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tarnation2002's profile

Tutor

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1 Message

Thursday, December 12th, 2013 10:17 PM

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Proration of Final Bill

I recently transfered to Verizon from AT&T due to AT&T's inferior coverage in my area (otherwise happy with service but just couldn't deal with frequent dropped calls from my home/office).  I fulfilled my contract earlier this year.  I called billing and was told they can't prorate the final partial month. When I signed up I paid for a prorated month of service and don't understand why AT&T can't prorate the last month of service.  Is there a supervisor I can talk with - not getting anywhere with customer service agent!

Employee

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3.5K Messages

8 years ago

I don't understand how "no carrier prorates their final bills either" translates into thinking AT&T is the only bad guy out there somehow. 

 

Sprint - Monthly service charges are not refunded or prorated if service is terminated or modified before your billing cycle ends.

 

T-Mobile - If you terminate your Service, your termination will be effective at the end of your current billing cycle, and you will remain responsible for all fees and Charges for your Service and usage through the end of that billing cycle.

 

VerizonCancellations will become effective on the last day of that month's billing cycle, and you are responsible for all charges incurred until then.

 

Bad customer service is not defined as a company sticking to the terms and conditions and refusing to make an exception. This is a standard practice across the entire industry. I get that it's frustrating but for every carrier in the nation, the agreement terms are available to everyone 

 

 

 

Contributor

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2 Messages

8 years ago

I didnt know about this condition at all.

 

But i did call before to check with CSR and he said it will be pro-rated and then same story, getting duped by ATT citing me this "gotcha".

 

As such it says under voice rate plan - final bill is not pro-rated. First of all its so well hidden, arent there laws to prevent such hidden wordings?

 

My bill also had voice plan and then that unlimited data plan 30 bucks and messaging services. It doesnt say its also not pro-rated for those services any where, does it ?

 

[Edited to comply with Guidelines] Why should someone pay for service that wasnt used ?

 

thanks

manu

Employee

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3.5K Messages

8 years ago

There exists no such thing as a verbal contract. What is written in the terms and conditions are the terms that apply. Final bills simply are not prorated, for anyone. There isn't an exception and no matter how far you go up everyone will relay the same information.

Voyager

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2 Messages

8 years ago

How is it that you can say "There isn't an exception and no matter how far you go up everyone will relay the same information." when there are users on this forum that are telling you that they are being told they will be prorated. Are you calling them liar's? You're not be helpful at all and I'd say that your actually being more of an irritant to customer's that feel like they are being ripped off. It would be more helpful if you didn't post again because your customer service sucks.

ACE - Sage

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116.6K Messages

8 years ago

@JayStreet

 

It is just one of many training issues that needs to be addressed.  Yes, other customers are occasionally given wrong information.  Gophone users are told they can add passport for Europe (they can't).  One customer was told his phone would never be unlocked (it was).

Last I heard, humans still make errors and CSRs are human.

I followed a new community member around one morning because he was posting like he worked for ATT, but giving completely wrong information.  I just kept calling him on it and reported his posts to mods.

It's like matching socks.  Keep asking till you get at least 2 answers that match.

 

 

Employee

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3.5K Messages

8 years ago

While I'm sure many would love to throw around the term "blatant liars" and so forth that is simply not the case. An uninformed representative that makes a statement does not mean someone automatically gets out of the terms and conditions based upon that. Representatives make mistakes. Representatives fail to look up information. Representatives are always specialized across departments. You think someone in technical support or a GoPhone rep is going to know exactly how a postpaid final bill works? This is why I state no verbal contract exists in this industry because if you go look at the Verizon or Sprint forums there are other people complaining that a rep told them such and such and then something else happened.

 

The customer agreement as posted is ironclad. It is the definitive source for exactly what someone can expect. If it says that a final bill will not be prorated then a final bill will not be prorated, no matter what a misinformed rep told you on the phone.

Voyager

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2 Messages

8 years ago

You've done a great job of sticking to the facts and continue to miss the point. I think I understand how this works. Expect all customers to read the entire contract when they sign up because we all do that. Then after being a customer for 10 years and you're ending service, you need to remember that contract from 10 years ago. Just in case though if you've forgotten anything you can call in and ask a rep, but reps are people and they make mistakes so you need to hang up and call right back, but ask for a different rep because again the reps make mistakes. Most importantly though no matter what you are told AT&T doesn't recognize verbal contracts so anything a rep tells you means nothing. Oh yeah, and all the other providers do it this way so it's ok. 

I left Verizon for AT&T 10 years ago because of crap like this. Let me be clear I'm not talking about the prorate issue now. I'm talking about guys like David606. I recently left AT&T for T-Mobile 2 months ago and I was going to go back to AT&T, but I think instead I should support the little guy and stay with T-Mobile.

I've got no problem with the contract. If I missed it, but I signed it then I'll pay it. Unfortunately AT&T's bedside manner needs some work. I had been happy with AT&T for all those years and maybe it's time for AT&T to think about keeping good relationships with customers that are leaving so that the might come back like I was going to do. 

Professor

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3.2K Messages

8 years ago

If you can't remember the contract from 10 years ago, that is understandable. But it is very easy to find the written policy online which always over rides anything a CSR tells you.

 

http://www.att.com/legal/terms.wirelessCustomerAgreement.html#whatIsTheTermOfMyService

Contributor

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1 Message

8 years ago

Who should bear the brunt of these mistakes? The party that has the most knowledge, control and opportunity to benefit which is the provider.  If AT&T (and other companies/employers) cannot be bothered to train their employees to provide accurate information and give them the resources needed to respond to typical inquiries, they should train them to say "I don't know, please check the agreement."  If a customer is told on day 1 of her billing cycle that she will only be billed for that 1 day if she changes provider, how can you excuse telling her she's out of luck when she gets the full bill? Making excuses and letting them off the hook does a disservice to all parties. 

ACE - Sage

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116.6K Messages

8 years ago

@comm4ID

 

While I agree with you in spirit, the reason ATT has these written agreements is to protect themselves from errors by employees and 3rd party representatives.

 

The answer should be, "according to the customer agreement....."  And there should be better training.  One of the problems is people don't always know if they are speaking to an ATT employee, a hired call center, or a retail reseller.  (You would think one of the 3 would have the correct answer)

 

 

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