Why am I being charged for returned equipment?

I had DirecTV for over 25 years in 7 different states and was a loyal customer until AT&T took them over. I had 3 receivers at two different addreses under 1 account for over 4 years after they installed it in my future retirement home. It worked fine every time I vacationed at my second home when I called to reactivate or suspend those receivers until I retired and relocated there permanently. I brought my 3 receivers from Montana with us to Georgia where we already had three other receivers. Once we arrived none of the receivers would work and could not be activated. After several phone attempts I was told AT&T changed the rules and I had to call the moving dept which I did. They turned out to just be a sales agent who sold me on switching my 2 Verizon cell phones to AT&T and gave me two new numbers. They also were to switch my Verizon cellular home internet router number service to an AT&T cellular router with an unlimited plan and update my DirecTV genie and other equipment to the new Genie 2 4K service. 

An installer came out and updated the antenna, brought the new equipment and took all my old equipment. Unfortunately the new equipment would not record, fast forward or allow movie purchases and after an hour on the phone the installer could not make it work so he left. I spent over 13 hours on the phone over a 3 days period desperately trying to get through to anyone at AT&T who could help. My two new phone numbers never were activated and a trip to the AT&T store found they had been assigned to someone else and the order for the router was never even accepted because that offer was no longer available. A second installer came out and swapped the Genie 2 and it still would not work. No one could figure out why. He told me the only way to resolve it was to quit DirecTV and restart with a new account. After all the calls and frustration I finally managed to get through to the loyalty dept who is the last ditch effort before quitting. That employee who said she had only been there for several months told me she didn't understand my complaint since most of the features worked and was sorry to see me go. I took my new equipment to the UPS store as directed and received proof of return. Then AT&T sent me a bill for over $800 and every time I try to call a manager I spend another hour on the phone being routed around and left on hold or cut off. I had to have my bank block any charges and now get emails and calls from collection agencies. My only recource now [Per Guidelines:  Keep it Relevant and Appropriate]. and file formal complaints with the FTC and FCC. AT&T destroyed a great company but has now made me a life long Verizon and Dish customer. I will fight AT&T with my last breath before I pay them another dime or hour of my time.

Hi

I am still an AT&T customer and I have been battling with them about returned equipment for a while now.  I had AT&T Uverse 1st for a while.  I went into the center to pay my phone bill and the guy said hey would you like for your bill to be lower.  I said no a few times.  Then this particular day I went in and the guy kept harassing me about switching over to Direct TV.  I said would you guys have any issue with my bill if I change.  The guy guaranteed me that we would not. Well that was a like.  When the contractor came over to switch me out he said he had issues and a lot of people was complaining that either they are not training people properly or they just don't care.  I tried to give him back the equipment and he said to contact at&t on where to take the equipment.  I call them and was told where to take the equipment.  When I tried to take it back to a third party vendor it was raining that day the the system was down.  I waited maybe a couple of weeks before I returned the equipment.  I was so upset with them that when my bill came for my direct tv it was all messed up.  I called and I called and they were telling me that someone was suppose to tell someone that I had changed from at&t to direct.  I told them that that was not my problem I just wanted the bill corrected.  They were rude and hung up on me a few times.  I was so mad that I could not believe it.  I then continue to call and straighten the bill.  I then went up to the at&t center where I work and they wasn't any help.  I then canceled the direct tv and took both at&t uverse and direct equipment back.  I took one to ups and the other fed ex.  After all that my daughter was diagnosis with breast cancer.  I was fighting breast cancer with my daughter and fighting my phone company about equipment that they harassed me in getting.  Trying to fix the situation at hand with at&t was so tiring that.  I remember going into the center speaking with a customer service guy about it and he said that did I had a receipt.  At this time this had been a while.  I said I came in and showed you all the receipt a while back and you all said they received some of the equipment but not all of it.  I said you got to be kidding me.  He called someone and I could here the person speaking with him that was so rude and said something about we don't see it scanned and we will just send her to collections.  The guy said to me we will take care of it.  I said to him did she said she would send me to collections on equipment that I sent in.  If my daughter wasn't fighting cancer I would have really reported them.  I asked them how come Direct TV has their equipment and at&t don't.  I sent them the same time.  He said he don't know.  The 3rd part vendor who gets the equipment for at&t is no better.  I would like to know what is the next step to take.  I guess I will be fighting at&t to remove this negativity from my account.  I have had at&t for a long and would like to know what is my next step to get this remove.  I do not know my account number but here is some information for you to look into it for me please.

[edited for privacy-please do not post personal or unique information such as but not limited to full names, employee ID numbers, email addresses, phone numbers, account numbers, etc.]

AT&T is a scam. We had nothing but problems with their internet service and decided to cancel after 2 and a half weeks and returned their router. Then they said we never returned it and took $500 out of my account. After at least 5 total hours in the phone not one single person would help me. This must be illegal. I don’t know what to do but I will be spreading the word to every person I can to avoid this company at all cost. They are corrupt and evil  and I have heard from several people they returned equipment and then are told they never recieved it.

On Dec 6 2018, I returned the Att modem/router NVG 589, through UPS. I have the UPS receipt in hand. I expected the lease charges of $10 to drop off my billing. After about 10 hours of phoning vapid reps, promising remedy but not delivering, I discovered that ATT stopped this return policy in 2015. This forum shows how corrupted the company has become, using my equipment  and charging me for it. One of these phone calls I learned that the NVG 589 is  ATT dedicated equipment. That means the guy who sold it to me on Ebay had 'stolen' it from some apartment or ex grilfriend (whatever) and made it available on Ebay for $17. I figured it was a good deal and bought it, to save $120 per year. ATT claims its still their equipment NVG589, and I bought fenced goods. So I'm back to where I started, paying for leased equipment I own.

   For those who have high tabs like $900 or so, unlike my insignificant but galling loss, you have the option of small claims court. Simple, but not easy, to sting that callous elephant. It can be done, with a little help from free govt. advisers. Counting process servers, court fees, etc, it could cost you upwards of $100 and a dozen hours to do this.

There are two other options: one is to use another carrier, and two, austerity - go without (use a public library wifi).

[Edited to comply with Guidelines] My case is too trivial to justify the expense entailed. Welcome to the real world.

Ok so to clarify; returning the equipment after 21 days but before 3 months will refund the charges?

thanks

they did the same thing with me. I have the papers for the returned phone and I am receiving letters from collect agencies about this matter.

I returned my equipment way before the deadline!  Yesterday my credit card was charged $195.  for unreturned equipment.  Today I finally received an email that my equipment has been returned.  I need my $195 credited back to my card immediately!

I am so astronomically annoyed right now.  Have not yet spoken with ATT because I only just received my bill - they never managed to even add my apartment number to my mailing address so I only just got it.

Anyway I was told on the phone when I cancelled that I DID NOT NEED TO RETURN THE EQUIPMENT. 

I even checked online and found the following link FROM MY OWN ACCOUNT : https://www.att.com/esupport/article.html#!/u-verse-tv/KM1009508

It says: "DIRECTV®, U-verse TV®, AT&T Internet, or Fixed Wireless Internet service - Were you instructed to return your AT&T equipment? If so, look in your email, spam folder, or mailbox for the detailed instructions we sent you. Or, just see the Where to take your equipment section."

So let's see - they told me NOT to return it on the phone, and also EXPLICITLY say on their own website that not all customers need to return U-Verse equipment.

So I'm good right... Of course not.

I will speak to them in the morning. I still have the equipment, but it's now exactly at 3 months since I cancelled - so I'll see how far I get.

> A.  Verbal agreement vs. TOS.  Not sure that would hold up in a court of law.

Moral of the story is ALWAYS RECORD THE CONVERSATION when you cancel.

Please, I returned equipment on time and AT&T acknowledged receipt of equipment and still charged me $10/month for two years after acknowledged receipt of equipment! Have tried to cancel three times in the last month and I still have service, but I got a letter stating I have two weeks to send it back, and the equipment from two years ago is listed in the letter as needed to be returned! AT&T is a total joke! We have pulled all services!