AT&T Rips off military men and women going home from war AURORA Illinois
My husband just returned from a 7 month deployment to Iraq. On his way home they had a layover in Frankfurt Germany. The building they were waiting in was onlt for military on their way back from Iraq. The phones in the building were AT&T phones. They could only be used with a AT&T calling card or to make a collect call. He didn't have an AT&T calling card so he called collect.
There was no live operator, it was automated. He made the phone call and then left Germany and returned home. A month after he got back, we recieved a bill from Sprint, our phone company, to the tune of $95.62 for the one collect call. The phone call was 28 minutes. That's $3.13/minute. When we called AT&T to dispute the charge, they said they could do nothing and there was no one who could change the charges. They said the high price was due to the fact that my husband went through a live operator, which he didn't.
I just think it is ridiculous for AT&T to be charging our troops returning from war such a high rate without any warning. They spend 7-14 months at war for our country and this is the thanks they get for just trying to call their loved ones to let them know they are alright and are almost home.
Samantha
Jacksonville, North Carolina
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Samantha
Jacksonville,North Carolina,
U.S.A.
DSN
#4Author of original report
Sun, October 02, 2005
Leticic he used the DSN phones all the time in Iraq but they are only on bases not in a hanger at an international airport. The only way to call home was to make an at&t collect call.
Pete I just wanted to say thank you for your responce. My husband and I are from Michigan and we always love coming home because people are so kind to our men and women in the military.
Pete
Valley View,Michigan,
U.S.A.
Thanks--
#4Consumer Comment
Sun, October 02, 2005
Samantha, please thank your husband (and you,too) for his service to our country so that we may be safe here at home.
I think it's outrageous that you received these charges on your phone bill. I have an AT&T calling card and would gladly donate the minutes to cover the cost of the phone calls. Perhaps someone will come on here and tell me if and how this could be done.
I currently have around 400 minutes of call time on this card, which I have refilled numerous times. I'm certain of one thing: When these minutes are used up, I will no longer be patronizing AT&T.
Leticia
Anytown,Other,
U.S.A.
I just have to ask.
#4Consumer Comment
Sun, October 02, 2005
Why didn't your husband use the DSN (military) phones to call you? It's free. My husband did.