Just about any new cellphone or tablet allows the user to make digital purchases that are subsequently charged to their wireless account. And while the four major wireless providers — AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile — claim to provide ample protections for customers, our pals at Consumers Union have found that users may not be getting fewer protections than they would for purchases made using a credit or debit card. [More]
at&t
AT&T Mulling Over Revisions To T-Mobile Deal To Appease Regulators
By 12.12.11
We’re guessing that when AT&T announced it was going to buy T-Mobile USA for $39 billion that it didn’t expect the deal would receive such jeers from the regulators at the Justice Dept. or the FCC. But with the former ready to go to trial to block the merger and the latter saying it will hold its own hearing if the DOJ fails, AT&T now appears to be looking at the Darth in the mirror. [More]
AT&T Once Again Brings Up The Rear In Consumer Reports' Cellphone Satisfaction Survey
By 12.6.11
For the second year in a row, AT&T’s wireless service finds itself at the bottom of the ratings in a customer satisfaction survey done by our cohorts at Consumer Reports. [More]
FCC Agrees To Let AT&T And T-Mobile Withdraw Merger Application
By 11.29.11
Update: AT&T has responded to the release of the FCC’s report on their merger application, and they’re really not too happy about it. Their view is that the report was just a draft and furthermore, they never got to see it first. [More]
AT&T Pulls FCC Application For T-Mobile Merger
By 11.24.11
Two days after the FCC announced it intends to hold a rare administrative hearing on AT&T’s proposed purchase of T-Mobile USA, the folks at the Death Star have decided to pull their merger application to the regulator, at least until the end of its legal battle with the Dept. of Justice. [More]
FCC To Add Yet Another Speed Bump To AT&T/T-Mobile Deal
By 11.22.11
While we all wait for the legal fireworks that are sure to come from the Justice Department’s lawsuit to stop the AT&T purchase of T-Mobile, the folks at the Federal Communications Commission are reportedly looking to hold an administrative hearing on the deal, which could make things even more difficult for the merger. [More]
Reader Gets AT&T To Admit It's Their Towers That Suck, Not The iPhone
By 11.11.11
Melissa couldn’t get any reception around her home on her iPhone, despite living only 25 miles from downtown Chicago. Zero bars. It wasn’t just annoying to always miss calls, it was also damaging her rental business. But thanks to a detailed, and snarky, email to the CEO of AT&T, she was able to get the wireless provider to reset its towers and fix the service around her house. [More]
Consumers Union To Wireless Providers: Don't Wait To Implement "Bill Shock" Alerts
By 11.2.11
A couple weeks ago, details were announced about the Wireless Consumer Usage Notification Guidelines, which give wireless providers one year to roll out a system that lets customers know when they are nearing or over their allotted data, text, voice or international roaming limits. But our cohorts at Consumers Union are urging these companies to not wait until the last minute. [More]
AT&T Tries To Boot Sprint Suit From T-Mobile Hearing
By 10.24.11
Today AT&T is going to ask the Federal judge to toss out Sprint’s lawsuit seeking to stop it from buying up T-Mobile. [More]
T-Mobile Can't Cut Prices Because That Would Prove They Are Competing With AT&T
By 10.7.11
Last spring when the first Senate hearings were held regarding AT&T’s pending purchase of T-Mobile USA, the folks at the Death Star repeatedly stated that they weren’t trying to eliminate competition because they don’t view the much smaller T-Mobile as competition. Unfortunately for T-Mobile, having to keep up that charade while AT&T fights the Justice Dept.’s attempt to block the deal could result in the loss of millions of customers. [More]
Business's DSL Still Out 1 Month After Account Breach
By 10.7.11
Derek tells Consumerist that someone contacted AT&T and canceled his business’s DSL account. Which is interesting, because that person had no affiliation with Derek’s business, didn’t have any of the account information, and really shouldn’t have been allowed to edit the account at all. Did that stop AT&T from letting the person end the business’s Internet access, resulting in early termination fees? Guess. [More]
Samsung Tries To Distance Itself From Worst Ad-Nominated TV Spot
By 10.6.11
Yesterday, we announced this year’s slate of nominees for the Worst Ad In America awards, and among the TV spots slugging it out for the title of Absolute Worst Ad is one that appears to be for the Samsung Infuse 4G… or so you might think. [More]
Hundreds Of Hours On The Phone With AT&T Still Haven't Solved My Problem
By 9.30.11
Gerald would like something very simple: he would like to connect to an FTP server. He knows that it’s not completely blacklisted: he can get to it using an AT&T business-class connection. He’s even narrowed down precisely what the problem is. He just can’t find anyone at the company capable of helping him, and he’s found the online help groups to be an utter waste of time. [More]
Secret Memo Reveals Which Cellphone Carriers Store Your Data The Longest
By 9.28.11
How long does your cellphone company keep logs of your text messages? Of the words you wrote? Of the calls you made? A Freedom of Information Act request by the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina unearthed a Department of Justice document that breaks down the retention periods for each mobile provider. [More]
T-Mobile Exec: Over 1 Million Customers Using Unlocked iPhones On Our Network
By 9.27.11
Right now, U.S. cellphone users can only choose between AT&T and Verizon Wireless if they want to use the iPhone without jailbreaking it to use on another provider’s network. And even though T-Mobile may eventually get the iPhone if AT&T can convince the courts and regulators to let its purchase of T-Mobile USA go through, a number of customers aren’t waiting. [More]
AT&T Seeking "Prompt Trial" In T-Mobile Case
By 9.22.11
Yesterday was the first hearing in the Justice Department’s lawsuit to block AT&T’s purchase of T-Mobile USA. And even though the judge had reportedly told both parties to be prepared to discuss settlement at yesterday’s first hearing in the matter, it looks like no such terms were discussed, as AT&T is hoping to bring the case to trial sooner than later. [More]
AT&T Donated Nearly $1 Million To Legislators Supporting T-Mobile Deal
By 9.21.11
Of the 117 members of Congress who penned a letter to the White House in support of AT&T’s purchase of T-Mobile, 116 of them have received political donations totaling $963,275, from AT&T employees in the last two years. [More]
Seven States Join DOJ Lawsuit To Block AT&T/T-Mobile Deal
By 9.16.11
So it’s not just Sprint and the Justice Dept. that think the sale of T-Mobile USA to AT&T is a bad idea and should be stopped. Today, attorneys general for seven different states joined the DOJ’s suit to block the deal. [More]
