Letters to Comcast and T-Mobile from and Angry Customer

Here are some letters that a very angry customer wrote to Comcast and T-Mobile after being incorrectly turned over to collections.  This can give you an idea of how to handle a situation like this.

• • I have something to share with you and your readers.
    
    I recently had a spat with both Comcast and T-Mobile, and I know i'm not the only person who is wrongly charged by big companies, and it feels like there is no way to fight back.
    
    I crafted two different letters to each of those companies that I think could help people take control back in their hands:
    
    The first is to Comcast. The letter is addressed to as many executives that made sense as I could find their contact information: 
    
    Peter, et al...,
    
    I am writing you today, because I have become so mad at Comcast over the last 2 months, that I can barely see straight right now. I have not been able to get action from your Customer NO Service, so now I'm coming to you. Please, read this entire account, and help them ensure my balance and credit issue are taken care of immediately.
    
    On March 23rd or so, I called and canceled my service with Comcast, and whichever day it was, it was the last day of my billing cycle. I asked the rep directly, "I've paid my last bill, you have me at a zero balance (they confirmed it was a $0.00 balance), then that means I don't owe you guys anything further, and won't have a balance, correct?" The answer was, "Yes".
    
    There was some issue with the equipment getting back to Comcast. I asked that they send me a box to send my equipment back, received it, and about a week after receiving the box, someone from Comcast showed up at my door, saying they were there to pick up any equipment and turn the service off, so I gave them all the equipment I had. However, he said I had 2 Comcast cable boxes, when actually I only had 1, so he said they would figure it out. 
    
    Turns out, for some reason, Comcast sent me an entire new setup, cable box, remote, wires, everything, in the cardboard box that was sent for me to return my equipment. However, I didn't discover this until about 3 weeks later when another person from Comcast stops by my house. I gave him the equipment, and thought the whole matter was taken care of that day. In other words, Comcast had all of their equipment back.
    
    But no, I receive a collection notice in the mail from Credit Protection Association L.P., where my Comcast account had been sent for over $700 dollars in delinquent charges placed on my Comcast account. I have been talking to your Customer NO Service department for the last 2 months trying to get this matter resolved. Every supervisor I have managed to speak to, after significant wait times, having to re-tell my story, and no ability to speak with the same person any time I called back, have come to the conclusion I owe Comcast $0 dollars. I've spoke with:
    1. Finance or Billing Supervisor: Anita, OP ID: 2NO 
    2. Supervisor: Joy, OP ID: QQK; 
    3. August 6th and August 10th - Supervisor Tim, OP ID: E+> (more on him later)
    4. August 21 - Agent Kristine, OP ID: 4RM
    5. August 21 - Supervisor Will, OP ID: KO}.
    
    List of Grievances:
    1. Comcast has admitted this charge was false, and put on my account by mistake, but can't seem to make it go to $0.00 dollars owed, and stop collections.
    2. I can't get written confirmation from ANYONE that my account has been serviced, and made good, because you have dishonest people working for you, or your processes are such that they can't adequately do their jobs.
    3. Because of the inaction from Comcast, Credit Protection Association, L.P. has placed this debt on my national credit report, which is adversely effecting my ability to do anything with financing.
    4. The policies in place at the Contact Centers: 
    A. Not being able to look up the rep who was helping me a time before. 
    B. No written communication with customers. 
    C. No ability to speak with someone who can actually take care of legitimate customer issues like this one. 
    D. No ability to speak with Finance contacts who are actually doing the pertinent work to my case. 
    
    - Make it so that I have wasted close to 10 hours trying to fix something that is Comcast's fault. It shouldn't be this difficult, and I think you need to do a full review to make some changes. 
    
    I know for a fact, I have been lied to by several of your Call Center Supervisors. For some unknown reason, Tim, OP ID: E+>, can't be found by anyone there. Not only that, Tim promised to get a resolution for this egregious error, scheduled a call back to ensure it got done, and then didn't call all day. Finally, I call back, and sit on hold FOR ANOTHER HOUR trying to find him, and they put someone on the line that says they are Tim. I know for a fact it wasn't the same person that I spoke to before, and the Call Center was trying to game me into believing it was him.
    
    Today, I spoke with Will, OP ID: KO}, and he ensures me this problem with the last charge of $150.08, which was left after the equipment charges have been taken off, will be permanently zeroed out on my account by Saturday morning. However, you'll excuse my incredulity, as Tim, the supervisor-that-doesn't-exist, said the same thing.
    
    Comcast has stooped to a level of business, that I didn't think was possible. If I treated my customers anything like Comcast does, there is no way I'm in business. If, for some reason, my account isn't completely whipped clean of any balance by Saturday morning, this will be the least of your worries. My lawyer will be contacting the Better Business Bureau, and filing a law suit against Comcast for the time, mental anguish, and damage Comcast has caused by falsely reporting my account to the Credit Bureau. Not to mention, my friends who work at the major news outlets in Atlanta (AJC, Channel 2 News, Creative Loafing, etc...) will be writing nasty articles about Comcast with all the details I can muster about their bad customer dealings.
    
    I strongly suggest that one of you point me to the correct person who can ensure that Will, OP ID: K0}, has all of the authority he needs to make this request happen by Friday. In addition, I need written communication that states this has be taken care of, and that Credit Protection Association L.P. have been notified and executed the deletion of this false collection notice.
    
    Deeply Disappointed Ex-Customer,
    
    
    
• about an hour ago

  • The second letter is very similar, so you may or may not want to post it, but the cool part is, I got the action I asked for in both cases within about an hour or so of sending both letters.
    
    Here's the second to T-Mobile. Same thing, I found as many executive email addresses as possible, that made sense, and sent it to them. They have an Executive Response Coordinator who is responsible for handling claims like this, and that is who came back to me in both cases.
    
    Jim, et al...,
    
    I am writing you today because of an apparent bullying by T-Mobile with my wife's cell phone account: **********. I have been authorized by Abby ****** to speak on her behalf with T-Mobile. Abby was a customer with T-Mobile from 2004 until April 30th, 2012 when she provided the attached written notice to your Customer Service Team. However, she was billed for service until the month end date in June, 2012, and then charged a early-termination contract fee.
    
    Put simply, Abby  does not owe you any more money. She has paid over $10,000 to T-Mobile over the past 7.5 years, and in return, she lost clients, had no data connectivity for months at a time, spent countless hours speaking with Customer Service, Technical Service, and no one could fix the bad network coverage by T-Mobile in the Atlanta area, or god forbid we go outside of Atlanta where the phone would completely stop working (the phone was an expensive paper weight!).
    
    The disconnect happened during the summer of 2011, when Abby was working with Customer Service, and in one of many attempts to boost service in our house  - right in the middle of Atlanta, and still no service), they suggested she get a wireless router to boost the signal. However, they failed to mention this would extend her contract for another 2 year period, regardless of whether it worked or not, so along came the router, but it did nothing to help the signal at our house.
    
    The straw that broke the proverbial camel's back came in late January 2012, when we took a trip to Thomaston, GA (Middle GA). Once we left the confines of the Perimeter (i.e. I-285 around Atlanta) headed South, the phone completely stopped working. In fact, we were using the navigation, which often got us completely lost, because it would hardly ever work properly, and the phone just lost signal. OK, we went out of the coverage area, no big deal, but no, it didn't stop there. The whole phone quit working. No access to contacts, no access to the key pad, no access to emergency service, we thought the phone was completely broke. This was a huge inconvenience, as we were in the middle of a work trip for her, and no way to communicate except by my Verizon phone. The phone did re-boot once we made it back to Atlanta, but from that day until she switched service, there was no data connectivity, and Technical Services were no help.
    
    All of this together lead to Abby having no other choice, but to disconnect (FIRE) T-Mobile, as they clearly could not live up to their end of the contract, that she dutifully paid until the point of cancellation. However, T-Mobile now has the GALL to say she owes them more money for early termination, and service that was canceled? I think not.
    
    So, let's review: 
    Abby worked with in your system of customer service and technical service for over 3 years, often enduring hours of wait time only to get someone who could barely speak English, and was reading off a script, so they would ask questions multiple times, and completely frustrate her and I.
    Customer Service Agents who don't have the power to make commonsense decisions with regard to reasonable cases such as this.
    Abby spent over $10,000 dollars over 7.5 years, and exhausted every means possible to gain better service from T-Mobile, but couldn't.
    Abby followed T-Mobile protocol with presenting her case and cancellation in writing, but was still charged 2 extra months and an early termination fee.
    Abby even showed good-will by making a payment of $250, because she was threatened by T-Mobile Employees, who stated they were going to ruin her credit if she didn't pay.
    Abby and I have both gone to the highest Supervisor that T-Mobile Customer Service will let us talk to, and they say (while they understand our frustration and even agree we should owe nothing) there is nothing they can do, and she still owes the $381.98.
    Now the account has gone to collections with AmSher Collection Services, Inc., who are harassing Abby with 4 and 5 calls a day, even after we sent them written notice this account is in dispute within the 30 day time period. 
    What We Expect:
    T-Mobile will send written communication to Abby Morris that state the charges have been canceled, and her balance is $0.00.
    T-Mobile will be responsible for canceling the debt with Amsher Collection Services, Inc., who will need to provide written notice the debt owed is $0.00.
    Should you choose not to cancel the debt:
    
    T-Mobile has stooped to a level of business, that I didn't think was possible. If I treated my customers anything like T-Mobile has, there is no way I'm in business today. If, for some reason, my account isn't completely whipped clean of any balance by Friday, 9/21 at 2PM, this will be the least of your worries. My lawyer will be contacting the Better Business Bureau, and filing a law suit against T-Mobile for the time, mental anguish, and damage (lost clients/business) T-Mobile has caused by charging for service that wasn't delivered and falsely reporting Abby's account to the Amsher Collection Service. Not to mention, my friends, who work at the major news outlets in Atlanta (AJC, Channel 2 News, Creative Loafing, etc...), will begin writing nasty articles and doing segments about the continuing customer service problems T-Mobile have with all the details I can muster about their bad customer dealings with us, and those I constantly see on your Social Media feed. In addition, all of your Social Media channels will be filled with this letter, and more.
    
    I strongly suggest that one of you point me to the correct person who can ensure T-Mobile Finance has all the authority they need to make this request happen by Friday, 9/21. I need a call from the officer in charge of this account to call me at 770-540-5573 to give verbal assurance the account clearing is being handled. In addition, I need written communication by Friday 9/27 that states these actions have been completed, and Amsher Collection Services, Inc have been notified and executed the deletion of this false collection notice.
    
    Deeply Disappointed Ex-Customer,
• about an hour ago

  • The keys to all of this are as follows:
    1. Be factual - Get as many people's names, Company ID's and dates you speak with them as possible.
    2. Do your research - The internet is a wonderful tool, and if you look hard enough, you can find this company information and e-mail addresses.
    3. Keep it professional and you'll get what you're after.
    4. Threaten and don't be afraid to use media to your advantage - In fact, this is imperative.
    5. Be Persistent