.•*ღ Entire Board of T-Mobile Execs Reviews Customer Account in less than 24 Hours?

Yeah right.

But that is what the T-Mobile customer service representative expected me to believe when he left me a voice message earlier today.  After sending out a massive EECB to the following people:

Robert Dotson
President and Chief Executive Officer
Robert.dotson@t-mobile.com

Cole Brodman
Chief Technology and Innovation Officer
Cole.brodman@t-mobile.com

Brian Kirkpatrick
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Brian.kirkpatrick@t-mobile.com

Dave MillerSenior Vice President and General Counsel
Dave.miller@t-mobile.com

Larry Myers
Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer
Larry.myers@t-mobile.com

Denny Post
Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
Denny.post@t-mobile.com
John Birrer (The only person who actually responded)
Senior Vice President Customer Service
T-Mobile
12920 SE 38th Street
Bellevue, WA 98006
Desk 425-383-6072
John.Birrer@t-mobile.com

Neville Ray
Senior Vice President, Engineering Operations
Neville.ray@t-mobile.com
Executive Response Team
ExecutiveResponse@T-Mobile.com

and also...

Investor Relations
Investor.relations@telekom.de

René Obermann
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)Rene.obermann@telekom.de

Hamid Akhavan
Board member for T-Mobile, Product Development, Technology and IT
Hamid.akhavan@telekom.de

Manfred Balz
Board member for Data Privacy, Legal Affairs and Compliance
Manfred.balz@telekom.de

Reinhard Clemens
Board member for T-Systems
Reinhard.clemens@telekom.de
Guido Kerkhoff
Board member for South Eastern Europe
Guido.kerkhoff@telekom.de

with CCs to:

their PR company
Waggener Edstrom
rrt@WaggenerEdstrom.com

plus some news outlets... why not?

CONSUMERIST.COM
tips@consumerist.com
ABC News
audiencerelations@abctv.com
wcvbnews@thebostonchannel.com
gma@abcnews.com
Dateline
Dateline@NBCUNI.com

Today
Today@NBCUNI.com

NBC Nightly News
nightly@nbc.com

Newsweek
Letters@newsweek.com

Fox News
newsmanager@foxnews.com
AskFox@fox.com
CNN
cnnmoney@money.com

So with all the information I have provided on this blog, and through my conversations with an entire flock od incompetent customer service representatives- Ralph, expects me to believe that the entire Executive Board reviewed my account and agreed that they did nothing wrong.

The following images are visual representations of what I think of this statement:

I'm sure T-Mobile thought this guy is a deadbeat too right? All us loyal customers are.

T-Mobile CSR Lies About Making Changes To Account, Causes $75 In Overage Fees

Yeah you can... go stick it.

.•*ღ Denial is Corporate America's Best Friend

After launching my EECB to T-Mobile, I waited patiently for a response. I remained hopeful that I would be able to resolve the dispute since there was so much positive feedback from other consumers who experienced similar situations themselves.

The way I see it, my record should speak for itself. A loyal customer of many years, who paid her bills on time, and didn’t make frequent calls to customer service to complain. The fact that I was a customer should’ve been enough to warrant being treated with good faith let alone the fact that I was a loyal customer for several years. How ironic, that I was offered the “Unlimited Loyalty Plan”, the same time I was canceling my account. Even the representative who made the offer me laughed at himself for even asking, but it was protocol.

Judging from my experience so far, I have my doubts about how much T-Mobile actually cares about their “loyal customers”… scratch that. I don’t doubt it, I know they don’t care. They’re just looking for more ways to screw their customers over so they can “GET MORE” for themselves.

Well anyways, back to the EECB. About two days after the email went out; I received a voice mail in response to my email. This started a series of emails back and forth with another customer service representative who also proved to be unhelpful.

Ralph Gutierrez
Executive Representative

T-Mobile USA, Inc.
Executive Customer Relations
Office 877-290-6323 extension 3418022
Fax number 505-998-3796

In the series of emails, Ralph essentially repeats whatever is “noted” on my account, stating that T-Mobile will not change their position on the matter. He then offers to settle the matter with a $250 goodwill credit, which I decline again. I guess T-Mobile doesn’t want to look like a bunch of hypocrites by going against what against what another T-Mobile rep already determined.

So much for speaking to a rational T-Mobile employee who would actually listen to me.

As I stated before (like a broken record), why should I have to pay because someone else’s mistake? I was promised a service which I didn’t receive, and now I’m expected to pay because of it? I also find it insulting how these T-Mobile representatives keep speaking to me like they’re the ones doing me a favor, by offering their one-time goodwill credits. It’s like a smack in the face.

Although Ralph didn’t speak to me as rudely as the previous representative, Vin Rozzi, he still proved to be unhelpful. Ralph didn’t address any of my issues or even my complaint about how I was treated by Rozzi, who yelled at me, and essentially accused me of being a deadbeat.

I bet T-Mobile has a policy where representatives are only allowed to respond to customers using a set of prewritten responses, most of these representatives are not better than talking to an automated machine. That would explain why every rep I speak to just ignore and spit out the same responses over and over regardless of what I say.

Well long story short, after a slew of emails, nothing was resolved. Ralph maintained that T-Mobile was not at fault since they had no record and that T-Mobile considered the matter closed. It was seriously the same thing that the other representative said, so I think it’s safe to say that T-Mobile customer representatives read from the same book with a fill in the name slot for the names of their customers.

So in response to Ralph’s redundant and unhelpful reply, I emailed him the following:

April 13, 2009

Dear Ralph,

Like I said before, I have contacted T-Mobile regarding the requested changes and the fact that T-Mobile has no records of my call shows no fault on my part. I have been a loyal customer for several years and have never made any complaints against T-Mobile before. I have incurred overages in the past which I paid without an issue, since I knew it was my fault. However, I will not pay for charges that I am not responsible for.

Can you verify without a shadow of a doubt that the system which T-Mobile utilizes to monitor customer service calls works 100% of the time and is 100% accurate. If it is in fact as accurate as you have implied, then I see no reason why you would not be able to track my calls, or note that fact that I did not request to have my service updated to unlimited recently, but that your representative said she would change my plan to prevent further overages upon hearing my situation. In fact, if your system was so accurate, the representatives would not have told me they had no record of me checking my account online since November when I had indeed checked in earlier that week which compelled me to call in the first place about the erroneous charges.

I am not a one to make false claims when I am the one at fault. A T-Mobile representative confirmed my requested change, and promised me a service that I never received. As a result of an employee of T-Mobile, my account was unjustly billed for overages that I would've not incurred otherwise.

Throughout my attempts to resolve this matter, T-Mobile has shown me nothing but bad faith and disrespect. It pains me to think that I spent so many years doing business with a company that cares so little about their customers.

Please be advised that if you forward my account to collections resulting in late fees and/or harm to my credit score, I intend to seek compensation for those damages as well. I have posted about dispute on numerous consumer blogs and will continue my claim through the small claims court.

Regards,
XXXXXXXX

Ralph, of course ignored my question and said that I should pay it before my account is thrown into collections.

But once again, a Customer Service Representative of T-Mobile are full of Sh…

I say this because I started receiving harassing calls from a collection agency about 4 days of closing my account; which was about 2 weeks before I Ralph and I first spoke. Upon receiving the first call from the collection agency, I was a bit stunned since I specifically asked the rep who I talked with to close my account, to make a note about the billing dispute to prevent it from being thrown into collections.

The collections rep who called only proved to further irk me when he introduced himself rudely to me as if I had done something wrong. Of course, by that time, my frustration was through the roof and I wasn’t about to let some idiot from a collections agency who knew nothing about my situation talked to me like some deadbeat who refuses to pay her bills.

I informed this idiot of the situation which should’ve been noted on my account, which he says it wasn’t. Shock there… Then I told him that I am not surprised that another T-Mobile rep failed to do their job and for him to be smart, do his job and note my account appropriately and to not call me unless he wants me to sue him for harassment.

The following day I receive a collection notice dated 2-3 days after I closed my account.

Seriously… T-Mobile Customer service number 1 according to JD Powers and Associates my @$$.

They are poorly trained and unprofessional in every way. They can’t update customer accounts correctly, and they have this bad habit of lying to customers. Since they clearly don't seem able to listen or understand their customers, T-Mobile might as well outsource their customer service to India and save themselves a few bucks. I'm sure they level of comprehension and competency will be the same. At least then, T-Mobile execs will be getting what they paid for in their customer service department.

Following the email I received from Ralph, I decided it was best to contact the collection agency, ER Solutions, Inc. just to make sure my account was properly noted this time. I contacted a representative named, Ayesha who informed me that there was no notes or any information on my account other than I owe money.

Another failure by customer service representatives

So I repeat the situation again, ask her to put my account on hold and I sent the agency a letter via first class and certified to prevent any damage to my credit.

Here's a copy of the letter I sent to the collection agency:

April 14, 2009

BY CERTIFIED MAIL

ER Solutions, Inc.
49 Winter Street
Weymouth, MA 02188

Re: ERS Account No.: XXXXXXX
Balance: $568.74

Dear Sir/Madam:

I am receipt of your notice of collection for $568.74 in relation my now closed account with T-Mobile. Prior to closing my account, I spoke with a T-Mobile customer representative concerning a dispute I am having with regard to the balance and to note my account accordingly. As such, I am puzzled by the phone calls and correspondence I have received from your agency for the aforementioned matter. On April 13th, I contacted your office and spoke with Ayesha, ext.2218, informing her of the pending dispute and to cease all activities on my account.

In accordance with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), I have the right to request for a validation of my debt. This is asking for proof verifying the debt you claim. As I am disputing this balance, you as a collection agency have the obligation to verify the validity and accuracy of this balance. Without proper verification, you must be aware that reporting such inaccurate information will result in defamation of character and negatively affect my credit report. You are supposed to stop all collection activities including reporting this information on my credit report.

Please attach copies of the following with the reply:

1. The agreement, which authorizes the creditor to collect debt on the alleged debt;
2. The signed agreement from the debtor conforming to pay the creditor; and
3. The documents regarding the payments made on this account validating the amount.

Please note that this letter will also serve as your legal notice under provisions of federal law, the FDCPA, to cease all communication with me concerning the debt referenced above. I have decided that I do not desire to work with a collection agency under any circumstances. I will contact the original creditor to resolve this matter directly, as circumstances warrant. You are also notified that should any adverse information be placed against my credit reports as a result of this notice that appropriate actions will be taken.

Please be advised that any non-compliance to this written notice will result in a formal complaint against you with the Federal Trade Commission who is responsible for enforcement of the FDCPA, the States Attorney General office and Massachusetts Bar Association. In addition, I will also not hesitate to take legal action against you, which will include charges of mail-fraud, which refers to any attempt to unlawfully obtain money using the U.S. Postal Service.

I have disputed this debt; therefore, until validated you know your information concerning this debt is inaccurate. Thus, if you have already reported this debt to any credit-reporting agency (CRA) or Credit Bureau (CB) then, you must immediately inform them of my dispute with this debt. Reporting information that you know to be inaccurate or failing to report information correctly violates the Fair Credit Reporting Act 1681s-2. Should you pursue a judgment without validating this debt, I will inform the judge and request the case be dismissed based on your failure to comply with the FDCPA.

Please give this very important matter the attention it deserves.

With regards,
XXXXXXXXX

CERTIFIED MAIL: RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED NO.: XXXXXXX

Corporate America never fails to amaze me with their overwhelming lack of concern for consumers. Why own up to their mistakes when they can deny everything and try to force customers to pay up by sending collection agencies after them.

It seems like the more the recession takes a toll on the country, the more Corporate America tries to screw over consumers. Regular everyday people, who are suffering the most from the recession. It is a shame how low Corporate America has sunk.

.•*ღ Fighting Back with Strategies from Consumerist.com

So after getting ignored by customer service, filing a complaint with the BBB and then getting yelled at by a so-called T-Mobile executive customer representative, I end up switching to Verizon and that ridiculous bill is still there.

What to do now?

What else? But to get tips from the most informative consumer blog on the web, Consumerist.com. After browsing through the blog, I found that one of the tactics, which got the most rave reviews for Consumerists fighting back, was the Executive Email Carpet Bomb, better known as an EECB. According to numerous consumers, there is no better way to get a company to acknowledge you and finally stop ignoring you, than to launch one of these.

The gist of an EECB is to get your voice heard by some top level people who might actually care about what your have to say. I was surprised to see how often people actually experience trouble with T-Mobile until I tried locating emails and found numerous blogs containing this information. This just goes to show how "awesome" T-Mobile's customer service is.... yeah...

So, I wrote my complaint and sent it to their Executive Customer Service Response team, and hoped for the best. The below is a copy of what I sent:

T-Mobile
Robert P. Dotson - President, CEO, and Director
12920 SE 38th St.
Bellevue, WASHINGTON 98006

Re: Overage Charges
Account: XXXXXXXXXX

Dear Mr. Dotson:

I am contacting you in relation to an ongoing dispute I have with T-Mobile regarding overage charges that were erroneously billed to my account. For the past month, I have contacted T-Mobile Customer Service repeatedly in hopes of resolving this matter but have been unsuccessful in my efforts.

In December 2008, after incurring some text messaging overage charges, I contacted T-Mobile Customer Service and requested to upgrade to unlimited Text messaging to prevent future overages. Following the confirmed service change, I did not encounter any problems until approximately two billing cycles later.

In March 2009, while checking my credit card statements online, as I often did, I was surprised to find that T-Mobile had charged me ~$300 more than usual through automatic bill pay. Figuring that the charges must be a mistake, I accessed my T-Mobile account online and was shocked to discover that the charges were text messaging overages and was also being charges another ~$200 in overages as another billing cycle had just ended when my payment was posted to my credit card.

I immediately contacted T-Mobile customer service to resolve the mistakenly billed overages to my account. The first representative I spoke with, after explaining my situation to him, informed me he was unable to help me and that he would find someone who could. I was bounced around several times before I was finally able to speak with another customer representative, Nicole.

During my thirty-minute conversation with Nicole, I explained that the charges were erroneous, as I had requested my text messaging service be upgraded to unlimited months earlier. Nicole then informed me that she was unable to locate any notes regarding my request but T-Mobile would be willing to offer me a $100 goodwill credit. I declined her offer, stating that it was an insufficient resolution to my problem. I then requested to speak with her supervisor and was informed that one would contact me within 24 hours.

When I did not receive a call from the supervisor as promised, I contacted T-Mobile again, where I was bounced around for another fifteen minutes before finally speaking with a representative named Jason. Jason, like Nicole, informed me that he was unable to help me, and that a supervisor would contact me in 72 hours.

After several days of waiting for a response, I contacted the Better Business Bureau in hopes of expediting a resolution. The following day, I received a call from a T-Mobile supervisor in response to my BBB complaint, a Mr. Vin Rozzi. I believed I would be able to resolve the issue with Mr. Rozzi but was surprised to find that Mr. Rozzi had no interest in listening to me or understanding my situation. Throughout our conversation, Mr. Rozzi refused to listen to me, repeatedly interrupting me and talking over me while vehemently repeating that the charges were my “fault”. The more I attempted to explain my situation, the louder Mr. Rozzi became.

Despite my best attempts to communicate with Mr. Rozzi, he made no effort to understand or rationally address the issue. Mr. Rozzi then offered a $200 goodwill credit, stating that it was a onetime offer despite the fact that T-Mobile maintains that the charges are my “fault”. I declined the offer, explaining to Mr. Rozzi that I felt the charges were unfair as I was promised a service by a customer representative of T-Mobile, which I never received and as a result, incurred substantial costs that would have otherwise been avoidable.

I went on to inform Mr. Rozzi that I had been a loyal customer for several years and hoped to resolve the issue without having to resolve to litigation. To my surprise and amazement, Mr. Rozzi responded with a scoff, stating that he would see me in court and that he would report my non-acceptance to the BBB and that as far as T-Mobile was concerned, my case was closed. Shortly after my communications with Mr. Rozzi, T-Mobile suspended my cell phone services.

Having been a loyal T-Mobile customer since 2002, it is difficult not to feel utterly flabbergasted by the treatment I was given. It truly was my hope to resolve this issue and continue my relationship with T-Mobile, unfortunately the sequence of events leading up to the suspension of my services, brought me to make the decision to end my long-running relationship with T-Mobile.

It is regrettable that this situation led the cancellation of my services with T-Mobile however; I hope we can resolve this problem without having to resort to litigation or arbitration. I look forward to your reply and resolution to this matter.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Email: XXXX
Mobile: XXXXXX

After sending this out, I felt a bit relieved, because I started to feel a tinge of hope that perhaps I'd find a rational person who could actually understand the situation. And how it is wrong to expect a customer to pay for a T-Mobile representative's mistake.

I got a call back two days later... but I'll save that for the next post....


........



T-Mobile contact info I've found:

Robert Dotson, CEO
T-Mobile USA, Inc.
12920 SE 38th St.
Bellevue, WASHINGTON 98006
Robert Dotson - robert.dotson@t-mobile.com

Stuart
Executive Assistant to the Vice President
1-877-290-6323 ext. 341-8025

Jennifer Bachus
Executive Customer Relatives Coordinator
877-290-6323, ext. 341-8083

Kelly Spindle
Executive Customer Relations Coordinator
877-290-6323 ext. 341-8082

Executive Resolutions Fax:
813-353-6545

ExecutiveResponse@T-Mobile.com

Source: ExecutiveBomb.com



......



Other T-Mobile Consumer Complaints:

Billing Complaints from ConsumerAffairs.com
Another Cheated Loyal Customer
Rep Screws Up, Customer Pays
T-Mobile Sucks at Math so Customer Credit Scores Have to Suffer
T-MobileFraud.com....enough said.
Denial & Collection Agencies: T-Mobile's #1 Solution for Incompetent Employees


.....



On another note... I stumbled upon this post from a former T-Mobile Customer Representative. I'm sure anyone who has been burned by T-Mobile billing and/or their customer service will see this as further validation to our disputes.

T-Mobile best customer service my @$$:

T-Mobile Informative
Customer Service - Sweat Shop Environment - Customer Service

Posted By: philmore on 11/11/2008

I was a customer service representative for T-Mobile. They claim to have the best service. It was the worse job I ever had. Management was rude and uninformed. They were unhelpful in resolving disputes and became inflamed if you transferred an unsatisfied customer to them. We were never allowed to give out corporate numbers, repair center numbers.

It was a total sweat shop environment. I was a long timer at 6 months.

Source: My3cents