AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet - Not All Buildings Ready old wiring, u-verse ready, signal too strong San Antonio Texas

Basically I wanted to lower my telephone bill by applying for LifeLine California so I call to get an application mailed to me through AT&T and the very pleasant representative took my information as she began a sales pitch starting with that AT&T was eliminating DSL High-Speed Internet with the introduction of U-verse finally in my neighborhood and she could lower my monthly Internet rate $5.

I must have asked a gazillion questions about speed, equipment, any hidden fees or charges as she continued her pitch by assuring that everything would be hunky-dory.  So I said sign me up.  And she informed me their would be a rate increase after one year but she did not know what it would be.

I was working for my Bachelor's degree using the on-line platform so I did ask extensive questions about would it interfere with my accessibility to the school and the Online Learning System.  She stammered for just a second advising it should not.

Two days later, I receive a letter in the mail welcoming me to U-verse stating that my new router would be arriving soon and here are the instructions plus the pin number I would need to activate it once I had connected the router to the landline and my computer.  Fine.  I have homework to complete and submit before the deadline.

Three days later, a box arrives from AT&T via UPS Express Delivery which contained the new motorola router.  I get upstairs and set the box to continue with my essay I was writing for class.  I sit down and there is no signal, whatsoever.  I go through the check list AT&T requires us to go through before we pick up the phone and everything is connected. 

I dial the number and maneuver through all the prompts to get to the point where the recording says after you have done all those things then call us back and disconnects me...I still have plenty of time to complete my paper and submit, right?  So I dial the number again and glance down at the letter that states in fine print that my DSL service will end because I signed up for U-verse.  I read further and it say that my U-verse will begin two days from now.

I specifically asked the representative would there be any interruption in service and she said the conversion would be seamless.  So I quickly read the manually for the router, install it, and try to connect to the internet and not a thing.  I finally get a live person for tech support on the phone as he walks me through this and that until he discovers that I am a new U-verse customer but was with AT&T with DSL before I signed up for U-verse.  

This beginning to upset me again and it is nearly 3am so here's the fast track.  I make the deadline for my paper using a neighbor's computer and Internet connection.  U-verse comes on-line the day and time it was suppose to as I had connected everything correctly.  Its works fine.  Everything is hunky dory except I do not notice any difference in speed. 

I get a notice in the mail thanking me for being a AT&T customer and that they were sad that I discontinued my DSL and offered a $100 gift card if I would sign up for U-verse.  This is a high tech advanced telecommunication conglomorate and they cannot speak to each to let them know that I am already a U-verse customer and making me an offer I could not take advantage of would just be very unprofessional and down right mean.

That's not so painful as the billing statement I received separate from the local and ld bill for U-verse service a month in advance, a $45 set up fee, and $105 for the router which is AT&T property should I cancel in the future.  Did I mention that I was trying to lower my monthly bill?  I am on SSDI with a fixed income and I had to disconnect my cable because it became a luxury.  I need the Internet to go to school.  I was absolutely beside myself screaming and hollering.

I had no intention of calling and get a representative that would ask me a gazillion and one questions about the sale pitch, did I ask questions, was I not paying attention about the hidden fees, etc.etc.  I searched the Internet high and low discovering a published e-mail address for one of the vice-presidents in charge for customer service for AT&T and U-verse.

I composed an e-mail that was that of a loyal AT&T customer since before they bought up all the Ma Bells as customer with South Central Bell and that I am a former CWA directory assistance operator in the Gulfport Office.  The next morning I get a call from his personal secretary who has to be one of the most understanding, thorough, and efficient employee left at AT&T.

She hooks me up with, I forget the name of the department, but it was with someone in the collections department that could help me arrange to make payments over a three-month period to cover the extra costs.  They dropped the installation fee and broke the $105 into three payments added to my regular bill.

I have had U-verse for almost a year now and I am anticipating this price increase real soon.  But beginning in the beginning of June if not sooner (I should have been keeping a journal all this time) my Internet connection kept going down and at the most inopportune times.  It was happening quite often so I call for assistance.

There was trouble on the line according to the representative and she would need to send a techinician out to see what the problem advising that there would be no charge to check the connection to the building but if the techinician had to perform repairs inside or in my apartment there would be a $75 fee.  AS Tony Soprano would say, "what can ya do?" as he snuffs someone out.  Fine send the technician.  He won't be able to be here for how many days?  School work is due again.

For three days I sweat it out with no Internet access until the techinician finally arrives and gives the okay on the line to the building.  He offers to come in and look at the relay station and after a few minutes advises that the wiring in this building of 1920 is not capable of supporting the U-verse signal because it is too strong.

What!?! you mean I was sold a service that would not work in my building when I had service that worked perfectly fine?  And I had t dish out more money because of it...After three additional technicians come out because the representative stated that there is trouble on the line as I am trying to explain to them the its not the outside but they insist.  

Who am I to deny the technician earning a living?  One of them was kind enought to install a new ethernet cable that was the most capable but it is the wiring in this building. Oh, and one of them gave me a brand new router taking the other one away throwing it in the box like it was garbage. He said there would be no fee. 

Without even asking I knew that my landlord would not go for the modernization of this 15 unit apartment building because it would be too cost prohibitive. Okay so now we come up to present day and I have been keeping a journal of every single time it has gone down and I have had to reset the router, run a diagnostic and restart my computer Only for it to come right back up.  Since 6-05-2013 the Internet has crashed a total of 52 times.

Today is 08-01-2013 and that is nearly a crash a day for the past two months.  I graduated in Dec 2012 but enrolled in the Masters program with my first course starting 06-11-2013.  This is unacceptable.  AT&T knew this building was not U-verse compatible but they sold the service to me anyway knowing it would not work at its fullest potential.

I had to come on here to warn others who are looking to rent in a building that is on the national registry because of its age, charm, location, with great views do not sign up for U-verse.  Either don't move in or choose another provider because AT&T will sell you their grandmother's teeth if they thought they could get a buck of it.