The Nine Mile Run Watershed Association in Wilkinsburg canceled its Verizon long distance service in March 2008 after it went to Broadvox.

Since then, Verizon has sent bills every month for "FirmRate Plus Calling Plan Shortfall Charge."

"Attempts to find out what this charge might be were inconclusive," said office manager Judi Jungling. "One [Verizon] department said the service was for 'conference connection.' "

The bills kept coming.

The association kept paying.

"Due to our shortage of staff and lack of knowledge regarding the technical aspects of a digital phone system, some time went by before we could investigate further," said Ms. Jungling, who joined the association after the Verizon service was canceled.

In December, she contacted a company that specializes in resolving problems with telecommunications companies - for $125 as hour! The company estimated it would take from five to 10 hours to resolve the problem.

"Being a nonprofit organization, this type of expense would be a hardship for us," Ms. Jungling said.

Not to mention that the "problem-solvers" estimated minimum charge of $500 would be close to the $622.19 the association was trying to recover from Verizon.

In January, Ms. Jungling called Verizon.

She spoke to "Cory" who put her on hold several times, told her she needed to speak to the "conference connection department" and transferred her.

"Lisa" in New Jersey answered the phone, said Ms. Jungling needed to speak to a Pennsylvania customer service representative and transferred her.

"Rodney," a supervisor in Pennyslvania, transferred her to the company's "Enterprise Solutions Group," also known as "ESG."

"Kathy" at ESG said her department couldn't help and transferred her to another number.

"Judy" answered the phone and said AT&T's Level III, not Verizon, was billing the watershed association. When Ms. Jungling said the letterhead on the bills states they were coming from Verizon Enterprise Solutions, "Judy" disagreed. She told Ms. Jungling to use the White Pages to look up AT&T's phone number and hung up.

Ms. Jungling found the phone number for "Level III" online and called. The recorded "menu" didn't have an option to discuss billing problems and advised her to use e-mail to contact someone.

She pushed a number and "Nathan" in the tech department answered. He transferred her to "Matt," who completed a "trouble ticket" and assigned an eight-digit number to it. He said someone who works on "trouble tickets" would call her in a few hours. He also gave her a toll-free number.

When no one called, she dialed the toll-free number and spoke to "Mark." He said "Level III" wasn't associated with the watershed association's account.

You can imagine Ms. Jungling's exasperation after going through all that.

I contacted Verizon spokesman Lee Gierczynski, explained the problem and forwarded an e-mail Ms. Jungling sent me that detailed her efforts to resolve it.

Mr. Gierczynski forwarded the e-mail to a department that usually handles such matters. It, in turn, forwarded it to another department. After locating and reviewing the association's 2008 telephone account, Verizon agreed to send it a reimbursement check for the full amount - $622.19.

When a company representative called Ms. Jungling to give her the good news, he "offered no explanation for the mix-up," she said.

"Without your assistance I'm sure we would still be running into the proverbial brick wall. Many thanks."

Glad to help.

P.S.: The association is named for the Monongahela River tributary that is nine miles upstream from The Point. The stream begins near the old East Hills Shopping Center in Wilkinsburg and meanders in and out of Penn Hills, Swissvale, Edgewood and Squirrel Hill before emptying into the Mon.

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