AT&T Wireless Reps Misrepresent Features of Service, Abrogate Oral Contracts , Cries for CLASS ACTION SUIT Nationwide Arizona

Although there are some complexities involved, I will try to simplify here.

My young daughter had a year's contract under a particular rate plan with AT&T Wireless, which was due to expire last Oct. (2002). At that time it was not possible for her to check her usage hours on-line, so I advised her to not to extend with AT&T Wireless.

An AT&T rep. acknowledged the above,

but told my daughter "the great thing about AT&T Wireless . . ." is that the customer can opt to go to a higher rate/usage plan if and when the maximum usage is exceeded under current plan. To demonstrate how this works, the rep. rescinded an overage charge at that time and moved my daughter to higher rate plan for her second year. She then read a statement of agreement, which my daughter construed as incorporating into the agreement the features and benefits that had been described to her in the course of the conversation.

In midst of second year (i.e., May 2003), my daughter incurred $106.80 in overage charges (at 40C per minute rate) as determined on her billing statement. At that time she attempted to exercise the option of moving to a higher rate/usage plan, but was told that promised option is no longer a "process" or "courtesy" that AT&T Wireless offers and YET that the company believes it can hold her to the terms and conditions of an oral contract in which its rep. misrepresented the features, advantages, and benefits of its service. She would not have agreed to continue with AT&T Wireless otherwise, but reps say she must pay the overage plus a $175.00 cancellation fee just to be done with AT&T.

"Customer care" mechanisms at AT&T Wireless are anything but "care." You never talk to the same rep twice. There is no clear, responsible chain of command. There is no way to break through to anyone who is even empowered to provide authoritative information or to achieve a reasonable solution.
AT&T Wireless is entirely unaccountable.

President Bush says our economy will improve when Americans are convinced that major corporations have quit lying, cheating, and stealing (from customers and stockholders alike). Can anyone do anything about the reprehensible business practices of AT&T Wireless?

Recently, people in Texas won a class action suit against AT&T Wireless concerning overselling and not supporting promised service. The company argued that Texas had no juridiction (only FCC); Texas judge ruled otherwise.

Has anyone else in Arizona entered into an oral contract with AT&T Wireless in which company reps made false promises? If company abrogates on its end, how can customer be held accountable for an oral contract cancellation fee? Are there lawyers who will address such a matter pro bono?

My daughter just turned 21 and is very intimidated by the idea that AT&T could "wreck her credit." She is a straight-4-point student who has just completed second year at community college and works 30-35 hours at minimum wage to help pay her expenses. How can AT&T succeed into the future by policies of slash and burn with regard to a whole new generation? How can consumers further publicize what this horrid company is doing to people? Bottom line in our case is that AT&T wants $281 of my daughter's hard-earned money just to be rid of them because they lied to her in the first place about the features of the service they would provide.

Much as I am a patriotic American, I feel as though I would stand up and cheer if American Telephone and Telegraph tanked --as it now operates, it's a disgrace to the country.

I have not gone to all details of the frustrating, infuriating exchanges with unknowledgeable and powerless "customer care" folk at AT&T Wireless, but it is crystal clear to me that this company has deliberately created a nightmare for its customers under that euphemism. They lie when they sell you, they lie when they "service" your account (as demonstrated by conflicting statements made by various reps), they threaten and try to intimidate you, they most of all buffer, buffer, buffer, buffer the person(s)ultimately responsible:

JOHN D. ZEGLIS, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

You can view the whole roster of the "Senior Leadership Team" at AT&T Wireless.com -- maybe you can even find out where to write to responsible individuals and/or Board of Directors by snail mail. If you own AT&T stock, maybe you can even bring up issues at a stockholders meeting. I don't know what all the ways are one can strike back, but I am willking to invest time and effort in trying to force them to clean up their act.

Joan
Fountain Hills, Arizona
U.S.A.

Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on AT&T