Worst experience ever

3 HOUR ORDEAL WITH ABSOLUTELY ZERO RESOULUTION AND I WAS HUNG UP ON

I have experienced the worst customer service with AT&T

In September 2022, we brought in our Samsung Galaxy Phone for trade in with the special at that time of zero-dollar cost for trade in. We got the flip phone which was part of the offer. The phone we were trading in was paid off in August, had a slight crack and we asked several times if it still qualified to which the AT&T Representative assured us yes it does and there would be no cost for the phone. We only need pay the tax for the phone at the time of purchase and we would see a slight increase on our next bill for the activation charges.  We gave him the phone and he returned it to us stating it wouldn’t need to be sent in as it had a crack in it, but we still get the free phone. We agreed, paid the tax, and left with our new phone and the broken phone.

Fast forward to our bill for December. We have auto pay so I hadn’t really looked at last month’s bill, but it was 100$ more than we expected and I assumed it was the activation they spoke of. However, this month the charge was 40 more still and that caused me to look at our bill.

Last month they charged installment 1 of 36 for the COST OF THE PHONE. Now remember how many times we were reassured the phone was free. ok, me too. I looked at our bill this month for December and again the charged, this time, installment 2 of 36 for THE COST OF THE PHONE appeared.

 

CUSTOER SERVICE

I called and spoke with a representative who said that the store clerk at AT&T misinformed us, and the phone should have been returned to “trade ins”. I said well, he didn’t so what now? She said that we would be stuck paying for the phone for 36 months until they get the phone. Ok…so, I am not a “keep it just in case” kind of person. I usually am a declutter first kind of person but for some reason, I did not throw away the phone that no longer worked, was cracked, and was told to dispose of by the store clerk at the AT&T store. I said, ok, can I take it into the store and have them send it back and get the credit? After much back and forth, she said yes. Then she proceeded to tell me that she can add a 1$ phone and additional line which would bring our bill back down to what we were paying before the trade in fiasco (my word, not hers). She said she would then “open a case for investigation so we can get our credit”. So, to summarize a confusing situation, here is what we knew.

1. The store clerk did not inform us correctly by telling us he didn’t need to send the phone to the trade in department.
2. Although we were told we could throw it away…something made us keep it,
3. To reduce the cost of our bill every month, we need to add an additional line and a phone which would cost 1$ a month bringing our current bill from 208$ down to 162$,
4. Yes, you read that right,
5. I would need to pay the sales tax of 45$ today and a one-time activation fee next month of 35$ for the new line.

 

GOING TO THE STORE TO BRING THE PHONE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SENT IN TO THE TRADE IN DEPARTMENT BY THE STORE AT THE TIME OF TRANSACTION.

So, here we are at the store. My husband is simultaneously talking to a representative on the phone and the store clerk. The clerk was told by the phone person to process the return. He processed it and it declined the trade in. In other words, we would still have to pay for THE COST OF THE PHONE!!!!!!!!!!

The phone representative just kept muting our call, coming back, and thanking us for our patience while things are “processing”.  WHAT IS PROCESSING!?!?!? Well, when asked she mumbled some inaudible words and I had had it. I need a supervisor. I ask for one and get transferred to the Sup. This should get better now, right. NOPE!!!!! The supervisor states that the 1st store clerk from the initial trade in (two months ago) didn’t process anything online for a trade in. He “messed up” (his words). I then asked, “what about the case that was opened by the last representative who also had me sign up for an additional line and phone to reduce the monthly bill. He informed me that it never happened.

So, she lied to me. Why am I sadly, not surprised. I then said….how do we fix this. He said the representative in the store, right now, needs to process a trade in. I then said, HE DID AND IT WON’T ACCEPT IT. I kid you not, he said, Yah, it is because the 1st representative didn’t do one online like he should have but he is opening a case (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA) and will transfer our call to the “trade in department” so they can start the process. So, once again, being transferred.

 

THE EXCHANGE DEPARTMENT

Her: “Hi, how can I help you”

Me: “How can you help me? You’re kidding right? The supervisor that transferred me to you did explain our problem before just transferring me, right?

Her: “No, how can I help you?”

Me: OMG, so I must explain to you AGAIN what I have already explained to 4 *including the store rep* other AT&T representatives and have spent 3 hours of my day doing so?

Her ‘HANGS UP THE PHONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SHE HUNG UP ON ME!!!!!!!!!

 

THIS IS FALSE ADVERTISING AND THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED!!!!!!!!!

 

WHAT NOW!?!?!

I am going to post this to every social media account affiliated with or even mentions the name of AT&T. I am filing a complaint with the Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND FRAUDULENT BUSINESS PRACTICE AND SOMEONE BETTER CORRECT AND CURE THIS SITUATION ASAP

All this while I am sick and have pneumonia.