DavisS_ATX's profile

Tutor

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5 Messages

Monday, January 16th, 2017 11:02 PM

Closed

Paying $7 a month equipment fee for a modem/router (MotorolaNVG589) I purchased and installed myself

In March 2016 my 2WIRE modem supplied by AT&T became unusable and after verifying with an ATT Technician that the modem was the problem I opted to go buy a new modem at Best Buy rather than have them send one out. (Needed home connectivity restored quickly for work.) I bought the Motorola NVG589 installed it and it has worked like a charm. I expected to receive paperwork to return the 2WIRE modem but did not. The $7 equipment fee keeps showing up on my bill and I called today to try to correct the situation and after three 45-minute conversations with three different groups - customer service, tech support and billing - a billing representative informed me that there was no need to return the 2WIRE modem and that there was a $7 equipment fee just to use the new modem I had purchased whether I had purchased it or not. The explanation I was given was that the modem I had purchased would support download speeds of greater than 12 Mbps. I have a DSL plus account which is supposed to provides speeds of 18 Mbps. They rattled of a list of modems that I could purchase and get the $7 fee waived - all of them were modems that would not reliably support 18Mbps. Basically high speed modems like the Motorola N589 must be rented from AT&T. This makes absolutely no sense to me since they sell it with AT&T logo on the front in retail stores. Has anyone else run into this?  

S

Official Solution

Employee

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18 Messages

2 years ago

All of our equipment will have a fee. The equipment fee is for maintenance of the equipment, meaning replacements and periodical firmware updates that occur. You can refer to our Terms of Service for any questions regarding the maintenance fee being charged on purchased equipment.

Please note that the U-verse equipment provided during your installation cannot be replaced with any other modem (router) that has not been provided by AT&T. Although we don't support third party equipment you do have the option to purchase a third party device to use for enhanced performance behind your AT&T modem (router).

Thanks

ATTJohnCS, AT&T Community Specialist

ACE - Expert

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34.7K Messages

7 years ago

I also have an extremely hard time believing that you found an NVG 589 with AT&T firmware sitting on a shelf at Best Buy.  And even if you did, what my thoughts posted above is accurate.

 

ACE - Expert

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27.6K Messages

7 years ago

You had a 2wire modem that was property of ATT, you didn't return it and they didn't charge you for it?  Consider yourself lucky.

Tutor

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5 Messages

7 years ago

I was charged for the 2WIRE modem that failed and I was expecting to return it when I recieved the instructions and shipping label they promised to send in the related tech support call. I never received the instructions and shipping label and even today when I mentioned it they said that returning the modem would not be necessary and would have no bearing on the $7 charge. It has been sitting boxed up ready to ship back for almost a year and I have called about returning it several times. The last time they told me it did not need to be returned and that was confirmed again today. None of this makes much sense to me and is unlike any other set of transactions I have ever had withh AT&T and I have been a customer since 1970.

S

 

Tutor

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5 Messages

7 years ago

Best Buy is an authorized AT&T reseller. The AT&T tech who took my call when the 2WIRE went haywire told me I could buy a modem/router at Best Buy and that is what I choose to do. I use my home DSL for work and could not wait 10 to 14 days for a new modem/router to arrive by mail. At this time neither Best Buy nor AT&T sells them directly to customers, both have done in the past. The person from the billing department actually bought that up saying what a headache it had caused them that customers could continue to by modems even though they would be charged an equipment fee just as if AT&T had provided the modem. 

Employee

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8 Messages

7 years ago

The old equipment you particularly have is considered customer owned and does not need to be returned.

Buying an At&t compatible equipment does not wave any fees. The modem registered to your account automatically activated the new Terms of Service standard in place.

I myself could not find any At&t compatible modems on Best Buy. Is the device on a warranty and able to send back for credit from the seller?

Also note that Ebay and other 3rd party retailers may advertise their products as "At&t compatible modems" or state they're a "Genuin Best Buy" product.. those are in no way, shape, or form a representative of At&t, nor can we guarantee they will optimize your network connection.

Please note that when a professional technician undergoes your free repair, he also checks to make sure your outside wiring peripherals and inside wiring is updated.

Tutor

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5 Messages

7 years ago

No more responses please. I am a bit taken aback by some of the rudeness in these responses. After searching I do see other threads about this topic where people had similar issues. Posting the TOS helped explain AT&Ts position but mine is an old account that has been paperless and autopay for years. The last TOS I have was sent to me after I made a change to my account in 2014. It mentions nothing of this impending change to their business model. Basically I accept the $7+ high speed equipment fee and will call them back to see what the benefits of it are if any. 

Tutor

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5 Messages

7 years ago

Phillip,

AT&T modems/routers are no longer available at either Best Buy, an authorized AT&T reseller, or the AT&T store but they were both before and after the TOS went into effect and the billing staff at AT&T acknowledged that today. I did not buy anything on eBay or Craig's list or any second hand unauthorized source.

S

Tutor

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2 Messages

7 years ago

I'm going thru something similar.  My tech took the router to his office so I could not return it.  Besides that, no one even told me I had to return it.  I was only told about the receivers and remotes, which I returned.    I have also had trouble getting them to understand the service is in my name and has been for the last year even though I wrote checks for it for years.  They also charged me 200.00 deposit because they said I had no credit  in my name.  They didn't charge anything like many years ago when I first got it.  I pay a car payment , all utilities, insurances, and have charge cards.  They didn't care, refused to wave that fee. The manager and sales rep in the store were very nice but they could not help with waving the 200.00 connection fee for direct tv.   If I had it to do over again I would have called spectrum.  I've had my bill as high as 189.00 in one month, just because one contract ran out, and I've always paid it. Then they put you in another contract, it runs out and you get another contract, etc.  never ending aggravation.   There is nothing easy with these people, you call them and you stay on hold, or either they hang up. 

Tutor

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4 Messages

6 years ago

you can put purchase a 2 wire modem at any att store . I have bought two myself in the past and never paid rent .

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