1&1 Internet sends out fraudulent invoices to consumers

(3 votes, average: 4 out of 5)

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Posted by Jim on Jan 25, 2008 1,594 views

Once again we have more nonsense from the folks in PA and 1 and 1 Internet. This time it is the same old automatic renewal billing on accounts. A letter from NCO Financial Systems came in the mail today

Creditor: 1 & 1 INTERNET INC
ACCOUNT: K13648951
REGARDING: 353902598
PRINCIPAL: $34.95
INTEREST: $0.00
INTEREST RATE:
COLLECTION CHARGES $0.00
COSTS $0.00
OTHER CHARGES: $0.00
TOTAL BALANCE: $34.95

After looking into it, calling NCO, informing them that this service was cancelled a year ago and never should have renewed, they marked it as closed and returned the item to the creditor. You see, a collection agency knows they cannot win a recurring billing charge on annual nonsense, let alone one for such a small amount. It is not worth the trouble. But the clowns at 1 & 1 have no idea of small beans, or common sense. They wanted to argue about it.
I tried several times to explain that we had cancelled this, had sent over a fax, emails and telephone calls. And in the end, the pencil dicks told me they could have me to all that again and not rebill me in the future but still charge me for this year. Not going to happen. I learned my lesson to never deal with 1&1. Want to transfer a domain name off of them? Horrible. Want to stop automatic billing? Horrible. Want to transfer hosting to a new account as part of a domain sale? Horrible. There is just no reason to deal with them, ever.

TO: billing@1and1.com
Subject: Piss poor billing and customer service

Hello,
how much time do we need to waste on this? We cancelled our service with you, on the phone, online and with fax notifications. We stopped all recurring billing and transferred out all the real domains and left the free .info domains with you to expire.

12/4/2007 353902598 $34.95

Now we get a collection agency letter. Funny that you did not send us notice of billing, or request for an updated credit card, or anything else such as a letter. Instead you do the shady route of sending it to a collection agency thinking that will scare your customers into paying these fraudulent invoices.

So, cancel the billing for all of the .info domains, reverse the charges or issue a credit, and then get lost and never bother us again. And be sure to check the customer records, emails and faxes for all of our accounts including hosting, affiliate and dedicated hosting to look for all of our wonderful time dealing with you.

I am amazed that we are hearing from 1 and 1 again. Ever. We left your company for horrible customer service, stupid policies and nonsense we do not get with any other hosting company or registrar. Let’s make this real simple - a bunch of free stupid .info domain names - you tried to rebill us for them, and we are disputing the charges as invalid and fraudulent. You were informed will all of our domains and hosting accounts that we wanted NO automatic billing, no recurring billing, and no autorenewals. And then we cancelled all of our hosting with you and all of our customers business that we had previous sent your way.

Your company is widely regarded on numerous Internet forums for registrars and domain names as being one of the, if not the worst to deal with. And the 2 clowns I spoke with today prove it continues to be true.

If you want to send us anything signed in writing by Anna Skamarakas and not a lame electronic check box. A signed document that proves that she has authorized you to do this billing, we would pay the bill. But you do not have anything signed. Now, let me explain how this works - your policies require us to send you a signed fax to make any account changes because your company does not accept a check box online.

Now, show us how much balls you have and file a lawsuit in the Small Claims courts of the State of New Jersey today. Or PA. Show us your big mighty balls and how sure you are you will get this judgment collected upon. I dare you. I double dog dare. I triple dog dare. Your systems are bullshit, and your customer service sucks. This recurring billing nonsense just shows us we were right to leave you and never look back.

You suck, and we both know it,
Jim

Jim Skamarakas

Filed Under: technology

Tags: business, customer service, internet

Jim said,

OMG - They tried to bill Anna for a renewal that they haven’t even done themselves, and refused to issue a credit saying it was already done. Total BS from 1 and 1 Internet

Domain ID:D13430636-LRMS
Domain Name:HOTWETBITCHES.INFO
Created On:16-May-2006 17:36:59 UTC
Last Updated On:17-May-2007 15:35:52 UTC
Expiration Date:16-May-2008 17:36:59 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:1&1 Internet AG (R113-LRMS)
Status:OK
Registrant ID:SPAG-35445885
Registrant Name:Anna Skamarakas
Registrant Organization:
Registrant Street1:18 E Maple AVE
Registrant Street2:
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City:Bellmawr
Registrant State/Province:NJ
Registrant Postal Code:08031
Registrant Country:US
Registrant Phone:+1.8563085196
Registrant Phone Ext.:
Registrant FAX:
Registrant FAX Ext.:
Registrant Email:anna@skamarakas.com
Admin ID:SPAG-35445885
Admin Name:Anna Skamarakas
Admin Organization:
Admin Street1:18 E Maple AVE
Admin Street2:
Admin Street3:
Admin City:Bellmawr
Admin State/Province:NJ
Admin Postal Code:08031
Admin Country:US
Admin Phone:+1.8563085196
Admin Phone Ext.:
Admin FAX:
Admin FAX Ext.:
Admin Email:anna@skamarakas.com
Billing ID:SPAG-35445886
Billing Name:Hostmaster ONEANDONE
Billing Organization:1&1 Internet Inc.
Billing Street1:701 Lee Rd.
Billing Street2:Suite 300
Billing Street3:
Billing City:Chesterbrook
Billing State/Province:PA
Billing Postal Code:19087
Billing Country:US
Billing Phone:+1.8774612631
Billing Phone Ext.:
Billing FAX:+1.6105601501
Billing FAX Ext.:
Billing Email:hostmaster@1and1.com
Tech ID:SPAG-35445886
Tech Name:Hostmaster ONEANDONE
Tech Organization:1&1 Internet Inc.
Tech Street1:701 Lee Rd.
Tech Street2:Suite 300
Tech Street3:
Tech City:Chesterbrook
Tech State/Province:PA
Tech Postal Code:19087
Tech Country:US
Tech Phone:+1.8774612631
Tech Phone Ext.:
Tech FAX:+1.6105601501
Tech FAX Ext.:
Tech Email:hostmaster@1and1.com
Name Server:NS1.PARKED.COM
Name Server:NS2.PARKED.COM
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Jim said,

Apparently a name, invoice date, invoice number and invoice amount are not enough for 1 and 1 to figure it out.
—–Original Message—–
From: billing@1and1.com [mailto:billing@1and1.com]
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2008 2:05 PM
To: Jim Skamarakas
Subject: C90271264 - 1&1 Internet Inc. Billing Re: Piss poor billing and customer service

Thank you for contacting us.

Unfortunately you have not provided enough information so that I may assist you. If you can provide us with your full name, user ID or domain name we can better help you address your concerns.

If you have any further questions do not hesitate to contact us.

–
Sincerely
Damien Christopher
Billing Department
1&1 Internet Inc.

You can also contact us via phone at (877) 300-8316 from 9am till 5pm EST Monday to Friday
Jim said,

Now we get a response that does nothing to fix the problem - they continue to autorenew domains a customer does not want. Are they going to just continue to renew like idiots for ever?

Oh and now you can see that they have figured out the customer number.

—–Original Message—–
From: billing@1and1.com [mailto:billing@1and1.com]
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2008 2:19 PM
To: Jim Skamarakas
Subject: C90271343 - 1&1 Internet Inc. Billing RE: Piss poor billing and customer service

Dear Anna Skamarakas, (Cust: 13648951)

Thank you for contacting us.

All of our procedures, including your having gone to collections and being billed on a pre-authorized automatic basis, was covered in our Terms and Conditions (which was a legally-binding document you electronically agreed and understood):
http://order.1and1.com/xml/order/Gtc;jsessionid=C1F1966245D87E123CBEC46E6E0DC620.TC61b?__frame=_top&__lf=Static

If you have any further questions do not hesitate to contact us.

–
Sincerely
Damien Christopher
Billing Department
1&1 Internet Inc.
Jim said,

—–Original Message—–
From: Jim Skamarakas
Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2008 8:12 AM
To: ‘billing@1and1.com’
Subject: RE: C90271343 - 1&1 Internet Inc. Billing RE: Piss poor billing and customer service

Damien,
Are you the same person who called on Friday? Or emailed and said could not figure out our account information even though an invoice date, invoice number and invoice amount was included?

You are trying to bill us for domain renewals. That’s wrong and an error on your part. And when informed of the error, your billing staff has tried to say that it cannot be fixed this year. Well as you can see, the domains have not been renewed. They expire in 5 months. So cancel them, let them go, and credit our account.

Now, lets try more 1&1 harass your customer games - go to http://cancel.1and1.com - sure, but for this account and invoices it is locked and nothing can be done. How funny for you and sad for the customer.

These accounts were cancelled, you were notified several methods to stop any and all automatic renewals. So go away. BTW, you can read this conversation on our blog at http://www.skamarakas.com/jim - and on the Internet. Just do a search for 1&1 poor customer service, you will find this amongst all of the other customers your company has pissed off.

And of course, these domains have not renewed yet, maybe I should just transfer them to GoDaddy. Since they have not expired yet, you cannot block a domain name transfer. or will you try that stunt also? They have not renewed because the expiration date is still 05/16/2008, Now when did we pay you for these domains to renew the first time? or did you just give us a free domain for 2 years?

Created On:16-May-2006 17:36:59 UTC
Last Updated On:17-May-2007 15:35:52 UTC
Expiration Date:16-May-2008 17:36:59 UTC

Your better,
The customer
cbartish89 said,

I am going through the same thing with 1and1…terrible service, support, and the worst is the inability to cancel service!! I signed up with them on August 9th and tried to cancel on Aug 20….still trying even though I followed their process. Still jumping through hoops! I’ve never experienced a company that tries to lock in unsatisfied customers. It doesn’t matter that I have numerous emails stating my wish to cancel, and even working through their online cancelation.

Now these guys are messing with my credit! Talk about sending me to NCO??!
Principal Contact Mr. Thomas Vollrath (CEO)

Complaint Contact Mr. Sebastian Moser (Head of Customer Care)

Other Contacts Mr. Richard Winslow (Customer Care Team Leader)

These guys won’t respond…having Inmailed them on Linked in
I have filed the BBB, hoping to help take care of it

I could rant for awile, but not really productive. I don’t wish 1and1 on my worst enemy.