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Know your rights, save your money |
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Tuesday, 19 February 2008 |
I have been burned by the man.
After only a year and a half in my apartment, I have thrown in the towel twice now against two utility companies who refused to treat me like a valued customer - as opposed to a guaranteed monthly check.
My first experience came when my local phone company repeatedly added services onto my bill that I had never requested.
I would call each month, explain my dilemma and ask the company to never do this again and to please remove it from my bill.
They would apologize, assure me it was a mistake and repair the bill -
yet they would continue to make the mistake until I was forced to cut
my service.
My latest experience has come from the cable television/internet
provider with a monopolistic hold over Boone. I have had serious
problems with receiving Internet and cable since moving in and the
company has done very little in providing a long lasting solution to
the situation.
After having to make yet another cancellation, I have learned quite a
bit about what a consumer of any age or income level can do to defend
themselves against a major company.
First, before you even begin a service with a company, check their
status with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in your respective area.
This will let you know if they are registered with the BBB, how many
complaints have been filed against them and whether or not the BBB
considers the company’s services as satisfactory. This step alone could
save you numerous headaches.
But what if you are already experiencing problems and step one has come too late?
Then you need to go to the company itself first. You should make sure
to gather all documents relating to your issue, including bills,
letters from the company, copies of letters that you have written to
the company, etc. and inform them of the issue and your evidence.
According to consumerlaw.org, you should make sure that as you are
trying to handle things with the company, you record the name of each
person you talk to, the employee’s title, the time of the call and a
summary of what was said.
If the person you are talking to is not providing you with enough help, then ask to speak to their supervisor.
If you have done all of these things and your problem still has not
been solved, it is time to go to someone with more authority. First,
make sure to report the company to the BBB so others can be warned and
also to make sure the company must take responsibility eventually.
You should also look into reporting the company to the North Carolina
Department of Justice (NCDOJ) or to your local government.
According to ncdoj.com, you can decide who to go to by checking your
bill. If the bill says “complaints should be filed with the Attorney
General’s Office,” then the business is a state-issued franchise and
you should report them to the NCDOJ.
If this statement is not on the bill, then it is probably a local
franchise company and you should complain to your local government on a
town/city or county level. If you are having trouble distinguishing
which one your company fits in, the NCDOJ is willing to help you if you
contact them.
If the governmental agency you contact finds your case to be a valid
one, they will hold the company responsible for making necessary
repairs or refunding or crediting any money you are entitled to.
Another important thing to remember is that your utilities cannot be
shut down if you have a legitimate billing dispute. The company can,
however, require that you pay any amounts that are not being disputed.
While I’m sure these are not all the things consumers can do to protect themselves, it is a start.
Students should remember that although this may be your first time
paying bills or handling companies like this, you are still entitled to
the rights of any consumer and you should not be bullied around because
of inexperience.
Learn what you can do now and save yourself time, money and headaches in the end.
Lindsay Craven, a senior advertising and journalism major from Pilot Mountain, is a lifestyles reporter.
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