ATT says debit card with $150 credit is no longer valid

---

@stealth57 wrote:

We got my mother in law to sign up for U-verse and they eventually sent her a debit card for $150.  She was taken very ill and after many months she passed away.  My wife is the trustee and when she found the card and tried to use it for estate expenses, she was told it was not active.  She called ATT and they said that they cancelled the card and would not reinstate the balance.

 

Since this was part of a contract between my mother in law and ATT, they had no right to cancel the card, just like my mother in law had no right to stop paying her bill.  A deal is a deal.

 

Any suggestions on how to get the $150 reinstated?  We can't get a credit on her account as it was not renewed...for obvious reasons.

---

I'm sorry for your loss.

The reward cards have an expiration date printed on them. If it is after that, then the card has expired.

If it's before that date, then I'd send a private message to AT&T customer care using the link below.

https://forums.att.com/t5/notes/privatenotespage/tab/compose/note-to-user-id/192773

California has very specific laws about the uninforceablility of expiration dates on cash cards.  I was hoping that ATT would be aware of those laws and the circumstances and be more cooperative.  Turns out my wife has a friend that works for ATT and they have been told that ATT management wants to hear directly from employees if they hear of customer service complaints.  We will see what happens.

---

@stealth57 wrote:

California has very specific laws about the uninforceablility of expiration dates on cash cards.  I was hoping that ATT would be aware of those laws and the circumstances and be more cooperative.  Turns out my wife has a friend that works for ATT and they have been told that ATT management wants to hear directly from employees if they hear of customer service complaints.  We will see what happens.

---

Gift card laws typically do not cover rebates given using a card with a major credit card logo. They're a totally different animal. 

California law is a unique animal and ATT doesn't have a leg to stand on.  They can try and they will lose a lot more money than what it would have cost them to honor the contract with a dying elderly woman.

I'm afraid this site disagrees with you: http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/legal_guides/s-11.shtml

It says, in part:

---

@california Department of Consumer Affairs wrote:

Certain gift certificates or gift cards11 sold after January 1, 1998, are not subject to any of the rules discussed here. To be exempt, these gift certificates or gift cards must contain an expiration date, if any, in capital letters12 in at least 10-point type on the front of the card and must be either:

• Distributed by the issuer to a consumer without charge under an awards, loyalty or promotional program;13 or

---

A friend of my wife works in higher levels of ATT. She says they have an internal program to make sure that issues they hear about get handled.  Apparently, they know their CS is not owning problems and this group then jumps in if they hear about it.

We got a call from someone in the US who said they have taken ownership and will resolve the issues in 24 hours.  She said CS is suppose to do the same and the internal policy is if they don't, they get fired.  So, hopefully, some heads will roll but I doubt it.

Check for $150 was sent as a replacement.