AT&T proration scam after canceled DirectTV service, California customer

DTV doesn't bill in advance, you billing cycle started the day you where installed, the bill is made and sent or payed if on auto pay on day 2 and is due on day 20.  DTV stopped prorating 3 years ago.

This is a customer to customer forum no one from DTV/AT&T reads these post except for the few employees on their own time and the moderators.

To shannon02;

You write: >DTV stopped prorating the bill 3 years ago.

Not for California, read the small font!!! What is the point if you do not read my whole message.

Former California DirectTV customer, Still "wireless" customer.

To shanon

You write:

>DTV doesn't bill in advance, you billing cycle started the day you where installed, the >bill is made and sent or payed if on auto pay on day 2 and is due on day 20. 

Wrong: My Bill of 01/20/21 clearly says: services from 01/20/21 to 02/20/21

I cancelled on 01/27/21  Confirmed by AT&T that I canceled and returned equipment. So they do bill in advance.

You write

>DTV stopped prorating 3 years ago.

Wrong: They stopped prorating, but not for California State customers. Read the small font or at least read my entire message

Former California DirectTV customer, Still "wireless" customer.

Cancelling your other ATT services won’t resolve anything but if it makes you feel better, go for it. File the BBB complaint. That will get you a response from corporate. If they can’t or won’t resolve, no one will.

Thank you, sandblaster, I will file the BBB complaint, unless, somebody from ATT is going to be involved ASAP... waiting 1-2 days

Updating the case: I just received a call from AT&T "supervisor". He promised to me that I would receive the prorated bill until the end of February 2021 . I will wait, but since it is AT&T, who knows... He gave me his employee ID ... BTW, the fact that I am a California customer was also mentioned. Thank you California , other states do not get "proration" for the services they do not use. I will update it here after the end of February 2021.

Former California DirectTV customer, Still "wireless" customer.

If California regulations stay different from the rest of the country, fair enough.

Yes DirecTV bills at the start of the billing month, traditionally producing the bill on day 2 of your cycle. That is what is meant that you are not billed in advance, in that you are not billed a couple weeks or a month before (in advance) the cycle starts. So I think everybody here understands mechanically the same on how it works, just using different terms.

For reference, here is the notice from 2018 if you need this (or the link to the current terms) for your situation.

Juniper, thank you, but please analyze the dates: 

You write:

>...That is what is meant that you are not billed in advance,

My bill of 01/20/21 (received online) says, that it is for the services from

01/20/21 till 02/20/21 , it does mean that I am billed in advance. To be fair it also said that it is needed to be payed by Feb 10, 2021. Still... in advance!  And again: I cancelled the DirecTV service on 01/27/21

Also, even in the excerpt from the notice of 2018 you provided, which is written by AT&T, it says:

We want to remind you that you’re billed in advance for recurring service(s) and/or programming charges and applicable fees based on the terms of your current service agreement(s) with us.

So basically you contradict yourself.

Let me clarify. This is how it is supposed to work.

Install/activate account Feb 21.

Service month is Feb 21 thru Mar 20.

Bill produces Feb 22 (2nd day of cycle), so service month already started.

So advance in this case refers to at (or near) the beginning of the service month before you have used all of it, as opposed to being billed after the service month has ended (like cell phones which are usage based per minute or data overage).

So I was pointing out that "in advance" doesn't mean the same thing for everybody, which causes some confusion. Many consider that to mean in advance of the service month starting in the first place which is not what DirecTV does. I have seen many a post where someone through they were billed up to a month before the service month started because they misunderstood what DirecTV meant by "in advance".

So no contradiction. Just showing what is meant by "in advance" in this case.

Your service should be not be 1/20 thru 2/20 as start and end of service month should not be the same date. If bill produced 1/20 then it should be 1/19 thru 2/18. So there is a concern with what is listed on the bill. As for the due date, that is supposed to be day 20 of your cycle. Though as long as paid before service month starts over, then no late fee would charge.

Juniper, I appreciate you explaining all this but you arguments sound strange.  I clearly showed that DirectTV charge "in advance" .

>"in advance" doesn't mean the same thing for everybody

In advance MUST mean the same for everybody, but if some company wants to trick you out of your money, they can invent another meaning.

You write. give an example... I did analyze it:

>Install/activate account Feb 21.

>Service month is Feb 21 thru Mar 20.

>Bill produces Feb 22 (2nd day of cycle), so service month already started.

Your example clearly shows that they charge in advance....  The Feb 22 bill, if they really want to issue it for one day of service must have prorated 1 day service price. This started after AT&T acquired DirectTV. I remember when I first installed DirectTV more than 10 years ago, they requested just a small deposit from the credit card which was applied to the first bill. This all changed when AT&T came to power and they started charging in advance.

You write:

>Though as long as paid before service month starts over, then no late fee would charge.

So In order for the late fee not to be charged I have to pay 3 weeks of the service I did not use?. I asked you please analyze the dates.

Some people take "in advance" to mean even before the service month starts, such as 2 weeks or a month ahead. In DirecTV's case it is close to the start of the service month, so before it ends. This doesn't change the proration you are requesting, only clarifying why people disagree on if it is in advance or not. So yes DirecTV charges in advance as shown, but that should explain why some people don't consider that in-advance by their definition since the service month already started. That doesn't change the billing either way.

Used to be if you canceled on say Feb 27, then per the example you would have been automatically credited for Feb 28 thru Mar 20 on the final bill. Too many people didn't understand proration, getting that bill after canceling (even though it showed the adjustments), and having issues or just plain forgetting about their refund. So companies changing to flat billing simplifies the process and theoretically makes it easier to understand for most. But apparently California has chosen to require the old way just for them.

The mention of the late fee had nothing to do with the service not used. You mentioned your due date, so I thought it prudent to include the details on how the entire billing model works. Bill being prorated or not doesn't change when the bill is due or when a late fee would charge. Sorry, didn't mean to cause confusion there.

Juniper,

Sorry to tell you that you write a lot about not related things.  And I am concentrating on the points of my question to help future readers and warn them to fully understand AT&T practices.  

You write:

>So yes DirecTV charges in advance as shown, 

Thank you. So you finally admitted what DirectTV admitted themselves about  their service: they do charge in advance. It took three posts of yours to admit that.

You continue writing

>but that should explain why some people don't consider that in-advance by their >definition since the service month already started.

No, I do not believe that anybody reasonable would consider that he does not pay in advance when he pays  in advance. I believe it is an attempted scam to try to receive an advance payment and not to prorate the price,  when the service is canceled. 

You write:

>Too many people didn't understand proration, getting that bill after canceling (even >though it showed the adjustments),

I believe that people do  understand "proration". They certainly do. And my bill does not show any adjustment, any proration.  My point was that ATT&T reps promised to prorate my bill after I cancelled the service many times and they did not prorate. The last promise happened today. I will update everybody what will happen next.

If you continue answering me I am kindly asking you not discuss hypothetical questions and concentrate on the above points.

Thank you 

Umm, excuse me? "Finally admitted"? Since the start I have not said anything to the contrary, so there was nothing to admit. Even posted the exact notice to that in my replies. I was pointing out that when other posters say they don't bill in advance, they are seeing the billing from a different perspective. DirecTV bills before the end of the service month, but not before the start of the service month like some other providers have done. With conversations I have had in person and other posts that have occurred on this forum, yes there are reasonable people who believe it is not being billed in advance as the service month starts before the bill produces. They agree on mechanically how the billing works, but split hairs on the term as explained.

Some people do understand proration, but I have encountered too many who did not (or simply refused to). And that is not just DirecTV but other companies as well. I feel that if more people would take the time to read through their bills, it would greatly reduce that issue.

Per the Terms of Service, most AT&T services do not prorate. If California requires otherwise and has the right to do so, then yes it should be adjusted. But there is still the chance the agent was going by the normal Terms of Service so just said what you wanted to hear to get you off the phone.

I listed the bill cycle and key dates, with late fee mentioned so it was completely covered. Agents telling you to not pay it and wait for the prorated bill were definitely not giving good guidance. Balance stays valid until such time as it is adjusted, and they only send out one bill a month. I suspect outsourced agents who may have pulled up legacy information for DirecTV, as in the old days upon cancellation within a couple days the prorated final bill would send out within a couple days instead of going out after service month started over. This is why I always suggest paying bill as shown to avoid a late fee issue, even if you do get an adjustment on the following bill.

Unless the service month already started over since you last called, I would consider calling one final time. Any adjustments would have posted when the prior agent submitted them (if they did), so any later agent would see the updated balance. If balance has no change then they are just passing the buck and I would go to a BBB complaint at that point. Even if the billing you don't agree with is determined to be correct, to be continuously told otherwise but with no action on the account is an issue.

@Juniper, 

Thank you. I read everything you wrote and comment the things which do relate to my question.

You write:

>Unless the service month already started over since you last called, I would consider >calling one final time

Yes the new service month already started on 02/20/21

You write:

If balance has no change then they are just passing the buck and I would go to a BBB complaint at that point. Even if the billing you don't agree with is determined to be correct, to be continuously told otherwise but with no action on the account is an issue.

Thank you for this. The balance did not change. 

Yes, I will file with BBB . AT&T? Never again, too much nerves and energy wasted, money overspent. 

FYI: I've been a  DIRECTV customer for more than 10 years (starting before it was acquired by ATT&T) . I am also ATT wireless customer for more than 15 years.

Yes, BBB would be the answer. I think if everybody go BBB, AT&T could change their ways. I hate lies: when somebody lies to you, it means they consider you more stupid than themselves. I am not stupid, but I am so busy with my job, would probably continue overpaying for their services.... but lies make me sick.

Thank you.