Tutor
•
5 Messages
Gateway upgrade offer bait and switch
I got a letter from AT&T offering a new gateway "at no extra cost." It repeats "no extra cost." It says it will not impact my plan terms in any way. I ordered the new gateway. Immediately I got an email from AT&T charging me an extra $7 per month. I checked the FAQ. It repeats that there is no catch and no extra cost. I called to complain about the increase that was not supposed to happen. The AT&T rep apologized for the letter but said yes, the new gateway would cost an extra $7 per month. She said I could return the new gateway if I don't want the extra cost (the extra cost that AT&T had promised wasn't going to happen. What's the deal with this letter just blatantly promising no extra fee, but then doing it anyway.
Now, I'm supposed to go through the hassle of returning this gateway to the post office.
I don't understand the point of this attempted swindle.
johnniebob
Tutor
•
5 Messages
8 years ago
So, AT&T issued new Terms of Service in July that allowed them to start charging if they replaced the Gateway. Then they sent out letters trying to sucker us into replacing the Gateway even though the old one was still working fine. In this letter, they insist that this would be NO EXTRA CHARGE even though it was indeed an extra charge. And you have the gall to defend this?
I could buy a Gateway like that for $100 or less, but you are going to charge me almost that much per year to rent it? Does that really seem reasonable?
0
0
johnniebob
Tutor
•
5 Messages
8 years ago
The issue is not the extra cost (though that too is high). The issue is the dishonest letter that tells me there is no extra cost.
How about if AT&T tried sending honest letters, that tell your customers they can upgrade their gateway to the latest and greatest new technology, that will be faster and better in whatever ways you want to explain, and that this will cost an extra $7 per month. Or, we can choose to stay with the old technology, for as long as our current equipment lasts. That would be honest.]
Don't lie to your customers. It tends to motivate them to become former customers.
0
0
johnniebob
Tutor
•
5 Messages
8 years ago
But the letter is not just an ad, it's a personal letter, to me, with my name and account number on it. AT&T knows I am not paying the equipment fee.
And I went to the FAQ site, and it said nothing about any possibility of any extra charge for anyone.
Since the change in TOS occurred only 18 months ago, are you trying to claim 75-80% of customers will have changed their equipment or become new customers within the last 18 months? That would be a huge turnover rate. I don't think that is credible.
0
0
johnniebob
Tutor
•
5 Messages
8 years ago
Did this particular offer actually apply to all those other types of connections? It seemed like it was more specific to residential "high speed internet" and would not apply to business or direct fiber customers. It would also probably not apply to newer customers, who would already have been provided with newer technology.
In the end, AT&T paid to ship me a gateway I don't need and don't want to pay extra for, and now they get to pay for me to return it. All a waste of everyone's time and money. And as a result of the threat of extra cost, I've checked alternatives and found I can get a much, much faster internet connection from the local cable company at a lower cost.
0
0