XPost: misc.consumers 
 From: Jsmith@hotmail.com 
  
 You legally have more protection by using your credit card versus paying the 
 bill when it arrives. 
  
 If you did not get the service you paid for then your credit card company 
 can give you a refund (or put the amount on hold) and go after sympatico. 
  
 If sympatico takes more than they are required to then it's fraud. 
  
 "aa"  wrote in message 
 news:1112684974.525463.327230@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com... 
 > 
 > Beware: Bell Sympatico (Canada) unfair billing practices 
 > 
 > 
 > If you want to get Internet service 
 > from Bell Sympatico (Canada), they 
 > ask you for your credit card number. 
 > 
 > Then they took money from the c.c. 
 > every month, upfront for the next 
 > month. 
 > 
 > So far, so good. 
 > 
 > But sometimes their billing computer 
 > makes mistakes, and, for example, 
 > bill you for another, more expensive 
 > service. Or forgets to take into account 
 > the promotional rate you were promised. 
 > 
 > Then you call their customer service, 
 > their representative apologizes, 
 > and promises that the overpayment 
 > will be credited to your account 
 > and will cover the next month or two. 
 > 
 > So far, so good ? 
 > 
 > Then the next payment date comes, 
 > and their billing computer repeats 
 > its mistake. You are overcharged 
 > again. 
 > 
 > You call the customer service again, 
 > the representative apologizes again, 
 > and promises that the overpayment 
 > will be credited to your account 
 > and will cover next month or two, 
 > again. Sounds familiar, eh ? 
 > 
 > But now your overpayment covers 
 > several month upfront, so you prefer 
 > to get the money back to your credit 
 > card. You don't want to credit 
 > the Sympatico for several months 
 > upfront, do you ? 
 > 
 > And then you receive the nasty news: 
 > they are not going to return your 
 > money!  Yes, they claim the money 
 > are theirs regardless of the fact 
 > that they weren't entitled for getting 
 > them at all. 
 > 
 > Let me clarify: there is no long-term 
 > contract involved. The service 
 > is on month-by-month basis 
 > and it is agreed it will be paid 
 > one month upfront, nothing more. 
 > 
 > But according to their internal policy 
 > (about which you heard nothing 
 > up to now, nor it is mentioned 
 > in the agreement you read before) 
 > the only possibility of clearing 
 > the account is using the overpayment 
 > for buying their services. 
 > 
 > And it doesn't matter, that you 
 > don't want to use their services 
 > anymore. Or if you die in the 
 > meantime. They claim the money 
 > is theirs and that's all. 
 > 
 > Nice, eh ? 
 > 
 > I understand that the correct name 
 > for the situation, when a company 
 > takes money which this company 
 > is not entitled for, and when 
 > this company don't agree to return it 
 > - is simply 'theft'. What do you 
 > think ? 
 > 
 > Such a policy means, for example, 
 > that Sympatico would be entitled 
 > to keep money of an individual, 
 > who was overcharged mistakenly 
 > by $10,000 (why not ?) and died 
 > after seeing the credit card bill. 
 > 
 > Interesting, isn't it ? 
 > 
 > Bad Sympatico, bad. 
 > 
  
 --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05 
  * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)