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firstlady's profile

Contributor

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2 Messages

Tuesday, July 18th, 2017 9:24 PM

Billed for a service in error

On May 10, 2017 we went to the local AT&T store to explore getting some better deals as all the special promotions we had expired in April 2017.  We were given an employee's phone connected to Retention, spoke to 'LaShon" (didn't get spelling) who presented some fairly good offers on U-Verse, Internet, and Home Phone... moving our home phone from the wireless back to the U-Verse side of things for $9.99.  We said okay though it was still about $60 (before fees, taxes, etc.) more a month than what we had been paying.  This is when the problems started.

The next day while out shopping, husband gets call saying from AT&T wanting his passcode and our account number.  He asked them to hold and he used his other line to call AT&T and ask why this would be done and was told it wouldn't be.  So he went back to the caller and said that and refused to give the requested information.  Long story short, we continued to get these phone calls, continued to be told we were smart in not giving information and then learned the calls were legitimate by again going to the local AT&T store who ALSO were the only ones who could help us get the information that U-Verse was asking for in order to make the May 10th changes offered to us.  What should have been all set up no later than May 13th did not happen until May 22nd, 2017.  That only after approximately 15 hours or more of OUR time being spent on the phone and at the local store.  Now, skipping other problems between May 22 and our receiving our bill for cycle date: 05/19/17 - 06/18/17 that had charges on it that we had no idea we might be charged, plus the billing for our home phone was still incorrect, charging us $30 instead of $9.99.  The other charges were for installation of phone... never told there'd be a charge, in fact, were told there would be NO charge for the change.  Also charged a contract termination fee, also were not told we'd have that nor that we were under any contract period.  So, we made another trip to the local store.  Again, we were given employee phone connected to Retention, spoke with a Sharika (spelling?), she kept saying she could not help us and there was a lot of empty air time with her, i.e. no conversation happening but she'd say she was still there when I'd say her name.  Eventually she asked to be handed back to the in store employee and proceeded to tell him that they in the store could waive all the fees we were concerned about and told him what he needed to do in order to get that done.  He hung up with her, told us what she said and then he went looking for a manager or someone to help him do what she said.  While waiting for him to come back, we got notice that we had a voice mail on our home phone, husband pulled it up, listened to it and also had it translated to printed form... it was Sharika leaving a message saying she had gotten the installation charges of approximately $143 waived.  So we showed that to the in store people so at that point, they did not concern themselves with that.  But the in store people DID get the termination of contract fee plus related fees and taxes waived and we were able to see that the very next day online PLUS they got our home phone billing corrected and ALSO a credit issued of $32 and some odd cents for it having been incorrectly billed from the start.  

The bill was due in 3 days from this and all persons had told us all the waivers would be in effect by then, so I figured up what would be remaining on the bill after all the waivers and paid that amount.  Checked online the day after the due date and the installation charges were still on there only now being stated as a past due amount.  Another trip to the store... they couldn't do anything since Retention had stated they would be doing it.  

So called Retention again, this time from home.  Spoke with Shawna in the So. Carolina office who stated she could see where Shakira had stated the installation fee and associated fees and taxes would be waived; that she, Shawna, had spoken with her supervisor who was on their way to lunch but had verbally approved the waiver again, told me that all that was needed was for the supervisor to push the email onward when they got back from lunch and that we would be able to see the credit online in 24-48 hours.  That ended yesterday, Monday, July 17th, the past due amount of $143 is still on our account.  Called again, got the Las Vegas office.  Spoke with James who read the notes both Shakira and Shawna had put on our account.  Shakira never noted she was waiving the installment fees... WE DO STILL HAVE HER VOICE MAIL!  And Shawna put in her notes that the waiver request had been DENIED!  She had even told me to call again if I didn't see the credit in 48 hours!  She was so lying and doing it so sweetly.  I had not gotten upset at her or any of the other callers.  Was I a little frustrated with all of this, of course I was.  We have been with AT&T for over 20 years... this is the very worst customer service we've ever experienced!  From any company!  So... James suggested we try to contact the corporate office as due to the notes on our account his and his supervisor's hands were tied, understandably so.  We are talking $143 here... we are both retired and on social security... that is a lot of money for us.  I know we are small fish in an ocean... that didn't use to matter... customer service use to want to come to a mutual acceptable resolution... but straight out lying with no intention of doing what you say you are doing!  So... after this long story... any helpful ideas out there???  Am brand new to this community forum... but saw where others had gotten help for things such as this... hoping for the best... still!

 

Community Support

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221.7K Messages

6 years ago

I apologize for the experience. I will be happy to look into your billing concerns. Please private message me your account number, best contact number and the best time for the callback during my office hour today between 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM CST. If you could please send me a private message by clicking here.


Tony L ~AT&T Community Specialist

Contributor

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2 Messages

6 years ago

Update on this situation:  I got a reply from an AT&T employee asking for account number so as to look it up and see if he could help.  I sent the private message with that information and he replied saying thank you and that he would contact me soon via my home phone number which I also gave to him per his request.  That was the last I heard from him.  There was no response to two more private messages I sent to him.  So I made another trip to the local store.  Tada!  I showed them a print out of what I'd put on community forum and they bit the bullet and gave us a credit to cover the previous wrong billing on the installment charges as well as covering the late fee that was generated when I had not paid the full bill thinking it would not be due once all the credits hit as was promised.  They apologized profusely.  So... help on the phone with U-Verse:  Extremely negative considering the bold faced lying.  Help from AT&T employee via community forum:  Very negative, just seemed to be another delaying tactic hoping we'd just give up.  Help from local AT&T employees at the local store that will experience a 'bite' into their discretionary waiver budget that is primarily for cell phone issues (which this wasn't):  HUGE KUDOS!  Only ones with the integrity to do what was right and they DID what they said they would do!!!!!!  

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