AT&T Wireless Will F**K You If You Let 'em
Written: May 04 '02 (Updated May 04 '02)
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Pros: Plan rates and coverage area
Cons: Customer service is horrible
The Bottom Line: If at all possible, ALWAYS avoid speaking to customer service.....you'll only get off the call with a migraine!!!!
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| j_a_n_e's Full Review: General Reviews of AT&T Customer Service |
I have been a customer of AT&T Wireless for several years. My experience started around 1993. At that time I was a full time college student with a part time job, and an internship at a local radio station. Needless to say, I was constantly on the go. I purchased a phone/plan at a local store's AT&T kiosk. With a credit check, I received a good price on an analog phone, and the monthly plan rate was very affordable for a college student's budget. If my memory serves me correctly, I signed an agreement for a 2yr contract, and actually continued service for quite some time beyond that. I terminated my service a while after I graduated from college (in 1996) and landed a full time job in an office setting. Being in an office all day, I had a phone at my desk, and personal voice mail....thus; I didn't need the cell phone anymore.
A little over a year after I discontinued my service, I started to receive promotional material from AT&T Wireless. I was offered a Nokia 5160 for a nice price (approx. $100), and a local calling plan with no service contract. This material was sent directly from what seemed to be AT&T headquarters, I think in Seattle. I really liked the previous service I had received. So, with the promotion of a digital phone, I figured it was an offer I couldn't refuse. Boy, do I wish I would have just ignored the offer. I purchased a new phone, and received it very promptly. The problem started when I called my local (Pittsburgh, PA) office to active my service. At that time, I was told that I had to agree to a minimum 1yr contract. I was ticked off. I told the customer service rep about the "deal" that I was offered, and she put me on hold to supposedly check with a supervisor. The rep returned to the call only to inform me that they had no knowledge of an offer without a service contract. Since I didn't have any prior problems with their service, and already had the phone....I agreed to a contract and activated the phone. I continued paying a monthly rate until mid 2001.
At that time, I was reviewing my finances in order to eliminate needless spending. When I made an assessment of my wireless account, I realized that AT&T now offered something more in line with my needs. My detailed bill for several previous months showed that I used approx. 15 to 20 minutes each month. I contacted customer service to switch to prepaid. Just getting it changed was like pulling teeth. Although my account was current and did not have any unpaid balance, it seemed like I had to be "approved" for prepaid service.....switching ended up requiring multiple phone calls to customer service. Of course each time I called, I had to repeat my request to a different rep and they had to check things out. At that time I decided to just discontinue service again. I figured, "F it, I don't use it that much, and I don't need it." Thanksgiving day of 2001, I realized how much I do need a wireless phone. I had car trouble and needed to contact AAA for roadside service. I safely pulled into a parking lot only to find no pay phone in the area. The fast food joint was closed for the holiday, so it seemed like I was just a** out. Luckily, my cousin had a phone and we were able to make the needed calls to AAA and other family members to pick us up.
At that time, I figured I'd give AT&T Wireless another chance for the prepaid service. I knew that my phone had never officially been turned off because I was still receiving periodic text messages. My phone battery hadn't been charged in a while, so I didn't want to call customer service directly from it....instead, I found a toll free # to contact. Upon calling it, I was pleased to find that there was automated customer service. I was able to purchase prepaid minutes with a major credit card. I was all set.... so I thought.
Two days prior to my minutes expiring, I called that toll free # again to purchase additional minutes. At the time, there was some type of system problem and I was unable to do so. My attempts were unsuccessful again the next day. With less than 24 hrs to my expiration, I did something I knew I would regret, I chose the option to speak to a customer service rep. I explained to the rep that I wanted to add additional prepaid minutes immediately in order to not lose any of the unused minutes that I still had at that time. The rep proceeded to process the credit card payment, only to have problems himself. At that time, he informed me that he would need to forward the transaction to another department to complete. He stated that department was closed at the time, but someone would contact me within a 24hr time period. I then gave him a work phone #, with voice mail, for someone to contact me. Sorry to say, I didn't receive a call from the "other department" and my time expired. A few days later I called the toll free # again and was able to purchase additional prepaid minutes without a problem.
You would think that was the end of my problems...... WRONG!!!!!!!! A little over a month after that, I tried to check my wireless phone's voice mail only to get a temporary disconnection announcement. Needless to say, I called customer service. The information I was given made me want to choke somebody. The time frame of prepaid minutes had changed from 90 days to 45 days, so I was a** out again. I personally don't remember receiving any information announcing this, and the toll free line didn't state it when I last purchased more minutes.
That was my final straw. It has been a couple of weeks, and the phone is still on (I know because my text messages are still coming through), but I've been on the web comparing rates for other wireless companies. At this point, I'm willing to enter another service contract.....it just won't be with AT&T Wireless!!!!!!!!! :-)
If anyone in the Pittsburgh, PA area can personally recommend another wireless carrier, please contact me: gussieharleston@aol.com
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 2much4hassle
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Epinions.com ID:
j_a_n_e
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Reviews written: 1
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