PHONE COMPANY Shenanigans

This is a TRUE STORY...It's not incredibly suspenseful or scary.  It's actually, sadly, pretty friggin predictable.  I started not to name the company but decided that defeated the purpose of this post and I'm not publishing anything that isn't true.  

My mom has been retired getting close to 10 years and until this week, still hadn’t gotten herself a computer.  Although she has wanted one for a very long time, it was just an expense that wasn’t necessary and there are many of us who just can’t afford to splurge on items of luxury or pleasure.   Most people seriously can’t even imagine how lucky they are or know what it’s like doing without many things they take for granted on a daily basis.  Anyway, this year for her birthday, my mom finally decided to get herself a computer.  She had decided to go with her current phone carrier (who she had been with forever—literally) since I had numerous problems with my cable company since swapping over to them over a year ago.  She called her phone carrier, which now offered internet service as well (AT&T) and scheduled them to come out to hook up the internet.  They told her, or confused her enough, that she believed she needed to go buy a new phone, a “digital” phone because she was under the impression her own phone (not a rotary) wouldn’t work.  She told AT&T that she already had phone service with them and that nothing needed to be done to her phone.  She went anyway and bought her very first computer AND a new phone and spent several days getting more excited and ready for the internet to be hooked up.  When AT&T showed up to install the internet, they completely confused her and she found out that her phone was turned off completely.  She is extremely upset because she has had this same number for over 40 years (literally).  I had this same number ALL through school and anyone who may need to find either of us, has this old number.  Anyway, she was confused and upset because she said not only was the guy at her house was being ugly with her and when they got someone from AT&T on the phone so she could discuss her home phone being cut off, they not only yelled at her, but also said it couldn’t be hooked up for a couple of days and they weren’t sure if that old number would still be available.   It is absolutely ridiculous and if this is how AT&T does business, especially that they would not only yell at a customer, but an ELDERLY customer on top of that!  I really hope they lose some business.  

I was pretty mad when I heard what had happened but let you try to get a real person on the phone.  Seriously,  I think these companies keep you on hold for 20 minutes so that you forget why you’re calling or calm down by the time they get on the line.  I spent 24 minutes of my lunch “talking” through menus that couldn’t understand ME, then putting an employee on the line from who knows where that couldn’t even understand what I was talking about much less me understand HIS accent.  Then, after 24 minutes, he gave me ANOTHER number to call instead of transferring me which seemed very odd, to me.  I didn’t have enough time to make another call and then my mom told me later she would just forget the number she’s had for over 40 years because she hates AT&T and…well, there were some explicit words relating to her experience with AT&T that I will leave out at this time.

  

This isn’t the first time I’ve had issues with AT&T.  Up until a year ago, we had our cell phone service with AT&T.  The ONLY thing I liked about it was that we had roll over minutes that we never, ever used.  I rarely talk on the phone, but text and email a lot.  So there were always a gazillion minutes for my mother to use calling her siblings who are spread out.  With AT&T, I continued to have dropped calls and no service at places that should have had a signal, including many times at my house which is about a mile to TWO different AT&T stores.  When it was about a month shy of my 2 year contract being up on my phone (my mother’s phone was WAY past upgrading), my cell phone broke to the point that it would make more sense to get a new phone.  SO, since I had a month left on that contract, I decided to keep paying for those 2 phones with AT&T for another month just so they wouldn’t give me a hard time about canceling or issues about my contract.  In the meantime, I also went to Verizon, as EVERYONE kept telling me to go to Verizon because they had better service, especially in the country.  Well, I didn’t think Verizon was any cheaper, in fact, they were a little more for less minutes and data.  BUT, I needed to have service in the country and was tired of all the dropped and missed calls.  I signed up with Verizon and got both my mom and me new phones with temporary numbers until our contract at AT&T ran out the next month.  The next month, I waited 3 days after my contract had run out and had my number canceled at AT&T and swapped over to Verizon.  This was THREE DAYS after my contract ran out. 

AT&T, to this day, has harassed me on the phone, sent me ugly letters saying that even though I waited till after my contract was up, that I still owed another month.  I disputed their claim from day one!  I made SURE that everything was paid in full and my contract was up with AT&T before canceling them.  They continue to harass me and have sent this so called “debt” to a collection agency.  I would love to hear about yours or a family member’s issues with their phone, cable, internet or any other company that you have had problems with recently or in the past.  Let’s spread the word about these companies that continue to act ugly and treat their customers with disrespect!  Your friends and family listen to gripes more than you realize, especially when it’s time for them to make a decision concerning one of those issues.  Let your voice be heard!!