If you're using Airnex Communications Inc (http://www.airnex.com/index.html) for long distance and other services, we suggest you look into your bills. They may have cheated you!
I have filed a complaint to BBB (Better Business Bureau) because they refuses to admit/correct their fraudulent billing practices. We've been their customer since 2001, but we immediately terminated their services because we cannot trust them anymore. The complaint is copied and pasted below.
エアネクス（http://www.airnex.com/index.html）という会社を長距離電話サービスなどに使っているみなさん、請求書をちゃんと確かめた方がいいです（日本にはあんまりいないかな）。詐欺的な水増し請求をされているかもしれません！要はこちらが気づかないように２０％の水増し請求をしたり、二重に電話代を請求したりと、無茶苦茶なのです。
苦情を申し上げたところ、否を認めず適当な金額でコトを納めようとしたので、BBBという不正な商行為を規制する機関に問題を通知しました。２００１年から使っていたんだけど、信頼を著しく損ねたので即刻解約しました。下記が通知の全文です。めちゃくちゃ忙しいのに何やってんだ、俺。
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Airnex is doing Fraudulent billing practices (hidden charges) and double charges but refuses to admit it or correct it in a proper way.
We have been a loyal customer to Ainex Communications Inc for our long distance phone services since 2001, and we have enrolled in their automatic payment system for many years. Our account number is xxxxxxx.
But on May 27, 2014, we noticed that they've been charging us much higher than they should.
1) For example, in the invoice closing on April 30, 2014, they charged for $29.00 for "Long Distance Access & Usage" but if we calculated our usage based on the "call details", it was only $24.17. And when we checked the previous month (closing date:March 31), they charged $68.68 when in fact, we only used $45.35. We do not know when this kind of billing practice exactly started because many of our invoices are missing, but it looks they have been doing this for a while.
2) We also noticed that they've been doing double charges of calls for at least over the last two year period. For example, the same exact calls we made on 3/29 and 3/30 in 2014 for Japan were charged on two invoices whose closing dates are April 30 and March 31.
3) We also noticed that they charged late fee of $20.00 in the invoice whose closing date was October 31, 2013. But how can we be late if we are enrolled in their automatic payment system?
We don't keep all the invoices so we have no idea when it all started.
On May 27, 2014, we called the company's Japanese speaking customer service. Ms. Yamada, who refused to give us the full name because of their "company policy," said that they are entitled to add up to 20% of the long distance calls we made and that's in their "terms of conditions" on their website. And that's her answer to the 1) problem we had.
But we have never received any letters or notices explaining that. The invoice doesn't even mention or explain the fact that the charges are increased. It's totally invisible! The only way we could find out about the increased charges is by manually calculating our usages. But who calculates? Isn't it fraudulent? We certainly feel we've been cheated. In the invoice of June 30, 2013, there was no such increased charges so it's probably something they started after that.
To Ms. Yamada, we demanded that the company should review all of our invoices in the past and refund all the money they overcharged. Ms. Yamada said that they can only go back to 3 months to review our invoices but we said that's not acceptable for us. She promised to consult her boss and that she would call us again.
On May 28, Ms. Yamada called us after consulting her boss. She said she will refund $20+ for the past 3 months bills but she can't go back further. Instead, she wanted to pay us an additional $50 to settle the case($70+ in total). We refused and demanded the full investigation.
Then, she called us again. She offered $20+ and $100 to settle the case ($120+ in total). She said that's the maximum the company can offer. We refused and demanded the full investigation.
That's where we stand now.
My request is very simple. Review all of our invoices and refund what has been overcharged. Why can't they do that? We don't understand. It should be their very basic responsibility.
I suspect that the company is strategically employing such a fraudulent billing practices to increase their revenue.
Because we lost our trust to the company, we cancelled their services immediately. We are waiting for their sincere apology, acknowledgment of their mistake, full investigation, and a full refund.
エアネクスのカスタマーですが、実は私もオカシイな？と思うことが何度もあったのですが、BBBに苦情を申し立てはしなかたのですが、私のケースは私が不在中に見ず知らずの番号で通話履歴が残り請求されていました。それが数か月続き、奇妙なのでその番号に電話してみるとスペイン語しか話さない人に繋がり、州はフロリダでした。
ReplyDeleteこの会社の請求を疑問視して、自動引き落としから請求書が来て支払いをする方法に変えましたが、日本に帰国する際に予め多めの額の小切手を切ってエアネクスに送っていたのに、帰米すると支払いが滞り長距離電話が使えなくなっていました（これは使用不可のため問い合わせるとそう言われました）。
いぶかしく思いましたが、一応支払いはしました。
想田監督が超お忙しいところ、こういうブログを書いてくださったことは大いに意味がありました。
私はBBBに苦情を申し立てようとも思いましたが、煩わしいのでしませんでしたが、流石ドキュメンタリー映画で世界的な評価を受ける監督。こういう小さなことでもこれだけ一生懸命に取り組むお姿に感動しました。
大きなことを手掛ける方、しかも本当のホンモノは、こういう小さなことにも全力投球、そういう姿勢の想田監督はこれからももっともっと躍進し続けることでしょう。
実に立派なご対応に思いました。
因みにエアネクスのカスタマーサービス(日本語を話す人)は、数年前まではアメリカ国内でなく、フィリピンのマニラでした。近年、このようにカスタマーサービスの電話対応はフィリピンやインドが多いみたいですね。
ありがとうございます。いまBBBからの返事待ちですが、進展がありましたらまたお知らせしますね！
ReplyDelete私も長いことエアネクスを利用していますが、チャージやカスタマーサービスに疑問が多々あります。いずれクラスアクションで訴えられるのではないかと思っています。進展、興味深くお待ちします。
ReplyDeleteエアネクスから全く誠意のない回答が届きましたので、以下のように反論しました。
ReplyDeleteOn June 02, 2014, the business provided the following response:
"This account was closed and credited with an adjustment on the account,we left message for this client as we could not get hold of them.we have spoke with this client and offer them a courtesy credit customer did not accept and left no choice than closing the account, our offer is still exist if client would consider having our service back. Regards Airnex Support."
We do not accept this outrageous response because it's full of lie and deceit.
First of all, Airnex never ever left us a message.
Secondly, it's us (not Airnex) who decided to close the account because we don't trust the company anymore.
Thirdly, we demanded a sincere apology and investigation about their fraudulent billing practices, but they never did or have any intention to do it. They do not address our demand at all.
Lastly, why do we need to put our service back to receive the refund we deserve? That's a total nonsense.
On BBB's watch, how can they get away with this? Is there any justice here?
Once again, we are waiting for their sincere apology, acknowledgment of their mistake, full investigation, and a full refund.
Kazuhiro Soda
ひとつ思い出しました。一時期、電話が全く通じない（"the phone is currenetly unavailable"というメッセージが届くのです。エアネクスを使わずに電話をかけると直ぐに通じるので、エアネクスの不手際だとは思うのですが）事が続いた時期ありましたが、その時期にも通話請求がされていました。不思議に思って問い合わせたところ、私の通話ではないと証明すれば返金しますとの事でした。証明って・・・とその時は面倒になり、何もしなかったのですが。他にも似たような経験をされた方がいるのか、気になります。
ReplyDelete私のエアネクスのアカウントにも（１）と（２）と全く同じことが起きています。更に、ローカル電話会社の通話記録と比べてみると、全部の通話時間が、エアネクスでは水増しされている。例えば、5分くらいの通話の場合、2分ほど水増し、25分くらいの通話だと7分ほど水増しされているのです。それと、計算してみると、それぞれの通話のレートも違う。私も山田さんというカスタマーサービスのレップと話した後、今、カスタマーサービスからの折り返しの電話待ちです。私は、10年以上前ですが、エアネクスで働いていたことがあるので、彼らの対応の仕方は分かっています。カスタマーサービスのレップが「出来ない」と言っていても、実際には3ヶ月以上前のものも調べることができることも知っています。私もFCCとBBBにはレポートする予定です。
ReplyDelete