Fees and Surcharges

@THREEYOUNG3  Cause no matter the price, there are always fees/taxes.  If they didn't tell you that, it's on you to go to the website and see what the terms and TOS say. 😉

Edit:  To me 'inclusive' means DVR, STBs, Internet, u### plan.  Just that, not fees/taxes.  Imagine this Feb you'll complain again about the price increases you will have to pay.

Chris
__________________________________________________________

Please NO SD stretch-o-vision or 480 SD HD Channels
Need Help? PM ATT Uverse Care (all service problems)
ATT Customer Care(billing and all other problems)
Your Results May Vary, In My Humble Opinion
I Call It Like I See It, Simply a U-verse user, nothing more

---

@THREEYOUNG3 wrote:

It is funny how you can be charged fees and surcharges on agreements after the fact. It is underhanded and shady to charge these when you are given an "all-inclusive price". I specifically asked about "fees and charges" and was told that there would be tax but my all-inclusive price was all-inclusive. It is not, they lock you into a contract and charge "backdoor fees". These need to be clearly stated in advance. They amount to a 7 percent increase in billing. There is a broadcast tv surcharge, an IN local service franchise fee, and a regulatory video cost recovery charge. These total $18.49 on my first bill. 

---

Apparently, you've never had a utility or other consumer service in your name that you had to pay.  There are taxes and fees on most (all?) utilities including water and electricity.  I just renewed my electric service and while they can tell me that my rate will be so much a kilowatt hour, I KNOW that there are all kinds of fees and taxes involved and they can add up quick.

Unfortunately, those companies cannot tell you what all the fees will be because many are regulated by your local/county/state governments. 

Don't like it?  Complain to city hall.

I purchased an "all-inclusive" plan and specifically asked about fees and it was stated that it was " all inclusive" and that taxes were the only thing not stated. Taxes are taxes and I understand that. Surcharges are just ways to increase the bill on the backside defering costs that are part of doing business without stating them up front. If a person asks what their bill will be it should be able to be stated. They can tell you up front they just refuse to. I ASKED! Backdoor fees are just a way to increase profits. City hall never hid fees and surcharges from me. If I ask I will be told.

{keep it courteous}

When you specifically ask you should be told. I specifally asked. Hiding surcharges to boost profits is underhanded and decietfil. Terms of service or no terms of service, hiding surcharges is wrong. ATT knows these charges and needs to state them if asked.

AT&T makes no money on the taxes and surcharges.  They collect it and then pay the same amount collected to the respective taxing agencys.  I will tell you that someone in a call center in Somewhere, USA is not going to know your city, county, or state tax rates, therefore they would not be able to quote them. 

---

@THREEYOUNG3 wrote:

There is a broadcast tv surcharge, an IN local service franchise fee, and a regulatory video cost recovery charge. 

---

"broadcast tv surcharge" is going to recover AT&T's costs in paying the local stations that you could get for free with an OTA attenna.  Yep, AT&T is required to pay for "free TV."

"IN local service franchise fee" is a passthrough from your local franchise authority in Indiana.  All of this goes directly to the local government.  This is essentially a tax.

"regulatory video cost recovery charge" goes to pay the FCC a fee charged to Cable Television and also IPTV providers.  This is essentially a tax to the extent that the amount AT&T collects is the amount the FCC collects from them.

Do the stores you visit include the sales tax in the price tags on the items?

---

@JefferMC wrote:

Do the stores you visit include the sales tax in the price tags on the items?

 

---

*high five*

They do not. Do they add on fees after you agree on a price? There is no need to be condescending and rude. I specifically asked about additional charges and told that there would be none.

Sales tax is from the state. Surcharges are revenue enhancement. I have never seen a company add fees on backdoor like this. Do you get charged fees after the fact that you have not agreed to. I specifically asked about fees and was told that ONLY TAX was not included.

Essentially is a tax exactly means that it is NOT a tax.

I just received my Uverse bill.  Granted, I have all three services but let's review (fees only, no taxes)

On the TV service:

TX Local Video Facilities Fee

TX Local Video Service Franchise Fee

STATE cost-recovery Fee

Internet:

State Cost-Recover Fee

Moving on the VOIP:

TX Local 911 Fee

TX Municipal Right of Way Fee

TX State 911 Equalization Fee

State Cost Recovery Fee

As one can see, there are a myriad of LOCAL or state specific fees.  These are agreed upon by the governing body and the utility, in this case ATT.

I would think that knowing each and every local (ie: municipal/county/state) tax would be impossible.

Stating that there are no fees added in an "all-inclusive" package is wholly different. I asked they mislead/lied. I did not agree to any, I asked and was told that there were none! If you ask a question and get a response, you expect that to be the truth. I understand that different places may have different fees, but I expect companies that do business in each area can give correct responses when asked. It would be a minor software program by zip code.

---

@THREEYOUNG3 wrote:

Essentially is a tax exactly means that it is NOT a tax.

 

 

---

tax: a compulsory contribution to state revenue, levied by the government on workers' income and business profits or added to the cost of some goods, services, and transactions.

A franchise fee meets this definition to a "T."  It is no different from a sales tax.