Background - ATT customer since SBC became ATT- 20 + years basically. In 2009 after MUCH problems with ATT DSL service which started at our previous address and continued at our new home about 8 miles across town. We get told the same thing every time.
I want to point out that for the most part ATT UVERSE technicians are excellent guys. They have always gone above and beyond to try and find solutions. The repair guys are in as bad a situation as the customers are.I want new and existing customers to understand is that if you had problems with land lines and DSL internet service, the Uverse will not solve anything. The exact same lines that brought your phone and DSL service to your home will be the exact same lines used to deliver Uverse to your home.
THE PROBLEM - ATT IS TRYING TO COMPETE WITH COX COMMUNICATIONS AND HAS IMPLEMENTED A HORRIBLE SYSTEM ON EXISTING JUNK PHONE LINES IN THE COMMUNITY. I WAS TOLD BY ORDER TAKERS AT ATT THAT UVERSE WOULD BE ON NEW LINES AND SOLVE ALL OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE EXPERIENCED WITH DSL. GUESS WHAT? THE SAME PHONE LINES THAT LAND LINES AND DSL USES ARE THE SAME PHONE LINES THAT UVERSE IS BROADCAST ACROSS. SO IN 2009 WHEN ATT OFFERED UVERSE AS A SOLUTION WHEN I HAD ALREADY CANCELLED MY SERVICE AND WAS WAITING FOR THE COX INSTALLATION, I WAS PROMISED AND I MEAN PROMISED THAT UVERSE WAS THE BEST OPTION, EVEN OVER COX. THE REPAIR GUYS KNOW US BY NAME AND CAN TELL YOU HOW MANY GRANDKIDS WE HAVE, HOW MANY PETS, AND OUR WORK SCHEDULES. THESE POOR GUYS TRIED THEIR BEST, BUT ATT HAS PUT THEM IN A NO-WIN SITUATION. I FOUND OUT THAT THE REASON WE HAVE A BIG BOX INSTALLED ON THE WALL OUTSIDE IS BECAUSE WE ARE TOO FAR FROM THE MAIN STATION(BOX, SWITCH, WHATEVER) TO GET UVERSE. THIS BOX WAS A QUICK FIX SOLUTION TO TRY AND KEEP CUSTOMERS FROM GOING TO COX. WELL IT GOT ME AND HERE WE ARE IN 2013 WITH THE SAME CRAPPY SERVICE. AGAIN, THE REPAIR TECHNICIANS ARE GREAT, IT IS THE COMPANY THAT THEY UNFORTUNATELY WORK FOR THAT IS TRYING TO SCAM THE CUSTOMER BASE AND IT'S WORKING SO FAR FOR THEM.
ATT - PLEASE STOP SELLING UVERSE UNLESS YOU ARE GOING TO INSTALL NEW EQUIPMENT AND LINES IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE YOU ARE MARKETING. QUIT TELLING PEOPLE THAT DSL IS GONE. IT IS NOT GONE, IT IS BASICALLY WHAT WE STILL HAVE. THE INTERNET SERVICE WE GET ON UVERSE IS ON THE SAME, THE VERY SAME UNDERGROUND PHONE LINES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT OUR OLD LAND LINE AND DSL SERVICE CAME ACROSS. I WAS TOLD BY THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED FOR MONTHS, LITERALLY MONTHS TO TRY AND FIX THE PROBLEMS THAT ATT SIMPLY IS NOT GOING TO SPEND THE MONEY TO UPGRADE THE EQUIPMENT AND LINES. WE ARE THE ONLY HOUSE ON OUR STREET WITH UVERSE WHICH WE GOT WHEN A POSTCARD FROM ATT SAID "UVERSE IS AVAILABLE IN YOUR AREA!!" FOLLOWING THE MANY, MANY SERVICE CALLS JUST TO GET THE SERVICE RUNNING IN THE FIRST PLACE, ATT PULLED UVERSE AVAILABLITY FROM THIS AREA. THERE ARE 2 OTHER HOMES ON CLOSEBY STREETS WITH UVERSE AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND WE ALL HAVE SOME DIFFERENT APPARATUS THAT ATTEMPTS TO OVERCOME THE DISTANCE FROM MAIN POINT FACTOR AND THE CRAPPY PHONE LINES THAT ARE USED TO DELIVER THE SERVICE TO US.
IT LITERALLY TOOK MONTHS TO GET OUR SERVICE FUNCTIONING SOMEWHAT CORRECTLY. THE REPAIR GUYS AND ONE MANAGER WERE VERY NICE. BEYOND THAT, I EXPERIENCED SOME EXTREMELY RUDE AND UNKNOWLEDGEABLE PEOPLE ON THE PHONE WITH ATT DURING THAT TIME. WE RECEIVED NOTHING OTHER THAN A PARTIAL MONTH OF PAYMENT ON THE SERVICE FOR ALL WE ENDURED AND PATIENTLY PUT UP WITH. I FOUND OUT THAT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN ANOTHER CUSTOMER RECEIVED 1 YEAR OF FREE UPGRADE FOR HIS TROUBLES. I CALL THE (prohibited word) CARD ON THIS.
Our problems are ongoing and to be honest, I had to take off of work so many times in the past that I have just been too busy to mess with it. I am at the breaking point after I found out that the reason our service has started stalling on TV, pixelating, losing sound, and just flat out locking up and losing connection from the service is occuring as ATT attempts to get lines working to install Uverse in another home very, very close to ours. The sound has never been very good. I am tired. Cox made me a wonderful offer of a free IPAD and 500 in cash. I'm there.
SO DEAR ATT UVERSE - IF YOU ARE LISTENING, WE ARE SICK TO DEATH OF DEALING WITH THE HORRIBLE SERVICE OF UVERSE. THE CONCEPT IS WONDERFUL, BUT WE CAN NO LONGER SIT AND WAIT FOR ATT TO LIVE UP TO THE PROMISES MADE. I AM TAKING THE IPAD AND CASH AND IN TURN GETTING A RELIABLE CABLE, PHONE AND INTERNET PACKAGE FROM COX COMMUNICATIONS.
There are so many more things I could tell, but the main thing that I want new and existing customers to understand is that if you had problems with land lines and DSL internet service, the Uverse will not solve anything. The exact same lines that brought your phone and DSL service to your home will be the exact same lines used to deliver Uverse to your home.
GOODBYE ATT - WE ARE OUT OF PATIENCE ALMOST 4 YEARS LATER...................................
