Complain about a product or service

Z-Tel

Stacy of Anderson IN (5/1/03):
Almost every month I have problems with my voice mail service. They never inform you of the problem since it always seems to be their network, yet they constantly charge you for a complete month of usage. I don't feel that it is fair for them to constantly provide bad service, and still want to get paid the same rate as if they were providing excellent service.

I have been applying for scholarships and my voicemail is what keeps me in touch with my contacts who don't have access to the computer, I had letters and transcripts to pick up from persons who I had asked to be references. I am at work 9hrs of the day and can't always get to a computer to check e-mail

Florence of Newberry MI (3/19/03):
My phone bills from z-tel were running around $71 monthly, than they sky-rocketed to $300 and some monthly. I stupidly paid the first $300 and some because my cousin Henry was here and I thought maybe he may of used the phone more than what he told me. But when he was long gone and I got another one for $300 and some, I refused to pay. I tried getting hold of them, but was left on hold for what seemed to be forever and I ended up hanging up. Than the following month I recieved a phone bill from them for $600 and some (for that month and the previous month). Instead of calling, I sent a letter of dispute. It was months and I hadn't heard anything back from them.

Than today this guy calls me from some collection agency wanting me to pay the $600 and some. I told him about the letter of dispute, and not hearing anything back from them. I also asked him if he would pay if he felt he didn't owe it. He than tells me to pay $426 ($71 for each of 6 months). I refused.

Deborah of Jamaica NY (2/13/03):
I have copies of the correspondence that was forwarded to Z-Tel Communications requesting the downgrade of my service from $49.99 to $29.99. They are dated May 31, 2002, July 17, August 15 & 20, 21, 2002. I requested the change in March 2002, but I don't have record of this request. I was then told by someone from Z-Tel that they do not offer this $29.99 plan in New York.

This plan has been offered since March 2001 when I switched to Z-Tel on the $49.99 plan. I found I did not need the more expensive plan. This information for the $29.99 is in all of the promotional materials for this service. How can I get my phone turned back on?

Kamla of Rosedale, NY, writes:
I was slammed by the Z-Tel phone company. Z-Tel switched me from Verizon without my authorization. When I tried to contact Z-Tel i was unable to speak with a supervisor. The information that was given to me was that a telemarketer called between 12/26/00 and 12/28/00 and asked me to switch and I agreed, but that is impossible because I work 9-5 and I don't want to switch from Verizon.

John of Minneapolis writes:
Optimal Telecom recruited me in Sept 1999 to distribute their Optimal key phonecards to potential customers. I paid $495 to become a Business Representative for Optimal Telecom. Optimal Telecom is the business office for Z-tel Communications, Inc., a Delaware corporation which actually supplies the phone service.

I never received the so-called 100k workshop training that was supposed to be part of the package. No commissions were paid to me by Optimal Telecom even though as a customer as well as an agent I was being billed for the calls that I made. Furthermore, I was billed even for the first 30 minutes that were to be free, as an incentive for new customers to become acquainted with the card. Furthermore, the commission reports issued to me are full of discrepancies that OptimalTelecom never bothered to rectify this inspite of my repeated appeals.

I did not receive anything in return for the $495 I paid in to Optimal Telecom, spent a lot of time and energy promoting their product,and after all this Optimal Telecom is refusing to refund my money. I stamped my name and phone# on the phonecard holders I distributed to friends and strangers alike, and made a fool or a crook of myself in their eyes.

Anna of Queens, NY, writes:
This company set up a fraudulent account and billed me for telephone service since beginning of October, 1999. I contacted them on Nov. 3,4, 5, spoke with representative and no one ever responded to my complaints until sometime in Dec, 99.

One of the representative tried to verify my last 4 digits of my Social Security number and it wasn't mine. I have never given anyone permission in writing or verbally to set up this account. My local and long distance carrier was RCN since 1998.

No one at ZTel wanted to give out their full name and were extremely rude. On Feb 23, 2000, I had a 3-way conference with Ztel and My telephone carrier (RCN) and the guy named Kurt was extermely rude and never took any kind of information from me in order to do a search. Most importantly, Ztel shut down my dial tone without my permission. I am still receiving this bill from them. I am being forced to switch to Bell Atlantic and I am extremely worried that they will cut off my line here.