Why is my bill so screwed up?

MichealC · ‎07-21-2012

I made the mistake of signing up for U-verse last month. I purchased U300, Max internet, and phone service for a total of $191 a month. After an inept technician installed things incorrectly and I had to get a second technician to fix it, I thought all was well. Wrong. After calling AT&T earlier this week wondering why I had not yet seen a bill show up in my account and being told they didn't know why, I log in last night to discover I'm being charged for 2 months instead of the 1 that has already passed. So all of a sudden I owe $382.10. Excuse me? To make it worse, I still didn't have a bill, just a balance due of $382.10. I turned off auto-pay on my account because I refuse to pay for something, especially what I believe is being charged incorrectly, when I don't have a bill. I call billing today to ask them what is going, and they say the bill isn't in my account yet because they were working on the site. Back to the inept tech. Well, the inept tech for some reason changed my account to U100 at installation even though the cost remained for the U300. On my bill that is now in my account, I see a charge for U100 that I never ordered in the first place along with the switch to U300. In addition to this, there's a monthly charges for each package and a "other charges and credits" that double-charges me for each package, making the final cost effectively two months' worth instead of one. Furthermore, the "other charges and credits" section says this: "You added this plan on 06/19. You are charged at the new plan rate from 06/19 - 07/15." It mentions nothing about next month. So why am I being charged for two months? Why am I being charged for a mistake the first technician made? I want my bill fixed or I'm switching to Comcast.

texasguy37 · ‎05-18-2009

Based on the comments in your message, your bill appears to be correct. The first bill will always be higher because it will include a full billing period plus a prorated billing period from beginning from the date of your install to the start of your first full billing period. The first bill may also include one time fees such as an activation fee and additional install costs. The U-verse bill in very detailed and lists individual line items that show exactly what you are being billed. See the information in the link below for an explanation of your first bill:

http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=KB401260&title=Understand+your+first+bill#fbid=HZVnLNvXw...

Yes, depending on the length of your prorated billing period and any onetime charges that may be included, the first bill could be twice as much as your regular monthly bill. Subsequent bills will only cover one billing period.

MichealC · ‎07-21-2012

Why was this never explained to me? Why am I still being charged for the screw-up that the first technician made? Except that my first bill is not very detailed. It says nothing about pro-rated anything. It does, however, very clearly say that only one month is included in this bill.

texasguy37 · ‎05-18-2009

From what you explained in your message, it doesn't appear that you are being charged higher for any screw up. If anything, your bill is less because you were temporarily billed for the cost of a lower priced package (U100) until you were changed to a higher priced package (U300).

It sounds like you were installed on June 19th. If so, your prorated billing period is 6/19/12 - 7/15/12. Your first full billing period is 7/16/12 - 8/15/12. Both the prorated billing period and the full billing period are included on your first bill.

If you are looking at an actual PDF copy of your paper bill as opposed to your online bill, the bill is very detailed and fairly easy to follow and understand. The link in my first post is very helpful and also links to a video that explains how to read and understand your bill.

Everything that you have explained in your messages appears to be normal and as expected.

MichealC · ‎07-21-2012

Added 06/19 then Removed 06/19
AT&T U-verse TV U100	$2.13
This plan is $64.00 per month. You added this plan on 06/19. You are charged at the new plan rate from 06/19 - 06/19.

That's a charge for the screw-up. It may not be much, but I'm still paying for someone else's screw-up.