ATT "includes" the 2nd line in Family Plans for new costumers but refuses to honor it for current.

[silcharde]

I would like to make aware as many ATT wireless customers as possible of the following:

While shopping their website for a Family Talk Plan for a relative of mine, I noticed how they now "Include" the 2nd line in the cost of the plan. I moved on all the way to the breakdown of what would be the monthly charges and confirmed it. Cost of the plan: xx.xx, Cost of the second line: ZERO, that got me thinking, I pulled out my latest ATT invoice (and some older ones) and oh surprise! I'm being charged $9.99 for my second line. I spent about 3 hours talking to two entry level customer reps who only gave me the run around, finally a supervisor promised me to leave a note for someone to take a look at the website and make it less confusing, just to make ME happy, oh boy!

Many costumers are still riding on grandfathered old plans and getting great deals but also many of us still carry some old fees that may not apply anymore just because don't bother to check and of course "clever" reps and supervisors will do anything to prevent you from getting the same perks and deals new customers are getting. And yes I would like to keep my old deals and get the new ones too, companies should be as concerned to keep old costumers as they are to get new ones.

Since I first signed up with Cingular many years ago I have sadly seen some of the features of my plan either reduced or removed but they still charge me old fees. Of course not only I didn't buy the new plan for my relatives but advised them against getting ATT at all, yup, my 10 bucks a month can't compare to a new plan with 3 iphones, great job Mrs. Supervisor.

[silcharde]

for reference

[kdfederer ACE - Wizard]

LOOK AT YOUR BILL. The first line is charged $50. The second line is charged $9.99.
That is $59.99.
No matter how you look at is, it is the same.

[silcharde]

It does matters how I look at it and how the website words it. Cost of the Plan + Nothing for the second line.

Regardless of how much your plans costs. I happen to pay 50 because I got a discount when 1st signed up years ago, but smartpants ATT equalizes my "discount" by charging me the $9.99 for the second line which clearly should be included. So by your logic, what has happened to the $9.99 off of my plan I was offered when signed up?

I know what happened; at the time, they were charging for the second line, they honored and continue to honor the discount they offered, but now they have decided to include the second line in family plans to atract new costumers which seems reasonable, it also seems reasonable to extend the same courtesy to current custumers, if they cant be honest enough to do it auttomaticaly, at least honor it upon request.

Its not the same: Cost of the Plan + Nothing for second line  ≠ Cost the plan +  some amount, as long as the sum equals the same. You are just being "clever" ...

[ujmnz]

59.99 + 0.00 = 50.00 + 9.99

I'm not sure what the issue is. The website is incorrect, but, even then, the end result is the same.

[silcharde]

by following whats stated on the website:

Cost of the plan + nothing for the second line, the end result is not the same:

My case in particular would be: $50 for the plan + nothing for the second line = $50

But I'm being charged: $50 for the plan + $9.99 = $59.99, definately not the same.

Thats a $120.00 a year. Since when 120 bucks became nothing?

The website is not incorrect, the way they are billing some of us is.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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silcharde wrote:

It does matters how I look at it and how the website words it. Cost of the Plan + Nothing for the second line.

Regardless of how much your plans costs. I happen to pay 50 because I got a discount when 1st signed up years ago, but smartpants ATT equalizes my "discount" by charging me the $9.99 for the second line which clearly should be included. So by your logic, what has happened to the $9.99 off of my plan I was offered when signed up?

I know what happened; at the time, they were charging for the second line, they honored and continue to honor the discount they offered, but now they have decided to include the second line in family plans to atract new costumers which seems reasonable, it also seems reasonable to extend the same courtesy to current custumers, if they cant be honest enough to do it auttomaticaly, at least honor it upon request.

Its not the same: Cost of the Plan + Nothing for second line  ≠ Cost the plan +  some amount, as long as the sum equals the same. You are just being "clever" ...

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have had family plan since the inception. - give or take a year and it has been like that since the start, nothing new, nothing different, they have decided nothing at all, it has been like that since the start. Have bills from the second family plan that I started back in 2008 that show the exact same pricing.

[ujmnz]

The website is incorrect. I guarantee you all new customers get billed 50.00 for first line and 9.99 for 2nd, just like you, me, and everyone else.

[silcharde]

OK, ATT is right to offer something and bill something else and you are all so ok with It to come forward, defend and brown-nose a company so big that cant give two sh**s about you or me anways. I guess I'm the one wrong.

I'll just go ahead and take my inogrant money somewhere else.

You guys helped me realize ATTs not the problem, we are. Thanks.

[silcharde]

And what do responsible companies do when offer erronous advertisment? They honor it, even if they have to loose 10 bucks a month.

[ujmnz]

There is an error, but not a big one. It's still 59.99 for you for the first two lines, and 59.99 for the first two lines for new customers. You seem to believe your plan is 50.00, there is no such thing. It's 59.99 for 550 minutes, or 69.99 for 700 or 89.99 for 1400 (the 9.99 in each of them is the 2nd line) Always has been.

[MicCheck]

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ujmnz wrote:
There is an error, but not a big one. It's still 59.99 for you for the first two lines, and 59.99 for the first two lines for new customers. You seem to believe your plan is 50.00, there is no such thing. It's 59.99 for 550 minutes, or 69.99 for 700 or 89.99 for 1400 (the 9.99 in each of them is the 2nd line) Always has been.

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I don't think it's an error. With a family plan, you have to have at least 2 lines, so the minimum charge for the FT550 is $59.99. How that is divided up on the bill is really irrelevant.

If the website said the base price was $50 and then $9.99 per add'l line, people would be complaining that they can't get the $50 because they only want one line!

[MicCheck]

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silcharde wrote:

It does matters how I look at it and how the website words it. Cost of the Plan + Nothing for the second line.

Regardless of how much your plans costs. I happen to pay 50 because I got a discount when 1st signed up years ago, but smartpants ATT equalizes my "discount" by charging me the $9.99 for the second line which clearly should be included. So by your logic, what has happened to the $9.99 off of my plan I was offered when signed up?

I know what happened; at the time, they were charging for the second line, they honored and continue to honor the discount they offered, but now they have decided to include the second line in family plans to atract new costumers which seems reasonable, it also seems reasonable to extend the same courtesy to current custumers, if they cant be honest enough to do it auttomaticaly, at least honor it upon request.

Its not the same: Cost of the Plan + Nothing for second line  ≠ Cost the plan +  some amount, as long as the sum equals the same. You are just being "clever" ...

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I think this is where the confusion starts. You pay $50 for your first line because that's the price on the that line and is what everyone with the FT550 pays. You ARE NOT getting a discount, you are paying regular price.

In most cases, discounts are taken off on another line item on the bill (such as "National Account Discount).

If you don't see a discount noted elsewhere on your bill and still think you should be getting a discount, call customer service at 611.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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ujmnz wrote:
There is an error, but not a big one. It's still 59.99 for you for the first two lines, and 59.99 for the first two lines for new customers. You seem to believe your plan is 50.00, there is no such thing. It's 59.99 for 550 minutes, or 69.99 for 700 or 89.99 for 1400 (the 9.99 in each of them is the 2nd line) Always has been.

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And it states it in easy to understand text

[ujmnz]

@MicCheck, the error I mention is that on the website it makes it seem like the 2nd line is free, but on the actual bill, it's going to show 9.99.

The end result is the same anyways, 59.99.

[MicCheck]

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ujmnz wrote:
@MicCheck, the error I mention is that on the website it makes it seem like the 2nd line is free, but on the actual bill, it's going to show 9.99.

The end result is the same anyways, 59.99.

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Still not an error so much as a marketing ploy. 

Just like Uverse and cable providers advertise a $99 bundle, but the charges for each service are broken down on the bill...

[ujmnz]

That's different. The bundles don't break down the charges like the first picture posted in this topic which shows 2nd line 0.00. That's the error. The other picture attached in this topic shows 59.99 for both lines, that's marketing.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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ujmnz wrote:

That's different. The bundles don't break down the charges like the first picture posted in this topic which shows 2nd line 0.00. That's the error. The other picture attached in this topic shows 59.99 for both lines, that's marketing.

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50.00 + 9.99 = 59.99, no matter how you put it together it is the exact same pricing,  ever think the pricing is broken down in billing for federal, state, local taxes and required fees? There are two specific numbers that have requirement for specific surcharges added per the federal, state and local authorities. I pay a single charge for a T1 to the house, but the bill breaks it down to specific line items for regulatory fees

[ujmnz]

You're missing my point. The original poster posted a picture where it's already broken down, and it's incorrect. I'm not disputing the total, the total amount is not important. But the incorrect breakdown is what got the original poster to complain in the first place.

And yes, they have to pay taxes and fees, even on a free phone. My ooma phone service is free, but taxes and such are $4.xx a month.

[kdfederer ACE - Wizard]

It is not an incorrect breakdown. The cost for the first 2 lines is $59.99. Whether is broken down $59.99 for line 1 and $0.00 for line 2, it is EXACTLY THE SAME as $50.00 for line 1 and $9.99 for line 2.
It requires 2 lines for a family plan, therefore when you sign up it lists the charges that way. It still total $59.99.
It is just semantics whether it is listed one way or another.

[ujmnz]

you're repeating most of what I've been saying. I said the total doesn't matter, it's the same either way. We all know that and no need to keep repeating it.

My point is that according to the picture the original poster posted, it makes it seem like the 2nd line will be 0.00 dollars on the bill. But we all know it's going to show 9.99 on the bill and not 0.00. <--- that is my point  That is what is incorrect, what the website shows vs what the bill will show. And again, I repeat, we all know the total will be 59.99 either way. so it doesn't matter. I was just trying to explain to the original poster that what's on his bill is correct.