Contributor
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1 Message
TELESALES CPE CHARGEBACKS
I bought an iphone 5 through a 3rd party person and to make sure I wasn't buying a stolen or invalid phone I went to my local AT&T store to make the deal. The representative I spoke to checked the IMEI and told me that the phone was good. I specifically asked him if I would be charged anything by making it my phone and putting my number on it. He assured me that I would incur no charges by buying the phone. A month later I saw a "Telesales CPE Chargeback" for $703 on my bill statement. I called AT&T, they opened up a case, and told me they would call back in 2 weeks with an update. They never called, so I called them. Apparently they had closed the case and they never gave me a reason why. So I opened up a new case and they told me they would call me back within a week. Again, they never called me so I had to call them. This time they had to open up a new case because an incorrect case had been opened with the previous representative. They told me they would call back on a specific date. For the third time, they never called me. I called them back and this time the representative talked to his manager to figure out what was happening. I was told that the charges were valid because it's the risk from buying a 3rd party phone. Apparently the original owner of the phone disputed her credit card charges for the phone and didn't pay for it. She STOLE the phone and sold it to me. Now I'm incurring her debt. I have a bill for over $900 even though I did everything in my power to make sure I was buying a legal non stolen phone. I've been a loyal AT&T customer for over 10 years, I've never stolen anything in my life, and now I'm stuck with a stolen phone that I have to pay for. I don't understand how this is even legal. I originally paid $500 to the 3rd party seller at the AT&T store and now AT&T is charging me an extra $703 even though I was assured by an AT&T representative that I would not incur any extra charges. I've been lied to by the third party individual as well as the AT&T corporation. I need answers. How is the passing of debt to another person without that person even knowing legal? How come I am not allowed to return this stolen phone and get those charges removed? Why was I told that everything was OK with the phone and that I wouldn't incur any charges?
ms_unicorn
Former Employee
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4.9K Messages
10 years ago
Hello, jjman00!
Thanks for posting. I'm so sorry to hear about your recent experience purchasing a phone from this individual. We would be happy to investigate further, so please click here to send us a private message.
In your message, please provide your name, phone number, email address, and the best time to reach you. You can expect a reply within two business days, so keep an eye on the little blue envelope icon in the top right corner of your screen.
In the meantime, feel free to message me with any other questions or concerns.
-Mariana
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sionnet
Tutor
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4 Messages
10 years ago
I reported the same issue to AT&T,Telesales CPE Chargebacks 09/08, $334.69.
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CUCA483
Tutor
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9 Messages
8 years ago
I refuse to pay for a phone twice., Tonight I was reading thru the ATT paperwork and there is such a this as America Arbitration Association (AAA) try looking it up., while a bill is in dispute I refuse to pay for the phone. Yes I will have to pay my current bill but honestly as a customer for over 10 years that is not my problem. My bigget problem is paying 979.04 for a phone that I originally paid 679.90 for. ATT needs to go after the person whom THEY sold the phone to. I hope this helps.
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David606
Employee
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3.5K Messages
8 years ago
You cannot use a phone that someone skipped out on the installment payments on. Any cell phone carrier can stipulate what phones can be used on their network. If you buy a phone third party and the seller did not pay for it that is not any fault of AT&T or any other carrier.
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GeekBoy
Master
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4.1K Messages
8 years ago
You happen to be in a bad situation. You purchsed stolen property from a third party. No matter how you look at it, you are out the money you spent on the phone, and you cant use the phone on your account. The best you can hope for is to work with the police to capture the real thief, and hopefully get your money back from them. The old saying of "possession is 9/10th of the law" holds true here too. You are the one in possession of the stolen property, so you have 9/10th of the responsibility to resolve the situation, ot you lose 100% of your investment.
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David606
Employee
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3.5K Messages
8 years ago
About the "possession is 9/10ths of the law" statement made above...cell phones are different than other consumer electronics because they are operated on a privately owned network. In fact they're more like cars. If someone sells you a car but you don't get a title with it, you may be in possession of the car but ownership is still not yours. A phone has a unique IMEI and that IMEI is tied to the monetary agreement to pay for that device. I understand it's frustrating and upsetting but other than tracking down the seller who sold you this unpaid for device, there isn't anything else to be done.
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vtt2016
Tutor
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10 Messages
8 years ago
Hi @jjman00 - I have been through the same experience. They charged me $695.00 out of the blue. It's horrible. Were you able to resolve the charge back scam? Yes I feel like this is an AT&T scam. I'm connecting with all the TELESALES CPE CHARGEBACKS victims and explore our options for legal actions to stop ATT from doing this again in the future.
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vtt2016
Tutor
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10 Messages
8 years ago
@David606 - if the phone was obtained by the last owner through a fraud charge why did ATT activate it and penalize the next owner? ATT should have refused to activate it.
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