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4 Messages

Thursday, August 25th, 2016 12:37 PM

SWITCHER PROGRAM ISSUES

I am on week 13 waiting for my rebate that should have been in my hands tops 8 weeks according to their website. Verizon is sending me threat letters that they are sending my bill to collections. Here is my story, and I knew everything was going too smoothly. We ordered a new set of phones and switched to ATT as Verizon was unable to take care of an issue that lingered for almost a week back in April of this year. Part of the package with the ATT phones was supposed to be a mailing label to send the phones to what I am now told is the REBATE CENTER. Waiting a Month for this label to come to me, I called ATT. A lady whos name I will not reveal sent me a set of labels to turn in my phones as part of the switcher program. Well, the post paid labels they send me were to the wrong center in ATT. I called ATT a week later just to confirm they got the phones, which I have a confirmation on, and they told me they recieved them. Great. Step one successful. I called Young America the rebate supplier a week later to make sure everything was ok, and I was told everything was fine, it will take up to 8 weeks to process. I called them every 2 weeks to find out my status. I was told "Everything is fine, it can take up to 8 weeks to process". Well, on my 8th week. I was told that everything was still ok. They assured me everything was in place, it was going ot be processed the following Friday." This now becomes week 10 I am awaiting my rebate. Well, Friday came and went. I called Young America again, and now I am advised that my trade in phones were never turned in, but yet I have a tracking number that says they were recieved. So, now I am furious because I dont like to be lead around with stupidity. So I called back ATT. I find out that, my phones have been turned in to the wrong place thanks to labels provided to me by ATT, and they are in the wrong system so Young America cannot see them and will not process my rebate until they are in THEIR system. I am still waiting an additional 4 days now for a resolution, and I know that even if they were able to get this issue resolved today, it is still going to take me an additional 2 weeks for "Young America" to process my rebate. I can tell you that I WILL be calling ATT again today becuase if they ruin my credit rating there will be a call to the Attorney General

 

How do I get this resolved?

Community Support

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230.7K Messages

8 years ago

Hi there @kderector!

 

My apologies for the issues you’ve had with the switcher program! Many people have used the phone return slips accidentally, I’m sorry for the confusion there!

 

I’m glad that you were able to get a resolution date out of this. We want to be sure this gets completely handled for you. I know the back and forth between calls is nerve grating, so kudos for following through!

 

Young America will need to process the rebate, but please let us know if there is any other failure to follow through on it. We would be happy to assist!

 

Tim, AT&T Community Specialist

Tutor

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4 Messages

8 years ago

Hi Tim,

I was told there would be an update for me yesterday. I did not get any update. I called today and they still don't know. It was escalated but I still do not have any idea where it is. Got the call yesterday from a collection agency. Wasn't even Verizon this time and told me they will be contacting the credit bureaus if I don't pay this. What else can I do??

Ken Derector

Community Support

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230.7K Messages

8 years ago

Hello again @kderector!

 

Thank you for following up on this! I’m very sorry to hear that they did not meet their commitment to follow up on your escalation with an update that is very aggravating!

 

Given the situation as it is, I do not believe it’s realistic to assume that Young America will process your escalation in time to prevent the collection agencies from acting on their own.

 

I wish there were a way to push this through faster, however we are only able to escalate the matter with them, which is already done, after that the rebate is processed internally.

 

It’s worth noting that the rebate cards you will receive are not restricted to being used on the final bill and are indeed accepted anywhere VISA cards are accepted with a few limited exceptions, so you may wish to work with the collections company in the meantime.

 

My apologies for your continued trouble in this situation. All the best!

 

Tim, AT&T Community Specialist

Tutor

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4 Messages

8 years ago

Wow,

That's the help that you how you help on the offer to help me?? I followed all the rules to get this rebate processed, I checked in every 1 or 2 weeks with att and young america, and everything is supposedly fine, and then after week 10 I am told it isnt. That is just wrong.... I know I am only 1 customer in your BIG cog of a world providing a puny amount of money to the huge corporation. But I will find a way to keep others for switching. And not just for your wireless, but directv and uverse. I have them all because of your savings plans.... but when people ask how my service is or anything you can be sure I going to bring this up!

So. Best of luck to you!

Contributor

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2 Messages

7 years ago

Around June 2016, AT&T started a promotion called the "switcher" and a buy on get one (phone offer) and if you were switching from a competitor, AT&T will pay your switching fees charged to you by your current provider 

 

This all sounds great at the time you learn and believe it's a great program – read on.   

 

Young Americans (YA), a separate company AT&T contracted to handle the cash payments and logistics of their (AT&T) promotional program.  I was with Sprint and made the decision to move my 3 phones (porting the numbers) and getting 3 new phones.  After all was switched over I waited from my last bill to clear from Sprint and then logged onto YA website uploaded the final bill and phone replacement costs as instructed on the website.   That was the end of July 2016. 

 

So far I only received 3 debit cards (expiring in March 2017) AND NO CREDIT for the cost of switching from Sprint (totalling $700 plus) as of this writing.  The phones that I traded in were in immaculate condition (Samsung s5 (2) Samsung s6 (1)) that could be sold for hundreds more. 

 

Additionally, I was told that once I am with AT&T for 3 months, they would lower the monthly cost of my bill substantially if I stayed on as a loyal customer.  Currently I am an AT&T customer   

 

AT&T is owning up to the "Buy one get one Free" deal as they are crediting me for the additional phone until it paid up.  So technically I have to stay in order to get my money back from the phone. 

 

My bill is $232 per month and with the BOGO deal, I'm paying $208 which was what I was paying with SpringIn the store at the time I was doing the switch-over (and AT&T's phone customer service verified) My bill would level off to $165 per month.  I'm not sure if that was a "bait-n-switch" or what?? 

 

A month ago, I called the Texas, Office of the President and went on record about this horrific ordeal.  I verbalized my frustration with the entire switch-over and the lack of repayment of what it took to switch over to AT&T.  All I got were apologies and we'll send your comments to the President and Marketing departments -- Okay, that helps a lot.  

 

To pour more salt in the wound, on October 28th, 2016 AT&T experienced a national outage taking down the wireless network.  I do not own any landlines in my house. 

 

So far, I'VE BEEN DUPPEDAll of the apologies will not take away thE frustration and the huge payment to switch over to AT&T. 

 

Community Support

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230.7K Messages

7 years ago

Hello @Been_dupped!

 

We certainly understand and apologize for the hassle you’ve endured with your wireless bill and the Switcher Program. I am more than happy to help as this is not the experience we wish upon any customer!

 

In order to get this taken care of, I will need to gather additional account information. Please send us a private message to @ATTMobilityCare with your name, a good phone number and a time that works best for you to be contacted.

 

I appreciate you reaching out and hope to hear back from you to get this resolved as soon as possible.

 

Samantha, AT&T Community Specialist

Tutor

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4 Messages

7 years ago

Hi Samantha,


I spent 6 months getting this resolved. If it wasnt over $1,500, I am sure I would have given up like I am sure most others do. But now, the bill that was supposed to be somewhere around $250-$270 is $319.00. The original reason we left Verizon on the first place, and I am tired of fighting every month over the bill. So, the moment our phones are paid off, I am going somewhere else. There is no reason a customer should have to be put through the ringer for 6 + months.


Thank you,


Ken



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