Last month my AT&T bill had $220 in useage fees. I was shocked because I've never (in more than 10 years) exceeded my allottment of minutes. Turns out the reason for the charges is that I do not have unlimited mobile-to-mobile calls (m2m). I have a legacy plan that existed before the m2m was given to everyone.
AT&T advertises that all their plans now have m2m so we started using our cell phones to call each other. These calls were all to/from 2 people that do have this plan or between the phones on my plan.
I called AT&T and the representative offered me an airtime credit for the m2m charges, if I changed to a plan that included m2m. She told me of a plan with 450 minutes, one with 700 minutes and the family talk plan. I told her I wasn't happy with these options, but I would check with my sister & my parents to see if I could join either of their family talk plans and call back with my decision.
Three days later, I joined my Dad's family talk plan. The agent in the store told us that he wasn't sure if I the credits would go with the phone, to the new plan, or if I would get refund on my charge card, or if I would get a check.
Two days ago I received my closing statement. They didn't give a credit, in fact there was $134 in m2m charges! My sister called immediately and explained the situation. The representative said she would credit the airtime charges but only if we upgraded to the 450 minute plan. She said that we needed to pay $10 to upgrade for the periods we want to dispute. My sister wasn't too happy, but $20 for the two months was better than $354 m2m charges. The agent said that she would put the credits through and that someone would call us by 4/28 to confirm everything.
Yesterday evening Laura called to tell my sister that they were denying any further credits because the account has been closed. My sister told her that was fine, we didn't want anything more than what the agent put through already. Then Laura said, so your total due is $63. My sister said, no there's a credit of $160. Laura said all the credits were applied. What she saw was not a credit from AT&T, it was a payment from us. My sister explained that we have their autoplay plan, so the bill was already paid before we realised their was a problem.
Laura said that the other agent only processed a credit for the most recent month and that was done in error, so no further adjustments would be made.
I called back and spent 2 1/2 hours on the phone before losing the connection. I spoke two reps before finally being connected to Shauna H. Who said the only option left was to reopen the account, and then request the credit, but that it was a complicated procedure and she didn't know how long it would take.
She told me bottom line —
(1) They were willing to issue credit if we had changed rate plans, but I didn't do it at the time I made the first call and the offer was only good then (this was NOT explained to me). (2) When I joined my Dad's family talk plan, my account was closed, so there is no account to credit. I should have had my Dad join my account (this was NOT explained to me). (3) They will issue a credit to a closed account, but they won't send a refund check. The negative balance will just remain in the closed account.
I said that would be fine, if she would send me a final statement showing the negative balance. She said she could send me an email. She put me on hold and then the connection was lost.
I have made three calls since and am now being told that Shauna H. Put in her notes that she can't issue a credit that would result in a negative balance AND that we were disconnected AND that if we call back advise us that we are not to get any credit for $195 or $325.
The last person I spoke to also told me that Shauna had in her notes, we have 59 days to reopen the account and upgrade to the plan that costs $10 more a month, if we want to request the credit. But it will also cost us $18 per line to reopen the account and we will have to submit to a credit worthiness check.
So here's where it stands. They say: we gave you a credit of $134 airtime (minus $10 upgrade) for the most recent month, so you owe $63. I say: they still owe us $160. They say: If we pay $46 ($18 per line $10 to upgrade the first month) they might give us the credit.
Binkyabt
Tustin, California
U.S.A.
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