marley01's profile

Tutor

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6 Messages

Monday, March 5th, 2012 1:18 AM

Can I avoid the $6.00 "High Speed Internet Equipment" fee by using my own equipment?

It's not clear to me what equipment the "High Speed Internet Equipment" fee actually pays for.  I don't have the conventional RG, I have the outdoor iNID with the indoor i38HG.  If I had uverseTV without uverse internet I wouldn't be paying this charge, but I'd still need the outdoor iNID, so it doesn't seem like the charge is for the iNID.  However, AT&T's site says they don't want the i38HG back if you discontinue your service.  So which equipment am I actually paying rent for?

 

If I understand the equipment correctly, the iNID includes the modem and router and the i38HG is an HPNA <-> Ethernet bridge, wireless access point, and four port switch.  I have DMZplussed AT&T's equipment to my own router and turned off the i38HG wireless, so I am actually only using the HPNA <-> Ethernet bridge capability of the i38HG.  I could buy my own equipment for that too, if I wanted to.  But if I get the i38HG out of the loop would that be enough to get AT&T to get the charge off my bill?  Will they even be able to tell it's out of the loop?

 

I could go back to DSL; I've only got 3Mb service anyway.  But I might want to upgrade someday and 3Mb is the max for DSL where I live.

 

Yes, I know, I'm being cheap...

Scholar

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101 Messages

12 years ago

When I had started Uverse service one of the sales reps who helped me before I ordered service said that they could get me the service without the rental fee of the equipment. However once I started service I quickly found out that wasn't true.

I talked to the cancellation dept and they weren't able to do anything. I ended up having to get it escalated to the Office of the President. A couple days later a case manager called me and she was able to waive the fee.

So it is possible but not very easy to get it to happen.

Guru

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1.1K Messages

12 years ago

If you had a conventional tv setup you would have a Residential Gateway (RG) that includes the modem and router.  That is what the $6 rental fee covers.  In your case, I would guess the iNid, but I don't know.

Scholar

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136 Messages

12 years ago

The rental fee is for all leased modems, whether it is the iNID or a 3800/3801.  The only modems not subject to that fee are the ones purchased outright (NVG510, 3600, 2700, ect).  The upside being that should the equipment fail, you would not have to be a new gateway to replace it.  As for switching to one of the services not requiring a leased modem, I would tend to think that if you need an iNID for service, unfortunately there's probably no way around it due to distance.  Also, the reason for the i38HG is not just as a bridge, it is also for troubleshooting the outside unit as it displays the light status of the components outside without having to open the outside unit.

 

 

 

 

 

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Teacher

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15 Messages

10 years ago

I challenged AT&T over the "high Speed Internet Equipment fee last year when it mysteriously showed up on my bill for $7.00.   Of course the AT&T front line reps are a waste of my time so I immediately asked for the manager and he waived the fee for only $5.00 for one year.  My challenge was that I purchased a desktop computer with a built in wireless router but it was not working  for some reason.  I called for tech support and they failed after hours of trouble shooting, so they send out the technician to my house  and he could not figure it out the problem.  He provided a new wireless router and the internet worked perfectly  fine.  The technician never told me about a "equipment fee" or it was never in writing that there is a "equipment fee".   I debated that if my built in wireless router did work,  i should NOT be charged for the "equipment fee", but the manager said everybody is charged for the fee no matterwhat they have.   AT&T is just finding more ways to make millions of dollars to scam their customers, and it is sadly wrong.   It is strange that they have "monthly charges" for Internet use but decide to add another fee for "equipment use" on top of that monthly fee....


@marley01 wrote:

It's not clear to me what equipment the "High Speed Internet Equipment" fee actually pays for.  I don't have the conventional RG, I have the outdoor iNID with the indoor i38HG.  If I had uverseTV without uverse internet I wouldn't be paying this charge, but I'd still need the outdoor iNID, so it doesn't seem like the charge is for the iNID.  However, AT&T's site says they don't want the i38HG back if you discontinue your service.  So which equipment am I actually paying rent for?

 

If I understand the equipment correctly, the iNID includes the modem and router and the i38HG is an HPNA <-> Ethernet bridge, wireless access point, and four port switch.  I have DMZplussed AT&T's equipment to my own router and turned off the i38HG wireless, so I am actually only using the HPNA <-> Ethernet bridge capability of the i38HG.  I could buy my own equipment for that too, if I wanted to.  But if I get the i38HG out of the loop would that be enough to get AT&T to get the charge off my bill?  Will they even be able to tell it's out of the loop?

 

I could go back to DSL; I've only got 3Mb service anyway.  But I might want to upgrade someday and 3Mb is the max for DSL where I live.

 

Yes, I know, I'm being cheap...


 

ACE - Expert

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34.7K Messages

10 years ago

The High Speed Internet Equipment fee "mysteriously" showed up on bills after on-bill notices that the fee was going to be increased and that those who weren't paying it because of being installed prior to its initiation were going to be charged it as well.

 

Depending on the equipment you need for service, many U-verse HSI-only subscribers can purchase the RG for a one-time fee of $100 and don't have to pay monthly rental.  OTOH, when it breaks they have to pay another $100 for a replacement (after the expiration of the 1 year warranty of course)

 

 

 

Tutor

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6 Messages

10 years ago

I accept the answer as being right, abeit not the answer I was hoping for.

Contributor

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1 Message

8 years ago

Equipment Fee Scam Revisited 2016.

Got my UVerse in 2011, paid whatever for the box at that time. Monday, this week, no service light on box, broadband binking green then red. Call tech support, the guy "checks the line" says it's okay, that I need a new box, and that will be $7.00 a month, I can't buy the box anymore. Okay. Wednesday, box comes, unplug 2 cables from old box, power and Uverse (white, to outside box), plug in new box. Same lights, broadband blinks green then red, no service light. Call tech support. Okay, we'll send a tech. Thursday, the tech shows, checks around, says the problem is in the line beyond the pole (not in the box), and he has to put a work order for the "cable" guy to find the problem. Today, Friday, almost 24 hours after "cable guy" first showed, the line is fixed. Old box back in and working. I call customer svc. to say I'm sending back the new box, and the lady says "You have to keep it and pay the equipment fee." She tried to tell me that the techs did an upgrade to the outside box, and that was part of the equipment fee too. Are they nuts? The best she can do is give me $2/month off my bill for a year (that's $9.00 off, including the equipment fee for a box I'm not using), then after a year, the equipment fee (for a box I don't use) comes back on my bill.  I said the magic words: "Okay, I think I'll get my internet elsewhere" .... Oh, wait, let me connect you to Customer Loyalty, maybe they can do better. Okay. Loyalty (high-level scammers) says a lot of blah-blah, and finally agrees to take a big $3 off my bill (for a year) and agrees that the "equipment fee" (for a box I didn't need, and am not using) will be removed once they get the new box back. I don't believe him. Or the dreaded equipment fee will re-appear after a year. But I took the new box to UPS today. Any bets?  Mine is that I will certainly have to do many afternoons of run-around with AT&T customer service when the equipment fee keeps showing up. Or will they jump down the line, break my old box that works fine, and send me a NEW box, and get their equipment fee anyway? Totally disgusted, but right now I'm online ... for the moment. Makes me want to get off the grid entirely.

 

 

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