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60 Messages
AT&T $5 "Access" low cost internet for those on SNAP, disconnected?
My service has been disconnected for whatever sinister reason AT&T is up to this time around. I'm on the low income, AT&T "Access", $5 per month plan for folks on foodstamps (fairly severe handicap), and when they aren't getting much money from us this can happen. The way this normally works is they get you to call them by messing with your service, and I have every reason to believe that's what's happening here.. I've done all the tests on my modem, it's fine, and the service tests as out before it connects to my wiring, or on AT&T's end. Payments all up to date. AT&T chat says there is no outage.
The last time I had service trouble the rep on chat said it was my modem, and when they offered to send another and explained the super high price they would charge me if I didn't get the supposed broken modem back to them within a short time, I explained I had limited transportation to get the modem to town where it could be shipped, (the only way they allow return, of course, in order to increase their odds of you not returning the modem), and the rep then told me I could ship it from home...they lied. Turns out it was absolutely impossible for AT&T to allow me to ship it from home, making the scam very clear.
Anyway, I came here, and was put off and finally had to go to the FCC site and file a complaint (I was surprised how easy that was) and bam! after all the trying here, face book/twitter, turns out, I suddenly could return that modem from home after all, and AT&T took care of all the arrangements/charges for the pick up . And BTW, turns out my service was fine right after the rep said she would send me a modem....go figure. 😉
So, I'm here today to not only let everyone know how this worked for me last time but to ask AT&T to turn my service back on or email me with reason why they cannot or will not do so. Not much sense in my spending a lot of time here begging when I now know I don't have to to that, so if you'd like to take care of that's today, fine, if not I'll assume you want me to go the other route. I won't chat for obvious reasons, and the phone is where there is no record of the dirty deeds, and they can and do use that to their advantage, so that's out as well.
jondowe
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60 Messages
5 years ago
FCC complaint filed...
I'll keep trying to get AT&T's attention periodically, with hopes of getting it fixed a day or two sooner, and I'll let anyone interested know how it goes.
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jondowe
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60 Messages
5 years ago
Just checkmg in for some action...be back in the AM.
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jondowe
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60 Messages
5 years ago
Nothing yet? I'm beginning to think AT&T doesn't want to help me...imagine that. 🙂
Maybe they were offended by the OP? FWIW, we can see the big picture or deny it's there, but if we want others to be respectful towards us, then we need to be respectful towards them, and taking ones money is not being respectful....that simple.
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jondowe
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60 Messages
5 years ago
Better part of 2 working days now, and no help from AT&T. Not that it matters much, but interesting nonetheless.
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JefferMC
ACE - Expert
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33.2K Messages
5 years ago
This is not, technically, a support forum, even though AT&T support staff do wander through from time to time. However, once you engage an external channel (like BBB or the FCC), i think you're going to have to wait until that channel resolves your issue for you. So, best of luck with that.
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jondowe
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60 Messages
5 years ago
Sure is a good amount of support for that to be the case, but I get it, and no matter, I heard back from the FCC at around 2 this afternoon (surprisingly fast response even for a usually timely FCC) then from the AT&T "Office of the President" lol at 6PM or so, actually after hrs here, and that's good...they are acting fast now, just as expected.
I told them I wanted to do it via email when she requested I call her and she replied they are sending someone out tomorrow. I have little doubt the "problem" will be history by tomorrow afternoon. For those interested, though they only have to turn the service back on, they will usually go through the motions as if it was a real problem and continue to swear it was. 🙂 I just tell them I'm glad they turned it back on and leave it at that.
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jondowe
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60 Messages
5 years ago
Problem solved, and all went pretty much as I suspected, except for the fact AT&T did make a probable attempt to charge me for something I didn't need, even after the report to FCC...gutsy. 🙂
Here's how it came off, I made the report to FCC telling them my modem was fine and all was well up to my junction box outside my house and that I had tested it all thoroughly. Pretty sure I also told them I thought AT&T had simply shut me down for no reason, well, no honest reason. Heard back from FCC pretty much next day (they really do handle these things wonderfully. Got an email from The AT&T office of the president that evening (I feel so important now I get chills when I think about it. 🙂 ) within about 4hrs after I heard back from FCC, (these are estimates on times). I told The AT&T rep same as I had in the complaint that she had read, to simply turn on the service, that I feel they just shut me down and there really was no problem, as I had tested everything else. She sent a man next morning, then replied she hadn't got my email before she sent the rep (I think she was lying because they wanted to do what they wanted to do so they conveniently didn't get what I wanted them to do on time. :))and that there wasn't much the tech could do without getting into my home. I told here he could have done all I asked him to do without coming into my home, repeating all I had already told her. I assume they wanted in for one or both of two reasons, to pretend they fixed something so I would see this wasn't the scam I suspected, and/or to do a bogus repair so they could claim they fixed something and charge me. She also did not address the most important thing to this, "Did you get me service to my home/outdoor box?" That is, when the tech was here.
I sent that email then immediately realized the runaround was coming if I didn't step in now, so I told the rep just that, as well as I would now file another complaint if the service was not back on by this evening, that is was their fault I had to do this, and that I just didn't want to bother with the runaround I could see coming. The service was back on this evening around 5 ish..they simply turned if back on, nothing else to it.
Now I need to make them adjust my bill for the few days the service was out, amounting to less than a dollar, something that is more trouble than it's worth to me in money but worth plenty in principle and a lesson to them that may or may not do any good....that being "leave me alone!". They wasted my time, I waste as much of theirs as possible, as well as this costing them money for a technician, where they didn't make a cent on the scam. I don't think they keep record of who puts up with their scams and who does not, but one can hope some day we keep winning and they just done' bother anymore. 🙂
Why go to all this trouble to tell you exactly what happened? So you will have an idea how this works, what the FCC will do, how they react when FCC is gets involved. What I see on these boards is sickening, and I'd love to help some of you with your obvious frustration brought on by our bully ISP's. No one likes a bully, and like to see some of you go the easy route, as if enough did so, things would change...it would cost these ISP's more than their efforts are making them.
I have no idea how long the FCC has been doing this, and I feel rather stupid I haven't been using them longer because these ISP's seem to want to do this a few times a year, it's an ongoing thing. But now I know as do some of you so, pass the word every chance you get.
FWIW, there are worse ISP's than AT&T, I'm pleased they allowed me to use their platform for this, and I'll make a nuisance of my self no longer....for now.
Hope you all find a quick and easy solution to all your problems here. 🙂
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JefferMC
ACE - Expert
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33.2K Messages
5 years ago
I'm glad I don't assume the worst as thoroughly as you do. Don't forget Hanlon's Razor:
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
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jondowe
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60 Messages
5 years ago
Clearly you haven't been paying attention.
The stupidity would lie in my not assuming malice after all I've seen....it certainly played out this time, and just as expected.
IOW I just saw it again and you're actually telling me I should never assume it.
Bizarre, and makes about as much sense as AT&T's excuses to cover their lies, when they only give themselves away, just as you have done. 🙂
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JefferMC
ACE - Expert
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33.2K Messages
5 years ago
There are quite a few things l'd like to say about you, your assumptions, etc. But I'll leave them unsaid in the interest of world peace. Good day, sir.
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