Happy New Year!

It's a beautiful day in a beautiful new year. For some reason, years ending in even numbers are much better for me than years ending in odd years. In light of that statement, this will be a good year.

During the past year, I have had some trouble with AT&T in receiving some promised incentives when I changed our phone service. While still not resolved, I want to post a letter I had written to AT&T some time ago. The reason I am posting it it because it has generated a wild response to me. I have found a number of other people who have had the same issue. In light of that, I submit the letter.

To: Ms. Marianne G. Strobel.Director, Business Marketing - AT&T
Re:    Cash Card Promotions-
         $100 New Service/$100 Switching ISP's/Router Rebate
 
Dear Ms. Strobel,
I am writing this to further voice my opinion of AT&T’s fraudulent business practices of baiting with service, equipment, and Cash Card promotions.  This experience has been an absolute nightmare of frustration and unbelievable anger in knowing the old saying, "We're the phone company, we don't care . . . we don't have to"  rings true.
In late May of this year, New AT&T California called wanting to discuss a promotion they were running.  A consolidation of telephone bills and Internet service designed at saving our small business money.   What ensued has been a nightmare and only today, some 5 months later have I finally been able to connect to the Internet the way I previously had with my former ISP, Earthlink.

In thoughtful review of this service, I analyzed our telephone bills, investigated my former ISP, and thought I was making the correct decision.  This decision was further based upon promised Rebate’s; Cash Cards for $100 for new service and $100 for switching ISP’s and $99 in Geek Squad Services, Equipment Rebate and favorable long distance rates and a savings in the Message Center and faster speeds.

Wireless connectivity was discussed at great length; only to find out on the day of install could not be used due to the Static IP address I was sold.  With this not materializing, it caused me to have wires runs to rooms, where there were none while the modem/router has wireless capabilities, it is not wireless.  Additionally, Internet Services of $54.95 – Pro, price/plan I ordered with were wrongly connected at the $79.95 – Elite price/plan.  The static IP I was sold has caused more connectivity issues than you will ever know taking hours upon hours to regain our home/office’s connectivity and networking capabilities.  I was soon to find out that the Geek Squad services offered, as a promo didn’t provide service to our area, thus making the $99 promo invalid.

Additionally, because of AT&T money raising policies where services are billed in advance and credited two to three billing cycles later, has been a huge financial strain with looking at an erroneous $554 bill – having to be paid and credited down the road.  A savings of $6 in message center was incorrectly quoted as well.
The last straw was when I was told the Cash Card’s were pulled because I had changed the service order.  A service order that New AT&T never placed and when I called, as instructed by New AT&T CA, was construed to be a new order and connected the next day on the erroneous Elite plan.  I cannot understand why I, as stated, would change an order resulting in the forfeiting of $299 in promotions.  I might add these rules and material facts were never disclosed to me regarding rebates and plans orally or in writing.

Your representatives, Brigette - Sales, her supervisor Jean, the department receptionist Ann and a billing representative named Ms. Jones have been trained well in mantra of the company; deception, being elusive, promising to return phone calls, return calls to a service number rather than the contact number given, shuffling me back and forth between Business Departments, Internet Service, Rebate Departments, Technical Support et. al.  I would encourage AT&T to find the recording made with Brigette and her supervisor confirming my order.  This would further address the lies being committed by this company.  The broken promises.  Moreover, the comment, “Your next month’s bill might be a little bit more Is completely hilarious as I read being charged twice for “premises”, resulting in a $225 Internet Portion of the bill.  Of course, this was credited two months later somehow oddly.

As I began to inquire today of the equipment rebate, buried deep in the website I read the rules and could only laugh.  Rule No. 5.  You must not have account billing issues.  Ha!  With AT&T’s mistakes and maneuvers made to create billing issues, only a fool would not take notice.  The joke is on me!

As I have already filed a claim with the FTC I thought,  while my request is futile at this point, I would challenge AT&T to make good on their promotions, issuing me the two $100 Cash Cards, as promoted and discussed.  Come on, restore my faith.
Sincerely,
 William E. Freeze

P.S. I was told to call back in 4 weeks and they would check into the rebates further. December 24th was the 4th week. I was told to call back in two weeks as it takes 4-6 weeks for resolution. I'm sure I'll be prompted to call back in a month or so, but I'll keep you posted.