New Member
•
2 Messages
Switching to AT&T was the worst decision ever
I’m a single mom and on a tight budget. I went to my local at&t store to inquire about how much my monthly bill would be if I switched from T-Mobile. I explained I was currently paying $135 which seemed high for a plan with only 1 older iPhone on It. I was told that at&t could save me over $50 a month AND get me a newer iPhone (iPhone 13) and it would cost me $85 a month out the door and all I had to do was pay the tax on the full amount of the iPhone. When I told him I wasn’t sure if I wanted to switch quite yet because i still owed $190 on my iPhone to T-Mobile that I would have to pay immediately upon canceling my T-Mobile plan he told me I would get a $200 credit on my account for switching which is perfect because I would pay off my T-Mobile bill. He didn’t tell me I had to wait a couple months to get the credit and would only get it if I paid a $300 bill plus a monthly bill that’s almost $70 higher than I was promised .
what AT&T was offering me didn’t seem that unrealistic because it wasn’t that long ago that I was paying $50 a month for service with straight talk for 1 unlimited line for an iPhone .
as I was leaving the sales guy tells me they also have a promo going for buy one get one Apple Watches. I asked him how much it would cost me to get the Apple Watches and he said I would just pay the tax on the full amount plus I had to pay $100 down on one of the phones which would mean that I would only be financing approx $250 for the 1 Apple Watch and the other watch was free. $250 / 36 months is $6.94 a month. He said the deal won’t last much longer so I decided to go ahead and get the watches for my daughters. i was so excited to finally be able to get my girls something they have wanted for a long time. as i was leaving the store i jokingly said " now im not going to get a $300 bill in a few weeks , right?"
the sales guy said " oh no thats not how we do things here .."
(i told him how tmobile said my bill would be $27 cheaper than it actually was)
2 weeks later i get a bill for $292.
there were 3 activation fees he didnt tell me about and a proration for 2 days which wasnt much.
my monthly bill going forward is $168 a month. i realize $30 a month isnt that much to a lot of people but it is to me. i work 2 jobs to provide for my girls , we live in the seattle area and the cost of living is extremely high.
this is totally unacceptable and it seems to happen constantly with AT&T customers. I wish I would have read some of the reviews similar to my experience before I was tricked into switching from T-Mobile.
Also - when I look at the installment agreement on my account , only the sales guy signed on the signature line, where I was suppose to sign is blank… which makes sense because I would have never agreed to switch knowing my monthly bill would be higher AND I would get a $292 bill the first month.
the paperwork I was given at the time of sale does not reflect anywhere that I would have to pay activation fees nor does it say my monthly bill would be $168
Constructive
Former Employee
•
32.9K Messages
8 months ago
Your discounts don’t start until the 3rd billing cycle. The first bill includes activation fees a full and partial month At&t doesn’t pay of your old provider. Promotions are split over 36 months no lump sum is offered sounds to me you were at an authorized retailer not AT&T.
0
Gwoodruff
New Member
•
2 Messages
8 months ago
I might have not explained it clearly , I wasn’t saying that At&t would pay off my T-Mobile bill , but I was told I would get a $200 credit from AT&T so because I wouldn’t have to pay my bill because of the credit on my AT&T account I could use the money toward paying off my remaining balance on my T-Mobile account.
The activation fees were never disclosed to me verbally, nor is it listed on any of the paperwork i received when I switched to at&t.
The store I went to said At&t in big letters, it doesn’t indicate they are an authorized dealer.
Regardless of being an authorized dealer or not they should be unauthorized to use false and misleading sales tactics to trick people into signing up for AT&T
0
0
OttoPylot
ACE - Expert
•
22.6K Messages
8 months ago
Some Corporate Stores were sold to independent resellers, and some haven't bothered to change the outside signage, which is wrong and misleading. However, the Retail Stores are independently owned and operated, separate from AT&T and are not staffed with AT&T employees. Their sole purpose is to sell AT&T goods and services, and some of the stores will do just about anything to make a sale, which includes not being totally upfront with the customer or clearly explaining all of the details. Unfortunately, AT&T has little to no control over how they conduct business.
If you feel you've been mislead, then file a complaint with the BBB. The BBB won't do anything with the complaint but will forward it to AT&T Corporate who will then have a Senior Manager from the Office of the President call you and you can discuss the issue with him or her.
0
0
Dhghhjjjjjj
1 Message
3 days ago
I'll do the same. The same thing happen to me recently through the BJ promotion. Very misleading information was given to me. I feel so stupid, I should have known that anything that sounds too good to be true, normally is and I've never had a good experience with att. They are criminals. I had to pay the taxes over $250 then the 1st bill came which was $350 and I just got the 2nd bill yesterday for $449. That's $1000 already. It's a con job. I should have stayed with T MOBILE. I wonder if I can bring this to the attention of my political leaders. They are sucking us dry..
0
0
formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
•
113.3K Messages
3 days ago
@Dhghhjjjjjj
You always have to pay sales tax on the full retail value. Doesn't matter who you sign up with. It's state law.
Activation and upgrade fees also exist with all three major carriers Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T.
Credits on your old phone trade-in and any other discounts may take 2 to 3 bill cycles to kick in. And are retroactive.
BJ's wholesale club, Sam's club, and Costco, do not have an AT&T owned store. Those kiosks are rented by Smart circle which sells AT&T products and services. They may not tell you everything, but they should not misrepresent AT&T products and prices.
When I switched to AT&T with six phone lines and two tablets my first bill was over $700. The second bill dropped substantially, and I didn't have a third or 4th bill at all because of all the credits that kicked in (back then the credits for switching were lump sum after 45 days)
Smart circle is not always all that smart. I do recommend that you read the bill and compare it to the online prices that AT&T publishes on its website. Wouldn't be the first time that one of these kiosks put everyone on separate accounts or the wrong plan, causing the bill to be well over what it should be. And because no one ballparks their prices before they signed up they don't know any better. (Who the heck doesn't check the website and ballpark their prices?)
(edited)
0
0