Startec Global Communications Inc

Review: We were away from Canada for an extended period of time during this summer. When we came back we noticed that Startec, which was our long-distance service provider, has disconnected/cancelled our service because we missed one payment. We called to discuss the overcharges on the bill, and make a payment, but after being transferred over to different departments for about an hour, our request was rejected. We basically asked to have the charges on 1-2 minutes calls which were not gone through reimbursed to us. Because our service was disconnected for a period of two months (starting August 27 according to Startec), we also asked to have the monthly service charges for those two months removed from the bill, because no service was provided for which a service fee being charged.

We are requesting an immediate adjustment to our bill, equal to the amount of overcharges, so that we can pay the correct balance subsequently.Desired Settlement: We are requesting an immediate adjustment to our bill, equal to the amount of overcharges, so that we can pay the correct balance subsequently.

Business

Response:

**. [redacted],

I have been In contact with [redacted] and we believe that any concerns the customer may have had have been addressed and resolved.

Regards,

Review: I would like to launch a formal complaint about the Startec long distance company for charging their customers minimum usage fee and cost recovery fee. This fee is charged to me whenever I don't reach their requirements usage long distance and percentage amount for the recovery fee. When I signed up this acct, they didn't told me that they will be charging me extra fees such as minimum usage fee if I don't reach the $5 usage and recovery fee, this was not disclosed to me. I have an online statement and I don't monitor my online statement, until recently that I noticed they are overcharging me for only few minutes of long disctance and startec doesn't want to refund me for the overcharges they made. I will enclosed a chat conversation and a billing statement with you. On this billing, is just an example of the fee they charge me each time I don't reach their minimum requirement of $5.

=====Chat =============

Hello my name is [redacted]. Thank you for contacting Startec Customer Care.

[redacted]:

May I have your telephone number beginning with the area code please?

** :

Hi there

** :

[redacted]:

Thank you. Can you please verify your name and address?

** :

i'm wondering why are you charging me usage fee and other extra charges

[redacted]:

I will be happy to help you with that.

[redacted]:

At this point I need you to verify your full name and your full address.

[redacted]:

May I have that information please?

** :

[redacted]:

Thank you so much for that information. I can see that you are contacting us to inquiry about some fess.

** :

yes

[redacted]:

I am sorry, I meant to say fees.

[redacted]:

Is that correct?

** :

yes

[redacted]:

I see. Allow me a moment while I check the last bills please.

** :

k

[redacted]:

Thank you. Stay online please.

** :

k

[redacted]:

Thank you so much for waiting.

[redacted]:

I am checking right here on my system that you are receiving a minimum usage fee because you have a $5.00 minimum usage requirement according to your plan, and since this amount was not reached, there is a charge for that.

[redacted]:

Also, I am able to see that the account is in blocked status, I am able to see some declined payments.

** :

I just changed my credit card info because the last card was put on hold due to fraud

** :

so are you saying, in a month I don't use the long distance I will have a charge

[redacted]:

Actually, if the service is not used, you will not be charged.

[redacted]:

You plan does not have a monthly fee.

** :

that sucks why you have to charge if I don't reach %5

** :

it's a no monthly fee acct

** :

I should only pay what I use

[redacted]:

Well, it is not a monthly fee. A monthly fee is a fee that you always pay, even if the service is not used.

[redacted]:

What happens is that we have plans with monthly fee or minimum usage requirement.

[redacted]:

The plan you have, does not have a monthly fee, it has a minimum usage requirement, and there is no charge if the service is not used.

[redacted]:

If you want to, you can open a different kind of account without monthly fee or minimum usage requirement.

** :

ok...if that is the case...pls process the balance and just cancel our acct

[redacted]:

So you do not have to worry about these fees anymore.

** :

you even charge me even I reached $5

** :

feb 2012, you charged me 0.96 fees

[redacted]:

I understand.

[redacted]:

Let me go ahead and find that bill please.

** :

please review my billing statement with you and I want to have a credit for your overcharged on my acct

** :

and after you do that, I want to cancel my acct with you

[redacted]:

Yes, I am checking the records right now.

[redacted]:

I apologize for all the inconveniences.

[redacted]:

And also, as I told you before, you can get a service without monthly fee or minimum usage requirement.

** :

I don't like your minimum usage requirement, that is a scam

[redacted]:

I understand, and that is the reason why I give you an option without that fee.

[redacted]:

So you do not have to pay for it even if you use only $1.00 per month.

[redacted]:

I was checking the bill dated on **bruary 9th, 2012, I did not see any minimum usage fee.

[redacted]:

The fee of 96 cents is the Carrier Cost Recovery fee, and also, there is a discount on the bill that was applied there so you do not pay that fee actually.

[redacted]:

Also, with a prepaid service, which is the account without monthly fee or minimum usage requirement, does not include charges for Carrier Cost Recovery **e at all.

** :

what is that career cost recovery fee that you are charging

[redacted]:

The Carrier Cost Recovery **e which is 11.9% of your calls, helps Startec recover costs associated with providing state-to-state and international long distance services. These costs include access charges assessed on Startec by local telephone companies, regulatory compliance charges, and the cost of terminating calls to International destinations.

[redacted]:

However, you actually did not pay for that, since there is a discount of $1.09 on that bill.

** :

april 2013 - minimum usage fee 4.60

** :

I don't like the idea that you are charging extra fees

[redacted]:

That happened because there is a usage of 40 cents.

** :

this is a scam

[redacted]:

I deeply apologize for all the inconveniences.

[redacted]:

At this point, we can give you a service without monthly fee, minimum usage requirement and Carrier Cost Recovery **e.

** :

when I signed up the acct, the rep didn't say that you are going to have an extra charges

[redacted]:

So you do not have to worry about this anymore.

** :

no, I want you to refund the extra fees that you have overcharged me

[redacted]:

I understand, and once again I apologize.

** :

if you don't refund my i'm going to complain to the FCC

[redacted]:

You told me that you want a credit, so in that case what we can do is to give you a courtesy credit of $5.00 if you decide to remain with us with a prepaid account so there is no monthly fee or minimum usage requirement.

** :

No....I want my money back for the overcharged that you charged me...

** :

a straight question...can you refund me for the overcharges you made or NO?

[redacted]:

At this moment, it is not possible. In order to dispute the charges there is a time frame of 30 days after the invoice date.

[redacted]:

Any charges not disputed within 30 days of the invoice date will be considered accepted.

** :

Ok.

[redacted]:

So at this point, we can give you this courtesy credit if you would like to continue with a prepaid account.

[redacted]:

Remember that there is no monthly fee, or minimum usage requirement.

[redacted]:

Also, you will have the lowest rate we offer.

[redacted]:

Are you there?

[redacted]:

Are you still there?

[redacted]:

Anybody there?

[redacted]:

Since anybody is there, for quality reasons I must leave the room. Thank you for contacting Startec Customer Care.

[redacted]:

Have a good day.

[redacted]:

Good bye.

[redacted] left this room.Desired Settlement: I want my money back for the extra fees they have collected to me since I signed up the account.

Business

Response:

[redacted]