Mobile Share Value Plans Questions and Discussion

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@cla12170 wrote:

I have been totally misinformed by att about this plan. Before switching I had a lengthy conversation with a representative so I could make an educated decision on whether i wanted to switch. I was repeated told that switching would not have any effect on my upgrades which all four of our lines had due. we switched over and then both my daughters upgraded and then their phone charges went from $15 per phone to $40....

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What happened to you is exctly what the AT&T web site indicates should happen.  Regretfully, you were mislead when you discussed this with a clerk who helped you.  If you are within your 14 day period, you can return the upgrades, and your daughters can revert back to their old phones and you should be able to get your phone bill reduced back to the previous level.  Once that happens, you can look into the other options for getting new phones.  If you use the NEXT program, you can get them new phones which will not impact your monthly service, but you will be adding a monthly installment for the phone onto your phone bill, and that might be similar to (or maybe more than) the increase from getting a new contract phone.  The other option you would have would be to pay the full price for the new phone and that would prevent other changes to your current monthly bill.  I don't know if they can do this, but you could attempt to "negotiate" a change to your phone service where you pay the full price for the new phone and convert it from subsidized to non-subsidized.  They might be able to do that with you, especially of you are very near your purchase date.

Additionally, you should make sure that you contact AT&T about the clerk who gave you information which was misleading.  When I encountered this issue, I did that, and I was contacted by AT&T about my situation.  They took my information and brought it to the store manager's attention for him to work with that clerk.  They do take those complaint seriously, if you voice them properly.

The problem is that AT&T agents need to TELL customers that they're going to increase their plan. I asked at least a dozen times when I was agreeing to it and was told over and over again that nothing was changing. It was an outright lie.

There IS NO FINE PRINT when you're on the phone with an agent. They need to be honest with customers and tell the truth about the hidden costs. I asked repeatedly and they kept telling me there was no cost change.

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@cla12170 wrote:

as well as we ALL have had smartphones for years. I was told the mobile share plane would reduce my monthly cost from $260 a month to $160 a month. It would NOT have any effect on any upgrades we had coming to us and upgrading would change nothing. This clearly was and is misleading. This is ATT policy and it was violated

 

AT&T's Code of Ethics - Fair Dealing:

VIII. Fair Dealing

We have a history of succeeding through honest business competition. We do not seek competitive advantages through illegal or unethical business practices. Each employee, officer and director should endeavor to deal fairly with the Company's customers, service providers, suppliers, competitors and employees. No employee, officer or director should take unfair advantage of anyone through manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information, misrepresentation of material facts, or any unfair dealing practice.

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It is also on the TV add at the bottom of the screen

Reading these comments now help me understand why I'm being charged so much despite the AT&T representative telling my daughter and I that our 4 lines would cost $160/mo when she purchased her phone from him at the END of February.  The AT&T phone she had for only a year completely died after it was serviced 2-3 times already.  The representative did not mention she would have had to purchase her phone prior to Feb 2nd to qualify for $160/mo.  We're stuck now for 2 more years. 

I got screwed because one of my lines had been upgradeable (by a year or so) but I hadn't bothered to do so because I didn't care enough at that point and wasn't awere that I was forfeiting my upgrade. Very annoyed. This is totally misleading. When I log on and click on upgrade eligibility it tells me that I am eligible for a free phone with a 2-year contract renewal. The "free phone" will cost me an increase in monthly costs of $25! What kind of "free" is that.

Annoyed in Seattle

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@axman98 wrote:

I got screwed because one of my lines had been upgradeable (by a year or so) but I hadn't bothered to do so because I didn't care enough at that point and wasn't awere that I was forfeiting my upgrade. Very annoyed. This is totally misleading. When I log on and click on upgrade eligibility it tells me that I am eligible for a free phone with a 2-year contract renewal. The "free phone" will cost me an increase in monthly costs of $25! What kind of "free" is that.

 

Annoyed in Seattle

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The same kind of "free" that subsidized phones have always been. 😉  The difference is that with the MSV plans, if you bring your own phone or purchase one outright from at&t/use the Next plan, you don't have to pay a monthly line of service fee that's always been inflated in order for at&t to recoup their device subsidy.

All that said - while it certainly isn't "OK" for agents to mislead customers, I would never believe anything an agent (of any business) told me unless I can verify (even if that's not done until after the purchase) that it is consistent with what the company states in their written terms and documentation.  And then I'd make active use of the return period if the "real" deal isn't what I was told and/or isn't satisfactory afterall.

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@cla12170 wrote:
Wingrider whether its on the website and tv is irrelavant. I was not watching tv or on website. I was getting information from an att employee via the phone. They gave me information that was false repeatedly. The company should either educate their employees on their product correctly so they do not mislead or stand up and take responsibility for them misleading their customers. Piont blank. And I am clearly not the only one who has been misinformed or mislead. Many others that have been

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reserch on something before you commit is relevant, do you pick up a phone and call a car dealership and purchase a car without researching it?

After ordering a note 3 online and trying to use the online chat only to be disconnected then phoned a local store to inquire about why it was telling me this phone was not compatiable with my current plan.  I was told that it could be grandfathered in all I needed to do was bring it in when I got it......  Took it in asked them to check my plan and if anything had changed was told everything was fine.  Went and got a smartphone for my daughter at walmart and was told absoutely nothing.  Got my bill and expected the 72.00 activation fee but not the extra $25.00 per phone new fee because of doing a 2 yr contract new plans....

After being a loyal customer for over 4 years, I just want to say THANKS soooooo much for being ever soo helpful when contacting you all by phone and in person for not relaying the extra $50.00 my account is now going to have on my bill.  You see its too late for me to cancel cause the 14 day period for cancelations is over yeaa AT&T bonus for you all.  So in honor of this, after the 2 year commitment is up this will be all the money you will ever be getting from me again.

Sincerely,

Vickie

Any smartphone added to an AT&T account will generate an additional 25.00 per month for a data plan, it says that anywhere you look online or in the store right on the price card. One thing i did notice was walmart online does not show AT&T as a carrier they sell except for prpaid or gophone cards to add minutes. Im curious did you purchase another carriers phone and use your at&t sim card? Regaedless you should have been told there would be an additional charge per month , but if you were relying on walmart personell to tell you this im not sure they really know about the billing costs or prices and you can hardly blame at&t for walmarts lack of knowledge or communication.

" Took it in asked them to check my plan and if anything had changed was told everything was fine."

Whos is them walmart or at&t store?

"Went and got a smartphone for my daughter at walmart and was told absoutely nothing"

Again was told nothing by at&t or walmart?