AccessWorldOnline.com Calling Cards - multiple problems with calling cards

# 12 for April 29, 2003

Complaints.com received the following on April 28, 2003:

From: Abdullah Hassouneh [Email User]

RE: AccessWorldOnline.com Calling Cards - multiple problems with calling cards

My complaint is against AccessWorldOnline.com.

Their claim is that they sell very cheap calling cards. Looking through their site you would believe that. If you read the details on any card, you will think they are giving you the correct information. However, once you make the purchase, you are *** based on my experience.

The card I purchased comes in groups of 4. So you have to pay for 4 cards at once. I think I made a total of 10 purchases from them and have referred friends and relatives to them.

In short, the deal is that their advertising is false.

- Their minute rate is false

- Their customer service numbers they provide you with for the cards are invalid

- The actual access number you use for the card gives you an option to speak with a customer service rep.. However, when you select that option, it tells you to call customer service and hangs up on you.

- The cards gave me less than half the advertised minutes and was even moody about that!

- There are many hidden charges including, but not limited to, disconnection fees, fees from certain area codes, connection fees, and others with no names as their customer service person once told me!

- Their customer service number for their own site works 1 out of 10 times and they hang up on you.

- None of their email addresses listed in their site work. They are all invalid and have been for months in spite of the numerous times I told them about that.

Here are their email addresses, try them out: Email User, Email User; Email User

Their cust. serv. number is: 1-800-801-5570

I spoke with them over the phone twice in the last 45 days and was promised to get a call back after these two calls in order to provide me with the correct phone number for the customer service of the cards I purchased but I was never contacted. In the last contact with them, the person on the other end provided me with her "personal" email address which she said she checks all the time but I tried contacting her over and over with no use.

My friends and relatives had worse experiences as they received only a fraction of the minutes and in some instances their calling cards were invalid and didn't work and they lost all their money which they couldn't recover.

One other funny issue is that way back when I started purchasing their cards, after not receiving the minutes I was promised, I contacted the customer service for that card and they mentioned a different per minute rate and many other hidden charges which were not disclosed on AccessWorldOnline.com's web site. So when I told them that they said they were not responsible for what is advertised there as they only provide them with the information and it is up to them to advertise what they want.

When I contact Access World about this, they said they are not responsible for mistakes advertised as they only obtain the information from the card issuer!!! Each one blames the other and you are stuck with the same problem.

How can these people be allowed to pursue such business in this country?

Thanks,

Email User