I should have posted this here sooner but late is better than never.
A little over a year ago I was on the phone with my local telco provider (SBC/AT&T) and was upgrading my DSL Service. They were charging us the same rate for 3 years for an old plan that no longer existed. I was told that I could be upgraded to faster speeds for the same price, basically I would be charged the same price as every one else for the speeds available in my area. I thought this was great so I said lets do it.
While on the phone with the AT&T employee I had asked if there was anything else I was being over charged for since I have expanded features on my line and wanted to be sure the billing was correct and up to date. The rep checked my account over and said everything else was fine and then began to ask questions about my TV service. I told them I was a customer of my local cable company and had no interest in switching to AT&T for my TV service. But the rep told me more information anyways on their deal and Just a few words about Free first year of service followed by the second year at $49.95 for basic service got me interested.
I asked for more information and she had directed me to a website for an AT&T Dish Network deal that I had found useful and signed up as well as got more information from the rep on the phone and thought I was going to be getting a great deal on TV service.
The website we were directed to told us to print out and sign a mail in a rebate form for the service we had signed up with. This was done not once but 3 times because AT&T said they did not receive our mail in rebate. I should have known better but this was AT&T I was dealing with, not some low class service provider. My calls to AT&T regarding the billing disputes were re directed to a department called AT&T Dish Escalations where I had a conversation with an employee who had told me that I would need to complete the mail in rebate once more and should have sent it certified mail and gotten a tracking number to help me prove that they had gotten the letter. I was also told that many people were having the same problem as me and that is why AT&T had created this Dish Escalation's Department to assist people with their escalating Dish issues. The person I had spoken to was very nice in the half hour long conversation we had and I am sure "They" would have admitted that AT&T was ripping people off with this offer if asked by a judge/jury about this scam.
Needless to say, I have still not received my free year of Dish Network service and every month that I was a customer AT&T charged me 59.95 and not 49.95 on my bill as well as setup and installation charges. My calls to Dish Networks was unsuccessful and they had redirected me back to AT&T telling me that Dish Networks charges these prices to the telco provider regardless of the deal or contract I had signed with AT&T, also telling me that any billing disputes should be directed at AT&T since they are the ones who would honor the free year of service and or any other credits that would be issued to my account.
It is now a little over a year after my original signup date with Dish Networks, and I am now without my phone and DSL service that I have had for years because AT&T terminated my service for non payment of the Dish service portion of my bill.
I have gotten letters now from both AT&T and Dish Networks telling me that they are going to put me in to collections for my over due balance and they also want their equipment back. I have no problems with Dish Networks, they were only offering me service as per AT&T's request and special promotion and when AT&T failed to honor their promotion this leaves Dish Networks without payment from me or AT&T. I had called Dish Networks many times to try and resolve this issue and try to remain a customer of theirs since their service was within my budget and I had liked what I seen from them so far but they refused to reactivate my service and honor the AT&T promotion so I was left with nothing but a dish box and satellite that I can't use as well as no telephone or DSL service.
I am at a loss and have been without phone or tv service for many months now and have been getting collection letters for the past few months and don't know what to do besides not pay and just throw them away, especially since the spelling of my name is wrong on all of the bills since AT&T was incompetent in spelling such an easy name as mine and when asked to change it they wanted me to drive an hour away to show documentation and I declined and left it the way it was but they still have my SS# and address and I am sure this is now on my credit report.
Does anyone have any advice or suggestions? Maybe the same has happened to you? The promotion was for a free year of Dish Networks service followed by the second year @ 49.95 (A two year commitment that was not honored by AT&T because of a mail in rebate)
Dave
New Fairfield, Connecticut
U.S.A.
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