Is 3G Micro Cell is still free?

[hdang24]

We have been custormer with AT&T for a long time. Last year we moved into a new apartment complex and due to its location we experience horrible signal inside our house. Not just getting tire of stepping out side to make a call but what worst is that we have been missing a lot of phone calls from other people. I heard that AT&T gave out this unit one time in the past but are they still giving it to their loyal customers anymore?

[Avedis53]

There were instances of free Mcells being given to customers due to promotions and unique circumstances in the distant past but that has changed.  I received a free Mcell back in 2012 because of poor celltower reception in my remote area.  I fail to see how a discontinued promotion from years ago translates to dishonesty, much less inconsistency. 

AT&T is free to do whatever they want with regards to promotions.  Currently they do not give away Mcells.  If that upsets you enough to switch providers, then you can certainly exercise your right to change.  Don't expect Verizon to give you a free Range Extender.  I don't  think they give away their femtocells either.

One thought though, you might try contacting AT&T's Customer Retention Department and plead your case to them before departing.  You may be able to talk them into a Mcell but don't hold your breath. 

[OttoPylot]

This comes up from time to time. The support person is correct in that at one time AT&T did offer free MicroCell's to SOME of their customers as a marketing/promotional campaign if they had a documented history of reception issues due to their location. That marketing campaign ended a few years ago.

That being said, there are still occassional reports of someone getting a free MicroCell because of reception and other issues. This is not the current policy of AT&T and there is no way to corrorborate the accuracy of the poster's claim. I received a discount  years ago when I had connection issues but I still had to pay something. If someone did receive a free MicroCell then it was at the discretion of the corporate store manager or the individual support person, even though I doubt it because support would have been able to get a supervisor to authroize it. So basically, AT&T support is being honest with you. There are no free MicroCell's as part of the AT&T corporate policy.

[ATTMobilityCare]

Hi there! @hdang24 thanks for posting your question.  The AT&T 3G Microcell is a great way to expand signal in your home or work location. There is a one-time charge for the unit and no monthly fee for usage.

For coverage availability and pricing, please visit us at http://www.att.com/att/microcell/

At this time, we are unable to offer a free Microcell based on coverage or service tenure.

Thanks!

Charise

[OttoPylot]

@ATTMobilityCare - Charise -  we answered that question a long time ago, and I wouldn't consider your answer a solved solution.

[Avedis53]

You beat me to it Otto. 

[sangs]

We told an AT&T store rep than the signal in our house was poor - which it is - and that we were thinking of sticking with Verizon - which we were. BOOM - free MicroCell. 

[GLIMMERMAN76]

@Avedis53 @OttoPylot

you can say its not the solution remember?

[OttoPylot]

AT&T did at one time give out free MicroCell's to select customers as part of a promotional program. That ended years ago. There have been reports from time to time of customers still receiving a free MicroCell but only certain circumstances and it is certainly not corporate policy. Most often though all you will get is a discount. They have replaced existing customers with documented MicroCell issues with a free MicroCell but again, that's only under certain circumstances for customers who already have a MicroCell.

[OttoPylot]

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@sangs wrote:

We told an AT&T store rep than the signal in our house was poor - which it is - and that we were thinking of sticking with Verizon - which we were. BOOM - free MicroCell. 

---

Again, that is the exception and not the rule. It is NOT corporate policy. In your case the corportate store manager took it upon himself/herself to comp you one.

[Avedis53]

@ GLIMMERMAN76 - I was aware of that and I previously unmarked it as a solution. 

[OttoPylot]

Thanks Avedis. I've been too busy today to take care of this nonsense.

[HeresSheryl]

I understand this question is answered, but I'm adding this in case someone comes along late, like I did, wanting more answers.

I have been an AT&T customer for 5 years.  Last year we moved to a new house.  The AT&T map shows that we should have voice coverage.  We have had issues for the past year.  Not only do we miss calls and VM but often, even when we're in an area with good coverage, we do not start getting them again until we reboot our phones.  The biggest issue is that we don't know they aren't working until we try to use them.

I have contacted AT&T several times about the issue.

Today, they finally offered me a free microcell.  After a year of contacting them.  I don't know if it is because it is an ongoing issue or if I finally just talked to the right person.  Since someone mentioned there is no way to corroborate our stories, I've added a screenshot of the email they sent me showing the free microcell.  I hope this helps someone else.

[OttoPylot]

Thanks for the info but that just verifies what we've been saying all along. It is not AT&T Corporate policy to provide free MicroCells to who ever requests them. If you are in an area of known issues as far as coverage goes, AT&T may decide to send you a MicroCell for free once they can establish the coverage issue. It is not automatic.

Coverage maps, for any provider, are very misleading. They basically indicate where the signal will reach, they do not indicate quality of service. So just because you can get a signal at your house doesn't mean that the quality of service is going to be acceptable.

Unfortunately the type of phone may also have something to do with the reliability of your services via the MicroCell.

[AustinMabe]

I am tired of not having service everybody that I know is getting a freeMicro cell tower

[OttoPylot]

Years ago, as part of a promotional campaign, AT&T gave away MicroCells to select people. That campaign is no longer active. It's possibe, but not likely, that you could find a corporate store manager somewhere who would give you one if you are in a documented area of poor coverage. It is certainly not corporate policy though so it would be completly at the discretion of the store manager.

AT&T would probably give you a discount on a new one if you called support, again if you are in an area of documented poor coverage, but that's about the best you could do. You would also need to have a post paid cellular account.

If you choose to go the eBay/Craigs List route, I would suggest reading the section in the Tech Guide (link in my sig) about purchasing a second hand MicroCell first.