Re: Bad service - can I cancel without ETF?

aristizzle · ‎10-22-2010

dijhili wrote:
I agree. Why should we check coverage in order to move? I moved 1.5 miles into an area that was" HIGHLY" covered but get no service. After 1 year of constant calling support I dropped ATT. Now they want $430 for 2 phones AND $66 IN GOVERNEMENT FEES? ATT treats people like $ and nothing more. It's comes as no shock they are rated the worst in the industry! Treat people like crap, you become crap. I will send ATT the microcell back and $200 and that's it! How can they even THINK about charging $66 Government Fees for a TERMINATION FEE?

becuase AT&T doesn't provide coverage everywhere in the US, thats your decision to move locations so you have to make sure you will still be able to use your service. You started your contract in an area with coverage, if you move to an area with little to no coverage you still have to pay the ETF to get out of contract.

drumn_bass · ‎08-27-2008

Sounds like it would be government charging "government fees", not AT&T. ETF is legit though. Sell your phones and Microcell to make your money back.

I am an AT&T employee and the postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent AT&T’s positions, strategies or opinions.

clwaqha · ‎02-09-2012

I feel your pain. I have been a loyal AT&T customer since they inherited me from Cingular. I have lived in the same place for over 4 years and have never had an issue with signal until about 2 1/2 months ago. Now I have little to no service and AT&T doesn't know why (or at least they aren't telling me). I have 2 smart phones and a data connect device. I am miles from the nearest land lines, so that isn't an option for me. I depend on cell phones for everyday calls, but also they are the only way for me to call for emergency assistance in case of fire or medical emergency. Several AT&T staff have told me that they aren't sure how I ever had service. Technical support has told me twice that there is nothing else they can do, but stlll AT&T won't release me without paying the ETF. One manager told me to go to the website for contact information when I asked for his manager (considering I only have internet service about 10% of the time, that is tricky). Another said that they wouldn't release me because I was obviously using minutes and data (hello... it's a mobile phone. I only have problems at or close to home). I entered into the contract in good faith, but obviously that means nothing to AT&T. My next move it to contact the local news crews, because in our metro area they love this kind of thing. I will also contact the Better Business Bureau, my legislative representative, the state attorney general, and everyone in my not inconsiderable personal and professional circle that includes people in several states. In addition, since I often have to travel to use my phone and computer, I plan to visit friends often who live about 30 miles away where there is service, but it is in an area where AT&T service is roaming. It is unfortunate that this will cost AT&T more to provide my service. All of this over $460. It started out at $484, but they have already drug it out long enough that the ETF has gone down. Unfortuanely, they are putting me and my family at risk while they do it.

By the way, this is a very abbreviated version. I have 6 pages of notes from documenting the problem since my initial call the first week of December. I have wasted about 8 hours and talked to about 20 different people.

schmidt.curtis · ‎09-18-2006

I am currently trying to cancel my contract without ETF due to poor coverage where I moved, why I am justified:

1) The AT&T coverage map shows they have good service in my area however the town I moved to has a large hill casting a shadow over the town - the hole town doesn't get AT&T coverage. Despite my research ahead of time (which is why I went ahead and renewed) I still don't have coverage.

2) The ETF is to compensate AT&T for the discount on the device. I totally get this and if AT&T didn't lock the phone to their network I would pay my fee and transfer the phone to another network for a lower plan cost. However, AT&T has sold me a device that only works on their network - which doesn't extend to my area despite what their coverage map states.

3) The ETF is suppose to be pro-rated over the duration of the 2-year contract however mine starts at 150 and at 2 years it is still at 50. This is not a pro-rated agreement.

4) I have been a loyal customer with 5 lines for nearly 10 years. I am only trying to cancel 2 of the lines - it just makes good business since to let us out and swallow the fee. If we have to wait till the contracts expire we will be taking all lines with us.

Needless to say I think this doesn't meet the FCC requirements of "fair and reasonable prices" (which they require of all companies using their frequency ranges). I have filed my complaint and will see if AT&T will either 1)unlock the phones so I can transfer them 2)release us from our contract without fees 3) set it up so we can use T-Mobile towers when available so we will have service.

wgnewell · ‎03-08-2012

Yeah, I got one of those microcells, may as well be a boat anchor.

michaeltheunhap… · ‎03-27-2012

Ive been at ATT/Cingular customer since '99, still have the same phone number, and have had a family line for 5 or 6 years now.. for that last 6 years ive lived in the same area, bought a house, and have not had any major issues with service in that time. That included 2 new contracts on my main line with the iphone 3g then the 4 when that came out, along with phones on the other accounts. Suddenly at the end of 2011, in november, ATT decided I was no longer in their service area and they decided I could no longer have data while at home or anywhere nearby. Add to this the spotty service we have been receiving on our cell phones recently with voicemails and text messages showing up hours and sometimes days late. Now I am expected to either pay for a data package I can only use if I travel 30 minutes from home, or pay the ETF to drop the line and go elsewhere. 2 ETFs really because I'll take my business elsewhere all at once. I already cancelled another line which had the contract come up. I know my gripe is less than that of others, but multiple contracts from the same billing location for years and then they suddenly decide I can't use the data connection on a smartphone (the major reason I purchased the phone was its convenience of data usage wherever I am) is poor service.

atrillo · ‎06-15-2012

"How is it AT&T's fault that you moved?" This question, from and AT&T employee, is enough to make me not want to be an AT&T customer.

Oh, and the answer is plain and simple: AT&T is a *national* provider. But it cannot provide adequate coverage in certain parts of the nation. Translation: AT&T fails to provide services promised.

I live in NYC where AT&T fails regularly.

Never again.

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

atrillo wrote:

"How is it AT&T's fault that you moved?" This question, from and AT&T employee, is enough to make me not want to be an AT&T customer.

Oh, and the answer is plain and simple: AT&T is a *national* provider. But it cannot provide adequate coverage in certain parts of the nation. Translation: AT&T fails to provide services promised.

I live in NYC where AT&T fails regularly.

Never again.

There is a disclaimer at the bottom that the statements are their opinion and have no bearing on the company as a whole.

As far as NYC goes, even verizon and sprint fails in the downtown area - I know I carry a phone from each major carrier and am there regularly.

Absolutley no carrier promises you 100 percent reception 100 percent of the time in 100 percent of their coverage area, that is physically impossible concerning the basic technology behind cellular service, back in the beginning of cell servie with bag phones and permently installed phones the coverage was better - becasue the phones had a full 5 watts of transmit / recieve power as compared to todays phones that maybe have .5 or less for transmit and recieve.

mikewho · ‎12-17-2008

I'm temp carrying two phones and can honestly say my AT&T phone has been much more reliable than my Verizon phone, plus the lte speeds on att have been much faster. Just hit 60 down recently so I'm pretty happy right now.