Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Off Topic Was I Wrong?

When I was younger and eager to please others the story I'm about to relate would have a different ending. An ending in which I graciously acquiesce to the demand that was made. But I didn't and, while I'm waiting in limbo to see what happens, I thought I'd take an informal poll of a diverse group and see just how reasonable/unreasonable my response was.

The setup: I work for a very large non-profit group of hospitals and clinics. Actually, I'd put the words "non-profit" in quotes, since, really, those guys are out for every freakin' penny they can get. One of the few perks of my job is a free phone every couple of years and unlimited minutes and texting for $10 a month. A couple of years ago my company started allowing people to get iPhones, but you had to pay for the phone and it was $25/month for the data plan. Which, don't get me wrong, is still a very sweet deal. When turning in your old phone, you got a $100 credit towards your new phone. I always picked the cheapest phone so I never had to pay. My phone came due for replacement last April, but I liked it and I saw no need to trade up.

All my co-workers started getting iPhones, but I was less than impressed. It didn't seem worth the extra moola. Then they announced that, as of the end of the year, there would be no more credits for trade-ins. I gave in to peer pressure and agreed to get the base model iPhone 4 with 8G of memory. My bosses tried to talk me into upgrading and getting the 4S, but I really didn't care if my phone could talk back to me.

A few days later the guy from Telecom called me to say that I was eligible for up to 16G and the 4S version. I said I wasn't interested. He pushed and said that it was free and I might as well take advantage because, after December, the deal was going away. I gave in and had to wait an extra two weeks for my shiny new iPhone 4S with 16G of memory.

Fast forward about a month to today. I had just pulled into the driveway when my phone rang. The phone number was from the corporate office so I answered it. It's the guy in Telecom and he's very sorry, but I was never eligible for the upgrade to the 16G and I owe them $70, to be paid at my convenience.

We went the rounds a couple of times - it was his fault (he said that repeatedly), he was very sorry, but that was the way it was. I asked if I could trade the current phone for the one I originally requested (the one that truly would have been free). He said that wasn't possible.

"So," I summed up for him, "it's your fault, but I'm the one who has to pay for it. How is that fair?"

His answer? "Life isn't fair."

To say I saw red is putting it mildly. Some little switch tripped over inside me and I politely told him that it was really his problem and I wasn't going to pay $70 to correct it. He said he'd get in touch with my boss and see "what else can be done".

Was I wrong to dig in my heels? Is it PMS? The fact that I'm saving every dime for a trip in April? The principle of the matter? What would you have done?

Honestly, you were most def. in the right to object to paying. I used to have SO many issues with my phone company. I don't know how it works in your circumstance because you are going through a larger company, but if you complain enough (with a professional but stern manner) and speak to supervisors or threaten to cancel your plan with them entirely, they usually throw you some free perks and comp you account for whatever bogus fee they're trying to charge you for.

Telephone companies, cable companies, etc they all these departments that are trained to basically bend over backward, and give you anything they possibly can by rearranging things in order to KEEP your business. So don't accept their mistake at all. You have every right to fight that and you should def. so. You might even go to your boss yourself and tell him/her the situation before the phone company does so. Also, most of these phone calls are recorded for quality assurance, so if you/your boss wants to fight it, it shouldn't be hard to tell the supervisor that you'll have the recording brought up in small claims court and fight the extra fee because one of their representatives misinformed you when it is his JOB to provide you with accurate information regarding your account.

It also kind of sounds like the old bait and switch deal. A lot of companies like to scam you by saying you can get the upgrade like they did and then tell you they were wrong and you need to pay. You can't return the phone because you've expired the return length in their policy etc etc. Don't pay it! This is THEIR problem, not yours.

On a side note, how do you like the 4S? I heard it was having some battery issues and that the voice thingy doesn't work well in Canada, so I just got the 4G, personally.

Same as you, Sue. Sounds like a bait and switch to me. Contact his manager. He made the mistake, he admitted he made the mistake, and you shouldn't have to pay for it. If they still insist, I would go higher up in the company until they cave. And they will, you weren't in the wrong, they were.

I had an insurance company go a few rounds with me when I brought my new husband onto my health insurance plan when we were first married. They insisted that they couldn't recognize our marriage certificate because we weren't married in the states. After a few phone calls, I pulled "if it (the foreign marriage certificate) was good enough for the US government, why isn't it good enough for you?" That shut them up and I never had another problem with them again.

Sometimes the big corporations think they can do whatever they want because they are big. But stand up to them and the rest of us will start sewing up a big giant "S" crest for your chest. (That of course, would be for your "Super Sue" uniform. )

I would have done exactly what you did: Offered to meet them halfway in rectifying the problem by trading down to what I had originally wanted and what I *was* entitled to for free. Then, when they refused, I would have politely but firmly told them to take my trade-in offer or leave it; either way, I would not be paying the extra fee which I had not only never agreed to, but which I had never even been told about.

Good for you for standing up for truth and justice!

Joy,
Lynn

Damn right you did! Why the hell should you pay for his mistake? Definitely sounds like a deliberate scam to me. Don't cave in to the little gits!

LabRat

You're in the right Sue. What will they do if you refuse to pay? Take away your phone? Well, that's what you wanted in the first place. Then you could get the other phone you originally wanted.

I agree with the others. Talk to your boss first about the situation.

You're in the right, so don't give in. It was a very poor customer service that got you into this mess and you are completely entitled not to pay a cent for a product you were practically forced to acquire.

Life isn't fair?! Great answer from someone who sounds really incompetent to me. I'm not aware of how things work in the US but don't you have complaints books and consumer rights services? Couldn't someone working in one of those areas advise you on how to proceed to exert your rights in the most effective and painless way for every part involved?

You can always talk to your superiors and make them aware of the situation, like someone on this board suggested. I think it's a wise advice and would probably be a sure way of settling the matter (or at least a starting point).

Anyway, good luck!

Thanks, you guys!

I was so frustrated that night and I was all alone at home with no one to vent to about the situation.

I have an update - I got an email from my boss this morning to tell me that the whole thing had been cleared up and I didn't have to pay the $70.

Just to clear up one thing - it wasn't an independent phone company, it was the telecom department of the company I work for that contacted me. So it wasn't a scam since, if I had had to pay, it would have been to a cashier in Accounting and not the guy in Telecom.

Thankfully my boss also thought it was grossly unfair and backed me up.

Congratulations on having the situation satisfactorily resolved.

Joy,
Lynn

I agree with all the others. You were completely right and they don't have a leg to stand on. Just trying to force you to pay some money.

A few weeks ago, my father wanted to cancel our cable TV service, because we don't use it anymore. When he called (or went there? Not sure) to ask them to cancel our subscription, they offered to lower the price. He cancelled nonetheless, and then came back to tell us that even if he didn't have the intent to cancel before, he would have cancelled right after they offered to lower the price. He found it very cheap on their behalf that they'll keep charging you regular price if you're a regular customer of years, but they'll lower it if you just say you don't want the service anymore.

ETA: I was writing as you posted your update! Glad to know it's all solved.

I had this happen with my previous ISP and made the mistake of accepting the offer and staying with them for a couple more years, during which time their service slowly deteriorated to the point that I was already looking for an alternative last summer when they suddenly announced that they were unable to continue to serve my area and would discontinue it later this month. I've now switched to another that charges less than their discount rate and gives a faster reliable service.

I think I'm going to have to take a very close look at my current insurance company too - I've let it coast for too long without getting comparative quotes, and they are fairly slow settling claims.

Originally posted by Anna B. The Greek
A similar thing happened to my dad. He complained about our cable service for months, then finally decided to cancel it. They charged us the cancellation, and sent a technician. The worst part was that the guy was so skilled that besides cutting our cable signal, he also cut our link to the external antenna (so we couldn't connect the tv to the regular service) and the company never assumed the mistake.

Now, every time someone from that company calls us with a promotion for old customers, or an unfortunate (and unsuspecting) sales person from said company happens by our door just to advertise the amazing offers of the season, my father goes ballistic and points all the disservice that was made to his family by the cable provider untill the person on the other side wants either to disconnect the call or run away.Yay for dad. I'm usually a peaceful person but I just get a kick out of this. Every single time.

This is typical for most companies. They want to keep your business, and they'll try almost anything to keep it. The cheaper prices are usually promotion rates, and will go back up after a certain amount of time, pretty much like they offer new customers. Theoretically, you can call again every time the promotion ends and get another promotion, but some companies have a limit of how many promotions you can get or have a wait time after a promotion ends.

If there's a handbook for customer service out there I'm sure rule #1 is: Never tell a customer that life isn't fair. I believe in turning the other cheek (to a human) and forgiving slights against me (by a human) but corporations aren't humans--they're legal entities that live on money. They're the aliens next door and there are good ones and bad ones--this service rep shows that he works for a bad one. On the other hand, a good company can take a situation like this and win a customer for life by treating you well.

Ditch them, return the phone or fight with them but I wouldn't send them a cent.