First telecom audit finding. Client has a manufacturing plant in Charlotte. They decommissioned an old phone system 3 years ago and switched to VoIP. But AT&T is still billing them for 14 analog POTS lines at $42/month each — $588/month for lines that aren't connected to anything. The lines were supposed to be disconnected when the VoIP system went live. Either the disconnect order was never processed or it got lost. Three years of charges on dead lines: $21,168.
Client getting charged for disconnected lines
Disconnected lines still being billed is the #1 telecom audit finding. It's the telecom equivalent of a wrong rate class in utility auditing — extremely common and easy to find. Any business that has changed phone systems, moved offices, or closed locations in the past 5 years should be checked for orphaned lines. The carriers' billing systems are terrible at processing disconnects, especially for older analog services.
Welcome to telecom auditing. Orphaned lines are the low-hanging fruit. Karen, file the claim with AT&T for the full 3 years. They'll push back and offer maybe 12 months. Escalate to their dispute resolution team and cite the original disconnect order date. If you can prove the disconnect was requested 3 years ago, you have a strong case for the full refund.
Filed the claim. AT&T offered 6 months initially. Escalated with the original disconnect order copy that the client found in their files. AT&T came back with 24 months — $14,112. Client is happy. I'll take it.
Nice first telecom find! $14K from one account. The telecom rabbit hole goes deep — wait until you start looking at circuit inventories.