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ZPDI: Calling Card Calls

ZPDI • Feds Settle with BSG/ZPDI/Billing Concepts • Disputed Collect Calls • Expensive Collect Calls • Calling Card Calls • Hotel Room Calls • Scam Calls from Mexico • "Regular Carrier Unavailable" • Calls through Opticom --- • Congressional Action Needed to Stop ZPDI • You can fight back • ZPDI: What Can Consumers Do? • Consumer complaints about ZPDI and WXT Communications • Who's Behind ZPDI?

Laura of Cave City AR writes: (7/3/01):
I placed calling card calls from LA to AR. With each call I reached the answering machine and hung up, so the calls were about 3 seconds each. All together those two calls cost $28.75. I complained to the company and I was told they had to give a minimum charge. They did adjust my bill $9.00 but that still left me with $20.00 for 6 seconds worth of calls.

Johnnie of Valley Springs CA wirtes (6/27/01):
I was robbed by a company called Zero Plus Dialing Inc. I called my home from a pay phone in the same town using my Pacific Bell calling card. The two calls I made was less than 30 seconds long. The total bill from ZPDI was for $15.67. They charged for 2 minutes each call. This part is fraud because the calls were not that long. It is unrealistic for these price goudging practices. Were is our government protection from thieves?

I made a complaint to Pacific Bell and they said I will have to pay the bill as they are legitamate. I cut up my Pacific Bell card. If they want to be part of this fruad I refuse to support them.

Actually, Pacific Bell is not to blame. It's the owner of the pay phone who ripped off Johnnie but it's Congress that has done nothing for five years to fix the problem.

Barbara of Stone Harbor NJ (6/10/01):
While my husband was an inpatient at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia awaiting a liver and kidney transplant, he used our Verizon calling card to place outside calls.

In the beginning, the calls he placed went through AT&T and then we received a recording that the card could not be used. I contacted Verizon because we had never used this card before and I knew that we were current on our phone bill. I was told that I had to dial an 800 number and then follow the instructions. We did so.

Upon arriving home, we received a bill from Verizon which included ZPDI charges totalling more than $1200. Some calls were charged at a rate of over $4 per minute. I contacted Verizon and was told I would have to call ZPDI. I have tried on numerous occasions and only get a recording and then dead air. Verizon had threatened to disconnect our service. They finally agreed to send back the ZPDI charges to ZPDI and force them to deal with us directly.

To date (this is 4 months later), we have heard nothing. I am really frustrated about this. It is my belief that Einstein and Verizon share in this fraud being committed and I have so advised them. We were captive and didn't even know it. This situation caused us a tremendous amount of upset. We are having enough to cope with transplantation surgery, immunosuppresant drugs and all the stress and expense involved. Isn't there something that can be done about this ripoff? I have written to my Congressman and have not yet received a reply.

I have since come to understand that this ripoff is being perpetrated at hospitals, prisons and airports. This company is causing so many people in stressed situations a tremendous amount of grief. Hospital patients and prisoners have NO CHOICE but to use ZPDI - and chances are they don't even know it. We have always paid our bills on time and now we have a potential problem with our credit. We cannot afford to pay $1200 for these calls. We have tried to be fair and contact ZPDI to work our some arrangement about this bill - but no one answers.

Tracy of Jackson TN (2/2/01):
During December 2000 and January 2001 my husband made several calls from Arkansas to our home believing he was charging the calls to our BellSouth calling card. When we received our phone bill it was $510.00. According to BellSouth the service carrier for that area is Opticom and Zero Plus Dialing does their billing.

There were several calls on there for 4 minutes at $5.50 per minute, when he stayed on the phone less than a minute. For example he called home on 12/29 at 9:02 pm and then called my mother's house at 9:03 pm and they charged him for 4 minutes on each call. How can you charge 4 minutes between 9:02 pm & 9:03 pm? The total bill from them was $392.00. This is RIDICULOUS!

When I called to complain they would only credit me for $142.00. I know that that is a lot better than $392 and I also know that I have to pay for the calls, but what they charge is not right. My husband is the only one working and we can't afford to pay bills like this.

Sandra of Ohio writes:
My son works for a company that moves from state to state. In case of family emergency I ask that he keep in contact with me. While in Tampa FL. working he called me collect twice. One call 23 min. was $49.46 and the other at 15 min. was $37.93 plus tax. My bill alone from ZPDI/Opticom was $95.47. Needless to say I was in total shock! What resources do you have my filing a complaint? NONE if you don't pay your bill they shut your services off.

Stephen of Longview, TN, writes:
I was on my way home from Gulfport Miss. and had a busload of people and had to stop for fuel. When I did I called home, collect, to see if things were O.K. and talked for a total of seven minutes which came to $20.47. Which as many other people and I feel is robbery. Something needs to be done about this.

George of Teumseh, KS, writes:
My wife placed a 5-minute call from a phone at an RV park in Batesville, AR to our daughter in Topeka, KS. The bill from ZPDI was $29.72 Outragous!

Matthew of Hollister, CA, writes: While stranded in Lake Tahoe, I made several phone calls to my insurance company and my parents to let people know what happened. I just received my phone bill, and 10 phone calls cost $91.60. This is outrageous, and insults my intelligence as a consumer. ZPDI should be sued, and whatever license they need to conduct business revoked.

Susan of Winamac, IN, writes:

I made three direct dial calls from the hospital in Hobart, IN to my home phone where I have AT&T for my long distance carrier. I was charged $9.43 for a 2 minute call, $10.02 for a 3 minute call and $16.51 for a 14 minute call by ZPDI. I was never told by anyone when I placed these calls that I would be charged by someone other than my long distance carrier for these charges or that I would be charged such outrageous rates for these calls.

I called ZPDI to inquire about these charges and the costs. I also inquired as to why the calls went through them and not my AT&T long distance carrier. They said that when the call is placed you are informed of this information. I was never informed of any information. I directly dialed my home phone number from the telephone in my hospital room and the call went directly through without anyone informing me of anything. I do not feel that I should have to pay such an outrageous amount for these three long distant calls.

It doesn't matter who your carrier is at home. It's what kind of unsavory deal has been struck by the prison, hotel, hospital, airport or other public place you're calling from.

Ernie of Greensboro, NC, writes:
While traveling in St. Augustine, Florida, I placed four long distance phone calls to North Carolina that were charged to my Bell South Calling Card. I was stunned by the charges assessed by a company (unknown to me at the time) called Zero Plus Dialing Inc. (ZPDI).

The itemized charges for each of the calls were: (1) nine minutes for a charge of $26.08; (2) four minutes at $19.54; (3) six minutes at $22.49; (4) four minutes at $19.54. A total of 23 minutes cost $87.65 (not including taxes). The per minute charges range from $4.89/min. to $2.89/min. By contrast, on the same monthly bill, I was charged a reasonable $2.30 by AT&T for a twenty minute phone call from North Carolina to New York (no special long distance calling plan, either). For approximately the same amount of air time calling from Florida to North Carolina, it cost 87.65 --- taxes not included.

The cryptic explanation I got from ZPDI referred to some commentary about calls being handled through Opticom (who is this?). What is going on here? Where do I (and other victims) get relief from this apparently unregulated telephone rape? How can the FCC permit these practices and abuses?

ZPDI offered to credit $35, but I advised Bell South to suspend payment to ZPDI (payment will be suspended for 45 days pending a resolution).

Gene of Lakeside, CA, writes:
While visiting my father who winters in Myrtle Beach, SC, (at a hotel) I made three approximately 15-min phone calls using my Pacific Bell Calling Card number, When I received my bill, I was billed about $25 each for the three calls.

Vickie of Portsmouth, VA, writes:
While I was on business for our corporate office in Stone Mountain Ga, I kept in contact with my office in Chesapeake, Va and home via use of my calling card, then billed to my office number. My long distance was being handled by Sprint and my card had been issued through Bell Atlantic.

One minute calls to verify the arrival of a fax or to leave a message were billed on my next statement at $8.12 for a minimum of 3 minutes. One call was made from the hotel and one other from the airport, but the majority of the calls were made while at the Georgia office or from my desk phone, upon my return from Corporate to simply answer yes and no questions. This occurred in July of 1999.

The bills appeared in August and September for a total of almost $300.00. When I contacted Sprint, they told me to contact Zero Plus Dialing myself and/or Bell Atlantic since they had originally issued the card. Meanwhile, they could not answer for me why some of the calls I had placed using that same card, during that same time frame had been handled by them (Sprint) and the other calls had been intercepted by Zero Plus Dialing, at such an exorbitant rate.

Upon contacting Bell Atlantic, their customer service person hooked us up on a three way call with ZPDI's customer service to try and get an answer for me. For this I commend them. We were on the phone for almost 2 (two) hours. ZPDI's first explanation was that I had not entered a special code (not my pin number) upon placing the calls to ensure that Sprint was handling my calls. My question(s) to this was, once again, why is that some of the calls I made were handled by Sprint when I didn't enter this special code on them AND what was this special code?

The ZPDI rep said that the code was supposed to be given to me by Bell Atlantic when they issued the card because if I was not using it, I was taking a chance that any company out there could be handling my calls. When both the Bell Atlantic Rep and myself asked what was this special code, the ZPDI rep went into this song and dance about not being able to give it out. The Bell Atlantic rep put everything on hold to go get his supervisor and ask her if she knew of this special code, beyond the customer's pin number that is required to access one's assigned long distance company when placing a calling card call. The supervisor said no.

Then the supervisor asked the ZPDI rep for the code and once again, he could not produce it. The Bell Atlantic reps then asked to speak to his supervisor. We were put on hold for about 10 more minutes and then told that the supervisor was not available but that the case would be investigated and I would receive something in writing within 30 days.

After 30 days had passed, and no written word, I called back to be told that they had determined that since ALL my calls had been made from phone booths, there was no way I could be assured that Sprint would be my calling card long-distance courier. Note, as before mentioned, my phone records show that the majority of these calls were made either from my desk in Chesapeake, VA or from the Corporate office in Stone Mountain, GA.

Upon arguing this point, they offered to drop about $50.00 off the bill. Upon my refusal, they said they would continue the investigation and give me something in writing within 90 days from the date the complaint was filed. When mid-December had come, I began calling and questioning them again to no avail. Meanwhile, Bell Atlantic says they have done all they can do and that this disputed amount on my bill must be paid since no adjustment has been made from ZPDI.

How can this stuff go on with all of the rules and regulations? What is a person to do? I cannot afford to just give them this money, and if not, my long distance services get suspended. What is my recourse and what role does Sprint play in all this?

Paula of Oxford, NC:
I too am a victim of ZPDI's outlandish practices. I attended a three-week training session in Brunswick, Ga. During this time, I made calls to my family using my calling card. You would not believe my dismay when I received a bill for $908.27., $834.77 of which was from ZPDI, and $73.91 from Quest Comms Inc. This is unreal. The sad part about it, it seems to be a sanctioned practice by our government. At the very least, I should have been informed upfront what the charge would be prior to using these services. I can't believe there is nothing that can be done about it.

Jon of Washington DC:
A friend used my calling card from a Boston-area location (I live in Washington), and dialed 0+ without using the Verizon (then Bell Atlantic) or AT&T access codes. She placed one call for three minutes to a number in NY City. I was billed for TWO IDENTICAL three-minute calls at $15.03 each. This is for direct-dialed, non-assisted calls, a total of $30.06 for 3 minutes. Of course, ZPDI found "no evidence of double-billing," even though, right there on the bill, were two identical lines: same origin number, same number dialed, same time. How can someone use one phone, to make two 3-minute calls, in less than a minute? How much evidence do they need?

Of course, I complained to Verizon (again, then Bell Atlantic), and asked that ZPDI be disqualified from my calling-card account. I don't think it's right that they automatically accept billing from any provider - essentially, they pay ZPDI for you whether you want them to or not - but they couldn't do anything. I let the $30.06 balance float while I protested the charges, but ultimately had to pay them to keep my credit rating in good shape. So shame on the company that bills you $5 per minute, TWICE, on a non-assisted call, and shame on the Verizon for giving them carte-blanche to do so, even against a customer's wishes. Too bad because other than this my experience with Verizon/Bell Atlantic has been quite good. And, ALWAYS dial the access code for your preferred carrier.