AT&T Accidentally Cancelled My Account!

My internet and TV Uverse service were disconnected in error by AT&T. I did not order a disconnect or miss a payment. It was just disconnected in error by AT&T. I have been trying for days, spending hours on the phone to get someone to help me get it turned back on. I keep getting told to call back, put on hold, hung up on, promised a callback and never receiving one, or told I need to sign up for new service (with a higher monthly payment). I have spent hours on the phone wasting time. I am now to the point that where I am furious.

The order of events:

6/26/14 - Called to speak with Tech Support. The representative girl had no idea what she was doing. She just kept saying she couldn't find my account. Finally, after about 45 minutes on and off of hold, I was told that the account had been cancelled. Again, I never cancelled my service. I just paid my bill about a week prior to this (before the due date). I was told that she was going to check into what she could do and that she would call me back. Never received a callback. I tried calling back again later that evening and was told that any of the departments that could help me are closed and that I would have to call back tomorrow.

6/27/14 - I called back again but after sitting on hold for several minutes, I decided to hang up. A few minutes later, I received a callback from a gentleman that claimed to be a Customer Service Manager asking me if I had any issues. I explained the problem again to him. After being put on hold several times, I was told that my only option would be to set up a new account and start new service. This also would involve running my credit again, signing a new contract, and a higher monthly payment. I refused. That is absurd. I just wanted my service reconnected. He offered to call me back the next day after I had time to think about it. I agreed. 

Same day - I had a conversation with a very nice Uverse employee that lives in my area and he said to call back and ask for someone in Retentions. Maybe they could help. So I called and requested Retentions. I spoke with a gentleman there that "seemed' to be a little more knowledgable. After spending another eternity on the phone with him, he explained that he could get me connected, but it would have to be with new service and a new account. He was able to get the monthly payment down but was still higher than what I was paying but could do it without running my credit. I was then put on hold for a while and when he came back, he said he found a way to just request that I get reconnected and keep the same equipment and everything. He said that he was submitting the order and that my service would be reconnected before midnight that evening. He also said that he would give me a callback in the morning just to verify that my service was working properly.

6/28/14 - STILL NO SERVICE. I again didn't receive a callback. This time as promised from the gentleman in Retentions. I called back in again and spent 40 (yes, 4-0) minutes on hold trying to reach someone that could help me to no avail. While still on hold, I finally received a callback from the Customer Service Manager from the day before. He wanted to see if I had reconsidered his higher offer to start new service. I told him no and explained what had happened since speaking with him. I asked that he transfer me to someone in Retentions so that I could speak with the same guy as last time. I was transferred and placed on hold again. I gave the extension of the guy I needed to the gentleman that answered and asked him to transfer me. He said no problem and placed me on hold again. After roughly another 20 minutes, I received a message saying that no one was available to take my call at this time and was forced to hang up. 

Same day - Called back AGAIN and spoke to a very nice lady. She said that she could definitely help and that all she would need to do is submit an "Accidental disconnect" notice and that I would be reconnected in no time. She said that apparently no one submitted the original order to reconnect or that maybe it was cancelled for some reason and that's why it was not done. She said she submitted it while on the phone with me and that I would have service restored by the end of the business day that day. 

Same day - By 9:00PM I STILL DIDN'T HAVE SERVICE. I called Customer Service AGAIN and went through the stupid automated thing AGAIN. I was told by a girl in Tech Support that the reconnect order was apparently cancelled again but without any reason stated and that I would need to speak with someone in the Sales Department to reestablish service. And, of course, they are now closed. 

The word furious does not even begin to describe the feeling I have for AT&T right now. We are good customers that have had AT&T cellular for over 10 years, DSL previously, and now Uverse for a year. We pay our bill on time. But now we are forced to reach our very wits end of frustration from being repeatedly lied to, shuffled around, put on hold, and repeatedly disappointed. I was a CO technician and CSR for a telecom company for 3 years and have had a great deal of experience in IT and Customer Service roles. The way AT&T treats their customers is completely apalling and their customer service is absolutely horriffic. If we had a customer that was experiencing an outage, especially if it was due to a mistake on our part, you could be sure we would do whatever we could to restore their service. We would repeatedly lie to them and hand out empty promise after empty promise just to leave them to keep calling over and over and getting more and more frustrated. That is not good service. 

I am just the customer. I don't know how your protocols work or what it takes to resolve an accidental service disconnect. But you need to find someone there that knows what they're talking about and get this resolved right away. And you need to make this right with us, good customers.

Get it figured out. Get it fixed.

[edited for privacy]