Joni Kay Rose, M.Div., CHT
415 Pecos Loop Southeast
Rio Rancho, NM 87124-3208
Telephone 505-266-3643
[email protected]
March 2, 2010
CONCERNING DEX ONE, INC.
On November 13, 2007, I made a verbal agreement with the Dex Representative from Albuquerque for Internet advertising at $40 per month and yellow page listings at $21 per month for the calendar year 2008 only. My records show no signed contract.
However Dex did not follow through on our agreement. My Internet listing never appeared and my yellow page listing was omitted from the 2008 yellow pages.
In February of 2009 I received a bill from Dex for $48.54. I could not figure out what the charge was for, as it simply said "Advertising charge, " and listed two different date ranges, 01/06/09-01/05/10, and 01/06/09-02/28/09. I wrote the enclosed note requesting an explanation, but did not receive any.
About a month later I received another bill from Dex, this one showing an advertising charge of $286.26 for the period 01/06/09-01/05/10. Inexplicably this bill also repeated the $48.54 and added it as an additional charge even though the $286.26 was shown as covering the entire year 2009. The representative I spoke with was unable to offer a satisfactory explanation for the double billing, and added that Dex raises rates any time without warning. I told the representative that I would pay the $286.26, with the understanding that 2009 would be the very last year I advertised with Dex.
When I sent the check for $286.26 for the entire year, I included the enclosed letter, ending with the sentence, "Also note that my contract with you will NOT be renewed in 2010." This is an exact copy of the letter I sent Dex along with the check for $286.26. Since the letter was mailed March 16 in the same envelope as the check, Dex definitely did receive it. I even wrote on the check itself the word "closing, " as can be seen on the enclosed photocopy of the check.
Even after I paid the $286.87 for the entire year 2009, Dex continued to demand, without explanation, an additional $52.08. Regrettably in May of 2009 I finally did pay the $52.08, with a note indicating that this payment was my last one, and that henceforth my account with Dex was closed. To make absolutely clear that I was closing my account I even wrote on the check itself the words, "Closing this Account" right next to my signature. This can be seen on the enclosed photocopy. Hence Dex cannot claim they never received word from me that I was closing my account with them. I could not have made my intentions clearer.
Still Dex continued to send me bills for several months thereafter, as always failing to include any information as to what they were billing me for. I shredded the bills, and eventually they stopped. Yet last month, almost a year after I closed my account with Dex, I again received the enclosed bill from them. I called Dex, but their representative claimed they had never received the note stating that I was closing my account with them. As noted above, they did receive repeated messages from me, in writing as well as orally, telling them I was closing my account with them.
To recap, Dex has consistently provided me with unclear and inconsistent billing, without clear explanation as to what they were billing me for and for what time period. Furthermore they have continued to send me these bills long after I have clearly indicated, in writing as well as orally, that I no longer will do business with them. And when confronted with this fact they have lied and claimed they never received from me the notes, which they most definitely did receive.
From reading the numerous complaints about Dex from small businesspeople it appears that they have been following these unscrupulous practices at least since 2007. Had I known in 2007 how many complaints there had been against Dex I would never have even considered doing business with them. However the company has recently reorganized as Dex One, so now is a good time for them to change these practices and close past accounts without litigation.
In order to resolve this issue it is necessary that Dex acknowledge that I did in fact close my account with them last spring, and that I no longer am doing business with them. It would also be helpful if they would explain the $52.08 I paid to close my account last May, in addition to the $286.26 I had already paid for the entire year 2009. Nevertheless if Dex is willing to acknowledge now that my account with them is closed, and agree to stop harassing me with illegitimate billings, I am willing to let them keep the $52.08, with the understanding that they have no further business with me nor I with them.
Should Dex fail to stop harassing me then I will need to seek a complete investigation, involving the appropriate Federal and State agencies as well as the Better Business Bureau, the Complaint Board, and the media, so that the public can be informed how Dex does business. I would much prefer to forgo all of this and I sincerely hope that Dex is willing to acknowledge that my account with them was closed last year and requires no further payment. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
