Hating on AT&T

I hate AT&T!

This is my mantra, and has been for a long time. And it’s really bad. My mama taught me not to use the word “hate.” So, I try not to. And I don’t have much trouble, except when it comes to AT&T.

My bill with AT&T has been messed up since at least September. I have spent more than an hour on the phone with AT&T agents each of the past four months. Each one has resolved the issue. Then the next bill comes, and lo and behold, nothing is resolved.

They finally suspended by internet last week because I had not returned my Uverse boxes. I was livid. They never told me how to return the boxes or that I needed to return then. Well, let me back up. When I changed from Uverse to DirectTV, they didn’t cut off the Uverse. I finally realized I was paying both.

I’m embarrassed to tell this because I should have noticed immediately. But, I didn’t. When I realized it, I cut off the Uverse, and got credit, maybe, for time I hadn’t used it. They didn’t say anything about returning equipment.

Then they started threatening to charge me for the receivers, I questioned what receivers. (The television equipment is in the residence upstairs from The News office.) They explained what I needed to return, but gave me no way to return them.

After two more calls, lasting an hour or more, I got a return label. On the label it says fill out the reverse side. Guess what, there is no reverse side.

So, my patient niece, who is tired of overhearing me curse out AT&T representatives calls for me. What am I supposed to put in the box to be sure I get credit? There is no form. Some 45 minutes later still no answer…lots of time spent on hold, though.

Well, I put them in the mail today, and will have to call back to get my $300 credit. I hate AT&T. Why can they not automatically credit my account? Why does it take an hour to “resolve” an issue. Why are there no notes on my account from the previous phone calls? Why do I have to talk to an automated system for 10 minutes before I get a useless representative?

I contacted a higher-up at AT&T and I had several calls from people concerned about my problem. But none of them could fix it. They just wanted to show me they care, right.

Anyway, I already know my bill isn’t resolved, because back in October, or was it November, they said they were condensing my bills so I would get one bill. My internet would be on my phone bill, and it would be half what I was paying. Well, now I await my next bill.

However, I know from the phone calls that the change mentioned has not been made. We’ll see what they charge me for next month.

Well, enough about AT&T, I really didn’t mean to write such a negative column. I had more positive words to pen here, but AT&T came to the top. Sorry.