The American Consumer, Part the 2nd - The AT&T situation, and its Swift and Calculated Resolution

Hey kids.  Wanna know what ever happened to the evil corporation of A, T, and T, mentioned in my previous blog?  My revenge and resolution of the same were swift and calculated.

I wrote the following letter to the management of the store that handled my sale:

3/22/2014

Around a little more than a month ago, we visited your store.  We were heartily greeted, and served by a gentleman named *un-named* (Sorry, I can’t remember the guy’s name).

He helped us pick out phones, and drew up our contract for us.

Now, when we purchased this service, we were told that, after a quick computerized estimate, that each bill would be around $200 a month.  Looking at my contract, I see that to be the truth.  However, when I signed up, I was told that for each line of service, I would receive a credit worth $100 per line.  I was going to be the only person using the service, but for $100 per line?  I signed the wife up as well, and added a hot spot line.  $300 in credits in all.  There was absolutely no discussion whatsoever about when these credits would appear in my billing.  I was never told anything about how much the first bill would be or that there were extra activation fees.  When he informed me that the bill would be around $200 a month, I balked slightly, and asked if there was any way that this bill could be reduced any...maybe by removing the hot spot from the contract?  He then told me that the discounts I was to receive on my service would not be in place if I removed the hotspot, and that it would reduce the bill as far as the third line was concerned, but would increase the bill back up to around $200 if the discounts were removed.  So no, there was no decreasing the bill.  The salesman then offered me phone insurance.  I looked him  dead in the eye and said these words exactly:  Sure, why not?  It’s not like I’ll have a bill to pay for the first month anyway?”  He smiled, without a word of negation to that statement, and I signed on.

Then, a couple of days later, I started to observe a commercial that said, if you were to activate up to 4 lines of service (of which I had 3), with 10 GB of Data (which I had, but I didn’t really hear that at this time) and that my bill would be $160 a month for 4 lines.  I immediately contacted the store.  The salesperson, looking this up, stated the reason we didn’t get this deal was because of the amount of data we signed up for...10 GB.  Confused, we took this answer and we went home.  Again, the commercial aired, I listened and heard exactly that these folks signing up would indeed receive a shared 10 GB of data.

This time I called customer service.  When I stated that we did indeed receive all the commercial offered, the customer service rep then stated to me that this offer was only good to existing customers of AT&T.  If you watch this commercial (and I have, diligently, over and over again), no place in this commercial does state, say, or show type that says that this deal is only applicable to existing customers.  It also presents itself in such a way that you would believe that you, as a NEW customer, are to receive this offer.  The customer service rep pacified me by offering me a $100 credit.  I believe, now, after having my service connected with nary an attempt at saving my patronage, that this was a payoff to make me look the other way as far as this commercial was concerned.  I took this in stride and continued on.

I received several text messages from customer service on my phone, stating that my bill was available for view, and asked me to contact customer service because of my data overages.  I did at one time contact them, and informed them that I had $400 in bill credits...so why would my data overage matter?  They laughed and I hung up.  Then 4 days after one month of service, I received, in the mail, a letter stating that I owed $220, and if I did not pay it immediately, my phone service would be promptly disconnected.

I looked at my bill online, and it said there that my bill was $532.97.  I was furious.  $200 of this new amount should be our bill.  There was 4 added gigs of service added to our data, at $15/GB, granted...but there’s an additional $60 charged here for what reason, I have no idea.  I called customer service.  I was told that my credits per line would not show for at least 2-3 more billing cycles.  I was told that the first bill is always higher because of activation fees.  I asked about why these things weren’t covered in our sale, she said “I’m sorry, you’re absolutely right, that should be said”...with mention that we might be able to use a split bill payment resolution.  She led me to My AT&T online, and asked me to press the Make Payment button.  It didn’t show a split payment option.  She said this was because I was too new of a customer.  I told her that I wouldn’t be able to pay the past due amount until the following week, and she said that our service would be disconnected by then.  When I mentioned that I didn’t know that our first bill would show up in just a week, and be due in less than another week or so, and that in an exact additional month we would be charged yet another month at the promised $200, the pacification came in the form of “this is all in your contract”.  Needless to say, I discontinued the conversation not long after that.

So, today, you’re going to get two options.  Either you will find a way to turn on our service again, at the promised $160 a month, give us until the date of March 31st to pay our past due bill, then immediately apply the $300 in credits that you promised me on our current due bill of $332.97 (after our service reduction per month, and the additional $60 that shouldn’t have been charged, this figure should actually be $232.97; and after $300 in credits, it should really be around -$68.97), or option 2, you will disconnect my service, wipe out both bills, as well as any termination fees that might apply and I will, today, box up and return all of your equipment to you, after you call.

If you do not honor either of these choices, I will haunt the sidewalks outside of your store from business open till business close every weekend of my 2 year contract, with detailed signs that express everything this store lied to me about and omitted upon selling me your service, and it will, I guarantee you, cost you business, I will also write scathing reviews on every site I can find that concerns cell phones.  I am also a blogger, and because of you, have started a new section on the American Consumer, and have already posted a story concerning your business, and will continue to slam you there as well.  Finally, I plan to bring suit against your company for misrepresentation and fraudulent business actions.  I am a legal student, so be prepared for a fight.  This is no idle threat.

When you decide which option to go with, you can contact me on my new prepaid phone that I had to purchase yesterday, at 515-865-3589 to tell me.  I’ll let you be now, since you now have some work to do.

Thank you.



Christopher Bruce.

Needless to say, I received a call within the hour.  I will be updating this blog with the resolution in a few minutes...hold your breath please...

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OK, and the results are in !!!  I spent a grand total of 10 minutes on the phone and another 15 minutes at the store picketing (I told them they had best decide or I would, remember...I didn't get a single call the rest of the day).  The phones will be back on within the hour, my current bill of $532.87 will be wiped out, the bill will be $160 a month, and the more minor issues will be resolved.  Just goes to show you.  Open your mouth wide enough, and the people who don't hear you will still notice you when they fall into it.  Don't roll over America, STAND UP AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!