Price increase

[Ellen In CA]

AT&T just raised its monthly fee for the U-verse Gateway from $4 to $6--that's a 50% rate increase for just having the Gateway box sit on my desk, no improvement in service.  Looks like price gouging to me.

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

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Ellen In CA wrote:

AT&T just raised its monthly fee for the U-verse Gateway from $4 to $6--that's a 50% rate increase for just having the Gateway box sit on my desk, no improvement in service.  Looks like price gouging to me.

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Yes, that price change was announced back in December.

[RCSMG ACE - Master]

All of us got the same price increase.  ATT raises  UV prices every February.  This is not a new thing.

[jjv55]

Just because "they do it every February" doesn't make it right.  I could understand a price increase for TV as programming costs can increase, but why the change in the equipment fee?  As others have stated, it's still the same box, doing the same thing, but now I pay more for it.  

That's ridiculous!  

It's like owning a car where your payments increase every year.  Same car, getting older, but paying more each year for it.

Someone rationalize that one for me with something other than "they do it every year."

[jimgfitzgerald]

You don't own this equipment, you are renting it.  AT&T can raise the "rent" price if they want to.  If you ever decide it's not worth the price, you should switch to another carrier.

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

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jjv55 wrote:

Just because "they do it every February" doesn't make it right.  I could understand a price increase for TV as programming costs can increase, but why the change in the equipment fee?  As others have stated, it's still the same box, doing the same thing, but now I pay more for it.  

That's ridiculous!  

It's like owning a car where your payments increase every year.  Same car, getting older, but paying more each year for it.

Someone rationalize that one for me with something other than "they do it every year."

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You are free to switch to another provider that does not have price increases, but I think you will have a difficult time finding that provider.

[beas62]

So your philosophy is love em or leave em? It's a bad thing to complain about an unreasonable price increase? Sure we can drop our service, but wouldn't it be better to improve our customer experience rather than chase people away? Sounds like fan boy talk to me.

[jimgfitzgerald]

Complaining on a peer-to-peer forum is going to do nothing.  Money talks.  If enough people took their business elsewhere, that would make a difference.

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

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beas62 wrote:

So your philosophy is love em or leave em? It's a bad thing to complain about an unreasonable price increase? Sure we can drop our service, but wouldn't it be better to improve our customer experience rather than chase people away? Sounds like fan boy talk to me.

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Complain away.  Come back and let us know how that changes your situation.

[beas62]

Point missed. Some companies listen to their customers.

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

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beas62 wrote:

Point missed. Some companies listen to their customers.

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Contact AT&T.  Don't rant to your fellow customers on this forum.

[jimgfitzgerald]

Then send them a letter.  This is a peer-to-peer support forum.

[spd2demun ACE - Master]

Or you can voice your complaints on their Facebook page or Twitter.

Comcrap always raised their prices on us more than once a year, don't know about satellite, but everything goes up these days.

[cknapp229]

You have got to be kidding me! I have been an AT&T customer for internet and U-verse since this forum has begun (August of 2009). I see there are 57 PAGES of complaints; does it do any good to even post here or is it just an opportunity to vent with no redeeming results?

It took AT&T over a year just to get my service to work; constantly had pixelization, no picture or no sound for the first FULL year, however, they had no problem billing me for service. Over 5 appointments and missing work for their staff to troubleshoot the problem. During this period and constant complaints, I was offered 3 months of FREE HBO, ShowTime, etc. Lovely, but if you can't watch your TV due to lack of connection what  the heck good is it to get free premium channels!!!!

I'm looking at other companies for service; AT&T can shove their "additional programming on the internet" where the sun don't shine. AT&T service reeks and the "customer care" people that answer their phones are DOLTS!!!

[jimgfitzgerald]

This is a peer-to-peer forum.

[oufanindallas]

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beas62 wrote:
Point missed. Some companies listen to their customers.

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I work technical support and sales at my company,  Our prices go up every year, guess what, it's a fact of doing business.  During renewal period I hear every excuse under the sun but it still doesn't give you a discount.  We off new customers a % discount for either 1, 2, or 3 years depending on the size of the order, but after that it's full price.  Our competitors do the same thing, While you may think that companies listen, the cost of business has risen and the cost of programming has risen.  Better the small rate hike that AT&T does than the mulitple rate hikes that Comcast does. 

[missmollygirl]

I do agree that price increases are necessary.  However, what I do not agree with is when a "retention specialist" tells you that your price will be locked in for 1 year and two months later you are hit with the increase.  That increase should take place after that 1 year is up.  I feel really sorry for the new customers that just signed up and got hit with this. 

I did call ATT today and discussed this with a CSR in billing.  He did credit my account the difference for this bill and agreed that this shouldn't have happened as I am basically in a contract for the next 10 months.  I should also be expecting a call from ATT within the next 72 hours to discuss what to do about this situation until my "contract" is up.  Now, granted, I know that this may not be considered a contract, but when someone representing a company tells me that I am locked in for 1 year, I expect my billing price to stay the same for that duration.

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

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missmollygirl wrote:

I do agree that price increases are necessary.  However, what I do not agree with is when a "retention specialist" tells you that your price will be locked in for 1 year and two months later you are hit with the increase.  That increase should take place after that 1 year is up.  I feel really sorry for the new customers that just signed up and got hit with this. 

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For new customers who are still under a pricing promotion, the new rates do not go into effect until their promotional period has expired.  During the promotional period, they will see a credit on their bill offsetting the effect of the price increase.

[ortak]

What happened this month.  My monthly bill went up ~$10.  It looks like ATT raised rates on Uverse TV and Internet.  How come we were not notified of this increase?

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

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ortak wrote:

What happened this month.  My monthly bill went up ~$10.  It looks like ATT raised rates on Uverse TV and Internet.  How come we were not notified of this increase?

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You were notified.  A notice about the upcoming rate increase has been included on your bill since December.

[cliffnerd5]

RG cost $4 for all of the bills that I can view on my account history. Now, it cost $6. I understand raising prices on service or whatever but my equipment is the exact same sup-par wireless providing piece of equipment it was for the last year. 

In the last year and a half I have paid $72 for this thing. Now the next year and a half will be $108. Rental fee for these things is ridiculous. My promotions ended long long ago...yet my bill seems to rise a few dollars every month or so. When my promotions ran out, my bill was $120. Now it is up to $139 per month and I have made no changes in service since I signed up over 18 months ago.

Made an appointment for time warner next week. I am sad to go back to their lesser tv server, but I paid $122 for over 3 years with them. 

edit: Forgot to mention, I called about 6 weeks ago about this issue. Was on the phone for over 20 mintues on hold....then about 15 minutes dealing with representative. After those 15 minutes I was informed I was given a $10 per month promotion for my internet for the next 6 months. No promotion on either of the last 2 bills. I was straight lied too to get off the phone = (.

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

The increase is part of the 2012 price increases.

[jimgfitzgerald]

It's called inflation.  Prices go up.

[beas62]

Cliff,  Despite what the designated squelchers may say, it's still a valid question.  Prices normally go up because the cost of the materials or service delivery go up.  These costs are naturally passed to the consumer.  However in the case of your existing RG, neither is the case and you have a right to air your concern.  Now a couple of folks here will now label this as a "rant", but in actuality it is a legitimate concern and many including myself, have asked the question both to our peers (in hopes of genuine insight - not to be instantly ganged up on and labeled as an irrational person) and to AT&T customer support, with no plausible response.  Now watch how quickly my comments are discounted and disparaged.  You will quickly learn that ther is no real freedom of speech in this forum because it is owned and _controlled_ by AT&T. 

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

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beas62 wrote:

Cliff,  Despite what the designated squelchers may say, it's still a valid question.  Prices normally go up because the cost of the materials or service delivery go up.  These costs are naturally passed to the consumer.  However in the case of your existing RG, neither is the case and you have a right to air your concern.  Now a couple of folks here will now label this as a "rant", but in actuality it is a legitimate concern and many including myself, have asked the question both to our peers (in hopes of genuine insight - not to be instantly ganged up on and labeled as an irrational person) and to AT&T customer support, with no plausible response.  Now watch how quickly my comments are discounted and disparaged.  You will quickly learn that ther is no real freedom of speech in this forum because it is owned and _controlled_ by AT&T. 

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We all have the right to express our opinions and state our agreement or disagreement with the posts of other members as long as we adhere to the forum guidelines.

You can state an opinion disagreeing with a policy or procedure of AT&T.  Another member can state an opinion disagreeing with your opinion.  Stating opinions is not a one way street.

[despino]

Wish the notices were more obviously placed in billing statements/emails, etc.  I simply get kicked in the pants when I get my bill and think "where did this come from (edited by the way due to request to remove actual content)?" 

A better notification would have saved me 15 minutes on hold listening to that horrid voice telling me that I could expect a 5 minute wait, then a 10 minute wait, over and over......  I won't even go into the nightmare that awaited me with the rep I spoke with who claimed to have a slow computer and couldn't give me any new information on why my bill was as it was or offer me any insight on how to lower it.

[jimgfitzgerald]

Go back and look at some of your previous bills.  The price increases were well documented in advance.  And to the previous poster, what cost are not going up?  Energy, labor, medical insurance, salaries, etc.  I suspect everything AT&T pays for is going up in price.  They also pay for R&D, advertising, etc. that are investments in their future.  These cost go up also.  Just because our RG is a piece of equipment that has already been bought and paid for doesn't mean that our cost to rent it shouldn't go up over time.

[beverlie]

Is there no limit to the number/amount of increase on the RENTAL of a Modem that AT&T will NOT allow me to purchase?  This appears to be a control issue with AT&T just because I choose not to have a landline or package other services with my U-Verse.  How can AT&T control my choices if I would prefer to purchase a Modem and not have an increase at AT&T every whim??

[John in Florida]

I just spoke to a AT&T rep in billing regarding these increases. She told me that the internet and home phone were increased because they are included in the U-verse plan. She suggested that I speak to Customer Care Relations regarding reducing my bill. She told me that she could not reduce my bill because I am an existing customer. If I was a new customer she could give me a "great deal". Just like the other providers, take care of new customers and screw the existing customers. If it wasn't for the existing customers there wouldn't be a U-verse.

[RCSMG ACE - Master]

Call CS and let the CSR know you would like a promotion or something to that effect to reduce your monthly bill.  If you get one that says they don't have anything or can't do anything.  Politely end the call and call back until you speak to a CSR who will give you a promotion.  But keep in mind promos are temporary.