Visitor
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5 Messages
Sat, Dec 5, 2020 8:21 PM
Beware Teachers! The Teacher Discount is a myth.
My wife and I have been with AT&T since '08, always paid our bills on-time, and have three (3) lines of service.
In August '20, I attempted to switch to the Teacher Discount on AT&T's website: https://www.att.com/offers/discount-program/teacher/
I submitted all the information they requested (e.g., pay stub), and after a few weeks, no response.
In September, I called in and spoke with AT&T Customer Service, and the rep literally walked me through the setup on 9/4, submit information (again), etc. We were told that our bill for 3 lines on the Unlimited plan was going to be at/below $150 (incl. taxes) and gave us HBO Max. --sounds good, right?
Before we disconnected, the AT&T rep also told us it would take up to two (2) billing cycles for the correct bill to reflect the discount; however, that two (2) billing cycles turned into three (3), and I had to keep calling in to get the bill adjusted. Thankfully, the rep placed a note on the account to have the bill adjusted and aside from having to call in for each and every bill to get adjusted, it's been OK service-wise but billing has been a real hassle.
On my last phone call to customer service, the rep said she would permanently adjust the bill, and we wouldn't need to call in anymore.
- Now, three (3) months and six (6) phone calls later, our bill is still wrong.
- I am still showing my original FAN discount, and no teacher discount is showing.
- We waited ninety (90) minutes on hold before hanging up yesterday (12/4), and now over two (2) hours, and still no answer (see below).
I believe the initial rep has been sincere but by now I have to believe they have little-if-any intention of honoring the Teacher Discount on their page, especially during a pandemic; coupled with the exceptionally long hold times, I am left with the impression that we have been handed a bad deal (?). We're patient but this is not helping our confidence in AT&T.
More to the point, I do not really have the time to wait on hold for 2+ hours just to talk to a customer service rep so I am sending this out as a cautionary tale to other teachers who signed up for the discount, or are thinking about it.

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sandblaster
ACE - Expert
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45.9K Messages
a month ago
That would indicate the issue is getting the correct discount code applied to your account. The discount is real if you have the correct code. Suggest you escalate to corporate by filing an FCC or BBB complaint. The complaint will result in someone from corporate contacting you. I’m sure they will get it resolved.
*I am not an AT&T employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.
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skeeterintexas
ACE - Expert
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17.6K Messages
a month ago
Are you sure you can stack discounts? If you already have a FAN discount, are you sure you can get the teacher discount too?
I've seen other discussions where a customer had to decide which of two discounts saved more money since certain discounts cannot be used if there is already a discount in place.
@lizdance40 Guru of all that is wireless. Do you know anything about this?
Don't mess with old people. The older we get, the less "Life in Prison" is a deterrent.
*I am not an AT&T employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.
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sandblaster
ACE - Expert
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45.9K Messages
a month ago
@skeeterintexas You definitely can’t stack discounts. It’s one discount only which is why I assumed the issue was replacing that old FAN discount with the teacher discount. Perhaps the issue is the old FAN discount keeps coming back. Perhaps they need to disenroll from that discount.
*I am not an AT&T employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.
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skeeterintexas
ACE - Expert
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17.6K Messages
a month ago
.
Don't mess with old people. The older we get, the less "Life in Prison" is a deterrent.
*I am not an AT&T employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.
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Oso_Grande
Visitor
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5 Messages
a month ago
After three (3) hours on the phone, it came down to this...
The last rep was helpful but I'm still hesitant to say I'm any closer to a resolution.
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sandblaster
ACE - Expert
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45.9K Messages
a month ago
Hope it works out for you. Very distressing to hear multiple reps not knowing they needed to remove the old discount.
*I am not an AT&T employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.
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lizdance40
ACE - Sage
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81.4K Messages
a month ago
I’m a little puzzled why one discount code had to be removed in order to be replaced by a different discount code. I switched from AARP to a union discount, I actually did it on my own online, and didn’t have any problem and my new discount replace the old one about two months down the road.
of course that’s going back a ways so maybe things have changed..
🐾 I don’t work for AT&T or any carrier. Never have, never will. My replies are based on experience and reading content available on the website. If you posted personal information, please edit and remove.
*I am not an AT&T employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.
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Oso_Grande
Visitor
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5 Messages
a month ago
The # I was given, 888-722-1787, was for AT&T Human Resources. I called this morning and was told this was the wrong number, and that I would be transferred back to customer service.
I am at a total loss as to what to do now. 3+ hours on Saturday, on hold again on Monday.
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lizdance40
ACE - Sage
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81.4K Messages
a month ago
Has it been mentioned on this thread to submit in store?
Now it has.
🐾 I don’t work for AT&T or any carrier. Never have, never will. My replies are based on experience and reading content available on the website. If you posted personal information, please edit and remove.
*I am not an AT&T employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.
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Oso_Grande
Visitor
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5 Messages
a month ago
I finally spoke to CS and the rep told me I could either go into a store (NEW) or wait for them to re-escalate the case for resolution, approximately 1-3 more months for the teacher discount to take effect.
Each and every time I speak with AT&T customer service, the story changes, more time is wasted, nobody knows what the last person did, and nothing gets done. I was able to share with the supervisor exact information and all he could find were "bits and pieces" of information, nothing concrete.
After 12 years, I am giving up. Good luck, teachers!
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Oso_Grande
Visitor
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5 Messages
a month ago
I went to the store today with my paperwork, it took them maybe five (5) minutes to add the discount. I decided to give it one last shot before making the big switch and it was relatively painless. --I'm both relived and frustrated at the same time.
Can someone tell me why on earth this discount was such a battle to begin with?
I did everything to the letter that I was told to do, in duplicate, and the CSRs were either contradicting one another or telling me things that were incomplete or otherwise untrue.
Before this discount, I've had little or no issues with AT&T coverage, customer service, billing, etc. so I'm more than a little surprised by how something so ordinary was such a battle.
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sandblaster
ACE - Expert
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45.9K Messages
a month ago
Based on previous posts, it sounds like the problem was you old FAN discount. Either it never got removed or kept coming back after the teacher discount was added. If it was the latter, you may not be out of the woods yet. That is why I suggested perhaps you needed to de-enroll from that old discount.
*I am not an AT&T employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.
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