VoiceStream Wireless - trouble with "free phone" with one year contract offer

# 8 for February 5, 2002

Complaints.com received the following e-message on February 4, 2002:

From: Email User

VoiceStream Wireless - trouble with "free phone" with one year contract offer THIS COMES UNDER THE HEADING OF FRAUD

VOICESTREAM WIRELESS SOLICITED US ON A FREE PHONE NO CHARGE WITH A 1 YEAR CONTRACT. WE SAID WE WERE ALREADY DISSAPPOINTED WITH THE SERVICE SO RENEE ID # 10932561 SAID FOR OUR PROBLEMS WE COULD HAVE THE PHONE FREE A $120.00 VALUE. WE SAID THANKYOU AND RECEIVED THE PHONE IN ABOUT ONE WEEK.

WELL TODAY 2/04/02 OUR BILL ARRIVED WITH A $119.99 CHARGE AND THEN A 100.00 CREDIT PLUS TAX. HMMM FREE PHONE I DON'T THINK SO I CALLED STEVE ID # 0955832 AND WITH SOME QUICK DOUBLE TALK HE TOLD ME I WAS CREDITED $55.57 AND THAT MY NEW BALANCE WAS $73.21 .

I WAS ALL SET TO SAY THANK YOU GOODBYE BUT MY WIFE SAID THAT IS NOT A CREDIT IT IS OUR PAYMENT. I STOPPED STEVE IMMEDIATELY IN HIS TRACKS AND HE STAMMERED AND SAID HOLD ON??? WHICH I DID AFTER ABOUT THREE MINUTES HE CAME BACK ON AND SAID THAT WE HAVE CREDITS OF $30.00 COMING.

WELL NOT BEING FOOLISH I SAID HOW DO YOU GET THERE HE SAYS WELL TWENTY HERE AND TEN THERE I SAID WAIT A MINUTE SPELL IT OUT FOR ME STEVE I SAID I WANT WHAT I AM ENTITLED TO $19.99 PLUS TAX $1.20 A TOTAL OF $21.19, HE SAID HE THROUGH IN $10.00 TO RETAIN THE CUSTOMER. WHEN I QUESTIONED THIS HE SAID HE COULD TAKE IT AWAY.

I GUESS HE HAS THE POWER I FEEL VERY SORRY FOR OTHER MOES THAT GO THRU WHAT WE DID I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE MY WIFE WAS NEARBY I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE HOW QUICKLY HE TRIED TO TAKE ME FOR A RIDE. AFTER WE REFIGURED THE BILL TO $42.02 AND BOTH AGREED I GAVE HIM SOME COMMENTS ABOUT HOW LAWYERS THEN AUTOMOBILE PEOPLE, BUT I THINK CELL PHONE HELP LINES ARE THE WORST LIKE I TOLD MY WIFE NOTHING IS FOR FREE IN THIS WORLD (I AM A CAR DEALER) THANK YOU FOR LISTENENING I FEEL I HAVE OVERLOOKED OTHER BILLS FROM THESE PEOPLE AND STILL FEEL OI WAS WRONGED BY VOICESTREAM WIRELESS. HAVE A GOOD EVENING.