Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Rip Off Report: Nextel wireless consumer Rip-off fraud - Nextel employees receive stolen information

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 04:25:52 -0500

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff4891.htm

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The Rip Off Report

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Category: Cellular Phone Companies

Modified: 7/8/2002

Nextel wireless consumer Rip-off fraud - Nextel employees receive stolen information

Company
Nextel wireless
Address:
Nationwide, U.S.A.
Phone Number:

Wednesday, April 11, 2001

Our names are Arthur and Denise Hoss. On Friday, April 6, 2001, Denise called our bank, (Washington Mutual) to check our account balance. She did this because this week our rent was due, which is our biggest monthy expense. It was also our daughter Amanda's Birthday on Saturday, April 7. When Denise heard the account balance she was shocked to find it incorrect in accordance with her record keeping. She immediately contacted someone with the bank. The bank rep. had gone over a list of transaction that were made between 3/20/01 and 4/06/01. She found, on 4/4/01 Nextel wireless had charged $910.00 to our account. This she new was a big mistake.

It was at this point Denise contacted Arthur to confirm that, Arthur never authorized this transaction. Denise had to leave work to go to the bank for a copy of the account statement and file a dispute and cancel our check cards. Denise then contacted Nextell- wireless to find out what had happened. She spoke to many people from many departments that day, none of which would offer more than a first name. Denise was told by the Nextel rep. to file a dispute with the bank.

At first they were unwilling to do any more than that. Denise then went home and called the local police dept. to file a report. She did this because, from the little info nextel did give, it appeared that someone had fraudulently used our numbers to pay a bill. This to anyone sounds like a crime. Denise and officer Fenwick from Greenacres police dept. contacted a supervisor Mike, in the finance/collection dept. at Nextell. It wasn't until Denise put officer Fenwick on the phone with Mike that he agreed to immediately credit our account. It would take twenty-four hour for the transaction to take place. Mike then told Denise to contact the fraud dept. at Nextell.

Denise then did as was instructed by Mike. Denise was contacting to fraud dept. because, it was clear to her someone used our numbers, it was no typo mistake. Someone was trying to rip us and or our bank off. We wanted to know who did this. We have the right to know who has stolen our numbers. We want to know why Nextel employees did not verify any of the information that was given to them. We know from the people at Nextel that our names were not present on the account that our numbers were used to pay.

We want to know what city or the town that was on that account so we could contact that police dept. Nextel will not cooperate with any of our requests. We have the right to know because we want to protect ourselves from future violations. Who knows what this person has stolen. We want to know why none of the employees at Nextel fraud dept. would not give us a last name when they were asked to do so. We also wanted to know the name of the sales rep. and dept. From where the order was taken, this too was denied. Nextel fraud dept. would not even launch an investigation until our bank disputes the charges, leaving us penniless until the proper paperwork is filed.

We charge that Nextel employees had received stolen information, and made no attempt to verify the numbers on the account, then converted it for their own use. This is not acceptable. On this point alone something needs to be changed in the way they do business. We charge that Nextel has no right to tie up our money for 24 hours and has already caused an overdraft and fees to automatically be imposed. Nextel employees refused to make good on these fees. We claim that because of this negligence our daughter's birthday plans were compromised. Plans were changed and money had to be borrowed to salvage our Festivities. When our now 7 year old asked why we could not do what we had planed it was very difficult to explain what had happen. This was very painful because she doesn't fully understand. She only knows now that mommy and daddy didn't keep there promise. She was very disappointed.

Ironically at one point when I asked a Nextel employee why the info was not verified the answer I received was for convenience. Whose convenience is that? I replied. We don't feel that "sorry", and a credit refund is sufficient enough retribution in this matter. We expect a full investigation is required by Nextel, our bank and local law enforcement. This is a major inconvenience for us. It has cost Denise a days pay trying to correct their mistake and get what was once ours back to where it belongs. We have been given bullshit excuses from Nextel employees and we don't like it. We have the right to know and protect ourselves. We would like to know if our numbers were stolen by a friend or someone we know or a business we deal with. How do we know what else this person will do. What other information he/she may have stolen from us. Nextel refused to release information to officer Fenwick telling him we will have to send a subpoena for any information. We feel like Nextel is protecting a potential criminal.

In closing we feel Nextel is as much responsible for this, as the person that has stolen our information. They did nothing to verify the information received and their business practices do nothing to protect consumers. Especially us, and we didn't even have an account with them. This goes far beyond putting the money back three days later, hopefully. We have chosen to keep our earnings in a reputable bank for our safety and protection of theft. Nextel has compromised our trust in the system. We no longer feel there is security to protect ourselves. The system we have come to rely on has fail us miserably. It's Sunday, 4/8/01 our money was taken on 4/4/01 and as I write this our $910.00 that we worked hard for, and pay our bills is not in our account. "Sorry", it was a mistake, is no excuse for causing a delay in our funds, payment of our bills, fees and the thing that really hurt, our personal free time together as a family. I fear that if this happen to us, it's happening to others. Monday, 4/9/2001 our account has not been credited. Tuesday, 4/10/2001 our account has not been credited. Denise spoke to Mike Ashton from Nextel today, he spoke with a Sonya from our bank. Mike says, he needed to verify (what a joke) that a hold has been put on the dispute process so a double credit does not occur. What happen to the credit that Mike was suppose to process on Friday? If we do not file a dispute the fraud dept. will not investigate. This is the procedure that has been explained to us. We cant have our money and an investigation too. Its one or the other. This sounds like a scam to me. A clever way to pass on taking responsibility.

4/11/2001 Still no credit to our account. Nextel sucks!

Sincerely yours,

Broke and stepped on Denise and Arthur Hoss

[email-masked]

iW4-11

Click here to read other Rip-off Reports on Nextel

Rebuttal
Submitted: 4/27/2001 Modified: 12/26/2001

Have you consulted an attorney

From:

Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2001 17:51:14 -0700

This email is a rebuttal to RipOff #4891.

It was sent by JustAnotherSlob at [email-masked].

Nextel wireless consumer Rip-off fraud - Nextel employees receive stolen information (#4891)

They filed the following rebuttal to the above Rip-Off Report:

Their email: [email-masked]

Their name: JustAnotherSlob

Rebuttal:

Have you consulted an attorney, the better business beareau, federal trade commission, you state attorney general's office (if this occured accrossed state line you may get the secret service involved). Have you considered filing in small claims court? Here's a link that may be useful to you:

http://www.classichits.com/dbww/main.htm

Good Luck,

(Keep Us Posted on the Status of Your Situation)

Rebuttal REBUTTAL employee
Submitted: 3/5/2002 Modified: 3/6/2002

Nextel customer service

My first comment on this is that people steal information everyday. Unfortunetly, there is no way to stop it. Yes, Nextel should have done moer verification, but don't blame customer care. We do not set up account and do help customers to the best of our knowledge. If we do not know the answers to your questions/problems we MUST place you through to a department that will be able to assist you.

Customer Care Reps do not wake up everyday and say "Let's try to ripe off customers". I do not take it personally what customers say to us, you make it peronal by saying Customer Care. Finance did what they were suppose to and by having the Supervisor credit your account. It was not because the police officer came online to talk with them.

To be technical, the Supervisor should not have given any ijnformation to the police officer what so ever. Police officer's need to send a subpeona to get information.

Just remember, Nextel is not the only cell company that makes mistakes. I take calls all day and hear from "you" customers and hear complaints about all cellular companies.

Rebuttal UPDATE Employee ..inside information
Submitted: 5/24/2002 8:07:20 PM Modified: 5/25/2002 5:05:02 AM

Nextel sux ..*EDitor's Note: This employee confirms Nextel's protracted efforts to Rip Off Consumers

On one hand, I personally take offsense to the generalization that all nextel employees are contributing in ripping off consumers. Actually most of Nextel employees are trying to help people.

On the other hand, Nextel is very unorganized, majorly has lack of communication, and some people especially affiliate sales representitives are making money ripping consumers off.

Also, on another note representives sometimes are frustrated and may have some attitude, pointing that attitude in the direction of the customer.

Yes, that may be wrong but consider the sh*t that we as customer care representives and other dept reps have to deal with because of the small percentage of bad nextel employees that f*ck everything up. Yeah, I tell it like it is.

Rebuttal REBUTTAL employee
Submitted: 6/16/2002 7:54:25 AM Modified: 6/17/2002 1:37:03 AM

DO YOU REALLY KNOW

First of all, It is not only Nextel, but everyone is feeling the crunch of identy theft. If someone has made new identification with your name. What is Nexel or anyone to do?? Second-Nextel customer care is not to give info to police over the care line, they don't know who they are talking to, it could be a stalker or anyone. Believe it or not there have been instances where people have been killed because of information handed out by scared customer care reps, when they here the word police.

Yes, The officer does have to submit a subpoena if he feels it is was a crime that was committed. That is the law and he should know it!! Yes, I do feel bad, but this happens to many companies,not just Nextel. But by law you can't just give out info, without the proper legal documents. suppose the police got your info without proper cause, you would be pissed, and screaming about injustice.

Rebuttal REBUTTAL employee
Submitted: 7/7/2002 5:35:50 PM Modified: 7/8/2002 3:51:14 AM

Nextel employee

I first have to say that there is alot of companies out there that I feel that I have got ripped off by too. I think everyone would have a company to list.

As a collection rep, I do my very best to verify any payment information that I process, and have caught people calling in payments that were lost/stolen ect. My job is to accept payments via check by phone, or credit card. It is a company policy that we are to verify certain information on the accounts, and I always ask who I am speaking with.

I often have family members, boyfriends, friends ect.. paying the bill for the customer. At that point,I basicaaly am processing a payment over the phone in which authorization was given from the "so called primary account holder". I have made attempts to call the bank to verify, and the bank will not take the few minutes to call the account holder's residents to confirm the transaction.

I do take caution with my job, and unfortunately things things will happen, but I feel that every company that is involved with the fraud transactions are somewhat responsible, and should take the extra measures to ensure security of all customers sensitive information.

REBUTTAL BOX

MY COMPANY HAS BEEN REPORTED!

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