Teh One Who Knocks
07-19-2011, 01:32 PM
Written by Jeffrey Wolf - 9 News Colorado
DENVER - When Joan Hill made a call from a pay phone at Denver International Airport, she had no idea how much it would cost her.
9Wants to Know has learned that large pay phone charges at DIA are landing in many air travelers' mailboxes. They all used a credit card to pay for their calls.
"It was just one horrific, emotional, upsetting experience," Hill said. "I had no idea until the next day."
Hill was headed to a high school reunion when she used a pay phone at DIA.
"I don't have a cell phone," she said. "I just ran and put in my debit card... dialed the number and got right through."
Hill says she kept her conversations quick and that is why she was shocked when she saw the charges on her bank statement.
"[It was] $43.84 each. Two five minute phone calls they charged me $90," she said.
"It's an outrage," John Mattes said.
Mattes is a California attorney, investigative reporter and owner of the Investigative Guy website. He says he is part of the legal team that has investigated one of the largest pay phone companies, BBG Communications, which did business as a third party vendor with DIA until a couple of months ago.
Mattes and other members of the Consumer Law Group, based in San Diego, filed a lawsuit against BBG accusing the company of "unconscionable conduct," by failing to inform customers of the rates for credit card calls.
"You see the price: call anywhere $2. You think, 'Well maybe a credit card call is going to be $4.' Well, it turns out to be $40. And you don't even realize until days later," he said. "It's a classic bait and switch."
He says customers are being deceived because the government only requires pay phone companies to tell you the price for coin calls.
At DIA, a four-minute long distance call will cost you $1 if you pay with U.S. coins only. You have to push F4 to learn the credit card rate for the same call is more than $20 for the first three minutes.
9Wants to Know tried calling and emailing the pay phone companies that do business with DIA. RMES Communications lists an office in Denver, but calls were transferred to a voice mailbox that is full and won't accept messages.
DIA spokesperson Jenny Schiavone says RMES won the bid contract to provide pay phone services for DIA.
RMES contracts with another company, WiMac Tel, Inc., for credit card assisted calls.
WiMac Tel lists an address in Palo Alto, Calif. Callers to that company got a message that there were no operators available and to leave a message which would be returned in one business day.
9Wants to Know left a message Monday afternoon and had not received a response as of Monday evening.
DENVER - When Joan Hill made a call from a pay phone at Denver International Airport, she had no idea how much it would cost her.
9Wants to Know has learned that large pay phone charges at DIA are landing in many air travelers' mailboxes. They all used a credit card to pay for their calls.
"It was just one horrific, emotional, upsetting experience," Hill said. "I had no idea until the next day."
Hill was headed to a high school reunion when she used a pay phone at DIA.
"I don't have a cell phone," she said. "I just ran and put in my debit card... dialed the number and got right through."
Hill says she kept her conversations quick and that is why she was shocked when she saw the charges on her bank statement.
"[It was] $43.84 each. Two five minute phone calls they charged me $90," she said.
"It's an outrage," John Mattes said.
Mattes is a California attorney, investigative reporter and owner of the Investigative Guy website. He says he is part of the legal team that has investigated one of the largest pay phone companies, BBG Communications, which did business as a third party vendor with DIA until a couple of months ago.
Mattes and other members of the Consumer Law Group, based in San Diego, filed a lawsuit against BBG accusing the company of "unconscionable conduct," by failing to inform customers of the rates for credit card calls.
"You see the price: call anywhere $2. You think, 'Well maybe a credit card call is going to be $4.' Well, it turns out to be $40. And you don't even realize until days later," he said. "It's a classic bait and switch."
He says customers are being deceived because the government only requires pay phone companies to tell you the price for coin calls.
At DIA, a four-minute long distance call will cost you $1 if you pay with U.S. coins only. You have to push F4 to learn the credit card rate for the same call is more than $20 for the first three minutes.
9Wants to Know tried calling and emailing the pay phone companies that do business with DIA. RMES Communications lists an office in Denver, but calls were transferred to a voice mailbox that is full and won't accept messages.
DIA spokesperson Jenny Schiavone says RMES won the bid contract to provide pay phone services for DIA.
RMES contracts with another company, WiMac Tel, Inc., for credit card assisted calls.
WiMac Tel lists an address in Palo Alto, Calif. Callers to that company got a message that there were no operators available and to leave a message which would be returned in one business day.
9Wants to Know left a message Monday afternoon and had not received a response as of Monday evening.