Need help understanding your bill?
Kina4242's profile

Tutor

 • 

2 Messages

Wednesday, March 28th, 2018 5:53 PM

Warranty issue - phone returned as damaged

I have a wireless phone account with 5 lines.  I've been an AT&T customer for over 20 years.  In August 2017 I had an insurance claim because I cracked the screen on my Samsung Galaxy Edge 7.  By December the LCD on the phone started acting up.  I called AT&T and they did a warranty exchange.  I sent the defective phone back on 1/5/18 in the packaging provided by AT&T and with the USPS return label provided.  The phone did not get to AT&T until 1/22/18.  On 1/26 I received a package with the defective phone returned to me but now the phone was cracked on the back.  Along with the now physically damaged phone I received notice that I would be billed $609 because the warranty was voided.  I called AT&T warranty  and was told they would not remove the charge that I could start a claim with the post office.  I called the post office and since the label was provided to AT&T I could not file the claim, the customer (AT&T) has to file the claim.  I call AT&T again with this new information and was told that the charge would be removed and to return the damage phone to an AT&T store.  When i take the phone to an AT&T store they tell me they don't take back phones.  The store calls AT&T and there I'm told that the customer service rep who helped me before was wrong, that no credit would be issued and the store would not take the phone. 

 After more calls to AT&T warranty and customer service, I told them that I inquired about the damage done to the phone with a repair technician I was told that they had several customers that had similar issues with AT&T warranty exchanges.  One customer photographed their phone with no damage before returning and AT&T is still trying to stick them with the bill.  After this call the reduced the bill to an insurance claim which brought the charge down from $609 to $225.

I was then told to file a claim online with corporate correspondence if I still did not agree to the charge.  Only catch is that there is no online claim.  I was then provided a PO Box & told to contact the forum.  

I refuse to pay for damage I did not cause.  After 20 years I have no reason to scam AT&T but it is becoming apparent that AT&T is robbing their customers with false warranty violation claims.

Community Support

 • 

230.7K Messages

6 years ago

Hello @Kina4242,


Thank you for bringing this to our attention!  This definitely isn’t the experience we want for our customers, and I am happy to look further into this for you.


Since looking into this will require accessing your account, I will be sending you a private message with a request for more information.  Please keep an eye on your Forum’s Inbox for the message from me, so we can continue!


I look forward to resolving this with you.


RiAnn, AT&T Community Specialist  

Tutor

 • 

2 Messages

6 years ago

I sent the information you requested 4/5, 20 days ago, and still have not received a response. 

Contributor

 • 

2 Messages

6 years ago

I hope you received a response by now because very similar thing happened to me today! I am very very upset. There was no exterior damage to my phone when I sent in to warranty due to speaker issue. Got email 2-3 weeks after I mailed phone for repairs for them to tell me they recieved it, then found a package on my front door with now damaged phone on back side and letter inside telling me I can keep phone they provided as well as damaged phone that was in no way damaged before we sent. Letter says they are charging my acct 816.00! I am disgusted in this and feel there is some scamming going on! I am in NO WAY paying them 816.00 for something I did not do! Will be calling AT&T first thing in morning!

Contributor

 • 

2 Messages

6 years ago

Hoping you have followed up with Kina4242 by now and I hope this issue has been resolved for her. I'm also hoping I'm not going to fall victim to AT&T wrongfully charging my acct 816.00 due to damage that was not anywhere on phone before sent in through warranty claim. The Rep at AT&T store that did diagnostic test saw there was no damage whatsoever on phone. He found speaker issues with phone. That is why I had it replaced under warranty because only had phone less than a month. Had an otterbox on phone entire time I had phone. When Rep examined phone, he saw no damage anywhere. I find it a little strange that Kina4242's phone was returned to her by AT&T with damage to the back just like ours...Damage/cracked on backside. I would never send a phone in for a warranty claim if it had any exterior damage to it. Would be completely pointless! I have been with AT&T for years now but if I don't get this issue fixed, I will drop you and go with an honest company. I will also share this experience with anyone I know looking for a phone company. I hope I am wrong with how I feel about this situation and that it gets resolved fast!

ACE - Sage

 • 

116.6K Messages

6 years ago

@cmarie6383

And what makes you think it wasn’t damaged in shipping?   Which unfortunately falls on the shipper (customer).   

 

Contributor

 • 

1 Message

6 years ago

And how is shipping the problem of the customer when AT&T provide the return means of shipping?  I have the same issue with the warranty dept claiming the phone was received damaged.  It wasn't damaged but destroyed.  The claim was that the box arrived pristine...funny the pictures they claim they have is only of the phone and the label on the box which shows a crease across the box.  I am requesting more pictures of the box, seems to me they can't or won't file a claim with USPS and just seem it easier to charge the customer.

Not finding what you're looking for?
New to AT&T Community?
New to the AT&T Community? Start by visiting the Community How-To.
New to the AT&T Community?
Visit the Community How-To.