Am I gonna read about this on CS?

[BookstoreEscapee]

I went to visit my baby (dog) last night (yaaayyyy!! I forget how tiny he is after 3 months! He's 6 pounds and my boy cat is twice his size at least. On a side note, ex is going away in September so I will get to babysit.)

So I was hanging out with the ex, he was making us some dinner, and his roommate came home, and apparently had some kind of issue with a bill (cable, cell phone, something like that...I don't remember what it was). So he was telling us how he was yelling at them and if he was quoting himself directly, cursing a bit as well. Now, it sounded like he had a legitimate issue, they were telling him he owed for 3 months when he knew he'd already paid, and he told them he'd pay it so as not to be late, but he better get a refund or a credit towards next month, so he was at least reasonable in that respect, but I couldn't help thinking, "Am I gonna be reading about this on Customers Suck tomorrow?"

[wagegoth]

I think I avoided ending up here because the reps were in India.

I was with the Old ATT, and recently signed with the New ATT (SBC under cover of a reverse merger) because I new that sooner or later I would be moved over and they offered me a $50 Visa gift card. Also, the rate was about $10 a month lower.

Apparently, OATT did not properly close my account. I receive my bills online, i.e., I receive an email that links to the site, where I sign in and pay. Out of habit, at the next email, I sign in and pay $50.

I began receiving paper bills from ATT, which I ignored at first, as I was online, and the paper bills said that I could pay at att.com, which I had been doing. Then I got a paper notice of disconnect. I call NATT, helpful rep and I work out the apparent problem, and she connects us to OATT. She will try to arrange the transfer of the credit amount from the old account to the new account. At this point, it begins the long roll downhill.

I get a rep who is obviously in India (accent, poor connection). NATT rep explains situation. He asks for my customer number. I ask him where I find this number, as I am currently logged on, and I don't see it. He tells me it is next to the phone number on my bill. I respond that it isn't on the site and that I don't get a paper bill.

He keeps repeating himself. NATT rep is getting frustrated along with me. I tell him that I don't have a paper bill, I've been paying online for years, and again ask where to find the number on the site. Still no help. Lather, rinse, repeat at least 10 times.

Trying to get out of this loop, I ask the OATT rep for a paper bill. His response, "I don't have the authority to do that."

Me: "Just send me a paper bill."

OATTR: I don't have the authority.

Me: Send me something on paper.

OATTR: I don't have the authority.

Me: All I'm asking for is a paper bill. What is the problem?

OATTR: I don't have the authority.

Me: (My voice volume went up.) Well, s**t, how am I supposed to find this number?

OATTR: You will need to find a paper from when you signed up.

Me: That was three or four years ago. I'm sure I no longer have the paper.

OATTR: You will need to find a paper.

Me: What aren't you getting? I don't have it, I can't get one from you, how is this going to be resolved?

OATTR: You will need to find a pa-

Me: Just get your supervisor. (At some point, and I don't blame her, NATTR closes out of the call.)

OATTS takes call. Lather, rinse, repeat from above.

Me: (At this point, I have taken a breath and lowered my voice, and have not cursed since the one instance above (that I remember, may have said "damn" at some point).

OATTS: If you are not civil I will end this call.

Me: I'm not swearing, my voice is low, how am I not being civil. You are being completely unhelpful, you won't send me a bill, you won't return my money, what good are you? (Yes, I said it. I was recovering from food poisoning and felt like death, that's my only excuse.)

OATTS: If you are not civil I will end this call.

Me: (Yes, again I admit to this.) Are you in Mumbai or Bangalore?

OATTS: (Shocked silence.)

Me: Yeah, what I thought.

At which point I hung up, called my bank, and asked them to dispute the charges, as I paid the bill by credit card, which they are going to do.

[Boozy]

You did say a few things you shouldn't have (like "what good are you?") but DAMN.
They really were incompetent. A request for a bill is not at all unreasonable. If the rep couldn't send you one, they should have found someone who could. I refuse to believe that its an impossibility.
I hope you get things worked out.

[tollbaby]

I kept this post in mind during the entire time I was dealing with my incompetent insurance agents earlier, and it kept me from losing my cool on the phone, even though these asshats managed to cost me over $100 in NSF and returned charge fees last month because they didn't stick to the schedule outlined in my contract.