My one year is Up and Look how I'm being treated!!

[GLMK]

I've been a loyal ATT uverse customer and got a call a few days ago that my one year would be up on a few days and to call ATT and get new service, since my contract would increase by over 40 dollars. I was busy and called today and they told me they have nothing to offer me. I was like, WHAT??? All they would do is give me free HBO for 3 months. I have little kids and told them, I was not interested in that. Also when I signed up the guy told me to call every year and get a new promotional offer. This mean that they are telling all their personal to lie to get new customers and then stiff them with a new higher monthly charge after the first year. I'm very disappointed, in such a good company. I have been a loyal ATT customer with my cell phone for many years, and this is the thanks I get. When my contract is up in 2 days, if I don't get any positive response, then I think I'll have to say Goodbye. Honestly is so important and it a shame that this has to happen.

[skeeterintexas]

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GLMK wrote:

I've been a loyal ATT uverse customer and got a call a few days ago that my one year would be up on a few days and to call ATT and get new service, since my contract would increase by over 40 dollars. I was busy and called today and they told me they have nothing to offer me. I was like, WHAT??? All they would do is give me free HBO for 3 months. I have little kids and told them, I was not interested in that. Also when I signed up the guy told me to call every year and get a new promotional offer. This mean that they are telling all their personal to lie to get new customers and then stiff them with a new higher monthly charge after the first year. I'm very disappointed, in such a good company. I have been a loyal ATT customer with my cell phone for many years, and this is the thanks I get. When my contract is up in 2 days, if I don't get any positive response, then I think I'll have to say Goodbye. Honestly is so important and it a shame that this has to happen.

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So let me get this straight:  You got a discounted price a year ago for being a 'new' customer and now you're upset because ALL they are offering you is HBO free for 3 months?  Or are you upset with the D2D salesman that told a tall tell?   FYI: they are NOT ATT employees. They are independent contractors.

Geez, I'm an knucklehead.  I've had U-verse for almost 5 years.  I had the 'new customer' deal for the first year and KNEW that my bill would go up after that.  I don't do the 3 months free because it's a hassle to cancel  and I don't want to get stuck paying it for even one month.

Did you think your 'new customer' discounted rate would go on forever?  If EVERYONE paid the discounted rate then it would be regular rate, wouldn't it?

[GLMK]

Amazing, that they have folks like you. They called me and told me to get a new offer. I didn't even know when my year was up. So someone calls you and tells you one thing and then some other dork, tells you something else. So yeah, I feel cheated. And yes, customer loyalty does entitle you to do something.. Otherwise it's just not worth it!!

[oufanindallas]

skeeter, I do believe you've just been called an AT&T employee.

You know what that means.

[oufanindallas]

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GLMK wrote:
Amazing, that they have folks like you. They called me and told me to get a new offer. I didn't even know when my year was up. So someone calls you and tells you one thing and then some other dork, tells you something else. So yeah, I feel cheated. And yes, customer loyalty does entitle you to do something.. Otherwise it's just not worth it!!

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Every provider will offer you a sweet deal for the first year, after that rates will go up.  Dish and Direct will give you a great deal for the first year, however you're locked into a 2 year contract and the 2nd year rates will really skyrocket.  Call the 800 number and ask to speak to retentions, if you don't get the desired results, hang up and try again.  Many folks are able to get a decent discount on their bill after their first year. BTW, this is a user forum so skeeter is a user just like you and NOT an AT&T employee. 

[skeeterintexas]

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oufanindallas wrote:

skeeter, I do believe you've just been called an AT&T employee.

You know what that means.

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[jamileh]

I am sorry that the salesperson you initially dealt with indicated that you would be able to get a new promotional rate every year. 

Promotional rates are not permanent and are offered to new customers. I'd be happy to have a member of my team give you a call to see if there are some ways we can change your service so you can get a more desirable monthly fee. 

If you'd like me to arrange that, please send me a private message with your name, account number, phone number and the best time to contact you.




To send a private message, you can either click on the link in this message or click on the little blue envelope in the upper right hand corner, click "compose new message" and type my username in the "Send To" field.

[JasonU]

GLMK, I was told the same tall tale by an AT&T employee at an AT&T store (Not a D2D as suggested above) that I would be able to renew for the same deal every year. I was naive and believed them, and learned the real deal at the end of the year.

My advice, wait until your contract date is up, and call and ask for retentions. Be prepared to actually cancel, but you should be able to get a deal nearly as good, if not the same deal. If not...walk.

[jjv55]

This seems to be the going "line" for Uverse when you first sign up.  I was told the exact same thing "Just call when the promotion is up and you can keep renewing it."   Naive to believe?  Maybe.  But I do not like being flat out lied to.

Oddly enough, the longer and more loyal of a customer you are, the less they seem to care about you.  

It is a much more lucrative deal to just keep switching services since no company ever "rewards" long-term customers. 

Why is there no discount for, I don't know, 5 year customers?  10 year customers?  Just appreciate their loyalty rather than simply continually raising their rates, to support the new customer discounts.

 It just doesn't pay to stay with one company for the long term.

[dhascall ACE - Professor]

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jjv55 wrote:

This seems to be the going "line" for Uverse when you first sign up.  I was told the exact same thing "Just call when the promotion is up and you can keep renewing it."   Naive to believe?  Maybe.  But I do not like being flat out lied to.

Oddly enough, the longer and more loyal of a customer you are, the less they seem to care about you.  

It is a much more lucrative deal to just keep switching services since no company ever "rewards" long-term customers. 

Why is there no discount for, I don't know, 5 year customers?  10 year customers?  Just appreciate their loyalty rather than simply continually raising their rates, to support the new customer discounts.

 It just doesn't pay to stay with one company for the long term.

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Unfortunately, this is how most every company (that is in a recurring business model) works.  You can't tell me that you've never heard of "new customers only?"  Thankfully U-Verse does acknowledge the "workaround" is to call in for a better rate when the promotion ends.

Companies that use the new customer discount plans are cable TV, wireless phones, window cleaning companies, house cleaning, furnace cleaning and so on. 

As far as "continually raising their rates," UV only does this once per year - Time Warner and Comcast like doing it so much, they often do it twice a year.

BTW - there are no 10 year U-Verse customers.