Verison Phone Company

Illinois
In Sept. of 2002 I signed a lease for a new apartment. The management office pass out a booklet of information regarding phone companies and cable companies to new tenants. The mgmt office works with the Verison phone company. It listed options, such as three way calling, caller id, number of calls, etc. I filled out the form and carefully read information in the booklet, and their contract. I had Verison activate the jack that was already in the apartment. About a month or more after the jack had been activated I bought a cordless phone from Target, I still have the receipt, I purchased the phone October 29, 2002. I took the phone to the apartment, and plugged it in and left. I'm still moving in, I did not check my mail box for current mail because I had not given my new address to anyone since I was still moving. Well to make along story short. I'm still moving in, in the meantime Verison sent me a phone bill for $149.00, I called to find out why the bill was so high, they told me part of the bill was a $100.00 deposit. And the rest was the phone bill. I explained I never used the phone, and the calls they reflected on the bill was a mistake because I didn't have a phone in that apartment, and it was impossible to make calls from an apartment that had no phone. Well, the next month my phone bill was $200.00 and now the phone bill is $346. I called, tried to work this out. They (Verison) customer service, stated they are not charging me for the phone usage, but are charging me for the service contract, I asked what service I have not used the phone. Well they insist that I pay $346.00, they have disconnected the service, but are still charging me. Is this Legal,
can they charge me for a phone service contract that has never been used.
Need advise in Chicago

[Ladynred]

If you signed up and had them activate service ,then you agreed to their service contract, whether you used the phone or not.

Have they actually billed you for calls ? Have they sent you an itemized bill ? If not, have you asked for one ? I suggest you re-read their contract, sounds like a raw deal to me !