20060515Complaint.pdf

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ldwell Chiropractic Center
JOHN C. DOWNEY, D.
104 EAST PINE
CALDWELL, IDAHO 83605
TELEPHONE: [phone]
5/2/06
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
Attn: Commission Secretary Jean Jewell
PO Box 83720
Boise ID 83720-0074
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RE: FORMAL COMPLAINT Qw E: -t-o6-
Dear Ms. Jewell
HISTORY:
m a 15+ years business customer of phone service (Owest Telecommunications) at
104 E Pine St., Caldwell. I have 2 phone numbers: 459-4354 , main number; 459-
9438 second fax/phone line. In May 2001 I contacted Owest to establish an internet
phone connection that would allow my phone lines to be functional while receiving
internet service. The internet connection was made through the 459-9438 fax/phone
line which disabled the fax/phone for the short times when the internet was in use.
The main line, 459-4354 was always functional and this satisfied my business needs.
This was true until we upgraded our internet service in 10/05 to DSL which freed both
lines.
I spoke with a'Owest customer assistant in October '05 during the DSL installation
process. The Owest customer assistant asked if Owest could be the long distance
carrier for a phone number I had no knowledge of: 454-7296. I declined the offer.
After talking with Owest I discovered that a third phone line (454-7296) had been
installed in May '01 though it was not functional as a phone or an internet connection.
When calling the dysfunctional number (454-7296) before it was "disconnected", it
would ring as a working number without answer. There was no reaction by our phone
system or any discoverable phonelwall jack that would make the number functional.
Since I had paid for a "service" I did not receive I asked Owest for credit going back to
May '01. Owest said that only one year credit was possible, at approximately $38.
per month and gave me a $598.17 credit in December, 2005.
PETITION:
I would like to receive credit from Owest for the entire time I paid for a dysfunctional
phone connection from May, 2001-0ctober, 2005 less the credit already received. I
have reviewed the phone bills from 2001 to present. The charges for the phone lines
459-4354, 459-9438 and 454-7296 are billed as one "monthly service" charge except
on the February statement (until June '04); then the charges are itemized as 2 addl.
line-pri bus flat = $65.02 and 1 private business line = $32.51. The phone numbers
are never published. If we had received a charge for a 454-7296 number we should
have been instantly alerted to it's existence and the error.
Had there been a functional 454-7296 phone, phone wall jack, phone number, or
knowledge of these we would have known and therefore canceled the service.
Indeed, the only way to have known about the unknown 454-7296 line was by the bill
which never published the number. In other words Owest failed to give us a functional
phone connection (we would have canceled) and billed us for it. If it is possible to
check line usage then it can be shown that the 454-7296 number was truly
unused/dysfunctional beyond this testimony. I have copies of all the monthly
statements if this would be helpful. Thank you for your time.
Sinc
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John C. Downey, D.