Tutor
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5 Messages
AT&T Lost My Online Phone Order and Still Continues To Charge Me For the Phone
I just wanted to share my experience with ordering a phone online in case this happens to you and that you may think twice about continuing to use AT&T as your cell phone provider.
In September of last year I ordered a refurbished LG K20 online and apparently AT&T uses FedEx to store these phones in a warehouse and then ship them when ordered.
The tracking information showed that the phone made it to Los Angeles but then was pending delivery, I live in Hawaii. The phone never made it out of Los Angeles and was never delivered, the tracking information on the FedEx website continues to say pending delivery to this day, May 2019. After a week went by when it was supposed to be delivered I contacted AT&T to let them know it was lost. They told me that I had to get the serial number from FedEx of the phone to confirm if it was in the warehouse that they contract with FedEx in order to confirm it is lost and then send another phone. I got the serial number, FedEx confirmed it was lost, and I reported the FedEx lost phone case number to AT&T. From there it has been 8 months of a complete nightmare and total disregard of customer satisfaction and I have had AT&T cell phone service since 2001, I am a 18 year customer that you would think that they would treat with respect. Over this 8 months period I have literally wasted so many hours of my time and life of talking to customer service I can't keep track. I was told by over 10 different customer service agents that they would resend the phone, I have kept all of the chat records to confirm this, but they never sent a phone. Instead they said it was my responsibility that AT&T/FedEx lost the phone and to this day I am still being charged on an installment plan for the phone I never received. Imagine the outrage AT&T would have if they ordered a piece of equipment from a vendor, it never arrived and yet AT&T still had to pay for the lost equipment. That would never happen. I basically have given up on fixing the problem and ended up buying another phone from my local AT&T store. The utter disregard and care for my satisfaction is unbelievable and the fact that they can continue to charge me on an installment plan for a phone that I never received seems like a criminal crime. I followed every step they told me to do and yet I never received a replacement phone and the installment plan continues to this day. I am still disgusted by their total lack of respect and greed for such a small dollar amount. The replacement phone cost was only $100 and they won't even refund that amount or cancel the installment plan or send me another phone which is useless at this point because I had to buy another phone. I guess I would just say that everyone should drop AT&T in mass protest but that will never happen and again I have been a customer for 18 years and this is the way they treat their loyal customers. I number of times I was promised by an AT&T agent that the installment plan would be removed is remarkable and it has never happened. They have literally cost me an entire day of my life either talking, chatting or emailing their support team. Below is one of the chats where I was promised a replacement phone in December 2018 and of course it was never sent. Again I think my experience with AT&T should make you think twice about doing business with them anymore.
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Again, the replacement phone never came and I am still being charged for the installment plan. I have records of the same answer from multiple agents who are basically telling a lie, so don't ever trust what AT&T tells you.
ATTHelp
Community Support
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210.9K Messages
4 years ago
Hello @Chaload,
We'd be more than happy to take a closer look into why you're still being charged for this cell phone that you returned. We'll be sending you a private message to request account information shortly.
Sean, AT&T Community Specialist
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Chaload
Tutor
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5 Messages
4 years ago
Hi Sean,
I never returned the phone. I never received it when I made an online order and it was lost by FedEx in a warehouse where AT&T stores refurbished phones. So I am have been charged the last 8 months on an installment plan for a phone that I never received. I literally have talked to over 20 different agents, whether online chat, over the phone, through email and every single one said my installment plan would be removed because I did not receive the phone but it has not happened. I have records of all the chats stating that I would either receive a replacement phone or my installment plan would be canceled. There must have been 5-10 cases that were created and were all closed stating that the matter had been settled but yet I still am being charged for a phone that I did not receive. One agent told me that it was my responsibility that the phone was lost, which I find absurd since the phone is not my property until it is delivered, since I followed what AT&T told me to do, got the serial number, created a lost phone case with FedEx and then sent that information to AT&T which is what I was told to do. I am sure the same thing is going to happen again and you will not be able to help. The last agent I spoke to on the phone which was about three weeks ago wanted to send me a new phone because of the whole situation but I already bought one at my local AT&T store and so all I wanted was my installment plan to be removed and again he promised it would be. Of course it is still not canceled.
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Chaload
Tutor
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5 Messages
4 years ago
So AT&T private messaged me and said they would take care of the problem as they always do. Of course the support person has no authority to fix it or is just there to pass you on to another department that won't fix the problem
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Chaload
Tutor
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5 Messages
4 years ago
They referred me to their order department and told me to call them which I have already done multiple times and get the same results. This is basically theft and they are stealing my money. The layers of bureaucracy is astounding. If you ordered an item from Amazon.com and it was lost in transit they would definitely refund you or send a replacement. AT&T has no respect for their customers.
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pgrey
Master
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3.5K Messages
4 years ago
@Chaload I'm adding @ATTCares in here, to see if they can jump in, and try to help sort things out (they'll probably want to PM you, typical for account stuff).
If this doesn't pan-out, with them, I'd file a BBB complaint, with all the details. This usually generates a contact from the OOP, and is preferable IMO, to having to enter formal arbitration.
Hopefully "ATTCares" can just help fix this...
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Chaload
Tutor
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5 Messages
4 years ago
Hi @pgrey ,
Thanks for the help and recommendations. AT&T gave me an their order department phone number in a private message which I already have called multiple times and what always happens is that they create a case and claim it is resolved yet my installment plan is always still active and I continue to pay for a phone that I never received. I have been on the phone with them for hours and it is just a waste of time. There is never a person who has authority to cancel the installment plan even though AT&T lost the phone. It is a small amount of money but it is the principle of it.
Thanks for the suggestions.
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pgrey
Master
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3.5K Messages
4 years ago
Yeah, @Chaload did you get a PM from "ATTCares", specifically? They're more of an "escalation team", and can (usually) resolve most of these "tough" cases.
If they just sent you into the same queue, and you're still stuck, the BBB complaint is probably your "next best step", in terms of arbitration.
I know where you're at, I've been down the "rabbit hole" with CS before, too, numerous times; IME it sometimes just takes the "right CS agent", that knows "your fix". Getting connected to them though is sometimes tough, or a matter of "chance", unfortunately.
I hear you, on the "principle thing", it's tough to know sometimes, which battles are "worth it", often that's a personal decision...
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