Picture this: The phones rings, and you check the caller ID and see your girlfriend’s number. With great anticipation you answer the call, but then a gruff masculine “Hello” bellows from the ear piece. What the…? It sounds awkward but that’s what happened to James. His girlfriend’s iPhone was stolen a few weeks ago and the theft was reported to AT&T who had the phone deactivated. However, the new owner of the stolen iPhone had it reactivated and assumed the phone number of James’ girlfriend, thus deactivating James’ girlfriend’s replacement phone. How could this happen? James’ letter, inside…
at&t
AT&T Customer? No Go Phone For You!
By 5.12.08
In case you though AT&T wanting to run a credit check before they sell you a prepaid phone was as dumb as AT&T could get, reader Dan writes in to tell us about an AT&T store that wouldn’t sell him a phone because he was already an AT&T customer. If he hadn’t copped to being an AT&T customer, he could have walked out of the store with a lovely LG CG180 Go Phone. But since he admitted he had an AT&T number, the sales reps at the store wanted him to put an extra $100 down. More, after the jump.
By 4.25.08
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If you thought AT&T’s $2 fee to pay a bill in cash in-store was bad, wait till it goes up to $5. The price increase is scheduled for later this year. [Red Tape Chronicles]
AT&T Phones On Sale For $.01
By 4.24.08
Today only, all AT&T phones are on sale at Amazon for only 1 cent with new service plan (Sorry, the iPhone is not included). We don’t know whether it’s an error or what, but it looks like on some of these you actually make money after rebate.
AT&T Fails To Provide Service, Holds $750 Deposit Hostage For Two Months
By 4.19.08
AT&T demanded a $750 deposit from Richard before selling him an iPhone, but couldn’t provide service because they improperly entered his address. Richard spent hours at the AT&T store trying to fix the mistake before deciding to cut his losses and recover the deposit. AT&T promised to refund his money in 7-10 days. That was two months ago. Why the hold-up? AT&T can’t issue the refund because they don’t have Richard’s proper address.
Round 16: Mattel vs ATT
By 4.3.08
This is Round 16 in our Worst Company in America contest, Mattel vs AT&T.
Mattel profited off of selling millions of toys covered in lead paint, as well a toy with detachable, swallowable, magnet balls.
AT&T Introduces Pro-Rated Termination Fees
By 4.1.08
It’s finally official: as of May 25th, AT&T will join the ranks of the pro-rating carrier crowd (which so far just includes Verizon) and start reducing their early termination fees (ETFs) by $5 per month on both one and two-year contracts. This only applies to new customers and those renewing contracts on or after May 25th, so if you can, try to hold off on entering into a contract with AT&T for the next two months. What up, Sprint and T-Mobile? Why is it taking so long for you to pro-rate your ETFs? We guess you’re too busy going out of business and suing creation, respectively.
AT&T Sends Bills To Collections Ten Days After They’re Mailed Out
By 4.1.08 — Updated: 10.25.12
Reader Tom wrote in to let us know that during a conversation with AT&T customer service, a representative told him that it is typical to send out collection notices ten days after the original bill is mailed. Factoring in two or three days for the bill to arrive, two or three days for the check to get back to AT&T, and a Sunday or two, that leaves three to five days for customers to pay their bills before the angry letters and phone calls begin.
AT&T Lets You Close Your Account, But Not Stop Paying For It
By 3.31.08
Reader Steaming Pile is waiting, not so patiently, for AT&T to give him back his $160. He had an account set up with automatic bill pay, and when his contract was up in September he canceled the account. This should have been the end of his dealings with AT&T. A few months later, he was perusing his post-holiday credit card bill when he noticed a charge from AT&T. Reviewing his statements more closely, he noticed that while he was successful in terminating his service, he hadn’t convinced AT&T to stop taking his money every month. Thanks to automatic bill pay and (let’s admit it) his own negligence, AT&T had pocketed $160 for a closed account. In fact, when he called to terminate the automatic bill pay, not only did he have to argue for the credit, he’s still waiting for his money three months later. Check out his very angry email below.
AT&T Won't Sell Man GoPhone Because It Can't Verify His Credit History
By 3.29.08
Nathan’s been having trouble this week buying a prepaid GoPhone from AT&T Mobility’s website. He finally found out the reason: they couldn’t verify his credit history. This is confusing because it’s a prepaid GoPhone and because his credit history is superb. “Cheryl refused to transfer me.
Citigroup Developing Citi-Branded Phone That Can Make Contactless Payments
By 3.28.08
Do you wish you had a way to spend your money more easily, without all that opening-the-wallet or punching-the-pin-number manual labor? The trade publication Cards & Payments (registration required) says that it’s received a copy of a report filed with the FCC that indicates Citigroup is developing a Near Field Communication, or NFC, mobile phone that would allow its customers to make contactless payments at participating retailers.
AT&T Says It Can't Find Enough Skilled US Workers To Fill 5,000 Jobs
By 3.27.08
Here’s some depressing news. AT&T’s CEO says his company is having trouble finding enough skilled workers in the United States to fill the 5,000 jobs he promised to bring back to this country.
10 Confessions Of A Telephone Tech Support Quality Assurance Guy
By 3.19.08
Read in awe as a former Quality Assurance Specialist divulges the deepest, darkest secrets of outsourced technical support centers. Learn what happens to “rogue” call centers who refuse to give terrible customer service, why the tech support guy stops listening to you after you say certain keywords, and so much more.
Carriers Promised Congress They'd Pro-Rate ETFs; Senator Asks Them, "When?"
By 3.14.08
In a letter to Sprint, AT&T Mobility, and T-Mobile, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) has asked the companies whether or not they’re going to start pro-rating their Early Termination Fee policies as promised, reports RCR Wireless. “Sens. Klobuchar and Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) are co-sponsors of a sweeping wireless consumer protection bill” that carriers are against. In her letter, Klobuchar writes, “It is time for the wireless companies to adhere to the assurances they made to the American consumer and start pro-rating these fees.” In response, Sprint said by the end of Q2 2008, T-Mobile said the first half of 2008, and AT&T Mobility said nothing at all. (Verizon already pro-rates their ETF.)
Whistleblower Confirms He Worked On Warrantless Wiretapping Program For "A Large Wireless Company"
By 3.14.08
Another person has stepped forward to allege that a “major wireless carrier” may have aided the FBI’s warrantless wiretapping program. He claims he was brought in to work with the company on something called the Quantico Circuit, “a high-speed line from the wireless carrier to an unnamed third party. Quantico, Va., is the site of a U.S. intelligence and military base.”
“The circuit was tied to the organization’s core network,” Pasdar stated in the affidavit. “It had access to the billing system, text messaging, fraud detection, Web site, and pretty much all the systems in the data center without restrictions.”
Follow Up: AT&T Says There's No Activation Fee For GoPhones
By 3.14.08
Earlier this week we posted an email from a man who said an AT&T salesman tried to charge him an “activation fee” to switch his daughter’s already-active SIM card to a GoPhone. We got a lot of useful (if sometimes contradictory) advice from readers in the comments section, and now an AT&T spokesman has written in with an official statement about it.
