Tutor
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5 Messages
Fed-up with numerous EBS tests
I receive dozens of EBS tests each month on Uverse and I am completely fed-up. I have tried going through ATT Support and they are worthless: they pass the buck all over the place, and then, when cornered, claim that there is nothing they can do. The problem is worse than annoying. This week, for example, I have received at least one test per day, and on one day I got two, and on another three. This goes on all the timetime, and to add insult to injury, the tests don't happen at the same time on all TVs, but randomly. That means my house echoes with the blare of the EBS tone all day long. IT HAS GOT TO STOP!!! It is nonsense that ATT can't control this. No other cable provider I have ever had has had this problem, so why is ATT specially afflicted. The problem is obviously in the back end software that ATT uses to monitor the EBS. ATT says that various levels of government issue test requests at varying times. If so then ATT should be filtering out the tests they bother me with, limiting them to once a monthmonth, as the test message says quite clearly. Even so, there aren't enough levels of government to account for all the tests that ATT conducts, and there is clearly something odd going on when the tests come out randomly on TV after TV. ATT can't get control of this problem, then they should consult with Comcast, because they certainly have it right. If ATT can't get control, I am on the verge of taking my business elsewhere. Finally, like so many others on this forum, I am also fed-up with ATTs customer-no-service in their Support group. Their chat process is ridiculous: it takes 20 minutes to answer all the useless questions they ask. Once that's done it can take another 15 minutes to explain the problem, all to find out that the person on the other end hasn't been paying attention, and even if they did actually understand, can't solve the problem, and are organizationally powerless to do anything. In other words, they violate almost every principle of good customer service. Why can't I use email to communicate with Support? Chat doesn't work, and I not much happier placing a phone call. Why do your peephole ask dozens of irrelevant qualifying questions? I wouldn't be calling if I didn't have an account, and the fact that your systems don't talk to one another is ATTs problem, it shouldn't be mine. When I had Uverse installed, I hoped that ATT might surprise me compared to Comcast cable, which they replaced. I hoped for a plant surprise, and unfortunately I seem to have gotten an unpleasant one. At this pointpoint, I am close to going back to Comcast, because as bad as they were, ATT is appearing to be worse.
skeeterintexas
ACE - Expert
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28.3K Messages
11 years ago
See....I don't understand. I hardly EVER see EBS signals and I live in a HUGE metroplex (Dallas). I do believe there was one a month or two back but they are so few and far between, I can barely remember them.
Perhaps it is a local government problem.
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roemann
Tutor
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5 Messages
11 years ago
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dhascall
ACE - Master
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1.4K Messages
11 years ago
@roemann - Welcome! Don't be a stranger on the forums.
I don't watch TV 24/7, but I only see/hear about one EBS test per week, here in Indianapolis. That is good. The bad is that the sysyrem never kicks in when there is actual severe weather. That is very bad.
In your case, it sounds as if the "push" of a test/alert from a Governent agency could be broken, where it's triggering over and over OR there could be something wrong on AT&T's end (the receiving end). I would recommend that you send a private message to the escalation team at AT&T Customer Care, and someone will get in touch with you.
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roemann
Tutor
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5 Messages
11 years ago
I have wasted too much time already exchanging messages with ATT about this issue. They either deny the problem exists or blame it on someone else. They are worthless, as always.
Robert [edited for privacy – please do not post personal information]
Sandy Springs, GA
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dhascall
ACE - Master
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1.4K Messages
11 years ago
@roemann - you either want this resolved or you don't. This forum is mostly a peer to peerr (customer to customer) support mechanism. The best way to make sure that AT&T knows about this is to send a private message to the escalation team at AT&T Customer Care. If you want to simply complain you can do that but it will only make you feel better for a bit.
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roemann
Tutor
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5 Messages
11 years ago
I have exchanged over a dozen messages with the Customer Could-Care-Less team, a process that stretched over almost three weeks, because of their slow response. I related the result in my last message--if you can call the useless answers they gave a result.
My intent on posting here was to see if others had seen this problem, and achieved a solution. Clearly, based on your similarly useless and snarky message, I am wasting my time here, too.
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hex731
Scholar
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134 Messages
11 years ago
Sounds like you should go to another service.
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MissSea123
Contributor
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3 Messages
11 years ago
I thought the EBS is the state/county/city service; AT&T is just the conduit. I live in Orange County, CA, and we get them all the time for Amber Alerts and such, PLUS the weekly test on Wednesdays. I would possibly call your local police department, who might be able to send you to whomever does media liasons, but providers like AT&T are required by law to pass along useful information to citizens.
Maybe your local area is installing/working on its existing infrastructure? You say you live in Georgia. Hurricane season is on its way -- maybe they're trying to fix stuff so they avoid a debacle like last winter and the "snow that shut down a city" in Atlanta. ;D
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ThriftyBasher87
Contributor
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2 Messages
10 years ago
I live in Atlanta also. The amount of tests/alerts is redicious. It doesn't matter what the volume is set on your TV or what time of day it is. This morning it was 4:30AM. And it is not even a tone, IT'S A LOUD SCREEEEECH.
The engineers at ATT don't care, they blame it on the government. The government says that it is required. So every other day, I get this ear piercing screech resonating through my house.
I love my Uverse.
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lizdance40
ACE - Sage
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301 Messages
10 years ago
It seems to be a regional difference. I bet California has them often as well. We just don't have emergencies in Connecticut that often.
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skeeterintexas
ACE - Expert
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28.3K Messages
10 years ago
During tornado season we get them when necessary.
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ThriftyBasher87
Contributor
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2 Messages
10 years ago
The screech alert just went off again. That is the 2nd time this morning. The irony is that it is so loud and you are in such a hurry to shut it up that you don't take the time to read the message on the screen. So I don't know if it was another EBS test or if there is a thunder storm within 50 miles. Maybe some kid is missing in Florida.
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skeeterintexas
ACE - Expert
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28.3K Messages
10 years ago
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roemann
Tutor
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5 Messages
10 years ago
It may be a regional issue, but it's still extremely annoying!
Robert
Sandy Springs, GA
[Edited for privacy-please do not post personal or unique information such as but not limited to full names, employee ID numbers, email addresses, phone numbers, account numbers, etc.]
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