Complain about a product or service

Direct One Communications LLC

P. O. Box 11968, Santa Ana, CA

Getting things straightened out with Direct One isn't as direct as one might hope. Ask Walter of Myrtle Beach (4/14/03):
I don't know the company, they are billing me $61.02 for a service I didn't request. I received no letter like other people, nor did I even know it was for long distance. I have IDT and asked them to place a "pick freeze" on my account so I wouldn't get "SLAMMED" but it happened anyway. After I saw the debit on my card I put "Direct One, LLC" in my Google toolbar and guess whose address was first on the list -- Yours! Is there any wonder? I have notified my bank via email and hope to hear from them tomorrow. thanks for your efforts as well.

A follow-up from Walter (4/29/03):
I called to see if my $61.02 was scheduled to be refunded to my card. I was told when I called the 17th of April, 2003 that it would take 7-10 days. Andrew informed me that it would be TWO BILLING CYCLES which translates into 21 days to a month! Not at all satisfied with that I asked to speak to his supervisor and he said, "I am not going to transfer you to my supervisor" After dealing with more of what I considered rude behavior I asked for his operator number. Since I spoke at the same time he did I asked again to clarify that I had it correct as being "02". He said, "For the second time it is 02". That is the rudest I have ever been treated!

Although he did inform me that he sees the refund in the works I have been charged the $61.02 that I commented about in a previous comment and then called back and was treated rude. Bounced 3 checks and I am still out the $61.02 Direct One said they would credit my card.

Many of those who write to us don't know how Direct One got their credit card number. But Kim of Lubbock TX (4/25/03) may have it figured out:
Back in December of 2002 I was contacted by phone by DirectOne to take part in a Long Distance plan available to Chase Platinum Mastercard customers. I told the person several times in the course of the conversation I wasn't interested. They sent me the plan anyway. Upon receipt of the letter in the mail I immediately called DirectOne to cancel. They did not give me a cancellation number but told me that the plan was canceled and no charges would be made to my credit card.

In Febuary of 2003 I received my Chase statement with charges totaling $68.69 from this company. I called Chase who told me I had to talk to DirectOne who in turn told me I had to talk to Chase to get these charges taken off of my account. Finally after half a dozen phone calls I was told it was canceled, was given a cancellation number and was told it would take a couple of billing cycles for the charges to be removed. Two billing cycles later the charges are still there plus finance charges!

I again called Chase who put me back in contact with DirectOne. The latest DirectOne representative tried to tell me that I did not notify DirectOne within the cancellation period and that he couldn't have the charges taken off my card. After a very long and heated conversation he finally agreed to take the charges off and gave me yet another cancellation number. I have also written letters to the customer service departments of Chase and DirectOne to verify that this has been done.

Meredith of Chargin Falls OH (4/23/03):
Every month my credit card statements are e-mailed to me. One April 22,2003 I looked at my new statement. I had a charge from Direct One LLC of Santa Ana, CA, for $61.02. I had no idea what this could be for. So I disputed the charge with my credit card. Then since there was no number listed with the charge on my statement I turned to the internet. I found this site, and began reading these complaints. I found a number in one complaint that worked. Only I ended up getting some supervisors voicemail. They didn't even have the supervisor's name on the voicemail.

After that I called my credit card again. They told me I had probably accepted a pop-up while being on the internet. Once I got off the phone I realized that was immpossible, the day it says my credit card was charged, my computer was in being repaired. And it's not like the repair techs used my credit card, I don't pay them out of my personal account it is a work computer, my boss gives them a check. Not to mention Direct One LLC is a long distance company, I don't even have a land line in my name to need long distance.

Parshtoam of Cincinnati (4/28/03):
This company has charged $61.02 on my credit card without my authorization. I can not find the phone number of this company. I do not know what to do. I feel my privacy has been violated because I never accept any offers on the phone or on the internet.

Parshtoam should contact his credit card company immediately and dispute the charge.

Dan of Orange NJ (4/27/03):
I just happen to check my bank account and an amount of $61.02 had been deducted. I'd never even heard of the company. I went online to trace the company and your website came up with testimonies of others who'd been victims of this scheme.

Katherine of Pittsfield MA (4/27/03):
I know very little information about this company only that my account was charged for something that I didn't give anyone permission to use. This is a scam. I went to my bank to get this taken off and it took me 10 days to get this taken off and now I've been charged it again. Do something about this. I think this is not right.

Nancy of De Pere WI (4/26/03):
As with other customers, I was phoned by someone and asked if I would like a free 5,000-minute calling card. There was no obligation to buy anything or sign up for anything. A week later, I received a letter thanking me for enrolling in DirectOne long distance service which I did NOT enroll in. The letter says that I will be billed $54.90 a month for this plan. I tried calling the phone number on the letter for customer service (1-800-665-5276) and the number is not in service. There is no address on the letter for me to write them. I know it was in Utah because that's the number that was on the caller id when they called.

Edna of Decatur GA (4/19/03):
I was looking at my bank statement and noticed a charge was there for $61.02. Now I know I did not make any charges because I have been unemployed since December of 2002 and I don't have the money to charge anything. I called my bank to inform them of the dispute, they gave me a 714-384-7800 number to Direct one, which I can not get any one. I have never heard of this company. If they are a long distance why would I need them I have my long distance with AT&T. I need my money back. I can't pay my bills because I am not working. That money was going to be used to pay my gas bill, and now it will have to be turned off if I don't get it paid.

Richard of West Chester OH (4/14/03):
Direct One charged my account twice ($61.02) under two seperate "promotional: accounts. The first charge was under VOIPTALK, 800-435-8034 and the second was under FREE5000MINUTES.com D1COMM CYPRUS CYP. I traced each transaction back to Direct One but the contacts were separate and they each disclaimed knowledge of the other. When I demanded credits, they indicated that they were issued, however I have not seen them as of this writing.

To my questions, the Customer Reps (billing agencies only) indcated that the credit card charge was probably connected to another online transaction (I believe it was Vista Print for business cards). It looks like through a pop up, if you go farther to find out more about the offer, they have already charged your account! Do not accept or ask or indicate anything... just close the pop up!

Joseph of Neenah WI (2/15/03):
On 2/14/03 our debit card was billed $61.02 for long distance service. We did not authorize anyone to change our long distance service to Direct One Communications LLC nor do we know who was authorized to give out our debit card information. On 2/10/03 we received a letter from Direct One Communications LLC thanking us for enrolling with them for long distance service.

We tried calling the toll free customer service number of 800-863-8667 and the recording said that number is not in use at this time. We want to cancel this service with Direct One, and have 10 days to cancel it in, but the number to call to cancel is inactive so as to prevent us from cancelling, how convenient for Direct One. We can't cancel so they can continue to bill our debit card $61.02 per month for something that we didn't authorize in the first place. I currently pay $47.10 through my current carrier, why would I want to switch to someone that's charging me $61.02 a month.

According to my bank, they have to allow the transaction to go through. We want to cancel the transaction and don't want to be with them as a long distance carrier. The sooner we get this resolved and get our $61.02 back in our account the sooner we will be happy campers again. The $61.02 that was drawn out caused by checking account to incur overdraft fees of $25.00 per ck that couldn't cash because of that $61.02 not being in my account totalling $50.00, so I'm actually out $111.02.

Kathleen of Charlotte NC (2/17/03):
On the internet I recieved an email to get a free long distance card for 30 days and then they will bill you if your account is still active. I received the card a week later and then my credit card was billed for $61.02, it was overdrawn because of this charge that I didn't authorise. I wasn't even a member for 10 days. I called the CS # listed and that was disconnected so then found there long distance # and the recording said if you've been mistakenly billed and would like a refund to contact 800-435-8034.

Left several messages with the Reps for a Supervisor to call me back. Its been a week and half and no return call. Called again on 02/17/2003 and talked to Supervisor Sari at 800-435-8034 ext 4040 and she said that they would credit account but in 10 days. Also said it wasn't their fault. Explained to her I just got card and it was billed to cc and she said well it's canceled and credit in 10 days.

Andy of Bogata TX (2/15/03):
I recieved a notice from DirectOne Communications that I had been signed up for a long distance calling plan. They would bill me each mont for 49.95 for serv ices. I have never heard of nor signed up with DirectOne. I am trying to find a number to contact them as the number they gave me for service or discontinuance of service is not a working number. I can not even find them on the internet except through some marketing service and when I click on that link I am told it is no longer a valid link.

Suzanne of Brookhaven PA (2/12/03):
Somewhere between Jan. 25, 2003 and Feb. 5, 2003, while on-line I responded to a "pop-up" or "pop-under" ad for a "free-trial" of a discount long-distance service. I clicked on the hyperlink for the ad. It stated I could "try the service Free for 10 days" and it didn't explain much of anything else. I do know it didn't ask for my credit card info, and it said nothing about charging me $61.02!

That's what they did - only 3 days after I'd received a wallet-card & letter from them in the mail! I had not even used the card - not once!The letter begins saying "Thank You for enrolling in DirectOne's Long Distance Savings Plan." Enroll?? Who enrolled me?? Who gave them permission to take $61.02 from my account?! I immediately called their 24 Hr. Customer Service phone number, which was also the number the letter said to call if I wanted to cancel my "enrollment" in their 'plan'.... I got a recording saying that "this number is not in service"!

Next, I called my bank's 800 number for customer service and explained the situation and I am now officially "disputing the charge". I was told to call them back in a few days to see if they found out anything about it.

My bank said they'd give me a "provisionary credit" until they decide who is at fault.... but that won't be for a week to ten days. I suffer from multiple chronic illnesses & am on a FIXED disability income. I realize $61.02 is not a huge amount of money for many people, but this a huge problem for me.

Pedro of Miami (2/10/03):
This is the email I wrote to them as soon as I received their infamous letter:

Mr. Trombley, I don't have clear where or how I was enrolled on your service, what am sure is that if you would have clearly stated the monthly service is US $ 54.90 I would never have selected your option, having so many phone plans with FREE long distance included. Another thing is that your Customer Service phone number is "NOT IN USE", which is very suspicious... Your offer have all the signs of a scam, therefore do not even think about charging my credit card and cancel my subscription to your service. Besides that I will report you to the Phone commision or any entity that regulates the phone industry. Furious.

Saul of Kent WA (2/10/03):
I got this mailling from them thanking me for accepting thier long ditance secvice. It said I have ten days to cancel or I will be billed over fifty bucks for thier service. I have never even heard of them before. I don't even have any long distance service nor do I want any. So I called thier 1-800 number to cancel and all I get is whistles and beeps. I can't find any other numbers for them.

First of all I don't even want the service and second I can't aford it. I'm on SSI and I am not even getting enough to feed and cloth myself. I have now lost about two days of sleep because of this. As far as any other damage caused, I don't know yet.

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