|
October 28, 2002
News
Specialist Stacey Butler reporting
(Salt
Lake City, KSL News) -- Utah's principal telephone company,
under siege by consumer advocates for misleading business
practices, says it's working toward cleaning up its image.
Qwest says the initiative is in response to a groundbreaking
lawsuit filed against the company by the State of Utah.
Lynda
Young says her battle with Qwest began when a representative
from the company offered her the use of a cell phone for $34.99.
"She
said I could try it for 30 days. If I didn't like it, then
I could send it back," Young says.
Thirty-one days later, Young says she returned the phone after
the bill was $20 more than she was told it would be.
But Young says a Qwest representative told her she was signed
up for service for a year.
"When
you have the phone for 30 days you automatically, we automatically,
(get) signed up for a contract for a year," says Young.
Young says she was then told that to disconnect the cell phone
would cost her $200.
"They're the monopoly phone company here and they figure
they're big shots and they can do anything they want to people,"
Young says.
Lynda Young isn't the only one who says she was duped by Qwest.
In the first lawsuit ever filed by the Utah Division of Consumer
Protection against a utility company, some 60 Utah customers
list complaint after complaint against the phone company.
"In this instance, while they have provided restitution,
it hasn't occurred until we got involved, and that's got to
stop," says Francine Giani of the Utah Division of Consumer
Protection.
Among the allegations: that Qwest has violated the Consumer
Sales Practice Act by misleading Utah consumers through wrongful
billing, overcharging, refusing to provide promised rebates
and credits, charging consumers for goods never furnished,
to name a few.
A Qwest spokesperson says the company will NOT comment on
the lawsuit. But Qwest wants Utahns to know it has a new initiative,
called "The Spirit Of Service," that will address
and improve customers' relations with the company.
If found guilty, Qwest, could face fines in excess of $100,000,
in addition to paying compensation to victims.
Consumers
wishing to file a complaint against Qwest may call the Utah
Division of Consumer Protection at 801-530-6601.
|
