Billing Problems (rant alert)

lvr · ‎07-05-2012

AT&T billing is atrocious! Customer Service is useless.

In March '12 I renewed and was given that my U-Service services would total $112.95 + taxes via order # **** and I use nothing that would ADD to my bill each month. My bills since have been all over the place $139, $131, $125, ... where they should be totaled at about $119-$120, which includes taxes.

Called AT&T customer support/billing numerous times over the last few months to correct the situation, but that is a fruitless act. One benefit my term ends 9/9/12 and I'm gone. I'm done calling their useless support staff; getting to writing my state's Attorney General and others. Told a billing rep this AM either it's corrected or I have two months left and I'm long gone.

I don't need this GARBAGE, they can take their credits, expiration dates, ....and shove them I have a quote and an order # that specifies what I'm suppose to pay each month until 9/9/12 at $120 and I do nothing that would increase my bill.

They are nothing ore that a little COMCAST in regards to screw-ups and not following thru with their commitments.

[edited for privacy]

skeeterintexas · ‎12-09-2007

lvr wrote:

AT&T billing is atrocious! Customer Service is useless.

In March '12 I renewed and was given that my services would total $112.95 + taxes via order #**** and I use nothing that would ADD to my bill each month. My bills since have been all over the place $139, $131, $125, ... where they should be totaled at about $119-$120, which includes taxes.

[edited for privacy]

I don't see how a CSR can tell you how much your taxes and fees will be since they vary by city, county & state. My taxes & fees are around $25 a month. That amount will not be the same for anyone that doesn't live in my town or county or even state.

CS can quote you a base price, yes, but NOT the taxes & fees. They can 'guesstimate' but not give you an exact amount.

What is changing (besides the bottom line) on your account each month? Has the base price been consistent? Did they promise you discounts that you are not receiving? Have your taxes and fees remained the same?

lvr · ‎07-05-2012

Yes the 'Special Account' rep informed me they were $112.95 + taxes/fees, and she estimated taxes/fees based on my account history.

The TV, Internet, Phone base prices have changed every month a AT&T constant screw-up. I don't care about their credits and discounts and their application that's AT&T's responsibility to apply them - NOT MINE. My fee for my services is QUOTED and LOCKED at $112.95 + taxes/fees, per rep quote, and if my taxes/fees exceeded $15, which they never have whether with AT&T or Comcast in the last 20+ years, I'd dump the service.

Composing the Attorney General complaint letter as I see no alternative and I have all my statements to authenticate my assertions. Tired of their joke of an answering system, anything to infuriate the consumer, ...

lvr · ‎07-05-2012

I love how they deleted all the other 'rant' posts before my post on this thread by other AT&T ranters after I posted.mine.

AT&T is a ****** up opeation like COMCAST., but only another month until 9/8-9/9 and I'll dump their trash, obnoxious answering system, lies in package guarantees with GTD oreder # and a customer service base from India. I love it my AT&T installer instructed me back in the spring of 2011 "if I had any problems DON'T call customer service as they are useless -- call him.' If that isn't a positve reference on DAY 1 and so-to-speak the 'WRITING ON THE WALL.' My position on that is that that isn't his job so I would NEVER call him.

AT&T will be in the top ten of consumer complaints in the near future, which now includes other cable companie (Comcast #2 a power company #1) and power companies who in essence have monopolies and treat their customers like CRAP.

Already got other system set up and will be running on 9/9/12.

dhascall · ‎04-21-2008

skeeterintexas wrote:
lvr wrote:
AT&T billing is atrocious! Customer Service is useless.

In March '12 I renewed and was given that my services would total $112.95 + taxes via order #**** and I use nothing that would ADD to my bill each month. My bills since have been all over the place $139, $131, $125, ... where they should be totaled at about $119-$120, which includes taxes.
[edited for privacy]
I don't see how a CSR can tell you how much your taxes and fees will be since they vary by city, county & state. My taxes & fees are around $25 a month. That amount will not be the same for anyone that doesn't live in my town or county or even state.

CS can quote you a base price, yes, but NOT the taxes & fees. They can 'guesstimate' but not give you an exact amount.

What is changing (besides the bottom line) on your account each month? Has the base price been consistent? Did they promise you discounts that you are not receiving? Have your taxes and fees remained the same?

skeeter: As I stated in another thread, they need to be able to. AT&T sure knows how much my taxes and fees are when they send me a bill. The CSR's need to have some sort of a what if calculator. The CSR plugs in your address and the start date (mid cycle) and the end of the next cycle and the calculate the actual total first bill and how much a normal bill would be.

I used to think that it would not be possible for a CSR to do this but travel agents and the airlines must now quote post tax and fee air travel rates - I bet telecoms won't be too far away.

What if calculator = transperency and less complaints.

dsval · ‎08-07-2012

I've had similar unhappy issues with ATT billing. I switched a few months ago from Comcast because I had grown frustrated and tired of begging/pleading/complaining for a reasonable price for my cable and internet. Prior to switching I had agreed upon a package w/one of the ATT reps that would have me paying $110/month for 12 months in a row (translation to me: 12 months without having to claw and scratch for a bill that was affordable). I couldn't have been more excited. Installation fees were waived too, how wonderful! Sure, I had to call this rep back and "adjust" my bill after the first month, but no worries right? And yeah, there was the rather expensive service turn on fees, but hey, if I could get the services I wanted for 12 months in a row at a reasonable price, I was more than willing to get by on the first expensive month. Fast forward to the second bill - not $110/month. Ok, this isn't ideal, but after an extensive chat session, I was able to get the bill to the $110 originally agreed upon. Success!

...Or so I thought. I recently opened my third bill to find a $118/month charge and was baffled. I've gone the customer service route, to no avail because according to them I already have a promotion frenzy on my account. Which is fine. The promotion thing to me is more of a marketing joke, and what I'm really after here is the principle of the matter - if I am promised something, it should be delivered upon! Did I have to switch from Comcast? As it turns out, not necessarily. At our closing conversation to end my deal with them of course they found some promotion that would have me paying an amount similar to the $118, if not less. But I was focused on not having to battle once every few months which is what I thought would happen with ATT. So I switched, paid the quite expensive first bill, and now find myself back at square one - with no real faith in television and internet service providers.

Twice I was promised $110/month. Twice this fell through. Now all I can do is share my sad story with you all.

Thank you for your time.

{personal content removed for safety}

dhascall · ‎04-21-2008

Was the $110 bill quoted with all taxes and fees? They only quote you a base price. Guess what? My taxes / fees / regulatory fees add up to about $8 a month. There you go - $110 + $8 = $118.

If you need more help understanding this, try contacting Alex, one of the AT&T Community Managers for further assistance.

dsval · ‎08-07-2012

Originally that was what was insinuated - a total bill of $110 or under, that my roommate and I weren't going to be writing checks to ATT for more than $110 total. That I had to fight to get it where it is now was off putting, and then the nickel and diming is just annoying. As a full time professional student without time for work on the side, the $120 difference over the course of the year is all the bigger. Not to mention the fees that I had to go thru to start the service when I could've just stuck with Comcast and paid the same amount I am now without the service turn on fees. I thought things might be a little different.

dhascall · ‎04-21-2008

dsval wrote:
Originally that was what was insinuated - a total bill of $110 or under, that my roommate and I weren't going to be writing checks to ATT for more than $110 total. That I had to fight to get it where it is now was off putting, and then the nickel and diming is just annoying. As a full time professional student without time for work on the side, the $120 difference over the course of the year is all the bigger. Not to mention the fees that I had to go thru to start the service when I could've just stuck with Comcast and paid the same amount I am now without the service turn on fees. I thought things might be a little different.

Life lesson for you: TV and Telecom providers do not quote total prices. I think that they should! If you haven't already, contact Alex (see above) and see if they can offer you additional assistance.

lvr · ‎07-05-2012

Customers don't realize the BULL in these packages that Comcast and AT&T sell. They will lock you in for the first guarantee period, six-months or a year, and the costs are flat or somewhat equal and everything seems hunky-doery.

But beware then the game begins if you renew with a new-second period with one of their CSRs (mine was a Special Accounts Rep). I was quoted 112.95 plus x fees and taxes which would come to about $119-$120, which happened to be the amount of my bill for the past twelve months that I felt was fair in today's economic environment otherwise I was prepare to go elsewhere for service and stated such to the CSR.. No if-and-or-buts with a GTD order #. Then the games began as my bills increased to $135 within two months, useless to talk to CSRs as they are headquartered in India reading manuals, anyways suddenly I get excuses that this-or-that promo or equipment allocation dropped off from my day 1 package from a year-ago, which NOW accounts for the monthly increase in package 2 that ends up costing me another $10 and on-and-on on top of my renewed package as my monthly bill continue to increase. But remember I had a GTD quote of 112.95 and est of 120 for the package I initially purchased a year earlier in Apr 2011 in that Mar 2012 quote, so now AT&T adds these as fees or other extraneous costs (when something expires in the origional package that I got in 2011 and was GTD as included in the 2012 package as identically covered at renewal) that NOW AT&T CSRs state are outside of the 112.95 quote.

Nothing more then a 'DEN of THIEVES' as the CEO and the top 5% of their executives received humongous benefit packages. So they will get about $70 over this 6-month renewal snafu, beyond the quoted package I received in March 2012, but they have lost me as a customer FOREVER and I will recoup their $70 thievery in the first month of my departure. For their $70 they have lost ALL future business from me as I was more than willing to renew if I had been dealt with honestly. But Comcast and AT&T have no concept of this, because ONE customer here-or-there means nothing to them in the vast array of AT&T/Comcast's customer's base in the United States as one customer here-or-there is a nobody and they can easily EAT a $130 monthly lost in their TOTAL picture.

lvr · ‎07-05-2012

lvr wrote:
AT&T billing is atrocious!   Customer Service is useless.

In March '12 I renewed and was given that my U-Service services would total $112.95 + taxes via order # **** and I use nothing that would ADD to my bill each month.   My bills since have been all over the place $139, $131, $125, ... where they should be totaled at about $119-$120, which includes taxes.

Called AT&T customer support/billing numerous times over the last few months to correct the situation, but that is a fruitless act.   One benefit my term ends 9/9/12 and I'm gone.   I'm done calling their useless support staff; getting to writing my state's Attorney General and others.   Told a billing rep this AM either it's corrected or I have two months left and I'm long gone.

I don't need this GARBAGE, they can take their credits, expiration dates, ....and shove them I have a quote and an order # that specifies what I'm suppose to pay each month until 9/9/12 at $120 and I do nothing that would increase my bill.

They are nothing ore that a little COMCAST in regards to screw-ups and not following thru with their commitments.

[edited for privacy]

I love it how the board highlights certain words in my original post as though they mean anything, but one gets their pop-up ads if clicked -- check out blue highlights -- like the problem is a JOKE. Just like AT&T if a issue can't be addressed appropriately and honestly make a joke of it.

'nough said on that. The words highlighted ARE/were 'My bills, credits, and COMCAST.'

Computer-Joe · ‎09-19-2008

lvr wrote:

I love it how the board highlights certain words in my original post as though they mean anything, but one gets their pop-up ads if clicked -- check out blue highlights -- like the problem is a JOKE. Just like AT&T if a issue can't be addressed appropriately and honestly make a joke of it.

'nough said on that. The words highlighted ARE/were 'My bills, credits, and COMCAST.'

Ad words are not a function of AT&T or this forum. If you seeing pop-up ad words, it's your browser and/or browser plugins (toolbars).

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lvr · ‎07-05-2012

Computer-Joe wrote:

Ad words are not a function of AT&T or this forum. If you seeing pop-up ad words, it's your browser and/or browser plugins (toolbars).

Thanks not going to dispute that as I constantly flip-flop from IE to Firefox browser applications as I can be signed in under both at the same time. Last week a 'Babylon' search engines came out of nowhere and I had to uninstall. The same with Chase Bank a few months ago, after signing off my account, suddenly I picked up a Chase Rewards bar across the top of my screen -- that also prompted an uninstall.

RCSMG · ‎12-10-2007

Sounds like some serious spyware/malware issues. You might want to install Microsoft Security Essentials, or Malwarebytes to resolve that for you.

lvr · ‎07-05-2012

RCSMG wrote:
Sounds like some serious spyware/malware issues. You might want to install Microsoft Security Essentials, or Malwarebytes to resolve that for you.

I went back into both browsers and deleted a few add ons, wouldn't want to commit to anything, but the only upgrade I've had was a Microsoft upgrade in the last ten days. Not sure what it was was that got buried in, I use PC Tools as a security system, but it just popped up in the last few days. Whatever it's gone now after I reviewied/deleted some add-ons and uninstalled a few more items from my system. This type of issue, from further review and investigation, even though I discovered it for the first time on this website, is a user problem not a website problem.