- Report: #287803
Complaint Review: AT&T - Thousand Oaks California
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AT&T
180 N Moorpark Rd. Thousand Oaks, 91360 California, U.S.A.
Phone:
805-230-2509
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AT&T Fraudulently selling used defective phones as new Thousand Oaks California
I purchased 2 new cell phones from the manager of a local AT&T franchise store 180 N Moorpark Rd., Thousand Oaks, CA. (805) 230-2509 One phone contained a filled out address book with rather offensive entries in it and it was failing while in the store. The manager told me the phone would fix itself.
I returned 2 days later to tell him the phone was still failing and accused him of charging me for a new phone while selling me a refurbished phone. He argued with me stating the phone was not used. I asked him how the address book got filled out. He wouldn't answer me, but he couldn't wait to get it out of my hands. I demanded my money back and bought a phone from a different store. The AT&T retention dept Kimberly told me the phone I purchased shouldn't have been in circulation that it was a refurbished phone sold to me as a new phone.
The second phone I purchased at the same time was a Blackberry Curve 8300. Unbeknownst to me at the time of purchase and for 3 weeks thereafter, the phone was auto deleting voice mails. Also, unbeknownst to me at the time, I wasn't getting text messages and the call and speaker phone quality were poor and declining. 3 weeks later I attempted to install the cd which came with the Blackberry. It wouldn't run.
Upon inspection I noted it was damaged from what appeared to be coffee or some other liquid. I returned to the store accusing him of selling me another used phone as a new one. He again denied it. I asked him how the cd became damaged with what looked like some human cause. He didn't know. He gave me a new CD. I still didn't know my phone was not receiving text messages and that the voice and speaker phone quality were bad. He spent 2 hours attempting to fix the voice mail issue. He succeeded.
This phone is now 2.5 months old. 3 days ago I discovered that I was not receiving text messages. I spent 6 hours on the phone with tech support who told me my phone was defective. I went to the local corp store. They offered to sell me a new phone if I paid them an additional $50. I complained at having to pay an additional $50 to get a new phone when I already paid $300 for a new phone that is broken. I was told I could either pay them $50 or they would provide me with another used phone.
I called the retention dept. They tell me that I can pay them an additional $300 for another new phone and that was all they could offer me. I would have the use of one phone for $600. No one has looked at my Blackberry. They said that because their system shows my Blackberry hadn't been assigned to anyone else, they knew it was a new phone. I asked how they would know if it was used if the store got a returned phone and the manager just turned around and sold it to someone else. They said they wouldn't know but they believe my phone was new.
I asked how the cd that came with the phone was damaged with some sort of goo or liquid. They said they didn't know. Kimberly spoke to the store manager. She said he wouldn't answer her about how the address book got filled out on the first phone if it was new and he also wouldn't respond to how the cd for the Blackberry got scratched? I told her it wasn't scratched. Someone has spilled something on it or heated it up or something as it was very apparently damaged. She said they believe him and not me.
I have been sold a used Blackberry at a new Blackberry price but because it's past their 30 day rule, they will not do the right thing. I have never been so badly treated. Even Verizon never treated me so badly. I'm stuck in a 2 year contract with a bad phone. I have been defrauded. I have notified RIMM, but they could care less. Everyone takes the money and runs. I've been overcharged on my bills as well. They promised to call me today with how much my credit will be, but naturally I've heard nothing from them. I have filed formal complaints with the FCC and Dept of Consumer Affairs. I am awaiting a call from an attorney.
Mocean
Thousand Oaks, California
U.S.A.
Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on AT&T
I returned 2 days later to tell him the phone was still failing and accused him of charging me for a new phone while selling me a refurbished phone. He argued with me stating the phone was not used. I asked him how the address book got filled out. He wouldn't answer me, but he couldn't wait to get it out of my hands. I demanded my money back and bought a phone from a different store. The AT&T retention dept Kimberly told me the phone I purchased shouldn't have been in circulation that it was a refurbished phone sold to me as a new phone.
The second phone I purchased at the same time was a Blackberry Curve 8300. Unbeknownst to me at the time of purchase and for 3 weeks thereafter, the phone was auto deleting voice mails. Also, unbeknownst to me at the time, I wasn't getting text messages and the call and speaker phone quality were poor and declining. 3 weeks later I attempted to install the cd which came with the Blackberry. It wouldn't run.
Upon inspection I noted it was damaged from what appeared to be coffee or some other liquid. I returned to the store accusing him of selling me another used phone as a new one. He again denied it. I asked him how the cd became damaged with what looked like some human cause. He didn't know. He gave me a new CD. I still didn't know my phone was not receiving text messages and that the voice and speaker phone quality were bad. He spent 2 hours attempting to fix the voice mail issue. He succeeded.
This phone is now 2.5 months old. 3 days ago I discovered that I was not receiving text messages. I spent 6 hours on the phone with tech support who told me my phone was defective. I went to the local corp store. They offered to sell me a new phone if I paid them an additional $50. I complained at having to pay an additional $50 to get a new phone when I already paid $300 for a new phone that is broken. I was told I could either pay them $50 or they would provide me with another used phone.
I called the retention dept. They tell me that I can pay them an additional $300 for another new phone and that was all they could offer me. I would have the use of one phone for $600. No one has looked at my Blackberry. They said that because their system shows my Blackberry hadn't been assigned to anyone else, they knew it was a new phone. I asked how they would know if it was used if the store got a returned phone and the manager just turned around and sold it to someone else. They said they wouldn't know but they believe my phone was new.
I asked how the cd that came with the phone was damaged with some sort of goo or liquid. They said they didn't know. Kimberly spoke to the store manager. She said he wouldn't answer her about how the address book got filled out on the first phone if it was new and he also wouldn't respond to how the cd for the Blackberry got scratched? I told her it wasn't scratched. Someone has spilled something on it or heated it up or something as it was very apparently damaged. She said they believe him and not me.
I have been sold a used Blackberry at a new Blackberry price but because it's past their 30 day rule, they will not do the right thing. I have never been so badly treated. Even Verizon never treated me so badly. I'm stuck in a 2 year contract with a bad phone. I have been defrauded. I have notified RIMM, but they could care less. Everyone takes the money and runs. I've been overcharged on my bills as well. They promised to call me today with how much my credit will be, but naturally I've heard nothing from them. I have filed formal complaints with the FCC and Dept of Consumer Affairs. I am awaiting a call from an attorney.
Mocean
Thousand Oaks, California
U.S.A.
Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on AT&T
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Xbladedragonx
San Jose,California,
U.S.A.
Respond post to above.
#2Consumer Comment
Mon, August 11, 2008
Well seeing how you're an ex-employee... I can agree with you your ex-boss was ripping people off. But I got my Verizon phone from Prime Communications and nothing bad happened so far. Got a new phone from a Prime Communications store(I know its new because the wrapping and cover plastic and everything was still stuck on the screen and buttons). The headquarter company themselves are pretty good. Its basically like Best Buy that sells computers like Dells and Gateway. Prime Communications is basically a retailer. Now for this issue, It was the manager at fault. Not the headquarter company. He should be fired...
Pirateslifeferme
Thousand Oaks,California,
U.S.A.
One more thing....
#3UPDATE EX-employee responds
Tue, June 24, 2008
Adding to my last post, one of the female employees quit after Mike made sexual advances towards her. I don't know the details, she wouldn't tell anyone.
Pirateslifeferme
Thousand Oaks,California,
U.S.A.
EX EMPLOYEE AGREES
#4UPDATE EX-employee responds
Tue, June 24, 2008
This is a response to Mocean, if they ever read this. To everyone else who reads this, please, do not go to the "Prime Mobile" AT&T franchise store on Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks. Do yourself a favor and go down the street to the real AT&T store near office depot. Now, Mocean I believe you 100%. I worked for that store for about a month and I couldn't stand how the manager ran the business so I walked out on one of my shifts. Mike is the managers name, and if you want to look into this issue further, the company is based in Texas in Sugarland I think. The company Name is Prime Communications. Please, Mocean if you see this, call and complain to them. AT&T can't do anything since they're a franchise. Anyway, my experience working there for a month was shocking. The Manager, Mike, would make all the employees add features to every customers account (I.e. Roadside assistance, which the customer would have to pay for monthly.) The customer wouldn't ask for these features to be added, nor did Mike want us to tell them we were adding these to their accounts. His explanation was, "If they don't notice it, or they don't want it, they can cancel it themselves." He did this feature adding because the company has small competitions between stores to see who can get the most feature adds, new contracts, and contract renewals. Adding all these features always gave him a head start on the other stores, and he would get bonuses at the end of the month/quarter. Also, for every accessory sold in the store, there is an option to purchase insurance on the item for $4.99 more. He never asked any customers and he just added the insurance on anyway. Finally, I brought this to the attention of our district manager, and he told my boss to stop adding the insurance onto the sales. So, what did my boss do? He raised the price on all the accessories to match what he was selling them for originally with the insurance. Yes, I am aware that he did resell used phones to customers. He would take all the phones that people brought back within the "fully refundable 30 days", and clear the memory on them and sell them to new customers. However he usually only did this with perfectly working models but I can see how he just wouldn't care if it was working well or not, just to make a sale. He would blatantly lie to a customers face and when they walk out the door he would trash talk the customer or just laugh. If he didn't feel like dealing with a problem he would send the customer to the store down the street. His policy is "If its not making you or the company money, send the customer someplace else. That's what the 1-800 customer care number is for." He refused to sell new phones to people who weren't signing a contract, he would lie and say that we were out of stock on that particular phone. I just hope the entire Prime Communications company isn't as corrupt as he is. When I was hired, he had hired 2 new people as well. When I quit, the other 2 quit as well once they saw how he dealt with customers. I remember hearing that the district manager had a talk with him to figure out why everyone was quitting. He was absolutely the worst boss I had ever seen. Before I started working there, I went in to that store to add a line to my existing account. Adding a line is only $9.99 and I knew that. When I got my first bill, (after I had started working there), he had signed me up for a $69.99 nationwide plan with the roadside assistance feature for $2 or $3 a month. I instantly checked my family's account and I couldn't believe it.... he had added some features there too. PLEASE, DON'T GO TO PRIME MOBILE!
