July 11, 2001

By Brian Newsome Herald Staff Writer

Frustrated cell phone customers filled an Alltel Communications store in Durango Tuesday after their phone service was terminated due to a large-scale billing error.

People of all ages waited in a customer-service line at the store in Bodo Park to have their cell phones reactivated. They armed themselves with bank statements and copied checks to show that they had paid their bills.

"I called and they told me they haven’t received my check," said Butch Hamer, of Durango, as he waited in line. "My check cleared, but they want us to submit copies of the front and back (of the check)."

An error in Alltel’s new billing system deactivated the phones, said Andrew Carey, Alltel’s public relations manager.

The automatic system, which replaced a manual system about a month ago, cuts off service to people who are 30 days past due on their bills, he said.

The customers "may have sent in payments that were not credited correctly to their account, thus resulting in a suspend status in our billing system," Carey said.

The number of customers whose phones were deactivated was unknown, but Durango customers appeared to be the hardest hit in the region.

Due to the number of people affected by this problem, employees have been instructed to honor customers’ requests for reactivation, Carey said. All payment checks should be posted to people’s accounts today.

"Once we get through the first month’s billing cycle, everything will be faster and more efficient," Carey said.

The reason for the accounts not being properly posted has not been determined, Carey said. The computer automatically discontinued service when it did not register the payments, he said.

Jim Redisill, who operates a construction company in Durango, said his two business phones were without service for two days. He said the cell phone is "an integral part" of his business because he uses it for scheduling, connecting with clients and ordering materials.

"I had to keep running back and forth from my house" to use the telephone, he said

Carey said that Alltel employees have been training for months on how to use the new system. Next month’s bills will be easier to read and the same problems should not occur, he said.

"We are very confident that it will work out better once people are used to utilizing the system," he said.

Customers seeking compensation for lost air time and damages will be considered on a case-by-case basis, Carey said.

Alltel took over Cellular One wireless operations in Southwest Colorado in 1999. It was the company’s first venture in Colorado. In 1999, the company had more than 6.5 million customers throughout the country.

http://www.durangoherald.com/1news4829.htm

-- Anonymous, July 12, 2001