I just want my refund.

All of this because I had to cancel my original account in September because AT&T lied to me in the first place after months of calls about receiving service at our new house. 

I really think AT&T is one of the worst companies out there. I hate the fact that I don't have another option for an internet provider. Not because my internet service is bad - it's not - it's acceptable.  My problem with them is that it takes months and months to get any sort of resolution with them and hours of my time spent on phone calls that go nowhere. 

I started calling AT&T in May of 2013 to ensure we would have internet service in August when we closed on our new home. After numerous calls including to their President's office, we finally cancelled our service in Sept since we still did not have the internet they had promised. Working from home 100% I simply could not go without. I spent 8 weeks tethering to my phone in order to work paying horrendous data fees in order to work.  Anyhow we finally were able to get Direct TV who partnered with AT&T to get us the internet in October. 

I had to return our equipment to AT&T for our old account. I returned AT&T's equipment on 11/6 they had it logged in on 11/8 and they still debited my account in the amount of $318.00 on 11/9 (it did not go through until 11/12). 

I called customer service on 11/13 and Melissa assured me the account was closed and I would receive my refund in a couple of weeks. I called customer service on 12/06/2013 - I was bounced around and transferred twice only to be hung up on. Three calls later I got a rep and I was told no - my account was closed but there were no instructions what to do with my money. I was told they were fixing the problem, they verified my address and I was told they were issuing my check. The rep told me they released the funds and I would receive my check in about 14 days. 12/27/2013 - Still no check... I call and get transferred around again. They tell me that my check has been issued but can't tell me where it was sent. I tell her I would to escalate my issue this is unacceptable - I'm told a manager will call me back before 5:00 pm. No manager called me back. 01/13/2014 - I called again. I'm told a case was logged on 12/27/2013 and I have to wait 45 to 60 days before they will re-issue me a check. Really? Not even a definitive date? No one can tell me where the original check was supposedly sent to. I tell them this is unacceptable and demand to speak to a supervisor. Nope - not available. A manager will call me back before 5:00. 

AT&T's service is horrendous. I can't get anyone to actually resolve my issue. I pay my bill on time and if I don't they charge me a late fee yet they can hold onto my money for as long as they please, earn interest on it and make a profit.  The biggest issue here is once again, a corporation hiding behind a "policy"... It removes responsibility and gives anyone you speak to an automatic "out" on doing the right thing.

AT&T took the $318 out of our checking account, after the equipment had been shipped, returned and checked in.

From there, they tell you that they cannot return the money electronically. That's a lie. They can, but they choose not to. They take the money out of your account in seconds, but when they have to give money back, they cut a manual check like it is 1986 and it takes them a few weeks.

Why? Because like a Payroll company, they make money from the "float". Interest paid on a collective pile of money. Even if it only sits there for two or three weeks, when you pool everyone else's pending transactions into a $20 Million dollar pool, the interest on that in even a short term basis, adds up.

Payroll vendors make BILLIONS of dollars per year from "float", and on average they only hold their client's money for 48 to 72 hours.

So AT&T does the same thing. They take your money as fast as they can, even when they are not supposed to, and they grudgingly give it back in the slowest manner possible. And god forbid the check gets lost or misplaced, because then they have a policy that says you have to wait up to 60 days before they can even stop the reimbursement process over. At this point, it is over 3 months and you still haven't seen your money, which they were not even authorized to take in the first place!

I’ve given AT&T multiple opportunities to resolve this issue.  Throughout all of this I haven't cussed anyone, I've been polite while I let them know that I am angry with a right and this is unacceptable.

Now I've logged a complaint with Consumer Affairs.  Next stop is BBB and I'll continue to go from there.