On Thursday July 26th I decided to make changes to my AT&T Yahoo DSL account. I've been an existing customer for years and wanted to make minor changes to my service.in short. I needed to go from a "Dynamic IP address" to a "Static IP address" on my account.
I researched on the web and found several plans available which with Static IPs (my only real requirement). Because I was an existing customer I decided to call the customer support line rather than order online. First, I spoke with the AT&T tech team who let me know that what I wanted was available but that I needed to place my order with Sales. So I did. The woman who I placed the order with let me know that the order would go live on Monday and that it would only cost slightly more a month than what I was paying. Great I though to myself, we ended our conversation and I got off the phone. This was around 11:00AM
Around 3: PM I received a call from their Sales department. The agents name was Javier (it is the company policy not to give out last names but they do keep internal records—so I am told). At first the call seemed friendly. Javier was confirming the details of what I had discussed previously. Basically that I wanted to switch to DSL service that allowed for "Static" rather than "Dynamic" IP addresses.
Then Javier mentioned very quickly in mid streem that he had me signed up for a one year, and tried very quickly to push me right through into the plan. I stopped him and immediately questioned the "contract". I had not agreed to a contract, and no contract was mentioned. What I wanted was the plan with "no term", or in other words "month-to-month" service (I had printed the plans off of the internet so I was aware of what was available).
At this point Javier told me that "Static IP plans don't come without a 1 year contract". After going back and forth, trying my best to keep the conversation pleasant I let him know that I was certain they did offer plans without a contract for "Static IPs". He told me that they absolutely did not. That was when I let him know that I had seen the plan on the internet (but I did not disclose that I had the plan, and price sitting in front of me).
At this point Javier began telling me that "Plans on the Internet are different than the plans you get when you call and order by Phone." He said that ordering over the internet could take several weeks to complete and made it sound as if it might not even happen that way. I let him know that I didn't think it was legal to offer different plans over the phone vs over the internet and that if they were advertising a plan over the internet it should be the same when I call given that the sales line is there for customers who don't want to order online. Each plan they offer listed online, it isn't a "internet special" or any type of promo. It just is what it is.
I then said, I think it may be legal to offer "internet promotions" but I didn't think that what I saw was a promotion (after doing research and printing the details I know that it isn't a promotion). This is when Javier suddenly remembered that they do offer "Static IP" plans over the phone without a term contract (like one year). He said "Oh, just a sec I think I found something, but it is substantially more expensive than what you are paying now."
I asked him how that could be. Because the woman I was talking to earlier had said to me that I could get a "Static IP" plan and it would only be a small amount more than what I was currently paying. He said back to me. "Well, if you want to sign up for the contract it is". I was really getting sick of this guy at this point. I'm sure he has conned several people into "term contracts" and what he is doing is not ethical, and I think it is illegal.
At this point I told him that I'm certain that there was a "Static IP" plan without term that was just about 10 or 15 dollars more than what I was currently paying. To this he said "Well if you want a static IP without term the lowest price I have is $89". I said that I was certain, and that I had seen it already there should be a plan for about $64.99 without a term.
After some continued back and fourth he finally found the "Static IP" plan without a term for $64.99 and we were able to agree on that.
Next was the "mandatory service person appointment" for $250 where some guy comes out and sets up your modem so that you can use your DSL. Javier told me that I had to have this. I already have a tech team to set up my modem and the representative that I was speaking to earlier told me "you don't have to have a service tech come. If you have an IT team, I am sure they can set it up". After some back and fourth Javier insisted it was "mandatory" and I of course let him know that I knew that it wasn't and then he said "Well, I could waive it if you have a tech team."
Once settled I got off of the phone and was "happy enough" that I didn't get ripped off. The only problem was that Javier tried very hard to rip me off. I don't feel that this is okay and don't feel that customers deserve this type of treatment. I believe that these sales tactics are illegal and I also believe that there must be thousands of AT&T customers who have been duped into thinking that they had to sign a contract, had to have a service tech come out, and couldn't get the same offer they saw online through the phone. I'm not sure what to do about it. But it is a very real problem.
Thank you for taking the time to read this report.
Mr. Almost abused by at&t
San Francisco, California
U.S.A.
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