I HAVE BEEN RECEIVING COLLECT CALLS FROM INMATES IN FRANKLIN COUNTY & BENTON COUNTY JAIL. RATES INCREASED BY $4.00 PER CALL INSTEAD OF THE CALL BEING A LOCAL CALL THE COMPANY SWITCHED IT TO A LONG DISTANCE CALL. I LIVE RIGHT UP THE STREET FROM BENTON COUNTY JAIL. TO MY UNDERSTANDING WE WOULD BE ADVISED OF ANY INCREASE. NOT ONCE WHILE ON THE PHONE DID IT PROMPT ME THAT THE RATES HAD GONE UP. I SPOKE TO A REP ON 5/14/09 AND JASON STATED HE COULD HAVE THE RATE FIXED TO 2.25 AGAIN INSTEAD OF THE NEW RATE OF 6.25. JASON ALSO STATED THAT IT WAS THE PHONE COMPANY & CORRECTIONAL FACILITY THAT INCREASED THE AMOUNT. I SAID OK I AM AWARE OF THE CHARGES & I DID ACCEPT THE CALLS WHICH I HAVE NO PROBLEM PAYING FOR. BUT AS A CUSTOMER I DO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH NOT BEING NOTIFIED OF THE RATE INCREASE. JASON APOLOGIZED AND WE HUNG UP. I CALLED VERIZON & THE COUNTY JAILS AND THEY INDICATED THAT THE RATE WAS INCREASED BY EVERCOM NOT THEM. 5/15/09 I CALLED SPOKE W/SUPERVISOR TONNI ID:8240 SHE STATED THAT IT WAS COMPANY, JAIL & THEM THAT HAD AN AGREEMENT. WHEN I EXPLAINED TO HER MY SITUATION OF CALLING EVERYONE AND NOT BEING NOTIFIED OF THE CHANGE SHE STRICTLY SAID NOTHING WE CAN DO & THATS THE RATE YOU HAVE TO PAY. SHE DIDNT OFFER ANY SOLUTION AND STATED THAT THE NOTICE THEY RECEIVED WAS 4/23/09 BUT YET I WAS BILLED THE NEW RATE ON 4/21/09. THEN TONNI CHANGED HER STORY AND SAID THEY GOT NOTICE ON 4/21/09. I ASKED TO SPEAK TO A HIGHER SUPERVISOR AND SHE SAID NO BECAUSE SHE COULD NOT TRANSFER ME ANYMORE. I WOULD HAVE TO CALL BACK AND ASK TO SPEAK TO ANOTHER SUPERVISOR.
THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING TO KNOW THESE COMPANIES CAN ACT IN THIS WAY. I AM NOT DISPUTING THE FACT THAT I ACCEPTED THE CALL BUT AM DISPUTING THE FACT THAT IT IS ETHICAL FOR ANY COMPANY TO NOTIFY ITS CUSTOMERS OF ANY RATE INCREASE. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER.