Consumer Beware: Unauthorized AT&T Next Up Fee is Automatically Added to Bill

Yeah, sad to say that’s a common complaint. I agree with you, adding Next Up automatically, especially when you specifically told them not to is unacceptable. I doubt you’ll get a satisfactory answer from ATT here. It will likely take escalating to corporate by filing an FCC or BBB complaint to get an answer. It may still not be satisfactory but perhaps they’ll offer some compensation.

Also watch for insurance. 

Authorized retailers almost always add both. 

We'd be happy to take a closer look into your Next Up concerns @NancylnTexas7. 

We understand how frustrating this is for you. Let’s meet in a Direct Message to discuss your Next up charge. Please check your Direct Message Inbox (it’s the chat icon next to the bell icon in the upper right corner of the Forums).

We look forward to speaking with you!

Mellira, AT&T Community Specialist

This happened to me too. 

I upgraded a line on my plan and the AT&T Next Up add-on was added without my consent. Insurance was ALSO added without my consent. I had to call last month to get both removed. I looked at my bill today and the AT&T Next Up add-on is still there!

I tried to remove it myself online and there is no option to remove it. Now I have to call and wait on hold forever to get this removed.

I shouldn't have to waste my time calling and explaining the situation to the customer service rep to remove something that I DIDN'T ASK FOR!

As has been mentioned, this is very common complaint with Authorized AT&T Retail Stores. These stores are not owned or operated by AT&T and are not staffed with AT&T employees. They just make the sale and then pass it along to AT&T, who has no clue as to what was said and or/promised to the customer. Did you get a receipt? Canceling the NextUp and Asurion Insurance is time dependent so you only have a period of time to cancel.

I'd file a complaint with the BBB. That will go to AT&T Corporate and someone will call you. Just have all of your paperwork and documentation when they call so you can discuss your issue with a Senior Manager.

This happened to me as well THREE TIMES from THREE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS! Since August, 4 members on my plan have upgraded phones at 3 different AT&T locations. The first time, the early upgrade feature, phone insurance and AT&T Home Tech were added to my plan without consent. The rep went as far as to say that customers getting new phones HAD to purchase insurance in order to get a new phone and then added the additional features. Thankfully, because my bill was so much higher, I caught it and was reimbursed. I also reported AT&T to the FCC and emailed AT&T at abuse@att.net. 

An executive called me after the first report of abuse to tell me that it could have been because I went to an Authorized AT&T Retail store. Two months later, I personally upgraded two more lines on my account at a different location and the sales rep was VERY clear about all the charges I would see on my bill with my trade-in, activation fee, etc. but NEVER mentioned adding the Early Upgrade Feature to both lines. I reported AT&T to the FCC again and emailed the abuse email.

I just noticed this morning, that the most recent upgrade (the 4th one since August,) also had this feature added and have contacted the executive office about it. What a horrible waste of time for me! I am so sad to think of all of the people being straigh up SCAMMED by their phone company because charges are added without informing or getting consent. Please check your phone bills and report to FCC and abuse email. I don't understand how this can continue without a fine to AT&T.

@amstrouse  Automatically adding Next Up (Early Upgrade) and Asurion insurance is fairly common especially with Retail Stores who fail to mention it and even some Corporate Stores. Both can be easily canceled within a period of time (14 days I think) but that requires the customer to carefully read the receipt/paperwork and certainly check their account online for the detailed charges, which they should be doing anyway with any transaction.

Filing a complaint with the BBB and/or the FCC will work but that usually takes a week or two. That can easily be avoided if one checks their accounts online or carefully reads their receipts or TOS.

I've seen reports on Reddit from employees of authorized retailers, not AT&T employees, that if they don't add insurance and next up even if they're asked not to buy the customer, they get flack from their managers or franchise owner. So they added anyway.

It makes no sense because it makes AT&T bad. It makes the person who does the work look bad. And it makes the store manager and franchise owner look bad. Why would you do that?

Why not earn the customer's trust by doing it exactly the way they asked?

Of course the flip side is every once in a while we get a post on here from someone who did not have either of these added by the corporate store where they made their purchase. They didn't ask for it They may or may not have had it on a previous purchase. But because they didn't ask for it and it wasn't added and they didn't complain during the 14-day return and exchange window they do not have next up, and they may not have insurance until the next open enrollment. 

Personally, I don't use these either.  Usually we make our purchases outside of the service provider

@OttoPylot thanks for the solution, I understand it’s an easy fix but it is super annoying that, as the customer, I have to make sure I’m not being charged for features I haven’t asked for. What concerns me is how many people aren’t even aware that features have been added because they assume retailers are honest and they expect their bill to go up because of an upgrade and associated taxes. I decided to post in the event it helps someone or raises awareness that it’s happening more than previously thought. 

@amstrouse  It is unfortunate that companies sort of "force" these practices on their employees but it still comes down to the consumer being savvy and not assume that everything is as it should be by not checking the receipts/paperwork that is given to

them.