MCI - the Neighborhood local phone service - quoted wrong switch from SBC - wasn't told of $ 6.00 per month additional charge for using SBC's lines

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

From: Jillian Colleen [Email User]

RE: MCI - the Neighborhood local phone service - quoted wrong switch from SBC - wasn't told of $ 6.00 per month additional charge for using SBC's lines

A telemarketer for MCI -The Neighborhood contacted me in February regarding switching my local service from

SBC to MCI - the Neighborhood. She indicated that the monthly cost would be less than what I was currently

paying: $12.99 plus taxes. Plus, as an added bonus, I would be given 10 free Blockbuster movie rentals to

use, regardless if I stayed with the service.

The free movie rentals would arrive with my Welcome Kit. Well, what the telemarketer did not mention is that I would also be paying a monthly $6.00 fee to cover the cost of renting the lines from SBC. This brought my monthly total up to $18.99 plus taxes.

I received my Welcome Kit, and there were no certificates. And, my pro-rated first 6 days of phone service was $13.13, because regardless of the number of days, I still had to pay the ENTIRE $6.00 surcharge for using SBC's lines.

I called and spoke to Sherry and Meghan from MCI - the Neighborhood customer service. Sherry transferred me to Meghan, who is in the retention department. She told me there was nothing she could do about the $6.00, and that it was the telemarketer, not MCI that lied to me.

She went on to say that the Blockbuster rentals were "in the mail" but could only be used if I had an active MCI - the Neighborhood account. I expressed my displeasure at being cheated and lied to. She didn't seem to care and made it clear that MCI could do NOTHING for me.