I got a cell phone a few months ago from AT&T Wireless. I just called their 1-800 number. I'd never had a cell phone before so I just called and told them what I wanted. I told them that I wanted to use the phone for business trips around the country and I wanted to be able to know exactly what my phone bill would be every month (no hidden charges.)
I said I'd travel to different areas of the country and was interested in getting free evenings and weekends and a reasonable amount of minutes during the day. The woman offered me a plan (The National Network Plan) that gave me 500 minutes per month, plus free weekends, free evenings and no long distance or roaming charges.
So the last thing I said to her before I got the plan was "Okay, so let me get this straight. If I stay under 500 minutes a month during non-evening or weekend hours there is NO POSSIBLE WAY that my phone bill will ever exceed the monthly amount ($35). She said "YES." I said, "Sign me up."
You get a 30 day trial period. When the phone came it came with a contract (2 year) and oodles of other paperwork. I read every single line, even the fine print, looking for anything that would refute what she said. There was nothing. It was solid. I signed up. Around 30 days later we got our bill and everything was fine...$35 (tax). No problem.
Well now two months later we get a bill taht is for $60. I called to find out what happened and they said that my wife used the phone out of the calling area. I said "You must be mistaken, we have free roaming and free long distance." The rep said "Well, it is only free if you are within our network." Huh? This was *never* mentioned to us on the phone and it is not in any of the materials I received, nor is it on the contract I signed. I was told that this was 100% no long distance and no roaming charges. The original quote said that I would be covered no matter where I was as long as I got a signal. The paperwork I signed and that is on file says nothing about out-of-network charges.
To make a long story short, I've talked to three different reps on the phone and every one of them has admitted that the only mistakes that were made in this process was that the person on the phone did not describe the plan well and that she did not mail me an extra material that would have pointed out this little oversight of theirs. But, they say, I'm stuck with the plan. I say "But you made the mistake? This isn't the plan I was quoted?" They said "Sir, I'm just trying to help... We are telling you that the plan you bought doesn't actually cover the areas that you have been traveling to. We can move you up to the digital plan, and that will solve your problems... But it will cost more per month."
Obviously I feel duped. I threw up my hands and asked them to let me out of the plan, but they said they'd only let me out if I paid $175. I told them they were crazy, that this was *their* mistake and that I shouldn't have to pay. I even said, "Come on, this doesn't cost you any money to cancel my phone, " and they replied that this was true, but that this was also their
"policy." We went around in circles.
I've talked to three different people (and one supposed supervisor) and nobody will let me out of my plan. They only thing they try to do is to get me to buy the more expensive plan that would cover me everywhere. Yeah, right.
So what are my rights here? Do I have any? What should be my plan of attack? I was so thorough and I tried so hard not to get screwed and yet I totally did. *sigh* All I want is off their plan. I'll return the phone, pay my bill, and all that.
Anyone anyone?
Steve
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