USBI reviews and complaints

I what was not keeping close enough tabs on my phone bill . and the first thing I knew I was paying for a long distance carrier. usbi . I had no use for them I'm already paying unlim ited minutes through windstream . but they say they called that number of mine and sumbody answered and said that it would be okay to add their service . so maybe they have me. maybe 1 of my guys answered the phone and said yeah sounds good . So is that all the security we have .
So my kids can pick up the phone and say yes sir . We want your service .
I'm a christian I'm not going to fight over a few 100 dollars .but don't get trapped in the same predicament I'm in .

We received a phone call from a Chris Carpenter in October and I quote 'hi this is Chris Carpenter with AT&T and we have some great new plans to reduce your local and long distance bills.'

I explained that we already had a plan with AT&T that could not be changed or we would loose the discounts that we had as it is a packaged plan for small business accounts. He said that he understood but he wanted to ask me some questions that required yes and no answers. He then proceeded to ask me questions so fast that you could not even understand what he was saying. I stopped him several times with questions and he kept saying that he was with AT&T and that this would not change our bill. He Lied

After I hung up with this Chris I immediately tried to call him back at the number he had given me but of course no one would answer the line. I immediately called AT&T and had them put a block on our billing account in case they tried to switch anything. Well we received our bill today and we had been slammed for $115.77 and it was going to change our plan so that we would have lost all of our discounts.

The person at AT&T is being very helpful at getting this problem resolved and our company is going to file a complaint with the Government against USBI. I have already called USBI and told them that we are not paying this bill.

This little incident almost cost me my job today and so yes I am extremely upset. Companies like this need to be prosecuted for lying and closed down.

I had the same experience at work. After many calls and lies, I am unaware of any recourse. However, you can contact your primary carrier and have an outside carrier block put on your phone as well as pic order requiring verbal authorization from you with your primary carrier for ANY changes made to your account before they are inacted.
Sorry to hear of your trouble - you are not the only one. I just wish there was a way to make these companies accountable.

I'm the same here I notice my statement USBI with the phone number listed. I contacted AT&T ask the customer service what is this long distance charge? I do not have long distance with my landline I perfer my long distance with my cell phone. What's surprising the customer service rep could not explain this, which at this point I am anger with USBI and AT&T, I did not or have not authorize this bogus company to charge this to my account...

Something has to STOP! I'm reporting this company to the Better Business Bureau asap!

OMG, just had the same thing happen to me. I am paying 17.82 per month for at least 4 month and ATT says they dont know what company USBI is (how can it be on their bill and they not know what that is) and that I need to check my monthly statement (and they are not responsible for my phone bill being hijacked) WHAT?

I am furious because I am just another victim of this scam.

On June 25, 2009, someone from SILV Communication called and said she was from AT&T. She said they had a better plan than what I was having with AT&T (she knew exactly what I was paying under the AT&T plan for local and long distance). I said since she's with AT&T why couldn't they just go ahead to make adjustment to my existing plan; she said it was the procedure they had to take...

During the conversation, I repeatedly asked her if this was some kind of switch-of-account scam, she assured me "no; it is the same company (At&T)" . When I asked for her telephone she gave me [protected]. As soon as I hang up with her, I called that number: it was an At&T number.

Yesterday, I received my AT&T bill and it included one separate bill from USBI (billing on behalf of SILV Communication). Not only was I billed by SILV Communication, I had to pay an "early termination fee" of $87.67 and $95.00 for long distance (it was $10.00 flat before) from AT&T.

Today, I called AT&T and talked two customer service representatives for over two hours. They were very helpful to get things straightened out. But I have to watch for another one or two billing cycles to see if USBI/SILV has in fact taken my number out of their list.

I also checked the BBB ratings of USBI and SILV Communication. Both have "F" the lowest.

Be careful! There are thieves out there!

I just found out that USBI has been charging me since November 2009. Somehow my local provider, Qwest, turned off my LD option through them and USBI picked it up. when I called USBI, they claimed that my wife gave them authorization and had a recording of her voice. I said prove it. So far they have not called me back. I complained to Qwest and they have told me that I have to take my problem up with USBI, and if I did not get any headway with them to call Qwest back.

i had the same problem i was with at&t and usbi charged me $35.00 for a free local call i called them several times once in a conference call with at&t rep on the other line confirming that this is a free local zone. They said they will investigate but never refunded my money, called them several times never any refund
for a call that was not even long distance.

I LOVE FIGHTING FOR WHAT I KNOW IS RIGHT, ROBERTO

I ALSO HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, I'M MILITARY AND DON'T HAVE TIME TO BE CHECKING MY BILLS WITH DETAILS. SO I HAVE SO TIME NOW AND THIS COMPANY ON THE CHARGES, CHARGE ME 5.99 AND 6.40 WITH TAXES. SO I CALLED THE NUMBER FOR USBI [protected], I SPOKE TO SOMEONE NAMED JOSE. I STARTED EXPLAINING TO HIM, IF HE COULD TELL ME SINCE WHEN THEY HAVE BEEN CHARGING ME AND HE SAID, SINCE JUNE 2008. I FLIPPED AND ASKED TO TALK TO HIS SUPERVISOR AND HE HANGED UP ON ME, SO I CALLED BACK AND TOLD HIM, IF I DON'T SPEAK TO A SUPERVISOR, I HAVE OTHER 27 LINES I CALL HIM FROM, AND ASK HIM, HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU GET PER PHONE CALL? WELL I ARGUED WITH HIM, WITH THE SUPERVISOR AND HE WANTED ME TO PAY THE TAXES ON IT, I FLIPPED AGAIN, UNTIL HE GAVE ME THE CHARGES BACK. I CALLED BACK AGAIN AND THEY GAVE ME THE NUMBER FOR TELE UNO [protected] AND I PUT THEM IN THEIR PLACE. FINALLY I'M GOING TO GET 89.60 CREDIT BACK TO MY ACCOUNT.

I LOVE FIGHTING FOR WHAT I KNOW IS RIGHT, ROBERTO

I have also recently been the victim of a scam involving a company called Tele circuit/USBI. My phone company is AT&T and handle all my telephone communications needs with AT and T. Somehow, Tele Circuit hijacked my phone service so to speak, and is charging me for calls that I would have to pay any per minute charge for with my AT and T calling plans. To make matters worse, when I contacted At&T the representative was kind enough to take the thrid party charges off my AT and T bill. However, I was forced to pay AT and T the one time activation fees in order to reactivate my calling plans. This is obviously unfair but I agreed, hope that would be the end of it. This company, Tele Circuit, essensually uses AT and T as its "collection arm" knowing full well that If I refused to pay Telecurcuit, that AT and T will consider me to be delinquent with them as well. This is a very sneaky way to back somebody into a corner in order to force them to pay charges to a company that I NEVER signed up with in the first place. Also this crooked company knows that if one does not pay them, that one's credit will be affected and this is what they seem to rely on in order to get people to pay. I'm unsure of how they were able to switch me over to their company without my permission in the first place. This month it happened again and im afraid they are going to keep doing it. My phone company, AT and T offers no protection to it's customers from this kind of questionable business practice on the part of third party companies. It has been suggested that AT and T is in on the scam and though I did not want to believe that, it seems to be that that is the case. After all, AT and T bills on their behalf, does not provide its customers protection against third party companies switching their customers services to this crooked Tele Circuit company, and worse of all AT and T charges customers activation fees for restoring the plans they had before they were fraudulently switched over from AT and T to Tele circuit. At and T makes more money everytime a customer like myself has to re-instate my calling plans. That is a fact. The right thing for AT and T to do would be to re-instate your plans without any charge. I hope they come to realize that by allowing crooked third party companies to bill through them, they are making themselves look bad and untrustworthy for the AT and T name appears on the same bill as the Telecircuit charges. I hope that At and T gets it's act together before such a well known and traditonally reliable company loses face.

Don, this company and several others are owned by Barry Rynearson. He operates several small time companies, all running internet scams of some type or another. Check out his company Mineral Elements, and all those complaints. He must be stopped and I am doing everything in my power to let the Harrisburg Pa papers, tv, and radio know about him. I have reported him and his company to the BBB, and the FTC. Help and let's get this scam artist brought down!
kitrodenbough@yahoo.com

I have had a experience much like this and others. Class action would be great. Also, regulatory and oversight entities seem asleep at the wheen and totally indifferent. I am emmetmo@netzero.com. Would like to share stories and combine. MPM

Yes! USBI did about the same thing to me, just different company involved (MCI). I'm in the process of writing complains to the three company's involved also the better business bureau, the public Utility commissions and the Attorney general! USBI'S customer service is SO RUDE! You can't even understand them half the time and they don't even try to help you just transfer you to a different company or a different department!THEY STINK!

I reviewed my home phone bill 3 months ago to find this weird charge of $20.55 on it. I called my phone carrier and they informed me that the charge was not from them but an outside party. I have continued to recieve charges from this company after calling them and removing their so called service. USBI told me my 14 year old son authorized these charges through his email account two years ago which would have made him 12. What a scam! I have never even heard of this company or ordered anything via them. Lets see... after reviewing my files these charges have been occurs for almost two years with stops when I changed my phone plan. 24 x 20.55 =493.20. I sure feel stupid due to the fact I just thought it was part of my bill like all those taxes. After I changed my plan I would review the bill for the next few months then just think my phone company was charging me more so I would change the plan once again. This has sure taught me a lesson, REVIEW ALL OF YOUR BILLS FOR HIDDEN CHARGES.