To Whom It May Concern,
This message was originally sent to a number of people at AT&T on December 21, 2015. We have not heard back from anyone in 50 days!
My family and I have been long time AT&T customers. I’ll let you research my account and history to see exactly how long. Currently, my wife, two college children and myself have smartphones with AT&T and utilize a Family Plan level of service. Until a few months ago my wife handled all the bills, including AT&T. Two months ago she handed over the AT&T billing to me so I could keep a closer look on all the technical aspects, since we had just purchased DirectTV and U-verse Internet services.
Last night I went online to look into our AT&T Wireless account as I hadn’t looked closely at it for years since my wife was managing it. What I found was very surprising. During the Summer of 2014 my son took a 3 week trip to Europe and in preparation for the trip, my wife contacted AT&T to see what options my son had in regard to texting and making phone calls back home during his trip. He ended up getting a free phone for voice calls from the travel agency we used but he still wanted the ability to text his friends and family. So AT&T suggested your Global Texting 600 service during the time he was in Europe. The AT&T Rep told my wife it would automatically be removed from his account after 30 days and that she wouldn’t be required to call in. Well, my wife, being the person she is, called in anyways to make absolutely sure the service was stopped after 30 days.
So imagine how I felt yesterday when I saw the Global Texting 600 service was STILL active on my sons account. So today (December 21, 2015) I called into AT&T Customer Support to have them take it down. Now understand, I thought we were talking about maybe a $6.95 or $9.95 option so 18 months of paying for something we weren’t using would be a snap to remove and be compensated for. (~$150.00?) When your very nice rep named Tessa came online she said she saw the service and would remove it but the service actually cost $60.00/MONTH! I literally fell off my seat! 18 months times $60.00 is $900.00 we paid for a service we weren’t using the past 18 months!
Now here’s the good part… So Tessa placed me on hold for a few minutes to get everything straightened out and when she returned she acknowledged she was able to remove the service from my son’s account but she was only allowed to refund $180.00. We paid $900.00 for a service we didn’t use the past 18 months and all AT&T is going to compensate us is $180.00?!?!?! Are you guys friggin kidding me?!? I can fully understand if the service was something we could have used and AT&T was able to prove we were using it to some degree but we already have a Domestic Family Plan with Unlimited Texting so my son never used this Global Texting service except for the 21 days he was in Europe. And AT&T can easily prove he wasn’t anywhere outside the U.S. by looking at our call history.
An AT&T rep told us that this service would AUTOMATICALLY fall off our billing after 30 days AND my wife called in to make sure it was removed but AT&T erred and left it on, billing us $60.00/Month for the past 18 months and all you want to give back is $180.00? I simply cannot believe this! As far as I’m concerned this is stealing! How in the world can AT&T justify not returning the full amount of money we paid for a service we didn’t use? How in the world can AT&T steal from it’s own customer? So THIS is how AT&T treats long term, dedicated and loyal customers?
After Tessa told me she was authorized to return only $180.00, I asked to speak to a Manager. After a few minutes a very nice gentleman named Jason came online and after telling him the story, he opened a case to attempt to get the entire amount returned. After he filed the case he said the ruling or answer would happen on 12/24 or three days from now (December 21, 2015). Besides telling the powers that be at AT&T my story, this email is also requesting that the full amount owed to us is immediately authorized and returned to our family via a check for $900.00! We DO NOT want credit. We need the money. If for whatever reason this isn’t authorized and $180.00 is all AT&T is going to offer us, we will have no choice but to look into this further and check to see what our legal choices are. I simply cannot believe AT&T would do something like this! This is plain stealing from your customer! Is AT&T in that bad of shape that they can’t refund money for a service their customer has been paying for but not using? Someone at AT&T made a mistake by not removing this service from my son’s account and we are not going to loose $900.00 due to one of your employee’s mistakes!
P.S. It's Tuesday, February 9, 2016, fifty days after I originally sent this same letter out and as I said above, I haven't heard a word from anyone at AT&T. My wife and I both have been using AT&T in one form or another since moving to Southern California in 1981 and probably sooner growing up back east! If I miss any AT&T service payment, I get a phone call and all sorts of emails/letters in the mail days after your invoice is due. This service for my son was supposed to be turned off after one month during the summer of 2014. I sent this letter out on December 21, 2015 and I haven't heard a word. Is this what AT&T considers great customer service? Seriously?!?! AT&T has mistakenly charged my family close to $900.00 over the past 2 years and I can't even get a phone call or email response back?!?! Do you believe this will simply disappear if you wait long enough?!?! You know, I expect this level of service from a medium to small company who honestly has cash flow issues or might be having a couple of bad months. But, AT&T with all the television commercials about how good you guys are compared to the other carriers and so forth and so on?!?! And it's not like you're taking advantage of a new customer who has no history with you guys. My wife and I combined total probably close to 80 years of service with AT&T and this is how we're treated in exchange for our dedication and loyalty?!?! What ever happened to the old AT&T?!?!
P.S.S And while I'm at it, let me bring up another issue I have with my AT&T account. Two years ago I lost my Samsung Smartphone on a flight from Reno, NV to Burbank, CA. I called AT&T the next morning to see what I need to do to get up and running again since I basically run my business from my smartphone, so this was a big deal being down. I seriously cannot remember all the details but from that day I was required to add another line to my account that I'm paying something like $9.99, possibly more. It's been close to two years and it's just sitting there on my bill and we keep paying away for it for some reason. Since we're on the subject of great customer service, maybe someone can look into this for me and let me know what year I'll be able to stop paying for this extra line?!?! Will I still be alive when this disappears from our bill? Is AT&T going to come after my wife when I die and take us to Probate Court for this extra line? We can discuss my wife and I giving up my first born male child in exchange, if this helps? Again, just another way to drain money from us and it's simply unbelievable!?!?! We're paying $300-$400 monthly for four telephones and service. I mean seriously, $300-$400/Month for four telephones and service?!?! THEN, on top of what we pay monthly for these four phones, you make me pay for another line that just sits there doing absolutely nothing month after month because I lost my phone??? It's bad enough I have to pay for another Smartphone then AT&T makes me pay for another telephone line that has never been used??? I can't make this stuff up! This is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever gone through. Like I said, I would be open to giving up my first born male child if AT&T could eliminate some of the fees I'm paying for at this time! Would that satisfy you guys?!?! Heck, I might even throw in my daughter, also!!!