Pagenet Refuses To Beep Off!

At one time I had a decent relationship with Pagenet.  Everything went along just fine for years (although they did make a few billing errors that they corrected like hitting my card twice, etc.) until I needed to do a simple thing like change the charge card number they billed for payment.  That's when my troubles began. OVER A YEAR AFTER CLOSING AND SETTLING MY ACCOUNT I AM STILL BEING BILLED FOR MONEYS I DO NOT OWE AND SERVICES I DO NOT RECEIVE.

Please let the following story stand as a warning against doing business with Pagenet.  This could just as easily happen to you the reader as it has to me.  I have spent more than 10 hours of my time, with no end in sight, trying to make them correct their numerous billing errors.  I am going to have to sue Pagenet (I will post the suit and results here) to make them stop billing me for a pager that has been deactivated for over a year. 

This sad tale actually goes back to August of 1998 when my charge card company decided I deserved a gold card.  This entailed me getting a new card AND a new number.  The card company notified the 3 businesses that took payments directly from my account of the date that the old account would be closed and the new one would open.  These 3 businesses were notified 4 MONTHS IN ADVANCE of the closing of my old account (the two accounts overlapped for 3 months to allow for the changes in automatic withdrawals) .  It appeared at first that everything had gone smoothly and automatic withdrawals were taken out of my new account without any problems.  Then in November, for some unknown reason, Pagenet decides to go back to the old charge card number.  This is after they had been taking money out of the new account for two months.

Of course the old number was no good anymore, so the charges bounced.  Did Pagenet notify me that there was a problem???  Noooooooo, in fact they kept right on sending me statements that said "Do not pay, we will bill your charge card" written in large friendly letters across the top.  Instead, they decided to turn off my pager without any notice what so ever.

Needless to say, I was not a happy woman when I found out that my service had been disconnected.  I called the billing office and after much waiting on hold it was finally determined that they were billing the wrong account number.  I explained to "Angela" that the number had been changed, that they had been notified, and that they had in fact been debiting the new account for 2 months, and she flat out called me a liar.  "We hear all kinds of excuses for people not paying their bills" I was told by this nasty person.  I would have to come up with some proof.  OK, I had enough; waste my time, call me a liar.... it's time to go visiting.

I pulled out all my charge card statements and associated paperwork which proved my story, and I decided to go visit "Angela" in person.  Upon presenting myself at the Pagenet regional headquarters I was told that "Angela" was not available (my imagination offered up a mental image of her hiding in a toilet stall somewhere).  I was handed to a poor man by the name of Danny Marflake, the general manager.  I laid my saga out for him and he could not have been nicer.  He apologized up one side and down the other. Mr. Marflake agreed that the "new" billing system was in dire need of an overhaul. He offered to do this and that to make up for the deplorable service. I told him that all I wanted was to cancel my account and never hear from Pagenet again.  Mr. Marflake assured me that he would cancel my account and forward to regional management my reasons for leaving Pagenet. 

End of story?  Not yet. 
Pagenet sent me another bill in December. I waste more time calling Pagenet so Mr. Marflake can tell me that "it takes awhile to work the changes into the system". Finally, in January I received a statement (posted here) which credited me for the 2 months I was billed after I canceled service.  This bill showed a 19.37 credit balance for some odd reason, but at least it finally showed I had canceled my account.

This should have been the end of the story, but no....not yet..
In February I get another statement (posted here) from Pagenet showing a $20.00 "reconnect fee".  I sent Mr. Marflake a rather candid email (posted here) explaining to him how very unhappy I am and how very badly I want Pagenet to GO AWAY.  He sent me a curt but clear response (posted here) that he understood my position.  He confirmed that he would make sure the appropriate departments were made aware of my situation.  Up until last month, it appeared that he had done just that. 

Finally, the end of this long, drawn out saga to rival Homer's.....  but no.... not yet...

February 2000, after a year of no contact, I get a bill from Pagenet for $150.01 (posted here).  Where they get this outrageous number from, I have no idea.  It would not even amount to 6 months of service. It appears they just arbitrarily decided that I was a customer again sometime in the summer of '99.  They got around to telling me in February of 2000.  This is after I have canceled my account over a year ago and told them in no uncertain terms that I never wanted to hear from them again!!!

I went looking for Mr. Marflake.  I was not surprised to find that he was no longer with the company.  That is not the worst of it though.  Guess who's the general manager now?  "Angela".... you remember "Angela"  Oh joy.  I went visiting again to see "Angela", and of course she was not there.  I left copies of Marflake's letter, etc. at her office, and made it clear that if she did not stop harassing me I was going to take them to court.  I haven't heard a word from her.  I have gotten another bill for services that I haven't received, this time for $187.52. 

It is beginning to look as though the story has no end.  I could write a horror movie, "The Pager Account That Wouldn't Die".

At this point I have to check my credit report and see if they have placed erroneous information on it and assess my other damages. I have had it with Pagenet.  I will be taking "Angela" and Pagenet to small claims court and I will post the results here and on every other Consumer Protection site we know of.

End of story .......  not yet.

Update!!! A response from Pagenet(click here) .....  we'll see

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