Unauthorized Charge from OAN Services, Inc

I received my monthly AT&T bill and found a charge of $9.91 from OAN Services, Inc. Neither me nor my husband ordered any service from OAN. We have not even heard about this company before. When I searched it on Google, I found many other complaint regarding this company imposing unauthorized charges to people's phone accounts. Apparently, this company conducts very bad business and should be punished for this. However, it continue to happen for years. When I called OAN and complained about the charge, I was told I need to wait for two billing cycles in order for credit to show on my account. And I am not even sure they will credit this amount after two months.

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On 02/14/09, I noticed my AT&T phone bill included a (new) charge in the amount of $15.96, billed by OAN Services Inc. on behalf of Odyssey Communication Services for Odyssey Streaming Radio. Immediately I contacted AT&T to inquire about the charge and was instructed to contact OAN at 1-800-441-9678 which I did do--leaving them a message.

I also logged onto www.odysseystreamingradio.com in an attempt to cancel this unsolicited service, but their "cancellation" vehicle bombed out with every attempt. This only served to raise further suspicion in my mind concerning the integrity of the organization.

Furthermore, while searching the internet regarding the companies, V&T Communication Services and Odyssey Communication Services, I discovered multiple complaints against Odyssey Comm Svcs and OAN Services for this type of "bogus" transaction which in my mind is unethical, illegal and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

I drafted a letter to Odyssey Comm Svcs (in Tenafly, NJ), V&T Communications LLC, AT&T, the Public Utilities Company in Ohio and the Ohio Attorney General. I also went online to www.att.com and disputed the charge in question.

MY STORY HAS A HAPPY ENDING

On Sunday (2/15/09), AT&T contacted me to inform me that they will remove the charge from my account and will also contact OAN Services Inc in my behalf to inform them of the same.

I contacted OAN Services Inc. again today (2/16/09) and was automatically redirected to Odyssey Streaming Radio. The Customer Service Rep explained that I had signed up for the service using an online promotion. Really!?! I explained to her that this must have been inadvertent and unintentional on my part inasmuch as I do not want the service. She assured me that the charges would be removed from my phone bill and that I will not be billed anymore in the future by her company.

LESSON LEARNED: Beware of any and all online promotions ESPECIALLY, if you get prompted to take an IQ Test inasmuch as these are subtle attempts to get you to provide your personal ID and contact information and to sign you up for something you never knew you were getting... In effect, you will get billed for something you can not use and won't even know you have... thus, billed for (receiving) nothing!

Friends, don't be fooled. Any offer that sounds too good to be true generally is neither good nor true. Avoid taking online IQ Tests... and don't sign up for any online "free" promotions and discount coupons. These are not innocuous little games and offers. They are intentionally designed to fool you into providing them with your personal ID and contact information. It's not a game. It is a subtle trap, and, it is a SCAM!!!

To be forewarned is to be forearmed.