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jacbousk's profile

2 Messages

Thursday, February 15th, 2024 4:35 PM

PCSing Overseas, Applied to Unlock my Phone. Still paying installment plan

I followed the online instructions and applied in early December to unlock both of my phones and to my understanding, also have my installment plans waived, so I can use the phones overseas. My requests were approved and both my phones were unlocked the first week of December. I was under the impression our phones can only be unlocked if the installment plans were paid off or waived. When I received approval for the unlock, I thought that meant my installment plans were also waived. 

Fast forward to today, I have PCS'd and am currently in Europe and I am charged the remaining balance on my installment plans. I connected to the chat and they tell me I need to take my orders to an actual AT&T store in the US to have the charges waived and refunded. My family and I are already in Europe. Who can I speak to, to have the charges refunded.

ACE - Expert

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14.2K Messages

2 months ago

It's not guaranteed that remaining installments will be waived. Did you do a military cancellation of service, too?

Former Employee

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2.6K Messages

2 months ago

You’re responsible for the remaining installments. They are not going to give you a free phone. 

ACE - Sage

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117.2K Messages

2 months ago

Additional info

https://www.att.com/support/article/wireless/KM1046235/

Having the rest of your installments waived, depends on when you purchase your phone and when you receive deployment orders..

If you receive deployment orders within 14 days, AT&T expects you to return equipment or pay for it.

Purchases made after deployment orders, must be paid for in full

2 Messages

2 months ago

The installment plan was started 2 years ago. I received orders in November and put the request in, in December. Per the FAQ I met the requirements. I did not do the military cancel, I only did the military unlock as I read in another post someone did it that way and their plan was waived. I then ported the number to Google voice a few days before I left the states so I would keep my number.

If they still wanted me to pay the rest of the installment plan, why approve my unlock request.

Should I have done the military cancel instead?

ACE - Expert

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14.2K Messages

2 months ago

I'm pretty sure it's because you didn't do the military cancellation. Unlocking phones is a completely separate process, the billing system doesn't know you closed your account because you were deployed. 

314 925-6925 is the customer service number that you can call from outside the US. There's no charge if you can call from an AT&T phone, but otherwise it is an international call. Someone there might be able to help get this resolved.

ACE - Sage

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117.2K Messages

2 months ago

I did not do the military cancel, I only did the military unlock as I read in another post someone did it that way and their plan was waived.

Not how it works.  It is a courtesy to military active duty to have their phone unlocked so they can use it in areas where they may not have AT&T service. It is not the same as military cancellation and it does not wave installments.

I then ported the number to Google voice a few days before I left the states so I would keep my number.

Nooooo.... This will fail.

You have to do military cancellation with number held by at&t.  

In order to have the remainder of your installments waived you have to cancel your phone line with number held by AT&T for 39 months.  If your phone number is canceled by AT&T then it's not portable.  

If you port it before AT&T cancels it, you will be charged the remainder of your installments.  

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