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Nextel - Changing Contract Terms

Nextel • "Flexible contracts" • Cancellation difficulties • Billing disputes • "Free trial" • Sales practices • Insurance • Business customers --- News • NYC Sues Wireless Phone Companies for Deceptive Advertising • Consumer Group Sues Nextel, Cingular • Class Action Suit Filed

Aaron of Allendale MI (10/3/03):
I received my latest Nextel bill and there was a charge (only $0.15) for messaging service. Nextel recently sent out a text message advertising their text messaging service to me as well as several other people I know of and then charged me for it. I called to complain about getting charged for a text message that originated from them. After being on hold for 5 minutes they eliminated the charge and noted on my account to not receive text messages from Nextel.

I realize it is only $0.15 but if Nextel has 5 million subscribers and sends a text message out to every one of them advertising their text messaging service and then bills for that it adds up to a lot of money.

Dennis of Salem OR (6/4/02):
Nextel entered into a contractual agreement with a local association that I am part of to provide members with cellular phone services. The plan I signed up for provided 100 cellular minutes per month and 1000 free evening and weekend minutes every week. It also included free voice-mail, text messaging, and caller ID. The cost of this plan was $24.95 per month. I signed up for this plan in January of 2001. At the end of December, 2001, the 1000 minutes per week mysteriously disappeared. On May 24th. of 2002, I received a letter from Nextel (David McNaughton) informing me that older Nextel rate plans were eliminated and that I was being put on a new plan, effective in April!

The new plan provides me with 50 cellular minutes per month for $34.99. This plan was supposedly selected based upon my prior usage. The best part of the letter is the statement "If your current bill does not reflect the new rate plan, wait for your next bill and you'll see your new charges - prorated from the date they took effect." I called to cancel service on May 27, 2002. I was told that I cannot cancel service until the end of the billing period, which is June 14th. No proration here. I'm curious to know how a firm can retroactively increase charges and not allow any "out" for its clients. Reputable firms at least offer a notice of price increase.

This is a nightmare. My bill went from an average of $60-$70 to the latest bill which is $142.01. Nextel did raise my "Direct Connect Minutes" from 150 per month to 500 - not a big deal since this is one feature that I've never used! I've been overcharged since January, 2002, and feel that Nextel has arbitrarily decided to ignore the contractual agreement that they entered into with the association.

Sheila of Mechanicsville MD (10/23/02):
On October 10, 2002, my husband, who calls me every morning on my way to work, could not contact me by cell phone. On the phones we have direct connect, in which we can talk to each other without dailing the phone. My husband contacted me by direct connect and asked what is wrong with the phones. I did not know what he was talking about so I told him that I would try to call him and when I did, I did not get any connection. So I radioed him bach and told him I would contact Nextel today and find out what is wrong with the phones.

When I contacted the phone company and explained what was going on with the phones, he said, "yes the phone numbers have been changed ... they have been changing numbers in the area." I told him we wanted the phone numbers back because I used mine for business and emergency contact. He said not sure what happened but he will put a message that we wanted the same phone numbers back. We had numbers programed to our phones that we did not know what numbers were given to us, so my husband called our son to verify the number listed that was showing from his phone. Our son had given him a completed different phone number then what we had.

These phone numbers were numbers that we contracted when we purchased these phones. They have no right to take these numbers without our request to have them changed. I never called the numbers after they were taken away from us, but my family members and any other contact who we have with these numbers can no longer reach us. We have to try and remember every person who have those number and make them aware of the change.

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