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I need some advice. I have been trying since the end of April to cancel my account with Vonics and they are flat-out ignoring me. Their service stinks, they have phone outages frequently and I've had to get other phone service. However, they continue to collect the monthly service charge via my debit card! I'm really fed up!
I've asked that my money be returned (since May) and further charges to cease. No response. I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and they reported back to me that the company is no longer at the listed address. Well, they must be SOMEWHERE since they're collecting money!
I called my bank and asked if they could block the Vonics charge; they said no. I would have to cancel my debit card and get a new one with a new number to stop the charges. Great -- that means I'd be without my debit card for a week AND I'd have to call the other companies that use my debit card number for payments.
Can anyone think of another alternative or something I can do? The next Vonics charge is coming up next week and I need to act. However, in the off chance that they finally respond to me and try to refund my money, I hate to cancel my debit card. Getting a check out of them would probably be impossible.
Location: Georgia, on the Florida line, right above Tallahassee
10,471 posts, read 15,847,149 times
Reputation: 6438
Redoing this post... darn internet here in Kuwait is cutting out.
Determine how much more you will pay before you decide to change your card to a different number. I had the same sort of thing happen...except the credit card company wouldn't just "change" my credit card. They told me I'd have to work with the internet provider ( back in '94..think it was Netcom..who just kept charging and wouldn't cancel the account.....)
I promptly "lost" my credit card.
Yeah, it will be a hassle for you. Losing money is a bigger hassle to me
You could send them a certified letter stating you have contacted an attorney and he has advised you to send them a certifed letter stating that you want your account canceled immediately and all payments returned. You don't actually have to contact an attorney. Just mention that. In the mean time, though, you are losing money.
You could also send them a certified letter threatening to take them to small claims court. In some states, you can just file on line. They would lose more money defending the case than to offer you a refund. If they even show up, that is. In that case, a judgement would be made in your favor and you would get your money back..eventually...maybe. Unless they go bankrupt. Which crappy companies tend to do.
The easiest thing to do, really...is to just replace the card. For motivation, just imagine to yourself...that your debit card has been stolen (Which, in a way....it has.) and that you need to replace it so you won't be losing any more money.
Report the card "lost or stolen," immediately. Did that once and the card company asked me how I knew it was "lost or stolen?" I told them I knew it was the case because I had just broke their card in half, and tossed it out the window.
That will stop all billing to that account number, immediately. While the CC / Debit Card folks will send you a new card, with a different number, you can choose to just cancel the account, anyway -- since you already know they are dirt-bags who will not stop bad billing.
There is probably a lawsuit started for false billing started against the scam company. People PC was doing the same thing, and is currently under orders to refund money. Like that will happen.
I've been Googling and loads of people are having the same problem. No lawsuits yet, though.
I reread the terms of service on their website. I'm just going to have to cancel my debit card and get a new one so they don't really screw me over. Under the terms, I have to notify them that I want to cancel and get an authorization number to return the equipment. If I don't, they'll charge me a "cancellation fee" of $39.99 which would supposedly be refunded once they got the equipment.
The problem? They won't respond to my emails and send me an authorization number. Also, the address I have for them isn't any good -- I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau in Calif. and they responded that the company is no longer at that address. Yet, that's the address they have on their website. I can't even honor my commitment by sending back the equipment! I don't think there's any way I'll get my money back, either.
So, I have no choice but to close my debit card account and get a new one, I guess.
There is a lesson there as well. I never sign up for automatic payments. I am so afraid of something like you are experiencing happening that I won't do it even for the electric company.
They'll probably contact you if your card is "lost" and the charge doesn't go through... at least then you will be in contact with their finance/billing dept. to get your account canceled. It's a good idea to change your number periodically anyway these days.
Location: Georgia, on the Florida line, right above Tallahassee
10,471 posts, read 15,847,149 times
Reputation: 6438
When they send you a bill for the equipment, you could send them a bill for your time dealing with the problem. (You'll need names of people you talk to/numbers/dates/time estimates.) Don't have any names? No problem. Call their collections department, wait 'til someone answers the phone. Ask them their name or ID number. Then hang up. Let's say his name was "Jim." Note the time and date. Let's say "Aug 30th." ( You can also try and work with him if you like.)
When you send your bill (via certified mail), say you were working with "Jim" and mention that the last time you contacted Jim was August 30th at 5 PM.
Here's what is going to happen. Someone is going to recognize Jim. They're going to walk over and ask Jim what he knows. Jim won't know a thing. They're gonna wave a certified letter in his face and say "He's got your name/time and date and you were working then." Jim will not have a clue. Jim might get fired. Jim might not. Jim might actually check your account and say, "There's nothing on file." Which, incidently...is the original problem. Nothing is on file. Nothing had better be on file either, or a lawyer can get that in discovery. So, really Jim can't do squat except say "I don't remember" or "Maybe I did talk to them." Either way, management has a real problem now. You've got something on them and they have nothing on you. What's the quickest way to make the problem disappear?
Pay you your money & cancel your account. They might try to get you in collections. You take them to small claims court. No one can prove that you didn't talk to them...unless they record the phones. Still doesn't matter. You can just say they must have scrubbed your call. Believe me, no one is going to take it that far. Litigation will cost them 250-500 bucks an hour for an attorney. They'll be super happy if you just shut up and left them alone to screw the next guy.
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As for how much to charge...well, I estimate my time at $50 bucks an hour.
How much is your time worth?
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And if you're wondering...Yes, I've done this. Had to do it when my loan was bought by another loan servicer and they said I didn't pay my first months' payment. Long story. End result...I won.
Call in your debit card as stolen, they will reissue you a new card... new number and they no longer have it... they're FIRED!
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