Activating Google Voice On My New Verizon Account Somehow Undoes Cancellation Of My Old T-Mobile Plan

For several years, Consumerist reader Bryan and his wife were happy with their T-Mobile service, but after some recent dissatisfaction with service, they decided to jump ship to Verizon. Everything seemed to be go fine and dandy when Bryan called to cancel service — and then he got his final bill from T-Mobile.

Spotting some problems with the bill, Bryan called up T-Mobile. This is from the Executive E-mail Carpet Bomb he just dropped on the T-Mobile brass:

We explained our concern and he informed us that our second line, my wife’s line, had not been cancelled. Over the course of the conversation [the T-Mobile CSR] indicated that despite the cancellation order, which we believed was our final wish regarding the account, a call forwarding request had been initiated, apparently when my wife set up Google Voice on her new Verizon phone.

He further insisted that despite our fervent wish that the line be cancelled, because call forwarding was currently active in the new billing cycle we would be billed for the entire monthly cycle until September 18. This even though we were speaking to him tonight, August 25, and expressing that we wanted absolutely no service on that line and had already asked that no service continue the previous month.

I am flummoxed that T-Mobile would allow a software application to activate a feature on a line that a customer has requested be cancelled, and do so without calling to consult with the customer or ask for any confirmation. It allowed this software request, in effect, to override my specific, oral instruction to your customer service representative. I’m further astounded that, despite my offer to pay a prorated fee for the last six days of service in this current cycle, your representative would insist that we must pay for the entire month, even though it had never been our wish to continue service into this cycle, as I had stated expressly in the last cycle.

Additionally, Bryan says the CSR refused to offer any proof regarding this request for call forwarding and that he referenced billing statements Bryan says do not exist.

“I will not pay for services that I expressly requested be cancelled,” he tells the T-Mobile execs. “I don’t think any of you would either if you were in my shoes.”

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