Arizona Volunteers Recover $2,000 for Overcharged Consumers

When companies won't return your money and phone calls go nowhere, a team of dedicated volunteers in Arizona is stepping up to help.

Better Business Bureau volunteers working with ABC15's consumer team recently helped three Arizona residents recover nearly $2,000 in overcharges and erroneous fees. Their secret weapon? Persistence and knowing exactly who to contact.

Belinda spent months trying to resolve a billing dispute with CenturyLink after canceling her phone service. The company kept charging her despite her repeated attempts to fix the problem. Volunteer Joe took her case and spent months going back and forth with CenturyLink representatives until the company finally issued her full refund.

Dory, 89, faced a different challenge when a chiropractor's office wouldn't refund her for a returned pillow. "I'm 89 years old and they've overcharged me, and I need that money," she explained when she called for help. Volunteer Larry contacted the office and secured her complete refund immediately.

The biggest recovery came when Pam from Scottsdale discovered Lowe's had charged her for two bathroom vanities when she only ordered one. Volunteer Andrew investigated and learned the vendor hadn't properly notified Lowe's about the single vanity order. His intervention resulted in a full refund of nearly $1,800.

Why This Inspires

These volunteers aren't getting paid for their work. They're simply people who believe everyone deserves fair treatment from businesses, regardless of age or how much money is involved. They turn frustration into action and dead ends into resolutions.

Their success shows that consumer advocacy still works when someone knows the right channels and refuses to give up. Each refund represents more than money returned. It's dignity restored and faith renewed in a system that can feel stacked against ordinary people.

The team continues accepting cases from Arizona residents stuck in similar situations. Sometimes all it takes is one persistent voice asking the right questions to turn a company's "no" into "here's your money back."