Tutor
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4 Messages
Suspended Service - Bill Overlap
My account was suspended due to a past due, which I fully take responsibility for and completely understand. However, my problem is that I paid the past due amount and my service is still suspended because the past due bill and the current bill "overlapped." My current bill came due ONE DAY ago. Now that my past due bill is paid my account is NOT past due! It's current. But AT&T is calling it past due because it "overlapped." With any other company the bill is CURRENT when the PAST DUE is paid! Yet, not with AT&T! With any other company, you pay the past due bill and your account is restored and current UNTIL the current bill becomes past due. No other company that I'm aware of calls a CURRENT BILL past due until it's actually PAST DUE! I have filed a complaint with the FTC. I am appalled at AT&T's shady business practices and horrible customer service. I have never seen anything like it.
formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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110.7K Messages
4 years ago
Your understanding is incorrect, or it was explained wrong to you.
once your service is suspended the only way to reactivate service is to pay to a zero balance. That means all amounts do both past due and current bill. AT&T knows this and they repeat that information many times here on the forum. Can’t understand why they didn’t explain it to you
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momof4as
Tutor
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4 Messages
4 years ago
I understand the situation accurately, regardless of how AT&T explained it and regardless of what they post here in the forum. My point is this: making a current balance PAST DUE and requiring a customer pay down to a zero balance (as you stated) is WRONG! Regardless of how you verbalize it, past due means PAST DUE! A CURRENT bill should not be moved to a past due status and a justified reason to continue to suspend service simply because the previous bill was past due. There is no other company that I have dealt with that requires you to pay past due and current, or pay to a zero balance, to make an account "current." Let's take for example, Verizon. Their website's FAQ states:
My account is suspended. How can I restore service?
If you pay your past due amount, most services will be restored within one hour.
THIS is my point. Under no circumstances is it good customer service to require a customer to pay their past due and their CURRENT bill to continue with service! Like I said in my previous post...I completely understand the suspension of service for failing to keep my account current, I am in no way arguing that. My fault. It is the fact that they then lump past due and current into one for restoration of service. But then again, AT&T has never been accused of having good customer service. How many times does AT&T have to be hit with fines before they change their shady customer service policies? https://www.engadget.com/2019/11/05/ftc-att-60-million-fine-unlimited-data-plans/
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MicCheck
ACE - Expert
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13.3K Messages
4 years ago
In your original post, you said your most recent bill “came due” one day ago. That means it’s past due, so the point about a zero balance is moot.
You might not think it’s great customer service, but not paying your bill doesn’t exactly make you a great customer.
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momof4as
Tutor
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4 Messages
4 years ago
@MicCheck I have been an AT&T customer for over 19 years. I have enough time with AT&T to form an educated opinion and "not think it's great customer service." Missing a payment may not exactly make me a great customer, that is true, and you might have received the Award for Community Excellence but that does not mean you consistently "set a model of excellence in the community through your interactions with other users." Get over yourself!
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formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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110.7K Messages
4 years ago
We can argue all day long. The fact is At&t requires a zero balance to restore once you’re suspended.
And they charge a reconnect fee on your next bill.
Most suspension occurs within a day of the due date. If you are so late that you already have a second bill due, You can’t really blame At&t for wanting both bills paid.
You can complain to the FTC all you want. Late fees, reconnect fees and suspension of services is all allowed, legit and within the TOS. In fact they aren’t required to reconnect someone at all if they decide they are no longer reliable.
https://www.att.com/legal/terms.wirelessCustomerAgreement-list.html
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