Taxes on billing

[fenwal]

I'm a potential new customer, trying to buy a phone along with service.  The web site wants to charge me 8.xx% tax for the phone purchase, when the tax amount should be only 3.7%.  I live in an unincorporated area of my county, not in a city.  My 5-digit zip code crosses two (maybe 3) cities.  My mailing address contains a city name (not even of the closest post office).  My 9-digit zip code should be sufficient to correctly calculate the sales tax, but it's apparently not being used by the web site.  I tried "chat" and did get past the AI-bot to (I think) a real person.  Her only suggestion was for me to post pictures of the transaction to a social media account so someone from Visible could evaluate things.  Ridiculous.

I'm not willing to create social media accounts (the big 3, anyway) just to make Visible happy.  This should be an easy fix, not a sales debacle.  Any ideas, other than giving up on Visible?  I don't even see a support email address for them.

[DeanKevin64]

I think Visible charges the tax rate that is either state or what the county charges whether you are in an unincorporated area. 

I have not figured out how Visible even figures taxes on the service(it is included but still listed on the account billing page). Minnesota sales tax is 6.875% and my county has 7.38%. But looking at the service tax on my $25 plan Visible only only list $.01 collected for tax, so go figure. Now, I looked up my phone purchase from 2021 from Visible and I was charged state tax and not higher tax for the county I live in if that helps. From that information if your state has an 8% sales tax that is likely what they are using.

As for getting a live agent on Visible when on chat type agent, human or live agent and that should flag a real person. Unfortunately if they ask for a screenshot of something that can only be done through one of their social media platforms, I use Facebook myself. If using or creating a social media account is an issue than Visible is not right for you. All customer service is handled by chat or messaging them on one of their social media platforms. There is no phone number or email addresses to contact them by. 

[fenwal]

@DeanKevin64, thanks for the response.

The 8.xx% tax rate they are trying to charge for the phone purchase (not the monthly service) is a combination of state tax (2.7%), county tax (0.8%), and 4.5x% for a nearby city (which is wrong in my case).  Posting a picture of the tax amount on a social media site won't help fix the problem (IMO).  Their tax calculation makes incorrect assumptions based on zip code.  I had that problem with a previous company, but was able to get it fixed through that company's customer service.  Visible's  "chat" agent was unable or not empowered to fix the problem, and could have (but didn't?) forward the information to Visible's billing department.

I might try buying the phone directly from Apple's site, in the hope they'll have better tax-calculation software.  Even so, Visible's lack of something as simple as email customer support is a good reason for me to consider avoiding the company.

[DeanKevin64]

The tax on service I was just trying to point out that I don't understand how Visible figures tax rates. I then looked up my phone purchase to what tax rate was used and it figured out to the state wide tax. In your case I have no clue how they are figuring your taxes since you say the state tax is 2.7%. I do know that some online sellers(other than phones) have charged me the rate in my county because I questioned one online store about this and they collected a higher tax rate then the state tax, I had forgot our county voted in the extra sales tax and that is what they collected.

For me Visible service works great and I am already on social media so that didn't bother me. I don't contact CS that often here because as you noticed they are incompetent, but when I do I prefer to DM them on FB rather then wait inline on chat and then get disconnected and have to start all over again.

If you need need a person to talk to when handling issues then Visible really would not be suited for you. I like them because of what they offer. 

Good luck!