The I-Opener overbilling problem is affecting 3000 people according to a person in the Netpliance I-Opener Customer Care department.
I agree with WntrTxn that all purchasers of the I-Opener should check their VISA, MASTERCARD accounts. Those *#*@$\/.,..,#4)!!! people at Netpliance hit my VISA with six overcharges of $250 each for the annual internet subscription fee. They were supposed to provide a refund for the first overcharges, but someone at their finance department put in three more overcharges instead of doing refund chargebacks. That's $1500 in illegitimate overcharges. Add the original $99 for the I-Opener device and add the $250 for the current internet subscription year which is only in it's sixth month, and that's $1849 for the I-Opener. I could've bought two to four new computers for that money.
I got the I-Opener for my Aunt because of it's easy-to-use internet access and now look at the trouble it's causing me six months after the original purchase.
I've called the Netpliance I-Opener Customer Care 800-telephone number a half-dozen times and today, December 7, 2000, a Customer Care person admitted to me at that there were 3000 subscribers who have been affected. The illegitimate overcharging began during the middle of November 2000. The person I spoke to said my case was the worse he has seen.
Netpliance recently changed its business plan. It would have been nice if they did not also change their billing system, as reported in WntrTxn's post, which apparently caused the customer accounts billing problems for 3000 people.
So far, there has been a small refund, but I'm still waiting for a full refund of all illegitimate overcharges. Netpliance and the I-Opener used to be on my favorites list of internet countertop appliances, but no longer. What happened to me would provide more of a reason as to why internet devices should not be sold for use with only one internet service when you're only getting basic internet.
ruel
