ATT Store, Griffin GA1543 Misleading salesman on phone refund one day later Griffin Georgia

On 08/01/2009, I purchased service and a cell phone from this store. Knowing that in my part of the county their coverage area may be difficult to receive, I inquired of the saleman about a phone refund. He said they would immediately cut me a check. Note the word immediately. The phone was an ATT SAMA Yellow and priced at 179.99. I paid by check, and the check cleared. The ATT coverage map showed positive coverage.

After trying the above phone on my property and that of southside Griffin, it became obvious that the cell phone did not always work. My home had zip coverage, and a half block away it was clear, etc.

On 08/02/2009, I returned the phone with a letter of explanation. I stated I would pay the restocking charge in the letter and orally to the salesman.

The salesman spoke to a manager. He returned and explained the check would come from an ATT office, but he did not know where, in about 30 days. Or, he said, I could bring the phone back 20 days later and the store would give me cash.

Not trusting the business after one falsehood, I declined the 20 day deal. I need a phone that worked "now"! I was given a receipt as a CREDIT NOTE
TENDERED for $157.59.

I might add I needed a "rugged phone" for my home environment. Another company services the entire area but offers only one such phone that has TERRIBLE reviews. That is the only reason I left that company.I purchased that same day of this incident the "rugged" phone with bad reviews from ATT's competition in the same shopping area!

There is a plethora of conflicts also online about refunds, such as a 30 day or 60 day policy. However, the PHONE refund was my pursuit, until this morning I received an email from ATT that my "bill" was ready for viewing. On viewing, a note online said it was not available.

I do not know if the salesman did not know a policy on returns and made a mistake or if a manager made a decision that a refund would come from some unknown ATT office. I do know that getting a refund from ATT may be a hassle from not long ago a purchase for my spouse.

But that, as Conan's narrator said in the movie, IS ANOTHER STORY...and a LONG one, about one inch thick in hard copy letters!

Johnnyt39
griffin, Georgia
U.S.A.