Tutor
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11 Messages
Returned equipment help
Hello,
Long time (almost 15 year), now former U-Verse account holder, just closed out service the other week. After I called to end service, I received an email detailing which equipment needed to be returned, with the serial numbers. On that list, the gateway S/N provided was for a gateway that became defective and that I returned to AT&T 15 months prior and was not the current gateway I was using.
I figured this was going to be an issue, so I called CS and explained the issue. I was told by the rep that as long as I send whatever equipment I had, it would be OK and the S/N did not have to match. She even asked if I had replaced the item (gateway) and I said yes, and that was the old S/N that was showing to be returned, but it had already been returned. So now I figured it might not be an issue.
I dropped off all my equipment yesterday at the UPS store. There was a slight issue, which was either due to the gateway or the WAP (email didn't ask for it, but since I have no use for it, I returned it anyway), and the worker saying that the item was not found on my account or something like that. After a few minutes something on their computer went through and she printed me out the receipt with all the items I returned and the S/N. Now I just hoped I was OK.
Then this morning I received an email thanking me for returning my equipment. Except that it only listed the 3 items where the serial numbers matched what was shown on the original AT&T email (1xDVR, 2x wireless receivers), the gateway was not on there.
Yeah, I guess some part of me figured that was going to happen. I just spent nearly 2 hours on chat explaining all this and going over with both a rep and his supervisor and I got nowhere. They said, understandably, it was too early for it to have been returned, so I had not yet been charged a non-return fee. I was told a few times, don't worry, if you get charged just contact us back and we'll start a ticket. I had to tell them both I was being proactive and that I was not interested in that. I did not wish to expend any more effort for something that is wholly AT&T's fault. I was polite but firm. I asked the rep how AT&T would know which gateway was mine since the one I returned didn't seem to be linked to my account and the UPS store can package up returned equipment from multiple customers. I didn't see a connection, so I figured AT&T would not either.
I reiterated, if AT&T was expecting a piece of equipment with a certain S/N, that was never going to happen because I already returned that equipment to them in Jan 2023*. And if it was not an issue, why was the gateway I did have not listed with the other 3 items as returned? That meant that I was definitely going to have to contact CS again and go through all this. I was told they can make notes in the system, but I am suspect of how much that will help. Anyway, I asked the supervisor to go a little extra and simply look at my account to see what gateway(s) AT&T thinks are assigned to me. He was helpful and attempted it, but said that he can't see any S/N for my equipment.
So I ask, is there anyone here that knows a specific department or person who I can contact to get, what is essentially a B-plot of a Three's Company episode, straightened out with the least amount of further effort on my part? Maybe AT&T is OK with wasting their employees time as long as they are paying them, but I'd rather avoid all of this.
* I went back to old email and noticed that AT&T emailed me they received my returned gateway, but the S/N they provided in that email was the S/N of the REPLACEMENT gateway they sent me. I think I might have dropped off the old gateway in the new gateway box; maybe it somehow had the new gateway S/N on it and that got scanned instead of the S/N on the actual equipment?
ATTHelp
Community Support
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231.6K Messages
1 month ago
Hi @I86time, we hear you and want to guide you in the right direction. The Community Forums are a public support option where other users, and AT&T, will try and assist with high level support needs. This means we won’t be able to look into account specific concerns. To get the help you need for your unique issue, please review our Contact Us page: AT&T Customer Service - Phone Numbers & Live Chat (att.com) and choose the best option to reach out to us. You can call, chat, or reach out via social media and we can review your specific issue and provide you support. If you feel your issue isn’t account specific, and can be answered generally, please let us know and we’ll be happy to help.
Thank you for contacting AT&T Community Forums!
David, AT&T Community Specialist
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OttoPylot
ACE - Expert
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24.3K Messages
1 month ago
@I86time Gather all of your receipts etc and file a complaint with the BBB. That gets forwarded directly to AT&T Upper Management and someone from the Office of the President will contact you. That way you can speak directly with AT&T bypassing the normal CS Agents and hopefully they will be able to straighten it out.
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I86time
Tutor
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11 Messages
1 month ago
@ATTHelp , as stated in my original post, I already talked with CS reps (and a sup) by both calling and and chatting. Tier 1 help (or whatever their internal designation), is unable to assist, which is why I was questioning whether there was "a specific department or person who I can contact".
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OttoPylot
ACE - Expert
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24.3K Messages
1 month ago
@I86time File the BBB complaint if you can't get anywhere with CS. The Senior Managers in the Office of the President have more resources and authority than the first and second line CS Agents. That's as high up in AT&T that a customer can take a complaint.
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I86time
Tutor
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11 Messages
1 month ago
@OttoPylot , you can bet that if what I think will happen, actually does, and I have to spend one more minute of my time dealing with, I'm contacting the CA AG. I doubt anything will come of it because AT&T will just claim it's one of those unfortunate things that happens and they'll offer some half-hearted apology after their thorough "investigation" and refund my $150 non-return fee and think all is well. But perhaps because this was their doing and that I tried to solve the issue long before it got that far, whatever negative attention they receive will cause something to change and the next poor sap who this happens to won't have to spend hours on the phone or in a chat window.
I still don't see why no one can tell me what equipment they think I should have, nor that they are unable to tell me who I can contact to simply get this taken care of.
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OttoPylot
ACE - Expert
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24.3K Messages
1 month ago
@I86time I agree with you that AT&T certainly needs to step up and clean house when it comes to returned equipment etc. They are woefully inadequate in that regards. The CA AG will do nothing other than pass it along to AT&T where it undoubtably will get "lost". Besides, your only legal recourse is Binding Arbitration and possibly Small Claims if this even falls under those categories. The BBB complaint is your best bet because you can at least discuss the issue directly with someone at AT&T who can truly help. You don't want to have some poorly managed automated system decide you still owe AT&T and kick the bill to a Collection Agency down the road.
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I86time
Tutor
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11 Messages
1 month ago
@OttoPylot Thanks for the direction, just filled out my BBB complaint. Hope that will get somewhere before the return deadline.
If I didn't need my legacy SBC email, I would say screw it, and have my bank reverse any non-return fee. But I hear they shut them down if there is an outstanding balance.
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OttoPylot
ACE - Expert
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24.3K Messages
1 month ago
There's no guarantee but you can at least plead your case with someone who has the resources and authority available to them to address issues like this. Hopefully it will work out.
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I86time
Tutor
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11 Messages
6 days ago
To close this out (hopefully), I was quickly contacted by someone @ AT&T shortly after I submitted my BBB complaint. They were not able to do anything in regards to changing the S/N of the equipment I had on my account to the one I returned, as to assure me/confirm in system that all UVerse equipment I had was returned (this is worrisome on some level, how can they not keep/update accurate records of what equipment a customer actually has and hope to enforce that?). However, they did assign someone to follow up to view my account so that if I was charged a non-return fee, it would be cleared. Two weeks after the final return date, I have not been charged. Ultimately I have no idea if the system corrected itself or if they simply cleared an erroneous charge.
All reps @ AT&T I was in contact with were very polite and helpful.
One thing I was told is that with regards to returned equipment, it goes to some separate department or third party that's apparently a black box and the department I was in contact with has no control over. Also, after the final return date I was told I would not be contacted again for any "non-returned" equipment, the case would simply be turned over to them and they'll do whatever they do. So, I guess at some point, I could still be contacted and told I owe a non-return fee by either them or a collections agency, though I hope not. It would have been nice to have been told HOW this was resolved, rather than it just going silent.
(edited)
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