A complete rant about wireless phone service

[kpgclark]

OK, I'm going to rant about AT&T Wireless Service. Disclaimer: I know there are much more important things in life....

I have a service with AT&T which I've had for 2+ years where I get 250 daytime minutes and 2000 night/weekend minutes. First of all, AT&T says they have no way to independently track these two figures so you are on your own to figure out when you've come close to your daytime limit. But that's not what I'm ranting about today (although that really bothers me since all my calls are itemized on my bill. Of course AT&T knows how many daytime minutes I have, they just don't want to tell me in hopes I go over my limit)

I am ranting about my bill this month. Apparently there has been a one line statement on my bill for the past three months, not in large print or anything, saying "The benefits accociated with the 2000 night and weekend are valid through 8/25/02. Please call to hear about our exciting new offers". I never saw that statement and even if I had, I probably wouldn't have called. I would have assumed I'd get whatever the new plan is. No one ever telemarketed me about getting on a new plan. I find that interesting. OK, so this month's bill comes and I am charged for every minute over 250 minutes. I now apparently have 0 night and weekend minutes. I call to complain and speak to customer service and the manager. They say that I can sign up for a new one year contract for 250 min plus 1000 night/weekend, but they won't do it retroactive to last month. I think this is such a rip off. For all the telemarketing they do, not one person called to say "your plan expires" or sent a letter with bold print telling me the plan ended and ask if I want to commit for another year. I think they count on people like me so they can make a ton of money from people who maintain their old calling patterns and end up paying a lot of extra money for at least one month. When my bill comes, it is always the same amount of money because I never go over on my minutes. That's really all I look at on the bill. It is always the same.

I think this is a big rip off! Couldn't they have said "gee, your contract is over. We are now charging $1000 for each minute over 250??? I think this is wrong. All I asked for was for her to retroactively adjust my new one year commitment.

I hope this rant made sense. As I write this it sounds very trivial, but I think I'll post anyhow. The money isn't the issue, it's the principle. UGH!

 

[Mskanga]

Kind of funny they do that to you....I have a different plan ( the next one down from yours ) and my contract was over in June, they told me after that things would continue on a month to month basis as long as I didn't change it ( no expiration warnings were ever mentioned on the bills ) and just last week I got a promotion in the mail that says if I renew the contract for another year they will give me a free month. I do not want another contract. I'm still getting my 120 daytime minutes and 1000 nights and weekends!

 

[kpgclark]

If I were you I'd check things out. That's what I thought too! I was paying my $44.04/month (including tax) and I was totally surprised this month. She said if you go month to month you don't get those weekend minutes.

 

[LuvN~Travel]

HA! You ought to have Cellular One! Now there are some tacky people. Last month when my bill came in for a due date of 9-10 I saw it once, before it disappeared. It took me a week before I realized it was gone, and then spent a week looking for it and finally had given up and was just going to go in a pay it this past weekend. Well Thursday I got a phone call while on the road from them saying I was two months past due and needed to pay it right then over the phone by credit card! I thought that was strange, cause I didn't remember another bill coming in. When I got home however, the September bill (due date of 10-10) had just gotten in and I found out that the guy had been lying to me saying I was two months past due. Well, it ticked me off, so I didn't go in Friday night to pay it, but, sent the payment in Friday with a note of displeasure on my part. Well it only takes two day to get from Montgomery to Atlanta, so I knew they'd have it Monday. Monday evening I went to make a call on my phone and it had been disconnected! I called them and the girl on the phone said but yes I was two months past due. I pointed out to her that the September billing period wasn't even due until October 10 according to THEIR OWN BILL! She promptly informed me that that was wrong and they went by the billing cycle (August 20 through September 20). I pointed out to her that that was impossible, since the bill clearly said 'DUE BY OCTOBER 10.' She again said that they didn't go by that! And, when I asked about the payment they had gotten that day, she said she had no record of it. Well I gave up on such idiocy after that. But, when I checked my checking account this morning, my check had cleared my account last night. Which meant they HAD HAD the payment Monday!
You talk about dogs!
At this point we're probably going to turn over the info to the attorney general's office for misrepresentation on their part.
Yeah, I've been steamed (already written a letter to Better Business). So fair warning if you have Cellular One. Get out when you can!
Kim

 

[kpgclark]

Ah, I feel better knowing someone else is ranting right along with me.

 

[Mskanga]

Kpg, I just looked at my most recent bill and mine does include the free nights and weekends minutes and my daily minutes, I don't know why they are messing up with you but I'm on a month to month basis and I still get what I had before.
Did you by any change try to change your plan? that's how they told me a while ago that a whole new contract starts , when you switch plans but I didn't switch, I'm just keeping what I had without a contract. Good luck!!