[Dejibo]

last June, we were using my ipod touch to listen to books on tape. If I was near a wifi connection we could use skype. I thought, what a cheap way to get a cell phone! so, I paid the $30 to have my own # for a year. In november we got real cell phones, so I did the account settings and changed it to CANCEL the account at the end of the paid up billing cycle. Last month I started getting notices from Skype that it was time to rebill...then I started getting notices in Taiwanese. I wrote to Skype and said "my service is paid till June 15, DONT renew. I have a cell phone now, and im good."

Last month got a call from my credit card company that there may be some fraud going on with my account and Skype. Some one is trying to buy a block of Taiwanese minutes to be used thru my account, using my card attached to it. Weird, cause I used a card to open it, but that was only because they didnt accept paypal at the time. I asked for the card to be shut down, and a new card issued. They reversed the charges and cut off Skype from being able to charge anything on my account.

Today I get a demand letter from them for like $400 saying I bought all these minutes and used them, and now dont want to pay for them...UGH! I spend an hour on the phone with a guy who was clearly reading from the book. I then contacted the fraud department thru a live internet chat. They shut off my account and then allowed it to be reset with new pass words...they wanted a new credit card # and say since its July 1 and the billing for the account was June 18 I have to pay for another year. WHAT??

Round and round we go. I had the account shut down. I cancelled the credit card weeks ago. I contacted the fraud department at Paypal, visa, Skype and Lifelock. UGH! what a pain! someone is trying to call Taiwan on my skype account? You know with the ever inclusive cell phones for dirt cheap now, why would someone even bother to try Taiwan on my skype? I mean ...come on! how low can you go?

Its a good thing I keep an eagle eye on my stuff, and have good protections in place. The CC company wont bill me, and I owe nothing, but Skype was really working hard to be a bully. Said they CANT reverse the charges on an account involved in fraud. only the fraud department can handle that...Really???What dopes!

[Sparky10]

It isn't that someone NEEDS your account to call Taiwan, it's that they can. And will. That's how that type of person works. Anything they can do and get away with, they will. How low can they go? Damned low.

I'm sorry you've had such a frustrating go of it, and hope the incident has been laid to rest.

[missj]

Is Lifelock helping at all??

[Dejibo]

Lifelock got a hold of skype and they have skype fraud involved. lets hope they close this. My bank already denied them the money so I am out nothing, but frustration.

[Sparky10]

Good for you, Dej! Is LifeLock still $10/month?

[Dejibo]

$10 a month??? NO WAY!

It runs from $200 a year to $600 per year, depending on the package you get. For $200 you really get no service unless you are in serious trouble. Then you have to fight. the $600 plan protects and searches for your email name being used, your credit card stuff, your address being used...its a nice plan.

I joined up when they were $10 a month years and years ago, but my oh my have they grown.

[Dejibo]

aww, Skype is mad that I told my bank the charge was UNauthorized! They reversed the charge and skype got NO money! So they locked down my FREE account. What dopes! Sent me this huge email about how to reopen my account with a valid credit card...yeah, that will happen. Dummies!

[SallyC]

I had a skype account years ago and hated it. I didn't have a video cam though, we did have audio and it wasn't for family. Just a bunch of crazy MSers...lol. I never gave them my cr cd # nor would I ever.

[ANNagain]

I love this picture, Sal!

I heart you!
ANN

[ginnie]

Read with interest your situation with skype. I had a problem that took over a year to settle. I had verizon. I canceled as I had NO contract, and changed to Brighthouse to "bundle" my services. They continued to bill me for six months, despite me having all the "proof" of cancelation and " re hook up of Brighthouse" I then got threatening mail, calls, and turned over to a collection agency. Since when did it become impossible to cancel a service? I was furious, and never did pay that bill for sure. They just got sick I guess of my letters with the repeted information. I didn't like the time I had to invest, the postage or the harassment. The whole mess took a year before they stopped bugging me. horrible!!!!!!! Sorry you had to go through some of the same kind of thing. Fraud can happen even within a company. Thats what I would call this. I detest when people get raked over the coals through no fault of their own. Hope your problem is finished with. ginnie