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NewBeginnings's profile

Tutor

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10 Messages

Saturday, January 19th, 2019 3:58 AM

AT&T consistently lies about prorating your final bill

If you landed here, I’m sorry this happened to you too. But there will be consequences. I now have several consented recordings for evidence, and will post on YouTube with a link here soon.

 

if you end your agreement within a billing cycle YOUR FINAL BILL IS NOT PRORATED DESPITE WHAT WHEY SAY ON THE PHONE. 

In other words, they will lie to you to get your business by promising to prorate your final bill if you switch mid-cycle. 

 

Some people here on this forum - some of the people with “badges”, God bless them 😉 - will refer to your “original contract’, which was probably an irreproducible piece of paper you signed 10 years ago. They’re wrong though because if this is contradicting what was told on the phone to you, the “oral contract” takes precedence legally. Especially if you can prove it. Here’s another funny thing, FCC is now specifically targeting mobile carriers for dishonest sales practices and “slamming”: “Slamming refers to dishonest tactics designed to trick unwary customers into switching to a different service provider.” https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/fcc-rules-ban-deceptive-practices/amp/

 

As someone working in IT & AI, it seems AT&T is currently implementing these deceptive practices because it was too inconvenient for their stock values to plunge right before they were launching their big 5G plans (hmm, what to do, right?) So here’s the At&T lightbulb moment: «Lets let our customers pay for it!»

 

This is not to mention that they’re finding all sorts of additional revenue sources in selling your browsing data (google it) and throttling your services (google that too). To AT&T, 5G investments are more important than corporate honesty.

 

Americans, you are so much more worth than AT&Ts repeated instances of deception. Next time you vote in elections, please consider the unprecedented power of these behemoths. Do you really want to be a sheep for them? Or do you want to break up, at least CONTROL, their monopoly? (And no it’s not better here than in other countries, far worse actually!) 

ACE - Expert

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13.1K Messages

5 years ago

Almost every wireless provider has the same item in their terms of service. They will not prorate your final months bill. It is in the terms of service that you agreed to when you signed up for service with AT&T and it will be the same for any provider that you go to in the future.

Contributor

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3 Messages

you've completely missed the point. they make it difficult to get the contract and TELL YOU when you ask that the bill will be prorated. that's deception.

Tutor

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10 Messages

5 years ago

Then why wouldn’t the reps at AT&T give the correct information when specifically asked? Probably because they know very few people remember the verbatim content of a contract they signed several years ago, and they try to use this to their advantage. It’s called deceptive practices and both the FCC and FTC are coming down hard on it. In fact, lying to customers is even beyond being deceptive. 

 

I’m baffled how many users in here care so little about their own rights as consumers. But I guess not surprising since people also vote against their own interest.

ACE - Expert

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16.5K Messages

5 years ago


@NewBeginnings wrote:

Then why wouldn’t the reps at AT&T give the correct information when specifically asked? Probably because they know very few people remember the verbatim content of a contract they signed several years ago, and they try to use this to their advantage. It’s called deceptive practices and both the FCC and FTC are coming down hard on it. In fact, lying to customers is even beyond being deceptive. 

What is the ADVANTAGE of lying? They're getting the same amount of money from you no matter what they say (a whole month). It's just making the ex-customers made who get the incorrect information mad.

 

I'm hoping this gets better because I heard (not verified) that some other AT&T divisions that I've (heard) do prorate are going to stop. Maybe that'll clear up some confusion with the reps 

https://www.androidcentral.com/att-will-stop-prorating-bills-if-you-cancel-service-after-jan-14-2019

https://www.att.com/esupport/article.html#!/directv/KM1301649?gsi=VbbC32yt

But in the att.com article you can see things vary by state so it's still likely going to be confusing.

 

I’m baffled how many users in here care so little about their own rights as consumers.

Exactly, why read the policy or look it up yourself and have it in writing when you can call and wait to talk to someone about it?

 

 

ACE - Sage

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116.6K Messages

5 years ago

A handful of these complaints a year do not make a conspiracy by At&t.  

There is one carrier known to me that prorated services - Google Fi.

None of the other major carrier or MVNO does so.

And Prepaid never does, it’s a use it or lose it.  

 

ACE - Expert

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16.5K Messages

5 years ago


@lizdance40 wrote:

A handful of these complaints a year do not make a conspiracy by At&t.  

 


I still don't understand why they don't give the right answer....

 

 

ACE - Sage

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116.6K Messages

5 years ago

@Gary L

We assume they know.  

I’m going on year 5 with At&t.  In the first 2, I would call 611 and get an English speaking, polite and knowledgeable CSR.  Now I get call centers, mumblers, noisy rooms, and non english speakers.  They frequently know less than I do.  This extends to the loyalty department.  

       I have great respect for tech support, where I always get excellent people.  

At&t has a serious training problem and the use of non At&t call centers is a mistake.  

At&t should read some of the comments that show up on Facebook and other social media about their service and support.  They should also be regularly dealing with their competitors as customers and see how they stack up.  I will add there is a difference in customers.  People who switch to MVNOs or other carriers are more knowledgeable.  At&t long term customers are largely sheltered sheep.   At&t treated them like china dolls for decades then lowered the boom.  

 

 

Teacher

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13 Messages

5 years ago

Wireless is not prorated. And they did just begin applying that towards all other services. No prorations throughout, except for some states for home services. 

Contributor

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3 Messages

4 years ago

what is the advantage of lying? uh, MONEY maybe?? you're kidding right? acting like they have nothing to gain by charging customers an extra month of service they won't even provide? multiply this out by the thousands of people they cheat and they're making millions of dollars every month from this scam. 

This post is entirely true. I had this happen to me a year ago. Had several employees tell me the bill would be prorated. Had it in writing and voice recorded. Sure enough, they charged me for the entire month for a few days of use. They could care less when I told them I had evidence, this is how bad they are. Not even afraid of documented deceit. Just said something along the lines of how the employees would be reprimanded and of course they had no idea who these people were and of course did not bother to ask. 
A couple years later my parents wanted to cancel their ATT lines and of course my parent informs me ATT told them the bill would be prorated. I told them that was a lie and that this would not happen. Parent ignored me and kept saying ATT told them the bill would be prorated, so they did the same and cancelled a couple days after. This is not a handful of people. This is 100% of a sample size of maybe 6 employees, and do a quick google search it happens all the time. I wouldn't be surprised if ATT is instructing employees to lie. Why you ask? If that is hard for you to understand, you shouldn't be posting on forums. 


ACE - Expert

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16.5K Messages

4 years ago

In post #4 I said:

What is the ADVANTAGE of lying? They're getting the same amount of money from you no matter what they say (a whole month). It's just making the ex-customers made who get the incorrect information mad.

 

I'm not sure why you are confused.

 


@coolkat1101 wrote:

what is the advantage of lying? uh, MONEY maybe?? you're kidding right? acting like they have nothing to gain by charging customers an extra month of service they won't even provide? multiply this out by the thousands of people they cheat and they're making millions of dollars every month from this scam. 


I'm not sure what's confusing about this?

Lying isn't getting AT&T extra money, they're making that money if they tell you the truth or not.

 

Why? Because they're charging you for it regardless...

 

The people who are making the extra money is the new carrier, as people are signing up for the new carrier before they need to (as they should have waited until the end of AT&T's cycle) and are now paying for the old and new carriers.  FYI, none of the big 4 carriers prorate cellular.

 

They only way AT&T is making EXTRA money is if people call and ask and then people wait until the start of the next cycle to cancel due to the answer (instead of rushing to get it done before the end of the cycle). That's very likely going to be a much smaller percentage of people...

 

 

 

Contributor

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3 Messages

uhhh... telling people their bill is prorated means they are likelier to extend their service rather than cancel before their bill cycle is complete. it's a very simple concept, and maybe you shouldn't be posting anymore on help forums.

Tutor

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29 Messages

3 years ago

Today is 02/21/21 and I have the same issue. I am former (cancelled on Jan 27,2021) DirectTV customer from California : they have to prorate in Calfornia because of the California Laws.  It is indicated in the AT&T small font. The point: they lied to me for about a month that they would "prorate". Multiple calls , multiple promises, I was told to wait until next billing cycle  (Feb 20,21). Did not happen....

My next steps, if not resolved (I advice to everybody)

1. Cancelling my other AT&T account (the cell phones one which I had for more than 15 years)
2. Opening case with California BBB 

California customer

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