Tutor
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4 Messages
Credit back onto account for expired Promotion Card
I traded in my iPhone 4s (in great condition) for a $200 Promotion Card that expired not even one year after the trade-in. I can tell from browsing the forums that MANY of us were unaware of the expiration date. Just wanted to know, did anyone actually have a success story and receive credit back onto their account?
I noticed that in previous years, they actually did give credit back to customers in this same situation. Perhaps there was a recent policy change in order for AT&T to save themselves more money.
I understand that the AT&T employees overseeing & responding to these posts may not be able to do anything about this issue, but I would have appreciated my private message being forwarded to a higher-level employee who personally responded back to me. Instead, I received generic replies, which made me feel very dismissed. I pay over $220/month to AT&T and am very disappointed to find that my business is not valued.
Yes, ultimately it is the customer's mistake if we let the card expire before using it, but good customer service would allow for us to be reimbursed in some way for the iPhones that we gave back to AT&T. For example, if I dropped my ice cream cone due to my own clumsiness and the store decided to give me a new one free of charge, that is great customer service and it happens all the time with most companies.
I no longer recommend this provider and am seriously considering switching to T-Mobile which has a great deal out right now.
ATTMobilityCare
Community Support
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15.2K Messages
9 years ago
How are you @tyang_1,
I understand that your promotional card has expired. We do not want our customers to feel as if they are being dismissed; I apologize that the responses you received have left you underwhelmed.
Unfortunately, due to the terms and conditions of the Buyback Program and for the issuance of the promotional card, we would be unable to issue a credit or reissue a promotional card. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with the AT&T Community, we encourage our customers to connect with one another. I do apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Thanks,
Charise
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kyle.b
Scholar
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99 Messages
9 years ago
You didn't say exactly how long it was before the card expired, but I would say to expect that a card be used within a year is more than reasonable. Besides, the vast majority of people who take advantage of the buyback program are going to immediately use the funds on a new phone and/or accessories
Not only is it a reasonable amount of time, but you also have to realize that for every card AT&T issues, they also have to pay the card issuing company a fee to maintain the card, and they can't do this indefinitely.
To go back to your ice cream analogy, sure, a business will remake a cone if you drop it in or around their store, but if you drive away from the shop and have to slam on your brakes down the road and you drop it, I wouldn't expect them to replace it...
You could also think of it like milk...you go to the store and buy a gallon of milk, take the milk home, put it in the refrigerator and don't use it and it expires, the grocery store is under no obligation to replace it because you didn't use the milk before it went bad
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tyang_1
Tutor
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4 Messages
9 years ago
The Promotion Card expired about 7 months after I received it.You make a fair point about thinking of it like expired milk. I guess I was just surprised at the unwillingness of AT&T to compromise. I understand that they don't HAVE to in this situation, but generally Customer Service departments are somewhat open to discussing options, especially with long-time customers.
Part of my disappointment was also due to the fact that there was even an expiration date in the first place. Sure, AT&T may have to pay the card-issuing company a fee to maintain the card, so couldn't they just have issued a credit for all customers who traded in an iPhone instead of doing the Promotional Card? It was a business decision on their part, but I was just expressing my frustration with it is all.
Anyway, I do want to add that I spoke to an AT&T representative over the phone and we DID come up with a compromise. I didn't get another $200 Promotional Card, but it was a fair deal. That kind of service is what I am used to receiving from AT&T, so I am very appreciative for that.
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chivice
Contributor
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2 Messages
8 years ago
I had the same expired promotional credit issue as the original poster and like many here on the forum. I disagree with any of your analogies on this thread. This is not a purchased good that you are trying to get a refund for after expiration or accident (i.e. ice cream or milk). This is a physical asset that you possessed that all of a sudden became a loss or liability after the trade in promotion period expired. For a company to try to characterize this as a "promotional" credit is a falacy. Promotional credits are like when you get $100 check for getting a friend to sign-up for an account with your bank or when you sign-up for service within a promotional period and you get a credit on your next bill. The fact is, that ATT received compensation in the form of physical property (the phone) and its fair market cash value for which they recoup by reselling. To take that property and to put a limit on how long any sort of compensation is due to the orignial owner is wrong. They are engaging in a shady business practice by avoiding sending a physical check or credit directly to your account; and instead sending this "promotional" card (which they say is NOT a gift or credit card), with the knowledge that many consumers will fail to "cash-in" within the designated window (more than 25% of gift cards go unused, ref: consumerreports.org). This practice is what caused our current laws concerning gift cards and expiration dates to be changed to protect consumers. Even the most responsible of us (I have a 790 credit rating and manage a business), fall victim to forgetting about gift cards or raffle certificates; so the owness should be on the business to do the right thing. It is especially disappointing to see many long time customers on this forum being neglected and offered no compromise in the form of some other type of credit or discount. Take my hard learned advice and trade in or sell your phone on Gazelle or Nextworth (they pay you cash) unless you can get an immediate account credit for a new phone from Apple, Best Buy or another carrier.
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Bornhere
Mentor
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88 Messages
8 years ago
I don't understand the need for certain regulars on this forum to consistently carry AT&T's water.
Here is a person who is a loyal customer and pays a nice piece of change monthly in return for a service. For whatever reason, the customer didn't cash the credit in. In the interim, they took the phone and did whatever they did with it but they did take it. What is the harm in giving a loyal customer a break? Will it bankrupt the company? How many instances of this do they run into? Most people get the new phone immediately so it's not as if they are going to have a run on renewals.
Meanwhile, the word of mouth for this company from the customer is better than a hundred commercials. Don't you tell others when a company went out of its way to do the right thing? All they have now is bitterness and an iPhone 4s.
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