Hello Follow AT&T Customers,
I've spoken/chatted with 3 customer service folks at AT&T wireless for the last 2 hours because I had this crazy rediculous idea that I would simply log into my account this morning and order up two new phones for the two lines I have. Silly me!
From what I have been able to confirm - I am no longer able to do what I have done for decades which is to purchase a new phone and re-up my contract for a couple years. If I'd like to do that, I can only do it over the phone, not in store or online (though the website contradicts and says I cannot do it anywhere every again), and AT&T will punish me by increasing my monthly bill by $30 ($15 more a month for each phone line). I will, however, own the phones for $49 and $129 respectively.
If, however, I do what they are forcing me to do go with the Next plan - I will pay over $50 more a month on my bill and after 30 months will have paid thousands of dollars to own the phones. I am not here to debate the math! I am VERY VERY good at math and have figured it out every way that I am absolutely losing money by the carloads if I stay with AT&T either way so I have begun looking at other carriers. It's a real pain as you all know to switch carriers especially when you're happy enought with you plan that you wanted to buy two new phones this morning! But before I leave AT&T this week I'm wondering if anyone has been able to get through to anyone there to have those $15 a month penaltys removed? And yes, they are penatlys, you can call them whatever you want AT&T, I was born at night but not last night and I've worked with misleading, deceptive companies for decades.
Anyway, fellow sufferers of AT&T and their business practices, has anyone found a way around this or should we bail?