A long-in-the-works anti-piracy program from five major telecom players is probably not something you would think could be affected by a hurricane, but that’s apparently what is keeping the “Six Strikes” program from launching this week. [More]
‘Six Strikes’ Anti-Piracy Program Delayed To 2013, This Time Because Of Hurricane Sandy
By November 29, 2012
AT&T’s Billing Dept. Refuses To Let My Canceled DSL Account Die
By November 13, 2012
You know how awkward it is when you bid farewell to someone you think you’ll never see again, only to then keep bumping into them and having to say goodbye all over again? Well, imagine how much more it would suck if your bank account was being charged each time your old pal popped up again. [More]
AT&T Overnights New U-Verse Receiver To Us On Friday, Can’t Turn It On Until Tuesday Night
By November 12, 2012
AT&T U-Verse demonstrated great customer service when Trey needed a new receiver. They zipped a wireless one right out to him using UPS Next Day Air. It arrived on a Saturday. and Trey was quite impressed. He didn’t stay impressed, though. AT&T went to the expense of using Next Day Air while neglecting to notice that doing so was kind of useless, because AT&T wouldn’t be able to activate the new receiver until 8 P.M. on Tuesday. Oh, well, at least it was all installed three days early. [More]
AT&T Decides To Open Up FaceTime Over Cellular To More iPhone Users
By November 9, 2012
Facing criticism — and consumer complaints to the FCC — over its decision to limit the non-WiFi use of Apple’s FaceTime video chat app to customers who have shared data plans, AT&T announced yesterday that it will allow folks with the iPhone 5 (but without unlimited data plans) to use the app over its network. [More]
Verizon Wireless Waiving Domestic Text & Voice Charges For Sandy Victims
By November 9, 2012
Hurricane Sandy uprooted the lives of many people on the East Coast last week, making even simple things like paying a cell phone bill a hardship. Verizon Wireless announced this week that in order to help ease the burden for is East Coast customers left without power, cell service, Internet or even landlines, it will waive fees for all domestic voice and text usage. [More]
AT&T To Refund Cash To Customers Forced Into Monthly Data Plans
By November 7, 2012
Back in Sept. 2009, AT&T began requiring new smartphone customers to have monthly data plans, but existing customers with pay-as-you-go data plans were supposed to have been able to have their plans grandfathered in. Yet a number of customers who had their devices replaced either through insurance or warranty were mistakenly forced into monthly plans. Now AT&T has agreed to let these people change their accounts back and receive refunds for the error. [More]
AT&T Accidentally Cancels My Account, Takes 16 Days & $18 Fee To Fix
By October 31, 2012
Mistakes happen, and they sometimes require a little time to fix. But Consumerist reader Clay says that AT&T took its good old time getting around to fixing its mistake, and even then it still managed to screw up the fix — and charge Clay for the hassle. [More]
AT&T And T-Mobile Briefly Reuniting In New York, New Jersey To Help Storm Victims
By October 31, 2012
It’s been almost a year since the FCC and Justice Dept. ripped AT&T and T-Mobile apart, ending the lovers’ foolish hopes of a life of marital bliss. But regulators can only keep true love down for so long, as the two telecoms have announced they will share their networks in storm-damaged areas of New York and New Jersey where customers have been left without bars on their phone. [More]
AT&T Customer Complains To FCC About Being Unable To Use FaceTime Over 3G/4G
By October 18, 2012
AT&T customers who want to use the iPhone’s FaceTime video chat over a cellular connection need to switch over to one of the Death Star’s shared data plans. Unfortunately, since AT&T is the company that convinced the Supreme Court that forced arbitration clauses are an acceptable way to avoid class-action lawsuits, angry customers with unlimited data plans can’t get together to sue the company. But what they can do is file a complaint with the FCC. [More]
We Switched To Verizon For Better Coverage, Just Got Dropped Calls And Terribleness
By October 8, 2012
Jonathan and his roommate both ditched AT&T at the same time in favor of Verizon. They’ve experienced years of spotty coverage and dropped calls nearly everywhere they went, and wanted Verizon’s famed ubiquitous rock-solid coverage. They brought home their new iPhones and discovered that instead of vastly superior coverage, they had incredibly craptastic coverage and even more dropped calls. Verizon representatives told them that was weird… their area is supposed to have great coverage. When Jonathan tried to wrangle a free femtocell out of Verizon for their trouble, Verizon wouldn’t budge. His roommate fled back to the less terrible coverage of AT&T, but Jonathan hasn’t made that leap. [More]
Time Warner, AT&T Miffed At Kansas City For Treating Google’s High-Speed Fiber Network So Much Better
By October 3, 2012
The grass is always greener on the other side, and that’s so true when it comes to Time Warner Cable and AT&T in Kansas City, Kan. and Kansas City, Mo. Not only is the grass a brighter hue over on the side of Google, but its rivals are also turning that envious shade as well. TWC and AT&T are miffed because of the red carpet treatment the city is giving Google and the ultra high-speed fiber network it’s building there. [More]
Advocates File Net Neutrality Complaint Over AT&T's FaceTime Policy
By September 18, 2012
Last month, AT&T confirmed that iPhone customers who want to use the iPhone’s FaceTime video chat app over a cellular connection would need to belong to one of the company’s new shared data plans. At the time, several advocates raised concerns about whether or not this requirement violated the FCC’s Open Internet rules, and now these same groups have moved to file an actual complaint with regulators. [More]
Will You Be Able To Take Your Unlimited Data Plan With You If You Upgrade To iPhone 5?
By September 13, 2012
Yesterday, Apple went through its occasional ritual of taking an hour to go over every minute detail of its new phone. But what wasn’t mentioned in that overlong introduction to the iPhone 5 was what it means for the folks who still have unlimited data plans from back in the day. [More]
AT&T U-Verse Computer Glitch Opens Account For Dead Man
By September 12, 2012
Back in February, a St. Louis man’s father passed away. But that didn’t stop the folks at AT&T U-Verse from somehow opening a new account five months for the deceased five months after he’d died — all because he’d once inquired about service at some point in the past. [More]
Wireless Carriers Banking On New iPhone To Turn Everyone Into Data Hogs
By September 11, 2012
For years, wireless providers have been moaning about their highest volume data users and shaking their fists at the sky for ever having tried unlimited data plans in the first place. But now, with the impending release of a reportedly 4G LTE-compatible iPhone on the horizon, these same carriers are popping champagne corks, hoping that the faster data speeds will nudge consumers into the next level of data hogging. [More]
AT&T Insists Its New Apple-Like Store Is Totally Not An Attempt To Be More Like Apple
By August 30, 2012
It might look kinda like an Apple store and its employees might act kinda like they work at an Apple store, but don’t call AT&T’s first flagship store, located on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, an Apple store wannabe. The company says its 10,000-square-foot shiny and brand new location is all about the customer and not its actual products. [More]
AT&T FaceTime Policy Could Open Door To Carriers Restricting Which Customers Can Use Certain Apps
By August 23, 2012
Late last week, AT&T confirmed that while iPhone users will be able to use the FaceTime video chat app over its 3G and 4G networks, customers would have to subscribe to one of the company’s new Mobile Share plans. This has obviously not been sitting well with critics who say its a violation of FCC Open Internet rules, and AT&T has attempted to explain its position on the matter. But the Death Star’s explanation only gives us more cause for concern. [More]
AT&T Won't Move My U-Verse Service Because They Can't Find My Address
By August 21, 2012
Consumerist reader Thomas has been an AT&T U-Verse customer for about four years and says that whenever there has been a problem, the service techs have been prompt and friendly. But then he decided to make the mistake of moving to a new house only a few miles away, and now he’s trapped in the customer service Death Star. [More]
