Teacher
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3 Messages
Signed a 1-year contract and then AT&T raised price
I was going to cancel my service in December last year, but when I called to cancel, AT&T offered U200 for a certain rate for 12 months in exchange for me signing a contract for one-year. So I agreed to keep AT&T U-Verse for 1 year and pay that set price.
Subsequent to our agreement, AT&T raised the bill by ~$4 in February (yes, the notification was in the December bill but that bill was generated after I entered into the one-year contract).
I had an online chat with customer care and I was told that it is AT&T's policy to apply the rate increase even to customers who are under a contract. I sent a private message this past weekend but I have yet to hear back.
It is absurd that AT&T thinks this is okay:
1) If I cancel the service before December this year, I have to pay a penalty.
2) Yet AT&T can raise the rate at any time without my consent.
3) If I don't like the rate increase, I can cancel the service but I still have to pay the penalty.
Is anyone else having this same issue (i.e., those who have to pay a penalty if they were to cancel within the contract period, similar to how cell phone contracts work)? Please share your experience here. Thanks.
StraightA
Contributor
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2 Messages
8 years ago
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deewesbrooks
Contributor
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3 Messages
8 years ago
I am now having the same problem with rate hikes twice in the last few months despite my 1-year contract. It is unethical and greedy for ATT or any company to increase internet rates for customers under contract and yet charge a fee to customers who cancel before the contract ends! I would put in a complaint to BBB and PUC and even Channel 2 News! I am a low income person who only qualifies for discount on phone service, but internet service is not yet considered a phone service if using a uverse type system. Time to look for another provider!
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jdobson1218
Contributor
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3 Messages
8 years ago
AT&T TV - $108
200 channels ($88)
HD Fee ($10)
Box fee ($10)
AT&T Internet - $57.00
Internet 18 unlimited with bundle but throttle after 1024 Plan GB
Total: $163.72 plus account service fee, tax and local fees
Also Includes: Annual aggravation in long calls regarding price and negotiating lower # of channels to try and keep within price range until after (4) years when they refuse to offer discount at all. Prorated $350 termination per service. Also note their discount may stay the same during your contract, but the actual rates may increase because your contract is for the DISCOUNT amount, not the price they are charging (ie: Gas card for .03 cents off regardless of the actual gas price).
versus:
Charter TV - $63.96
Spectrum Select ($39.99)
(2) DVR/HD Boxes (13.98)
DVR Service $(9.99)
Charter Internet - $44.99
100 mbps ($39.99)
Charter Wi-Fi for multiple devices ($5.00)
Total: $108.95 plus tax and local fees
Includes: 2 year pricing of 39.99 per service, no contract, free internet modem, no data caps, install fee waived (saving $49) and install date the same day as sign up for the order.
It's a no brainer, right?! Even with the "discounts" from AT&T we are paying less with Charter. Never again will I recommend U-verse or AT&T to friends, family or colleagues.
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deewesbrooks
Contributor
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3 Messages
8 years ago
Thank you for the service company info. Unfortunately, I live in an apartment complex that only allow tenants to use one specific cable company. Currently, I use a ethernet modem, or I can use DSL. ATT bought out all of their competition for the complex I live in. I intend to notify PUC and FCC about the apartment practice of forcing renters to use a particular company. I understand that the property owner is being paid something in return for the apartment customers.
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deewesbrooks
Contributor
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3 Messages
8 years ago
I understand that forcing tenants to use a service company is illegal, yet many apartment properties are still doing this.
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Hopalong_1
Mentor
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12 Messages
6 years ago
This is a common practice with ATT. I went through the same thing as well, so I cut service back to basic. Still, ATT is way over priced. Unfortunately, once you get cable tv, some networks/channels are hard to do without. I pay $118/mo for very basic, but in Florida, where I had Comcast, I paid $124 for ATT's equivalent of U-verse 300. Plus, the dvr service stinks! The screen freezes, jumps forward several seconds or minutes, or simply goes blank, leaving me a message saying the picture is jumping forward.
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Karenllee60
Contributor
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4 Messages
5 years ago
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csscott11
New Member
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1 Message
4 years ago
Same thing is happening to me. Makes me so mad. After they raised my bill $50 a month without notice I filed a complaint with the FCC. Everything ATT does is awful. Don’t bother with chatting, they will lie to you. I finally got a call from the office of the president (ATT) and the guy I talked to took off the extra charge and got it down to it being reasonable. Now, in the past 2 months it’s gone up over $20. Looks like it’s time to file another complaint.
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baseballisback
ACE - Professor
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8.2K Messages
4 years ago
No TV provider will notify a customer that a promotional rate is about to expire. I use a calendar app on my phone to remind me.
*I am not a DIRECTV employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.
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