Complaint Review: AT&T

I have been a customer of AT&T since 1993. Over the years, I have paid my bill consistantly, added several other services and cancelled some, had other phone lines installed, etc. Since the beginning of this year, I have been experiencing problems on my phone line. Sometimes we'd have a dial tone, sometimes not. Sometimes a call will just cut out in the middle of conversation, it has been extremely inconvenient.

I first called AT&T about the problem on the 24th of Jan 2008. They verified I had a problem on my phoneline, said if they couldn't run their tests and fix it from "where ever" they would send out a serviceman. Well the problem was never fixed and no one came to fix it either. I work three jobs and just don't have the time or access to sit on the phone and go through umpteen automated menus at my jobs and obviously, i couldn't call from home.

My daughter had a cell phone she let me use in the meantime. Of course, my bill comes as regular as my service is irregular and they expect to be paid too. After running up my daughter's cell bill, I finally had to make time at a friend's house to call again. Same situation, they verified I had a problem on my phoneline and I requested a service rep so I could just cut to the chase and request someone come out. Of course, they sent someone when no one was home and never called the cell number I gave them to make sure someone could be there. Again another bill for the full amount of service. Now i am looking at a two month bill for $150. I was told that as soon as a service man comes out to verify we've had no service, I would be credited.

Well, finally, they actually accomodated me on scheduling a serviceman to come out when I would be there, and sure enough, I had a faulty wire and it was repaired. I gave the serviceman a couple of days to file his report and do whatever he needed to do, then called to see about getting my bill credited. After numerous automated menus and holding, I started getting transferred around, having to explain my situation over and over again, getting more and more irate.

To cut a long story short, after 40 minutes getting transferred around, talking with two managers/supervisors and people from the service dept. and numerous customer service reps, the best they offered me was a $45 credit on my "next" phone bill. I can't express how upset and dissapointed i was. I deserved better as a loyal customer for all those years. I was so angry at this point, I told them to "credit the measly $45 to my bill and then turn right around and cancel my AT&T service," at which point I was told that they would not credit my bill if I cancelled my service!

This is absolutely OUTRAGEOUS! What kind of service do you call that? And all this after already telling me that as soon as the serviceman verified the problem, I would be credited. Of course, you can never talk to the same person twice, so I was lied to by someone. And they are willing to lose a good customer of some 15 years over a bill for $150 that they had no business charging me because they didn't provide the phone service I pay for.

I told them to go ahead with the pathetic $45 credit, and that I'd cancel my service at a date in the not too distant future. Their response? "Is there anything else we can do for you today, Ma'am?"

Anonymous
Montgomery, Alabama
U.S.A.