Complain about a product or service

ILD - Long Distance

Sandra of Hutchinson, KS (9/29/05)
I received a telephone bill from SBC, my local and Long Distance Telephone Company. I had a charge of $ 6.08 from ILD billing on behalf of 10-15-15-800. I explained that I don't use 10-15-15-800 that I have SBC unlimited calling. Then the person from IDL said, "he would remove the charge". I will write SBC and let them know of this billing error.

Vernon of Galesville, MD (9/17/05)
ILD Teleservices, Inc. keeps billing my Verizon account $14.95 and will not stop.

Colleen of Newell, SD (9/8/05)
I visited a website and without my permission was signed up for service with ILD and billed through my phone bill. When I realized what happened I called an 800 number (which was not available on the phone bill) and was told ILD would credit my phone bill within two billing cycles.

Damages: This was an invasion of privacy. I thought I was signing up for "free" groceries.

Charles of Twentynine Palms, CA (8/18/05)
I am being charged by ILD on my Verizon phone bill for some thing called ILD Teleservices. I have had this phone 40 years and just started getting this charge in June & July. I paid it because I'm pretty old and need my phone if I have any medical problems.

Philip of Elma, NY (8/12/05)
I received unauthorized charges of $37.54 on my Verizon phone bill. I called ILD and spoke to someone that said a company named Tellis, that bills for downloaded music and/or games billed it. No one in my household has used these services.

Damages: I cannot afford to have $100 phone bills when I did not use their services.

Elaine of Graniteville, VT (7/29/05)
I was billed on my Verizon bill for ILD Teleservices, Inc. I have asked Verizon to remove this charge from my phone bill, as I have had no use for ILD services.

Lynne of Edmonds, WA (7/25/05)
My phone was billed for a service that I neither ordered nor authorized. I do not want or need this online service. When I called the phone number on my bill I was informed that it was a nonrefundable Setup Fee.

How can a so-called legitimate company like Verizon attach a piggyback bill and not be able to do anything about the complaints they receive? The phone company seems to have no control over what is billed, whether it is legitimate or not.

Irakli of Rego Park, NY (7/24/05)
My latest Verizon bill included an ILD Telemarket, Inc. charge for $16.21. I do not know this company and never dealt with them. I contacted Verizon, but they said they didn't know why I was billed by ILD, but they included the charge on their bill????

Patricia of Louisa, VA (7/15/05)
On my 07/08/05 Verizon phone bill, I got a charge for $23.32 for a call to Diego Garcia We did not make the call so I called ILD on 7/15 and talked to Stephanie. She told me that the call was made from our computer and we could not dispute it as they had caller ID.

When I told her I did not know any Diego Garcia she said that did not mean anything. I asked her if she could investigate the charge but she refused. She told me that she was going to put a block (on the line?) so we would not be charged again for the same thing.

John of Bayfield, WI (8/29/05): I received a charge of $12.25 on my local Centurytel phone bill. The charge was for a three-minute long distance phone call with a call type of OPER HANDLED. Long distance calls are blocked on this line. Centurytel confirmed that fact.

The ILD Teleservices representative, who spoke with a very heavy accent, explained that I must pay the charge. I told her the charge was exorbitant and that they were not authorized to override the long distance call blocking. She couldn't identify the person who made the phone call and did not offer to investigate. She simply stated that I had no choice other than to pay the charge. It's important to me that I make sure this doesn't happen again.

Debbie of El Dorado, AR (8/28/05):
I was billed for an ILD service of $35.98. When I called to tell them that I did not make the calls, their attitude was that there was nothing I could do but pay it if I wanted my phone services with SBC to continue. I was not given an explanation of what the charges were for.

Diane of Oceano, CA (8/22/05)
I received a charge in my local telephone bill from 10-10-275. I have never used 10-10-275. This is a fraudulent bill and I am not going to pay it.

Sheri of Reseda CA writes (3/7/02):
Beginning in October 2001, I noticed a charge of approximately $15.00 from ILD on my Verizon telephone bill. I contacted Verizon and they told me that I would have to take the matter up with ILD. I have tried to call ILD, but you get recordings at both telephone numbers that they provide.

I left my name and telephone number on one of the recordings and asked that they call me, but have received no answer. I did not order these services nor was I ever contacted with a confirmation notice of any kind. I do not know why they started billing me for a service that i neither want or need. I am going to try to contact them again and find out when I "ordered" the service.

Dennis of Vineland NJ writes (2/11/02):
I received my telephone bill for the month of Jan 2002, and on it were 2 local toll calls from Vineland. Each call was only 1 minute but the cost is at $4.60 each plus the tax, total is $10.03. I find this service charge outrageous and impossible as the call was made from this town to this town.

When I saw this charge on my bill I was in disbelief. I called ILD and told them I would'nt pay the bill and they said that they would knock the charges off my bill but allow 2 billing cycles for the credit to appear on my bill. I just feel that this is not something that anyone should have to deal with, checking utility bills so that were not getting ripped off. What happened to good old trust?

Gregory of Blacksburg VA (1/19/02):
I was contacted via telemarketer that offered me long distance service in-state and out-of-state at 6.5 cents a minute; he said there was no monthly charge. I have just received my first bill with the service and there is $1.00 universal service fee, $5.00 monthly fee and a $6.00 dollar setup fee. The rates I was quoted were 6.5 cents 8 am to 8 pm domestic and 13.5 cents other times and for calls to Taiwan anytime. The rates I was charged on my bill are 20 cents a minute for domestic and 19 cents for calls to Taiwan.

Sharon of Avenel NJ (12/21/01):
On my September telephone bill, I started to receive ILD Teleservices charges. I immediately called the company only to be informed to call TollFree Voice messaging Inc at 866-851-3353. On 9-21 10:50 I left a voice mail message and Cynthia, a representative, called immediately, She explained what the charges were but also informed me a credit would be processed with immediate cancellation of the account.

That was my last contact with this company. Numerous times I have called, only to reach a voice mail messaging system. No one returns phone calls. Today, 3 months after the promised credit issuance, I am still being billed monthly and carrying a large balance on my phone bill. I have contacted verizon to advise them of the disputed charges so my account would be noted appropriately. Numerous attempts to get this problem resolved with ILD Teleservices, the name of the biller on the phone bill, and TollFree Voice Messaging has been to no avail. This is frustrating,upsetting and time consuming.

Monica of Yuba City CA (12/3/01):
I received my phone bill on December 1, 2001, and noticed I my long distance company was switched. I never authorized such a switch. On December 3, 2001, I called the number on my phone bill (800-433-4518) and was told to call 1-866-207-3220. It took my 45 minutes to get through after being put on hold for the next available operator. My call was finally answered by an operator of the name of Martin who would not give me a last name or operator number.

I told Martin that my long distance company had been switched and I did not authorize that. Martin told me that someone else in my house hold could have authorized that change. I told Martin that I live by myself and my guests would not do such a thing. Martin then put me on hold for 10 minutes and then played a recorded tape with a voice that sounded like mine, giving my date of birth and authorization to make the change. Martin asked if that was my voice, and I said it sounded like it, but I could have not made the change because I am happy with the long distance company that I had.

Martin said if I wanted he would terminate my long distance with them, but that I still owed the $120.95 and would still owe more for the calls made between Nov. 4, 2001 through today. I told him to cancel my account with him and I wanted to be reimbursed. He then hung up.

The consequences are economic damage. Why would I change my long distance company when I pay 4.5 cents a minute to a company that charges 18 cents a minute. I cannot afford to pay .18 cents a minute and now I owe a long distance bill of $120.35 and that is not including what the next bill is going to be. I don't know how I am going to pay this.