ViaTalk charging pre-paid customers for E911 AGAIN

[actor90]

The ViaTalk billing system just tried to charge me $2.50 for: E-911 & Regulatory Recovery Fee. I am a pre-paid customer who signed up long before they created these fees. I thought VT Brendan said that we were grandfathered in and didn't have to pay these fees till the term of our original contracts were up? Has that policy changed?

[tilleyii]

Had the same thing happen. How do you contest the charge?

[lstotland]

Happening to me too!

[Tmart]

It happened to me too, i am on hold right now.

[Tmart]

Just got off the phone with a CS rep. He removed the charges and apologized.

[actor90]

I called and got it resolved in about 20 minutes. It was a billing error.

[hrtanya]

I apologize for any confusion, however the monthly fees are correct. Do you know which phone support representative you spoke to?

ViaTalk has been required to provide the services associated with those fees since November 28, 2005, however we delayed the instituting of these fees for as long as possible. If you elected to have a pre-paid plan with our service prior to October 2006, we allowed for a year grace period before implementing these fees, for your convenience.

All active accounts on the ViaTalk network will be billed a monthly fee in the amount of $2.50. The Terms of Service was updated with the new required fees last October, and it is posted on our website for your review. Again, I apologize for any confusion.

[TSull]

I'm sorry, but regardless of changing the TOS on the fly, the deal was prepaid customers did not have a 1 year grace, but a would start paying the fees on their next renewal.

[TSull]

Just to back up my statement, in the DSL reports forum thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17030433 ("ViaTalk TOS Change October 4 2006"), Brendan (VT CEO) states on 10/5/06 that:

"Just to clarify, nothing is being changed for anyone's existing contracts."

and again later that day:

"Any extensions and plans added or renewed after the fees went into effect, will be subject to them. They are billed seperately from peoples regular invoice, and will be easily identifiable on invoices."

In my case, I signed up for a buy one/get one in April 2006. I will not be paying this fee until the May 2008 billing cycle.

[Ptrowski]

I apologize for any confusion, however the monthly fees are correct. Do you know which phone support representative you spoke to?

ViaTalk has been required to provide the services associated with those fees since November 28, 2005, however we delayed the instituting of these fees for as long as possible. If you elected to have a pre-paid plan with our service prior to October 2006, we allowed for a year grace period before implementing these fees, for your convenience.

All active accounts on the ViaTalk network will be billed a monthly fee in the amount of $2.50. The Terms of Service was updated with the new required fees last October, and it is posted on our website for your review. Again, I apologize for any confusion.

Thank you for the reply Tanya, but according to Brendan himself there was not a 1 year grace period mentioned. It was we would not be charged the fees until we renewed our service.

I can't see how there would be confusion if a grace period was never mentioned?

[taylor2767]

I apologize for any confusion, however the monthly fees are correct. Do you know which phone support representative you spoke to?

ViaTalk has been required to provide the services associated with those fees since November 28, 2005, however we delayed the instituting of these fees for as long as possible. If you elected to have a pre-paid plan with our service prior to October 2006, we allowed for a year grace period before implementing these fees, for your convenience.

All active accounts on the ViaTalk network will be billed a monthly fee in the amount of $2.50. The Terms of Service was updated with the new required fees last October, and it is posted on our website for your review. Again, I apologize for any confusion.

Why are customers who prepaid for multiple yrs prior to OCt06 and did not recieve any BOGO bing charged?

[actor90]

I apologize for any confusion, however the monthly fees are correct. Do you know which phone support representative you spoke to?

ViaTalk has been required to provide the services associated with those fees since November 28, 2005, however we delayed the instituting of these fees for as long as possible. If you elected to have a pre-paid plan with our service prior to October 2006, we allowed for a year grace period before implementing these fees, for your convenience.

All active accounts on the ViaTalk network will be billed a monthly fee in the amount of $2.50. The Terms of Service was updated with the new required fees last October, and it is posted on our website for your review. Again, I apologize for any confusion.
Tanya, are your lawyers up there in New York familiar with Small Claims court laws in New Jersey? Because, if anyone tries to reinstate these charges, thats were I will be filling a claim. I'll be using your CEO's own posts on Broadband Reports as evidence of breach of contract.

[bmize]

So... What's the final verdict? I already don't have service half the time I should. If I'm going to have to pay additional for something that I shouldn't have to pay for at all, per VTBrendan, then I suppose I'll need to cancel.

[TSull]

I was told by the CS Rep I spoke with that the charge will be taken off and I will not have to pay this until my original pre-paid time is up.

I have not seen a change on my billing page in the two hours since we spoke. I hope he was not blowing smoke!

Tanya, please tell me this is a mistake and that prior statements from your company are not being reneged upon. I am one who made periodic posts for people to be patient during the SR fiasco - I hope you are not going to let us down!

[missilen]

Does anyone have more information about this charge? There was conflicting info about whether the change would be impose or not. Who would have the final decision? VT CEO?

[TSull]

Check DSL Reports thread here:
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r19265168-ViaTalk-charging-prepaid-customers-for-E911-AGAIN

Basically, they are changing the TOS that people who signed up prior to 10/15/06 agreed to. People in the (no longer) free year of their 2 year pre-paid plan are having to pay the E911/RR fees. Brendan offered a lame explanation and then disappeared. Tonya also touted the company line here and disappeared.

It is the hope of many customers that they honor the TOS in place at the time they signed up for their pre-paid plans.