Complaint Review: AT&T - Internet

Recently updated 3 of our 4 phone lines. Purchased them on At&T's website. Two phones were advertised as being discounted $100 with a 2-year contract. There was no mention of any other conditions other than it was a mail-in rebate.

Phones came in and I began the process of filling out my rebate forms. Next to the name of each of the phones listed on the rebate form was a tiny asterisk. Right below, in a font that required a microscope to read, was a condition stating that in order to receive the rebate, a PDA plan in, addition to some other plan, would have to be activated in order to receive your $100.

I was outraged. I had already spent hours (and I do mean hours) on the phone in the previous days trying to get all the wrinkles ironed out. We have 5 lines of service and it was a nightmare trying to get everything processing correctly.

So, now I get on the phone with the rebate center and a lady with a beautiful British accent tells me that I am reading this correctly and if I have a problem with it I will need to contact customer service (again!) and tell them my story. And, I did. They unabashedly told me that I had it right, but since I was upset they would go ahead and give me $50 of the $100 rebate back and they were doing me a big favor in doing that.

Again I was livid! We went round and round, with me trying to explain that it was deceptive to advertise a product at a discounted price with no mention of a condition to purchase an additional plan. I even went back to website to make sure that I wasn't missing something. The lady tried to make be believe that it was the rebate company's (Young America) fault. And, I couldn't make her understand that it was AT&T's website and they were responsible for the content and the promises made on it.

She even suggested that all I had to do was activate the two PDA plans. I asked her wouldn't I be charged for the plans and she said yes, but I could terminate them after I received my rebates. I wasn't born yesterday and pointed out to her that the rebates take 8 weeks to come in so essentially I could pay for the service for 2 months (which would be more than the rebates!) What kind of idiots do they think we are?

She really tried to make me see that this was entirely Young America's fault and AT&T was totally innocent. However, I am not a long time customer of Young America. I have had service with AT&T's for several years. And, if she could rebate the money if I activated the PDA plans doesn't that make them part of the problem somehow? How could they try to remove themselves from the equation yet require me to purchase more service from them? That made no sense and why would the rebate company care if I purchased the plans from AT&T? What would they get out of it? Something just didn't smell right.

I was furious and ready to take this to whatever level necessary. I was already speaking with a supervisor and asked to speak to the next person up the ladder and she told me someone would be getting back to me. A little later I received a call saying she had contacted the rebate company and they were going to credit our next phone bill with the two $100 rebates. They said I don't even have to send in the rebate forms. I am a little suspicious, but I'll just wait and see what happens.

I just wanted to post this and warn anyone else who may have this type of thing happen to them. Hang tough and don't give up. Or better yet, don't fall for the trap in the first place. I am still not convinced that this doesn't violate some type of consumer protection law. It certainly seems very shady and is just plain old bad business practice at the very least.

What strikes me as so deceptive is that you don't even know that you are expected to pay more until you download the rebate form and who does that until you get your phone in and start cutting off the bar code from the box and filling out your forms? A representative had told me I didn't even have to download the form; they would be sending them to me in the mail in my welcome packet, which I haven't even received as of yet. So, how is a person to know this BEFORE they purchase the phone?

That would be like a cashier telling you that she is going to discount your new dress and after you are walking out of the store, transaction complete, she tells you that you need to come back and buy some shoes to match in order to receive the discount she just gave you. Would anyone stand for that? I don't think so, and I hope other people stand up to this type of bullying.

Dlg

owensboro, Kentucky

U.S.A.

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