Answerstop Voicemail Monthly Fee – voicemail you didnt sign up for!

24May/06242

Answerstop Voicemail Monthly Fee – voicemail you didnt sign up for!

If you see the words "Answerstop Voicemail Monthly Fee" on your phone bill for $16.48, you may have a service you didnt sign up for.

My colleague in my office started getting this on her phone bill and I have to sit across from her. I've heard her yelling her head off at these people trying to get this service removed.

The number for these people is +1-866-928-1093 and apparently, the people in charge are Mike and Christina.

Services they illegally put on your phone bill include:

Answerstop Voicemail
Privacy Plus Voice Mail
Voice Express
VoiceXpress
Antivirus Email

It's hard to pinpoint who is perpetrating the crime here, but the companies involved and allowing it to happen are below. If you know any other names, please post them in the comments, and I will add them here when I can:

Enhanced Services Billing, Inc.
ESBI
Billing Concepts
BSG Clearing Solutions Gmbh (why is a company in germany getting away with screwing americans?)
Zero Plus Dialing, Inc.a
ZPDI
USBI
OAN
HBS
ESBI Spec Serv & Prod

Various addresses for these people include:
PO BOX 15624
CLEARWATER FL 33766
PHONE 1-888-523-3724

Enhanced Services Billing, Inc.
7411 John Smith Drive, Suite 200
San Antonio, TX 78229-4898

HBS Billing Services
4242 Medical Drive, Suite 2100
San Antonio, TX 78229

Other Resources

I hope this little blog helps someone. I hate scams & if anyone has any information on how to deal with these scumbags, please share it with the rest of us to help get rid of this scourge on society.

Filed under: Billing Concepts, Dishonest, ESBI, Rip-off, Scams Leave a comment

Chelle 4

Just an FYI for everyone out there, some phone companies will allow you to put a "Third Party Block" on your phone, this means outside companies will not be able to charge you through your phone bill. I have had this problem too unfortunately, there are thieves and cheats everywhere and the FCC not only condones it, they encourage it with some of the laws, regulations, and "loopholes" they provide to these people.

Linda Patton

VERIZON!!! They appeared on our Verizon bill without our knowing anything about it. We never filled out anything on line. They've been billing us for a year - $159!! Why would Verizon allow an outside party to hook on to our phone bill?!?!?! According to Verizon this is legal - so Verizon is helping to perpetrate this scam - without Verizon they wouldn't have access. We were never informed. If anyone knows how to get your money back, please let me know.

rachel lehman

this is happening with verizon as well- i've got an auto payment on my account, and just caught it this month. luckily, it's only the 2nd month and my pymnt hasn't gone yet, so...

donnaraub

Is it legall for Verizon to let ESBI put charges on your bill when you did not sign up for it they have two on mine on the same month, Meteline, and Boxmnthyfee, we never signed up for iether one

CameronH

I can not believe a company can do this...it showed up on my ATT home fax line and internet bill as a voicemail service for 8.45 and I don't even use the line as a phone so why would I have voicemail.

Al

This company, Enhanced Services, attached a billing to my AT&T bill without my authorization, too. They are using some FCC approved law to cheat people with these unauthorized billings and AT&T is passing these billings along and doing nothing to protect their customers. How lawmakers can pass laws allowing crooks like this to prey on people is beyond me, unless they are getting something under the table from these vultures. It is just not right. No wonder America is in such bad shape. Unbridled greed and corruption is the new American Way, or so it appears.

Guest

Just to let you know, these programs are not a SCAM! People just need to pay attention to what they fill out and agree to online. Noone likes reading fine print, but maybe you should before you TRY to downgrade a company :)

AL

These companies are scams! When people are being charged for something they don't know about, it is a scam. It does not matter how legitimately they are set up on paper. There are lots and lots of scamming companies operating like this....attaching secret charges to other bills. And, for you to defend them means you benefit in some way.

Colin Nederkoorn

What's unsurprising is that "Erica", your IP address is owned by Clickspark, a company associated with this scam. http://www.google.com/search?q=clickspark+scam

Erik

Add these to the list!
CMI - member of Headwind Media
ForeverGlam

Karyn W

Agora Solutions is another name they ROB consumers under.

Eve Miller

Thank god there is someone else who has been thru this with ESBI and wants to DO something about it! These people signed me up for a service that I did NOT sign up for and they use 'contests' and other methods to lure you. This is very DECEPTIVE advertising practices to say the least and down right criminal at the worst. HOW do they get away with it?

Paris

I just got my phone bill and the ESBI one was on there for $14.99

Susanne Lewis

I got my unasked for, unwanted service through at&t. I am now "on hold" to try to get this taken from my bill.

anonymous sorry

I also got two of these on my phone bill. The first one was for November 09 by "The Billing Resource" for Agora Messaging Service. I got another one this mo from ESBI billed for 800Vmailbox. Inc.

Charlene Wasilewski

I called my phone company (Frontier) and they have removed the charges from my account. Then I called ESBI (866-877-1160) and cancelled (something I didn't order). It was fairly easy...now let's see if they follow through.

Dean

Add 'USA Voicemail to the list. I just called rearding my AT&T phone bill. I have been charged since 2007 for the 12.95/mo + tax for USA Voicemail premium which I never signed up for. They said they would credit it all back to me but I really doubt they will. I have called AT&T and complained and had the complaint annotatyed to my account. AT&T said they are obligated by FCC Regs that they have tyo bill me thrid party charges. Makes me want to go to clearwater Florida and punch someone in the nose at OAN services, or worse.

SAM

I also had this problem. I am in the process of calling BBB and trying to file a complaint with Florida police. Verizon is my provider and they put a block on all outside providers trying to bill me. I know AT&T has it since I have a block on my cell also.

Mark

On my ATT bill was NATIONWIDE ASSIST EMERGENCY VMAIL FEE unauthorized charges of 12.95 a month since Nov 2006. Silly, sloppy me. I called 866 527-4969 today and talkked to "Mary"... she says a John something signed me up. "He must have typed in the wrong phone number". She only showed 2 months service, so will credit me for those. I was then able to look through past bills and it was actually 28 months of unauthorized billing. Called back, spoke with "Gretchen" and she agreed. Is "issuing credit" for 28 months. Will contact BBB and post if I do get credit.

Karen

Something like this mysteriously showed up on my phone bill too-- it was labeled 'enhanced service charges' for $15.70. On my bill it said something about 'hellomail monthly'. I called my phone company directly and they took care of it. The actual phone company can put a block on your phone so scams like this don't keep happening. I'm glad there is a place like this where other people are posting their experiences-- I had a feeling it was some kind of scam. This stuff makes me so mad-- we're out here working hard for our money and someone is trying to scam us out of our money. Anyway, go straight to your local phone company instead of trying to contact someone at those bogus phone numbers. I called the phone number that the alleged company gave me and it was one big loop-- you never got through to anyone. Hope this helps someone else.

Kelly

I work for at&t and get NUMEROUS calls daily about 3rd party billing. I really think it is a rip off and think it should totally be outed. But its mainly bc of the Fcc and Public Utilities Comission why we are required to bill charges from 3rd parties on our bills. If you do get a charge for a 3rd party on your bill, call the company directly before calling At&t that way the services they supposedly have you signed up for are rem and they can credit you for the amount they billed. Then call At&t and request for a claim to be put in to make sure the amt doesn't continue to show up as past due especially since it can take up to 3 billing cycles for the credit to appear. Then ask for a 3 party billing block.

Calvin

If your getting nailed by these fraudulent charges I suggest running a complete antispyware/antivirus check on your computer. A friend was charged because he typed in his phone number into a pop up that keeps appearing on his computer. Likely it came from a malicious website and/or some type of spyware. Personally I use Avast Antivirus (avast.com, personal use is free), Spyware Terminator (downloaded from cnet.com/download), and Ccleaner (cleans out temporary files that malware programs like to hide in) to keep this garbage off my system. Good luck!

Jim

Add Verizon to your list of enablers. For us it was www.unitedtel.com under the guise of WWWhellomnthlyfee. How is it organizations like Verizon cannot be held accountable ?

Georgia

i got the $14.95 charge on my phone bill last month for ESBI (enhanced billing services) call my phone company. they called the number for me that the $ charge was coming from, told the lady?? who answer that they were calling on my behalf and listening to the conversation. Then my phone co. rep. told me to talk....they alleged that I ordered $1000 worth of coupons & that was the charge. Long story short, they are suppose to credit me, my phone rep. told me not to pay that part and mention that on check which I did. I told him about this web site in conversation and he did check it out, couldnt believe this was happening all over & so much. Will see if I do get credit within next few months.

Kathy

I received my Verizon telephone bill on 2/2/09 and there was a charge from HELLO MAIL MONTHLY with a charge of $14.95 plus tax. Since when has it been OK to put a charge on my phone bill by another company other than the phone company without my OK????????????????????????? Also check your bills because I had another charge from a company called MY BILLING SERVICE for $8.43. These two companies are related to each other. So I called Verizon and had the charges removed and had a block put on my phonebill at no charge to me that will unable this to happen again. I hope. Verizon told me it is not illegal for this practice. Then I called these two companies and went off. They tryed to say that I gave the OK. WRONG Some body needs to do something about this. Check your bills closely. Good Luck.....................

Ellen

My Verizon bill had a $14.95 fee for an ESBI number hellomailmnthlyfee. I never ordered whatever it is. They knew my name. Verizon said they would take it off my bill. I mailed in my usual amount and did not pay the extra. It is Feb 2009. How can this still be going on?

Guest

They knew your name bcus they recieved a registration with all of your info. Whether you did it or not, somebody had to.

Colin Nederkoorn

What's unsurprising is that "Erica", your IP address is owned by Clickspark, a company associated with this scam. http://www.google.com/search?q=clickspark+scam

Shellie

We caught it on our last phone bill-This co. called, VoceExpress,Inc. charging us $12.95 this month. The number they gave us on the AT&T bill for this is-1-800-367-8006. I tried to call this number, and the lady said that they're computers went down, and took my number and said she'd call me back but didn't! Of course! I plan on calling them again tomorrow!

Teresa

Well......they got me too!!!! I don't know from what website but the bastards stuck me also! I am not going to pay them either! How can a phone co like Verizon let someone like that get away with this, I am very disappointed in them!!! Does the FTC or FCC or BBB or anyone know about this? Has anyone reported them? VOICEXPRESS??? What the hell, I have voice mail what the hell would I need this for????

Brenda says

This has been happening to me for a year now was 5 months before I realist it called them they said they would credit me for 2 months worth which they need but right after credited it to me they started charging me again each month there after same old song and dance . now Im going to contact the BBB. Good Luck

PATTY

JUST GOT MY BILL WITH A $14.95 UNITEDTEL.COM "HELLO MAIL" CHARGE. WHAT THE FUCK???? I AM SOOOOO GOING TO CONTACT EVERYONE AND ANYONE I HAVE TO TO PUT A STOP TO THIS RIP OFF BULLSHIT.

Dixie

I also got this on my phone bill only I have Verizon. It is for unitedtel.com hello mail monthly fee of 14.95 this is the second month that it has been on there. I'm not paying it, I did not sign up for it and they tried to say Nathan did but me and my husband (Gordon) are the only ones who live here. It is for Enhanced Services Billing Inc. also.

DG

I just spoke with VoiceExpress Voice mail 1-888-298-3724 and they are going to refund the last three months. Apparently they are getting loads of calls. The response to me "I assure you nothing illegal is being done".

When the rep at AT@T told me about it. He said that since 3rd party billings for services are common, (long distance, etc) that they can't tell what is fraudulant.

The person at VoiceExpress Voice mail told me that the charges were legal because I allowed the charge by submitting something via the internet with my home phone number. Obviously it is buried someplace in a site we access and put in our information. I am writing the BBB and other online fraud agencies and suggest everyone do the same.
Obviously

Catherine

I have been billed for Voice Express for the last four months. I called the 800-367-08006 number, and they say they cannot cancel. They say it has to be done by mail and will not give me an address. I am filing a complaint with the FTC, Illinois Attorney General, Florida Attorney General and Texas Attorney Generalagainst both Voicexpress and AT&T. If enough of us file complaints, this scam might stop.

GB

PS. I filed an FTC complaint.

GB

For the last two months my AT&T phone bill had an extra charge of $12.95 for VOICEEXPRESS VOICEMAIL MONTHLY FEE, billed on behalf of VoiceExpress Inc 1-800-367-8006 . The first month I didn't even notice it (I have voicemail fron AT&T @ $8.95 per month). This time it caught my eye and I called about it. What a total scam Enhanced Services Billing Inc is!!!

patricia azar

1 10-14residential email.llc is on my phone bill charging me 14>95 a month and i don,t even know what this is they have been billing me since july

patricia azar

i also just noticed on my phone bill at&t a bill for 1 10-14 residential email.llcin thee amount of 14.95 and they have been billing me for this since july i don,t even know what this is ,does anyone know what this is

KMS

Apparently AT&T is not taking this problem seriously since it appears to have been an issue since 2006. I have experienced the same thing as others and the culprit is Enhanced Services Billing which I tried to contact and have had no success. AT&T is disputing the charge to get it off my bill but I am having great difficulty understanding how this continues and that AT&T knows that its a problem.

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