Carrier Billing Errors, Billing Claims, and Resolutions
Virtually every customer whose invoices we analyze experience erroneous charges.
Anilix has identified billing errors on invoices for mobile, voice, data, conferencing, and other services. We have resolved these errors by understanding the carrier claims process—which many times is designed to delay resolution until the person who filed the claim gives up or changes role. Anilix can stick with it, leading to billing credits ranging from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of dollars that take as little as 2 weeks or as much as 18 months to resolve.
Examples
Example I: AT&T Toll-Free Voice Errors
Error persisted for 7 years but was limited by Statute of Limitations to 2-Years of Refunds
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Background: Toll-free rate per minute charges were improperly switched to tariff rates when contract transitioned to month to month. Rates increased to 100x contract rates but were buried under other charges.
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Resolution Process: Initial claims filed met with resistance and months of stonewalling from claims group and Account Manager. With escalation and eventual threats of legal action, claim was resolved after 18 months
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Results: One-time credit to client of $122K and ongoing monthly savings of ~$5K
Example I Results
$122K Credit and $5K/month ongoing cost reduction
Savings from Toll Free voice rate per minute errors
Example II: Voice Services/Cloud PBX Provider Contract Termination Error
Carrier charged past permitted contractual timeframe
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Background: Client issued termination to carrier due to pending switch to different carrier. Carrier charged an average of 90 days more than contractually permitted
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Resolution Process: Anilix reviewed extensive contractual documentation to identify the term and notification requirements, provided both legal documentation, and worked with carrier to calculate overcharge and bill credit
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Results: One-time credit to client of $181K
Example II Results
$181K Credit
Savings from Contract Termination Errors
Example III: Sprint MPLS Circuit Error
Carrier overcharged for one circuit out of 40 in an MPLS network
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Background: Client had an MPLS network and multiyear relationship with Sprint, in which one circuit had been erroneously charged for several years
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Resolution Process: In a rare case of cooperation from a carrier, the account manager and billing team reviewed the documentation presented by Anilix, agreed that an error had occurred, and credited two years of overcharges within one month of Anilix filing a billing claim
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Results: One-time credit to client of $26K and ongoing monthly savings of ~$2K
Example III Results
$26K Credit and $2K/month ongoing cost reduction
Savings from MPLS circuit error
Example IV: AT&T Wireless…Error after Error
Carrier billing and provisioning systems are “challenged”
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Background: Client has a ~2K devices on corporate AT&T mobility plans, on which numerous errors regularly occur, including missing autopay credits, improper data overage charges, incorrectly system-implemented rate plan changes, and more. These errors occur with unfortunate regularity.
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Resolution Process: Anilix filed and escalated numerous billing claims with AT&T’s billing team, whose resolution process is designed to stall and obfuscate
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Results: One-time credits in 2022 to client of more than $20K
Example IV Results
$20K Credit
2022 Savings from AT&T Wireless Errors