $8.94....ATT took the charge off and I called the company and she cancelled the sign up and then said she put a block on my phone number so I couldn't be charged again. I check my bill EVERY month anyway, so I'll catch it again if they charge me again. I have no idea how I got signed up with this again because I'm so careful doing those offers....it must really be hidden somewhere deep, I read everything and I'm not seeing it?? :confused:

A different company?? THAT isn't good. Hope you figure out where/what it is coming from. :hugs::hugs: