AT&T Wireless Chains, Bounds, & Monopolizes Its Customers!

I am an AT&T Wireless customer for roughly the last 9 years now. I am a customer in good standing that has a contract that is going to expire this summer. I have to add that I believe it is wrong how AT&T does not offer equal advantages that they do to new subscribing customers. I see new phone rebates on AT&T's website for all there phones, but the best deals are offered to new customers. Does AT&T not appreciate their customer's that they are doing business with. I'd be willing to get a new phone and sign a contract extension if I recieved an equal discount to that of which new subscribers are offered.

For example:
1)Nokia 6800 =269.99 retail
for a new subscriber it's 99.99 with rebates.
2)Motorola MPx200 = 409.99 retail
for a new subscriber it's 199.99 with the rebates.

These rebates and offers only apply to new customer's and are not offered to customer's that want to extend their contract.

What's your explanation for that one??????

I would just like to say that this summer I will end my business with AT&T. I would sign a 2 year contract if I was able to get a phone that I wanted. And before you add anything else. Trying going to the site for an upgrade. Only the cheapest models are offered for the upgrade discount.

I am an AT&T Wireless customer for roughly the last 9 years now. I am a customer in good standing that has a contract that is going to expire this summer. I have to add that I believe it is wrong how AT&T does not offer equal advantages that they do to new subscribing customers. I see new phone rebates on AT&T's website for all there phones, but the best deals are offered to new customers. Does AT&T not appreciate their customer's that they are doing business with. I'd be willing to get a new phone and sign a contract extension if I recieved an equal discount to that of which new subscribers are offered.

For example:
1)Nokia 6800 =269.99 retail
for a new subscriber it's 99.99 with rebates.
2)Motorola MPx200 = 409.99 retail
for a new subscriber it's 199.99 with the rebates.

These rebates and offers only apply to new customer's and are not offered to customer's that want to extend their contract.

What's your explanation for that one??????

I would just like to say that this summer I will end my business with AT&T. I would sign a 2 year contract if I was able to get a phone that I wanted. And before you add anything else. Trying going to the site for an upgrade. Only the cheapest models are offered for the upgrade discount.

I am an AT&T Wireless customer for roughly the last 9 years now. I am a customer in good standing that has a contract that is going to expire this summer. I have to add that I believe it is wrong how AT&T does not offer equal advantages that they do to new subscribing customers. I see new phone rebates on AT&T's website for all there phones, but the best deals are offered to new customers. Does AT&T not appreciate their customer's that they are doing business with. I'd be willing to get a new phone and sign a contract extension if I recieved an equal discount to that of which new subscribers are offered.

For example:
1)Nokia 6800 =269.99 retail
for a new subscriber it's 99.99 with rebates.
2)Motorola MPx200 = 409.99 retail
for a new subscriber it's 199.99 with the rebates.

These rebates and offers only apply to new customer's and are not offered to customer's that want to extend their contract.

What's your explanation for that one??????

I would just like to say that this summer I will end my business with AT&T. I would sign a 2 year contract if I was able to get a phone that I wanted. And before you add anything else. Trying going to the site for an upgrade. Only the cheapest models are offered for the upgrade discount.

I am an AT&T Wireless customer for roughly the last 9 years now. I am a customer in good standing that has a contract that is going to expire this summer. I have to add that I believe it is wrong how AT&T does not offer equal advantages that they do to new subscribing customers. I see new phone rebates on AT&T's website for all there phones, but the best deals are offered to new customers. Does AT&T not appreciate their customer's that they are doing business with. I'd be willing to get a new phone and sign a contract extension if I recieved an equal discount to that of which new subscribers are offered.

For example:
1)Nokia 6800 =269.99 retail
for a new subscriber it's 99.99 with rebates.
2)Motorola MPx200 = 409.99 retail
for a new subscriber it's 199.99 with the rebates.

These rebates and offers only apply to new customer's and are not offered to customer's that want to extend their contract.

What's your explanation for that one??????

I would just like to say that this summer I will end my business with AT&T. I would sign a 2 year contract if I was able to get a phone that I wanted. And before you add anything else. Trying going to the site for an upgrade. Only the cheapest models are offered for the upgrade discount.

"Kari": If you ever really did work for AT&T Wireless (which I doubt), I can understand why you don't now! First, you are wrong--simply changing plans will not extend one's contract. A contract is extended for a PROMOTION (like free LD, free night/weekend mins, etc...), a DISCOUNT ON EQUIPMENT (as the store rep above described), or a SERVICE CREDIT. You state "It is correct that ANY change to your service will automatically extend your contract with the company for 1 year." Kari, I'm not at work right now, so I don't have to call that "misinformation". That is a LIE.

Secondly, you state that no discounts on equipment are given (and I again quote) "UNLESS you have been with the company for a year or more and have never missed paying a bill or been late on a bill, if you meet those qualifications you can get an awesome deal on the phone." That is another LIE. Kari, you are turning into quite a little LIAR here... As you would know, if you had ever actually been an employee (or are you counting getting terminated in your first week of New Hire Training, I wonder?), our customers more often than not get discounts of $50 or more on equipment with a contract commitment, and our customers have the ability to upgrade AT ANY TIME with NO PENALTY, unlike some other wireless companies, who make you wait one or two years, charge you some B.S. fee for switching phones, and so forth. Get your carriers straight, my dear. The nonsense you're spewing can be discredited with one simple phone call to Customer Care.

Lastly, you state: "AT&T is, as far as I know, the only wireless provider that offers a warranty exchange program where they will send you a like new refurbished phone". Well, it's obvious you don't know too far. The warranty replacement program of which you speak is the MANUFACTURER'S warranty, not AT&T's, and is available to any customer who has purchased equipment from one of the manufacturers participating in the program. The Warranty Exchange operators don't work for AT&T, and any customer of ANY carrier will speak with the SAME GROUP to exchange their Motorola, Mitsubishi, Ericsson, Nokia, etc..., phone. Since you praise the Warranty Exchange program, it is sad that I can't say that it's AT&T's baby, but the fact that you did only verifies that you don't know what in the freak you are talking about.

Now let me put some thought on this: You think it's ok to put customers on contract just for changing their plan, you set impossible standards for upgrading equipment with a discount, and you aren't familiar with Warranty policies, which means you don't work (or haven't worked) for any company that deals with any of the major equipment manufacturers. Putting that all together, my bet is you work (or worked) for Sprint. It's really nauseating to look at some of these complaint boards and see people who so OBVIOUSLY work for other carriers trying to muddy up the water pretending to be with AT&T. Some of the time it's hard to spot, but most of the time it's obvious--like now. Yours is SO obvious, I think I even know who you DO work for. You, like Sprint, are a pathetic loser.

As for the original complainant, like the store rep said--you must be 18 to get service, so you either scammed to get your service, got it under the name of someone of majority age, or aren't telling the truth. Similarly, when you add a promotion that requires a contract extension, a verbatim statement is read to you, and you must acknowledge and accept that statement for the promotion to be added. On the off-chance you did not agree to that statement, the information on the account won't state that you did--call and protest. I talk to hundreds upon hundreds of people a day, and if they didn't agree, they don't pay. At the worst, if there is any question about you agreeing, or whether you understood what you were agreeing to, or whatever, AT&T will just cancel the contract and reverse the promo you received--just ask. That may not be your personal brand of fair, but I can tell you from experience that 9 out of 10 times, when it's investigated, the customers who say they never agreed did. They either don't remember, or they don't care to remember. I have talked to customers within the space of a few months, and I personally feel they don't care to remember from the implausible things they say to explain away their situations. Let me assure you--the "fascist corporations of the U.S." don't hold a candle to the average "I want everything for nothing" consumer. You complain that AT&T charges you full price for equipment when purchased without a contract? How much do you think these phones cost, anyway? AT&T doesn't make phones, we BUY them from the manufacturer. The companies don't give them to AT&T for free, so why should we give them to you for free, especially if you don't want to give us a 12 month commitment? As we speak, if you call Care, you can probable get at least two phones we carry for free (or close to it) if you extend. How do you think Nokia, Motorola, etc..., make money? From what YOU spend to purchase their equipment. Why should AT&T pay for you? Does your cable company offer you a discount on a new TV? Better yet, has your cable company ever offered you a free TV if you keep them for 12 more months? Just like I'd bet Kari works for Sprint, I'll bet your cable company hasn't.

AT&T can purchase the phones from the manufacturer in bulk, and will sell at the bulk price per unit or lower--with a contract. Something for something--that's the American Way.

I love my company and I love our customers, but for goodness' sake, listening to complaints like this make it hard sometimes. If you committed to something, be an adult and live up to it; if you didn't commit, then do something about it. Don't post nonsense--I release too many customers a day from their contracts to really believe things are as you say here, but that's little surprise--do you know that, when I have seen complaints that make the subscriber identifiable, I have pulled up their accounts and looked over the events, from the start of service to the end. I have yet to see a single case where what the person posted in a forum like this was what really happened. I'm serious. Not ever, not once, not even slightly. I have seen flat-out lies told under the guise of "poor little innocent me, the victim", and when you look at the account, the customer's called in and ADMITTED to doing what they swear up and down they didn't do in their complaint letters.

::sigh:: Why don't you try Sprint, if you like them so much? :-) Let me know what kind of a whopping discount you get on equipment, as well as the whopping off-network roaming and LD you are charged while you're standing in the middle of your home city. Then you can pay $3 to call Sprint's Customer Care, talk to Kari, and have her tell you you won't get credit for it, and if you don't like it, you have to escalate in writing (read their contract). Enjoy that humongous bucket of minutes, too. You get what you pay for. Always.

AT&t is not the only company that exchanges your phone out for you. Verizon Wireless does it too, plus they give you the option of sending one out to you, or you can simply do a phone exchange in the store. At&t wireless, service it self is terrbile.

It is correct that ANY change to your service will automatically extend your contract with the company for 1 year.

As far as the phone prices go, they are the same as anywhere else UNLESS you have been with the company for a year or more and have never missed paying a bill or been late on a bill, if you meet those qualifications you can get an awesome deal on the phone.

I am a former employee of AT&T Wireless and I still will not go to another company for service.

AT&T is, as far as I know, the only wireless provider that offers a warranty exchange program where they will send you a like new refurbished phone, and in many cases this may mean that the phone is better than what you started with even though it was previously owned, to replace your defective phone if it is within a year of the date you purchased the phone, instead of making you send it off to be repaired and leaving you without a phone.

While they may have their downside I still feel that they have the best service.

First, I would like to say that I am a retail employee that sees this everyday. It seems like you actually have a few issues here.

The first issue being moving your plan. If you merely moved your plan up to increase your daytime minutes, your contract should NOT have been extended. If this is the case, then contact Customer Care at 1-800-888-7600. They can look at the account history and see that no new promotions were taken and correct the situation.

If you accepted new promotion, more night and weekend minutes, more daytime at no charge, ect., then you must understand that nothinng in life is free. In order to get those things for free you must renew your contract.

In regards to new equipment. I would like to apologize for whomever misinformed you. You may certainly receive a discount on new equipment. On every phone there is a Retail price and a contract price.

If you are not willing to extend your contract, to say yes I will stay with AT&T Wireless for another year. Then you are correct we are not willing to give a discount on equipment that could be then taken to another carrier.

If you are willing to extend then you are more than welcome to receive the contract price. Which is on average a good $50 discount. If you feel like you deserve more of a credit, then you may feel free to contact Customer Care and explain your situation.

Another issue I feel like you may be having is that as you said you are only 17 yrs. old. AT&T Wireless requires that you been 18 to have a monthly service plan. Unfortunatly you may have service in someone elses name. Which is then difficult to access assistance because you are not the account holder and therefore not able to extend contracts.

I hope this clears up any confusion and explains some things. I would like to apologize for all of your troubles and hope you remain an AT&T Wireless subscriber.