I am in utter shock of being ripped off both by the marketing agent for At&t wireless-E. Olson at Southgate Mall.initially I was reluctant to be specific but the rip off is so obvious that I feel the need to report it. Even helpful at&t customer representatives were apalled at the extent of this purposive misinformation.
On Sept 10/04 I purchased an AT&t wireless device and their nationwide 450 minute plan. E. Olson at southgate mall, Durham/NC sold me another phone. I specifically recall him saying 'would you like a free phone, in case the other one gets broken. We never know who need what and we have many free devices on our hands'. I said sure, not realizing meanwhile that he was enrolling me under the shared family plan and opening up two accounts under my name. He also told me that this price included free text messaging and roaming. It turns out that I was paying and additional (4.99 plus 7.99=13$) for these services. Times two because he opened up two accounts.
My dad, who is a lawyer, was there as a guaranteer and his name appears on the contract. He also assured me that NO MENTION of a shared plan or additional line was made. The contract does show another number but the cost next to it says zero. The only amount that does appear is the 39.99 but there is a times two sign next to it that I had not realized at the time.
Needless to say, I became aware of the existence of two lines under my name only today when I got my bill. I also realized that text messaging and roaming was not free. My dad and I both remember specifically asking about roaming-and Olson said that it was included in the 39.99 plan.
Furthermore, to add to the injury, I ended up having to pay 175 for early cancellation for one of the lines I was not using-had I realized 5 days earlier, I would not have to pay this amount as I was still under the trial period.
Moreover, my dad and I had visited the mall about a week after I opened up the account to clarify the conditions of my plan. Another comical fact is that these guys assured me that calling toll free 1800 numbers would not deduct from my minutes. AT the time, I was new to the American system of cellular phones as I am a European and cellular systems are more similar to home phone (ground) lines in that the systems are not minute based. I asked the At&t representatives at Southgate at least 4 times whether I would be using my minutes if I called a toll free number-say a calling card and they assured me that I would not be charged for it and also remarked that this is where At&t differed from Verizon.
(Verizon's shop was right next to at&t in Southgate and they saw us coming out of Verizon and were obviously trying to lure us into At&t). Fortunately, it didn't take me long to figure out what the minute based system was all about.
Moreover, I am realizing right now that they misinformed me about calling other at&t customers. Unless you pay an additional fee for this service per month, you still use your daytime minutes to call other at&t customers I figured this out on my own. HOwever Olson had told me that the opposite was true and I noticed that my plan does not include in-plan coverage. Can you imagine that I figured this out while watching commercials of Sprint plans?!
In sum, due to fraudulent marketing and misinformation I ended up purchasing two lines and paying both a monthly fee for two lines (one of which I was not aware of having) plus the penalty fee for cancelling the line I was not using plus services like text messaging and roaming that Olson had informed me were included in the plan. My dad was a witness to these negotiations and transactions; his name is on my contract and he seconds what I say.
I will never go with at&t again.
Once my contract is over, i am switching to another company.
This is explicit robbery. Even the customer reps said that these things often happen if you purchase their products at a mall.
Nazli
durham, North Carolina
U.S.A.
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