Okay, after spending way too much time on an issue with AT&T trying to resolve the problem. I’ve decided to just post the whole thing on my blog. Mainly because it will make me feel a little better for “stickin’ it to the man” and also to hopefully persuade others to drop AT&T and choose another option.
Included below is a string of emails regarding AT&T charging me $10 to restore long-distance services to a phone line I requested to close 4+ months ago when I switched to VoIP through Comcast. Read on if you’re interested:
Allie, Donovan, Ashley, or whoever else is reading this at AT&T,
This is getting ridiculous. Why would I be charged a restoral fee for an account that I don’t want and have been asking to cancel for 4 months? Does this make anyone question why people are moving to VoIP services away from traditional phone payment schemes?
Please clarify. Are you saying I need to call my local phone service provider to cancel my AT&T service? Now, are you directing me to call my cable provider since they are now maintaining my phone service although they’ve never had any involvement with AT&T? Or, are you asking me to call my old phone provider SBC Ameritech, who got the message to cancel my account 4+ months ago, and ask them to turn off my AT&T service on an account that doesn’t exist?
Given the amount of time that you and I have already spent on this issue. Don’t you think it would be better and more cost efficient to zero out my ridiculous restoral fee since it should have never been billed in the first place? Or would you prefer to keep sending emails back and forth indefinitely?
I’m not going to waste a phone call to your company and let you all try and talk me into keeping my account again, per your comments below. I tried that months ago, and is the reason I had the $6.63 balance in the first place. Because you failed to comply with my original request, but I paid the balance under the understanding from the last person I spoke to that the account would be closed once it was paid. Right!
————–
I received your e-mail indicating that you wish to cancel your AT&T long-distance service. Because we value your business and would like you to remain our customer, please give us a call at 1-800-222-0300 to discuss the benefits of continuing your AT&T long distance service.
————–You said it exactly, you value my “business” not me as a customer. There’s no chance of me remaining an AT&T customer for anytime in the immediate future. Cancel the account, absorb the $10 fee and let’s both get on with our lives.
If you would like to have one of your supervisors or managers call me to resolve the problem, please feel free. You obviously have my phone number.
As an FYI, I’ll be posting this email to my blog. Hopefully, numerous visitors will read this discussion and look at Vonage, their local ISP or other similar companies as options to replace their AT&T long distance service.
Respectfully,
Jason
— AT&T Customer Service
— AT&T Customer Service
matt says
Unbelievable. They wrangle you into paying $6.63 to resolve your open balance on a CLOSED account and then, becuase you cleared up the balance, they re-open the account and charge you $10.00 for that service?!? "Since you were billed correctly, I would request you to make the payment of $10.00 as soon as possible." is about as ludicrous a statement as I've heard in a while. I haven't used AT&T; in about 15 years and I sure don't regret it after reading THIS.
matt says
Unbelievable. They wrangle you into paying $6.63 to resolve your open balance on a CLOSED account and then, becuase you cleared up the balance, they re-open the account and charge you $10.00 for that service?!? "Since you were billed correctly, I would request you to make the payment of $10.00 as soon as possible." is about as ludicrous a statement as I've heard in a while. I haven't used AT&T in about 15 years and I sure don't regret it after reading THIS.
RJO says
If anyone in Arkansas has had their AT&T Telephone Service "cutoff" (suspended or cancelled) and then restored and then a "Service Restoral Fee" was added to your account, please IMMEDIATELY contact me at the noted email or 501-258-0107… Thanks
RJO says
If anyone in Arkansas has had their AT&T Telephone Service “cutoff” (suspended or cancelled) and then restored and then a “Service Restoral Fee” was added to your account, please IMMEDIATELY contact me at the noted email or 501-258-0107… Thanks