Cingular Wireless - overcharged, ignored, service interrupted - poor customer service

# 8 for April 28, 2002

Complaints.com received the following consumer message on April 27, 2002:

From: Email User

RE: Cingular Wireless - overcharged, ignored, service interrupted - poor customer service

I have experienced numerous problems with Cingular Wireless over the past few months. I have been overcharged, ignored, and had my service interrupted due to their inadequate customer service and billing departments.

On January 24, 2001, I entered into a two-year contract with Cingular Wireless. On January 27, 2001, I entered into a two-year contract with Cingular Wireless. These two telephone numbers were billed together in one bill each month.

On February 16, 2002 I requested to cancel the telephone number and agreed to pay the $150 early termination charge to end the contract. On February 17th, the final bill for this telephone number was generated and sent to me. It was for $566.72. The detailed list of the charges is below:

$2.67 Credit

$269.50 Additional Airtime Charges (over monthly allotment of 400 minutes)

$31.61 Roaming Charges

$155.00 Other charges and credits ($150 early termination & $5 late fee)

$25.07 Taxes

$88.21 Past Due Amount The part of this bill that caught my attention was the $269.50 charge for additional minutes over and above the 400 minutes allotted in the monthly plan. Cingular Wireless advised that I had used 1170 minutes, 770 of which they were charging $.35 each for, plus applicable taxes (Federal @ 2%, State @ 2.9% and County @ .6%.)

When I received this bill on 02/27/2002, I called Cingular Wireless to request a detailed copy of my bill, as I believed they were charging me for the mobile-mobile minutes that were supposed to be free in my monthly package. These were calls placed to or from my other cellular number I FINALLY received a copy of the detailed bill on March 25, 2002. Upon immediate and extensive review, I found that of the 1170 minutes the telephone had been used, 400 are included in the package, 516 were mobile-to-mobile calls, and that left only 254 minutes that needed to be billed at $.35 each; not the 770 Cingular had indicated on my billing statement. On March 27, 2002 I faxed AND mailed my detailed analysis of the telephone bill along with a letter to Cingular to address the situation. On April 13, 2002, I sent a follow-up letter to Cingular, as the issue had not yet been addressed to my knowledge.

I have still not heard a word from Cingular Wireless (other than continued billing). Sarah E. Barnette

South Charleston, Ohio 45368-9623