Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Subject: Nextel

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 10 Jan 2003 05:30:08 -0500

Posted By: Mike Elicson

 mailto:[email-masked]

Subject: Nextel

Complaint:

Hi, I have had repeated problems with Nextel service on the phone/account that I had used
as my primary business number. It all started about five months ago when I lost my Nextel
phone. I called Nextel Customer Care to report the phone lost and placed an order for a
new unit. I was given a confirmation number and promised that the purchase would be added
to my account which was not past due and to expect the phone in a few days. A week goes by
and no phone arrives. So I called the same number that I had called previously looking for
my phone. I was transferred several times but no one could find my order.  I eventually
called Nextel's corporate office and spoke with an associate who found my order. Again I
was promised that my new phone would arrive in a few days. When it did not, I called
Customer Care again and was transferred multiple times only to be told again that my order
didn't exist and that I needed to call a different Nextel office that handled orders for
Ohio. I called the number that was given to me and followed all of their recorded prompts.
When I finally got to the last prompt, the call rang busy. I tried this number several
times throughout the day. I eventually made it through all of the prompts and was placed
on hold for over an hour. No one ever answered the call and I hung up. The recording that
played while I was on hold stated that their call center was experiencing a higher than
normal call volume and suggested that I call during an off-peak time like early in the
morning or late at night. The recording also stated that their call center opened at 7 am
EST. I called at 6:55 am the next day and the recording stated that the call center had
not yet opened. I called exactly at 7 am and again the recording stated that the call
center had not yet opened. I called at 7:05 and again the recording stated that the call
center had not yet opened. I called at 7:10 and was put on hold for an hour with no one
ever answering my call. I had been over a month since I reported to Nextel that my phone
was missing and placed an order for a new unit. I again called Nextel's corporate office
looking for help. While I was on hold again when my wife came into the room to tell me
that a person had called on our other phone stating that they had found our Nextel. We
drove to their location, picked up the phone, plugged it in our car charger and turned it
on. I was shocked to find that the phone that I reported missing a month earlier still had
service. I called Nextel to report that I had found my phone, canceled my order for a new
phone and asked why it was never deactivated. They stated that they had no record that I
had ever called to order a phone or that I had reported my original phone lost. By this
time, it is mid December and my account has become past due. My business was suffering in
part because of Sept. 11 and also because clients who had received marketing materials
over the three previous years with my Nextel number had no way to get a hold of me. I had
my phone back for three days and my service was deactivated due to a past due account. It
was also at about the same time that I had received a bill from Nextel with a full billing
from the month that my phone was missing. So again I called Nextel to dispute the charges
from the previous month and to make payment arrangements for my past due bill. Believe it
or not, the charges were removed. However, I explained to the billing rep. that I could
not pay the remaining portion of my bill at that time but I had expected to be able to pay
it in full by the end of January. She stated that was acceptable and she would note that
on my account and that it was standard Nextel procedure to wait 60 days before canceling
my account and its phone number. Now it is the end of January and I again called Nextel's
billing department to make payment in full, as I earlier arraigned. They gladly took my
payment and I also explained that I needed my service restored. The billing rep. said that
was not a problem and transferred my to someone else who was supposed to reactivate my
account. That person tried but was unable to do it, and I was transferred again. The next
person said that the account had a permanent block on it and was canceled forever because
it had taken me so long (five weeks, by the way) to pay my balance. I asked for and was
transferred to a supervisor and I explained the situation. She took on a condescending
tone and told me that if I couldn't pay my bill on time, that I didn't deserve to be a
Nextel customer. I explained that the economic downturn, Sept. 11 and the fact that Nextel
never shipped my phone all hurt my business. She stated that those were all poor excuses
and my phone number was gone forever. So I called Nextel's corporate headquarters yet
again looking for help. I was informed that all past due accounts whose service was
inactive as of Jan. 16, 2002 were purged from Nextel's system when it was converted from a
DOS based computer system to a Windows based system and that I would not be able to
retrieve my original Nextel phone number. However, the person with whom I spoke graciously
agreed to reactivate my old account with a new number. Realizing that there was probably
nothing else I could do, I agreed to this arrangement. So a few week later I receive a
bill from Nextel with $440.10 added on it for early termination of my account. I again
called billing and I was promised that the amount would be credited to my account. The
next bill arrives on March 3 with the $440.10 still on it. Again I call and was promised
that a dispute resolution specialist would call back within 5 business days. No one ever
calls.  This morning I get a call from a collection agency wanting $440.10 on behalf of
Nextel. I told the person I would look into the matter and that I would return his call. I
again called Nextel's billing department looking for an answer. This rep. told me that she
saw on her screen that I had a credit and that the charges were reapplied and that I had
an open dispute on the $440.10. She stated that a dispute resolution specialist would call
within six business days. I told her that that is what I had been promised nearly a month
ago and that no one ever called. She said she was sorry but could only re-enter the
dispute an her computer.

So now it is going to be at least a week I have to wait before Nextel calls me back and I
am sure that the
collection agency is going to report the $440.10 as an unpaid balance on my credit report
and bug me
about it endlessly. THIS IS NOT THE WAY BUSINESS IS DONE NEXTEL!!! YOU TOOK IMMEDIATELY
AND MADE IT MUCH SLOWER. Sincerely, Michael Elicson

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