Online Savings Reports & Reviews

Online Savings Reports & Reviews (2)

Victim Location 90034
Total money lost $39.98
Type of a scam Utility

During the first month of the summer of 2022, the vast majority of phone calls I got on my landline were saying sign up with us to save on your AT&T bill. (I almost signed up for a supposed discount -- not sure which company since didn't get that far in the process -- in the last 2 or 3 years, but was told you don't qualify because the doorbell at the gate of apt. complex can ring the landline.)

So I got call after call during June and July 2022, and finally talked further to one OS caller who said I do qualify even if a doorbell by apartment complex gate can ring my landline. So in late July, I signed up with ONLINE SAVINGS (OS) whose envelope says is from a P.O. Box 280109 in Oakdale, MN 55128 (but my OS bills come from P.O. Box 980185, West Sacramento, CA 95718-0185) to save on my AT&T long distance. Someone from OS told me today that OS contacted AT&T on July 29th to inform them that my long distance was switched to OS. I spoke with two people at AT&T this afternoon. Neither had heard of Online Savings, and one asked her cohort who might know plus tried to find mention of them on the AT&T computer system, but the person she asked hadn't heard of them and she found no mention of OS in the AT&T computer system.

Anyway, my AT&T bill stayed exactly the same (except went up one dollar in August due to inflation), and I have sent two checks for $19.99 apiece to OS. I got my third bill, but do not plan to pay since I am obviously being double-billed and OS has nothing to do with my landline line (except for double charging me for doing nothing -- apparently they never "notified AT&T" on July 29th as claimed).

I'm sure there are likely thousands who have signed up with OS, and I am amazed AT&T hasn't received more inquiries and complaints about them enough to notice in their system at least to beware of the OS scam.

I was only able to reach one human at OS today -- who was "Emma". I even apologized to Emma that my voice was loud and angry since I was sure she is not a key instigator of the scam, and she claimed "it is not a scam". Then I called AT&T twice. So I tried to call OS back (at 2 or 3 #s I see listed for them on my bills / "agreement"), but all of them switched me to a voicemail that said I should call back during normal business hours which are Monday through Friday until 8 PM Central time. I was calling in the 4 o'clock hour Pacific time today (Monday) and that is well within the hours that OS should be staffed.

Apparently if people mention the "scam" word or are unenthused about paying two long-distance bills for one landline each month, they get transferred to the voicemail where one cannot speak with a human -- or seek to cancel the agreement. And some consumers may figure if they can't reach someone at OS to formally cancel the agreement, that perhaps they should send a check of $19.99 for the most recent monthly bill.

About an hour and a half ago, I wrote a letter to Online Savings (and will send a copy to the CPUC, FCC, Better Business Bureaus of CA & MN, and to my state and federal legislators' offices) telling them to cancel my agreement with Online Savings.

I just read the legalese of the "Online Savings Services Agreement" several times over and noticed an odd thing -- rather than giving an OS phone number to call to cancel the agreement, the legalese says, "BY ENROLLING IN, USING, OR PAYING FOR THE SERVICES, YOU AGREE TO THE PRICES, CHARGES, TERMS AND CONDITIONS, DO NOT USE THE SERVICES, AND CANCEL THE SERVICES IMMEDIATELY BY CALLING YOUR LOCAL TELEPHONE COMPANY AND TELLING THEM THAT YOU WANT TO CANCEL ONLINE SAVINGS' SERVICE. PLEASE ALSO CALL ONLINE SAVINGS AT 1-800-345-7556 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION."

If you notice the legalese in the paragraph above, it mentions to contact your local phone company and tell them I want to cancel the Online Savings service. However, the AT&T people I spoke with have never heard of OS, and see no indication that they are mentioned in the AT&T computer system. One at AT&T that I spoke with also found no indication that AT&T was contacted by OS on July 29th to take over my long-distance service -- as claimed.

So, OS does not give a phone # for cancellation of the supposed OS "services" -- only to tell AT&T that I want to cancel the Online Savings' Service. Then it gives an OS phone # for additional info -- but I am on the "blacklist" at this point because I was not happy about being double-billed and used the "scam" word while talking to Emma at OS.

This Online Savings company has apparently been around since 2005 -- I wonder if they have ever done anything with even one AT&T customer's long-distance service, or whether they just collect $19.99 checks each month until the consumer catches on to their scam. Please seriously investigate and hopefully shut down such a disgraceful scam company !!!

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Victim Location 92806
Type of a scam Utility

I received a phone call from Alan who said he from AT&T and they had a senior program that could save senior citizens 25% off their phone bill. He talked a lot about long distance and international calls. But he emphasized that my total bill of about $75.00 a month would be reduced 25% for a small fee of $9.95 and a cut rate of 9.9 cents per call. He already had all my information-name, address, and general monthly bill. Since I had just retired, I was interested. Alan transferred our call to a verifier. He told me to answer 'yes' to the first 5 questions and 'no' to the question 6. 1)plan name, 2)18+ years old, 3)made by AT&T rep, 4) will provide discounts on local calls, long distance, 5) my phone number, 6) any additional phone lines. I asked the verifier what the website was--he told me onlinesavings.inc. Then the verifier hung up, Alan called back with a verification number-78605 and said it would be 1-2 weeks for my paperwork to be sent to me. He also said that the new company would transfer my long distance service to their site. I did not have to do anything. I did call the first number 1-888-465-1221 and the person I spoke to confirmed everything. But the number has not been answered since then during their hours of operation--M-F 7am - 9pm & Sat 9am - 4 pm central.

When I received the paperwork, it did not have the information I expected. I had expected a form that explained in detail what I was signing up for and something for me to sign to go ahead. Instead, I got general terms and conditions. The website os.londistancegroup.com and it is nothing but a lengthy list of fees for every country in the world. Nothing more. The agreement did say that I could get off at any time, so I called that number 1800-345-7556 and I called them 3/22/22, spoke to Melody. I told her I was very unhappy with what I had received and wanted to cancel the service. I also told her I wanted it backdated to 3/10/22 the date that Alan had called me. I told her that Alan had lied to me when he said that I would save 25% off my bill. I told her I should have told him to go jump in the lake. Melody laughed and said she would put that in the notes. The verification number is 084989.

Saturday I received a bill from Online Savings, this time with a Sacramento PO Box and same phone number.

Service Fee $9.95

CCR fee $2.37

Bill Statement fee $1.99

Paper Bill fee 1.99

sub total $16.30

Federal cost recovery fee $0.14

CA Universal Lifeline Surcharge $0.76

CA Advanced Serv Fund Surch $0.16

CA high Cost Fund(A) surcharge $0.11

CA teleconnect fund $0.14

local utility users tax $0.64

CA telecom relay systems surcharge $0.18

CA P.U.C. fee $0.08

Federal Cost Recovery charge $0.22

subtotal $2.43

grand total $18.73

I called At&T on Saturday after I got the bill, and Gwen verified that no one had switched my long distance information. I am going to call them again on Monday.

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Online Savings Reports & Reviews (2)

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