WTF with AT&T???

**rb336** · October-02-14, 08:35 PM

A friend of mine has had no service [[phone or internet) for TWO WEEKS. I thought it was absurd that when she first notified them that it would take 3 days, but that three days was up 10 days ago. Now they are claiming that they are still backed up from the floods. I call bullshit

**Crumbled_pavement** · October-02-14, 08:40 PM

My connection is very hokey. It's been that way all year. Sometimes I have very good connections, other times not. I often have to reboot my router.

**gazhekwe** · October-02-14, 08:41 PM

That happened to friends of ours last month way out in Napoleon. They were told the infrastructure was in need of repair but they were not going to make the repair until more people were out. It was two weeks. They switched to Comcast. We did the same thing, first at home, then at the office, for the exact same reason. They will not maintain their equipment for just one customer.

**Hypestyles** · October-02-14, 09:19 PM

there needs to be a co-carrier for metro Detroit. At least 3. split this up. the regional monopolies are horrible. Thanks, 1996 Telecommunications Act.

**Honky Tonk** · October-03-14, 04:40 AM

Originally Posted by gazhekwe

That happened to friends of ours last month way out in Napoleon. They were told the infrastructure was in need of repair but they were not going to make the repair until more people were out. It was two weeks. They switched to Comcast. We did the same thing, first at home, then at the office, for the exact same reason. They will not maintain their equipment for just one customer.

I had AT&T years ago, before they became Cingular. [[now they're back to being AT&T) It was a toss-up who provided the worse service, AT&T or Comcast.

**Scottathew** · October-03-14, 06:49 AM

I tried to get AT&T to quote me but they said I already had service at my address. When I explained to them that I didn't, they said it wasn't true.

I tried calling back 3 or 4 times and they kept telling me no quote because I already had service.

I finally gave up.

**Django** · October-03-14, 08:16 AM

Look up the Better Business Bureau online and make a complaint. I did that with AT&T a few years ago and AT&T asked me what they could do for me to make the complaint go away. I said I wanted a $200 credit and they said "No problem Mr. Django, is there anything else we can do for you" That was a years free internet. BTW they have close to $20 a month internet plans, you have to haggle with them but they do exist. It took me a good 10 minutes before the sales lady finally admitted they had a plan that cheap.

**Smirnoff** · October-03-14, 09:27 AM

File a complaint with the MI Public Service Commission [[MPSC).....

**Dan Wesson** · October-03-14, 10:58 AM

I got one of those bare bones internet plans with ATT but it keeps creeping up in price and the service get's worse.

What Gazhekwe said here is the exact same treatment I got recently.

**Honky Tonk** · October-03-14, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by Dan Wesson

I got one of those bare bones internet plans with ATT but it keeps creeping up in price and the service get's worse.

What Gazhekwe said here is the exact same treatment I got recently.

What gets me is they have no problem taking money "from just one customer".

**jt1** · October-03-14, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by gazhekwe

That happened to friends of ours last month way out in Napoleon. They were told the infrastructure was in need of repair but they were not going to make the repair until more people were out. It was two weeks. They switched to Comcast. We did the same thing, first at home, then at the office, for the exact same reason. They will not maintain their equipment for just one customer.

Funny that the people in far out places expect to have infrastructure maintained for a nominal amount of customers then bitch it is socialism and stealing from the taxpayers if Michigan improves infrastructure in Detroit 'where nobody lives'

Willi · October-03-14, 12:59 PM

AT&T is a greedy, greedy company who has NO problem enforcing fees, penalties, and billing
--BUT if you want some """service"" you'll wait till cows fly over pluto in the universe.
Try to buy an UN-locked phone in the USA and you are forced into buying via AT&T rules, etc.
The United States is all about monopolies, price fixing, gouging, and unfair free market profits.
Europe is sooooo far ahead of the USA in cellular technology, plans, pricing, customer service

**gazhekwe** · October-03-14, 04:01 PM

My friends do not complain about paying taxes to improve infrastructure. You cannot tar everyone with the same brush. The ten other people on that line were paying for their service as well, yet they had to wait til it actually failed to get AT&T to fix it. Even though AT&T knew it would fail in the near future, they would not take proactive action.

**douglasm** · October-03-14, 04:18 PM

Smirnoff might have the best idea. Out here, telephone service is considered a public utility, and there are rules governing how long it should take for them to restore service. Makes no difference who is the provider. We have our phone through our ISP, and by law they must restore service within3 days.

**Dumpling** · October-03-14, 04:27 PM

It appears that at&t wants to delete land line service in the not too distant future:

http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/in...e_telepho.html

My at&t tale of woe is lengthy but it was complicated by the at&t service technicians
arriving/having scheduled service time during two separate DTE power outages. Still, here's
my wish list for better customer service. 1.) Ask the customer to select an optimal
date for repair starting with such-and-such a date. As it is now one is given a date by their
phone robot. You need to be there that whole day long. THEN, and here is where I started
getting irritated, towards the end of that first day, in which I mostly stuck very close to home
in order to let the repair person in, I received a call from the phone robot that they couldn't make it that day, so they would come the next day. So 2.) By 10 am of the scheduled day
have the robot figure out that repair person can't make it that day. If it happens then
have a real person call to reschedule. Have a two hour window that second time. I had to draft a neighbor to let them in on the second day. The neighbor was there, the repair person was there, and that's when the first DTE power outage from high winds happened.
And 3.) Give your repair persons Sunday off. I wasn't expecting him/her on that day.

**Smirnoff** · October-03-14, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by douglasm

Smirnoff might have the best idea. Out here, telephone service is considered a public utility, and there are rules governing how long it should take for them to restore service. Makes no difference who is the provider. We have our phone through our ISP, and by law they must restore service within3 days.

The service providers "jump" when a complaint is filed with the MPSC......why, regulation & stiff fines that stick.

Willi · October-03-14, 06:34 PM

I will second Dumplings post.

This mantra of eliminating land lines by AT&T in Metro-Detroit was expressed to me,
in no uncertain terms , during a similiar situation with my elderly mom.
She won't get a cell phone and can barely figure out her current ""cordless"" landline phone.
When told it would take 3 or 4 days fix some fallen lines, she freaked out on the service rep.
I was there via speakerphone when they told her they simply had NO maintenance personal available as they cut staff drastically concerning wooden pole telephone infrastructure.
Thanks AT&T for sticking it to my mom, a loyal customer for 40 years. Thanks

**rb336** · October-04-14, 05:42 PM

This has been more than helpful, thank you

**Zacha341** · October-04-14, 10:02 PM

I still have a land-line. Though I have the service parred down to bare minimal. I don't like using my mobile at home. I think of it as an 'outside' use phone. I prefer the comfort of my cordless handset phones while doing things around the house -- while my mobile phone is charging.

**Dan Wesson** · October-05-14, 05:50 AM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

I still have a land-line. Though I have the service parred down to bare minimal. I don't like using my mobile at home. I think of it as an 'outside' use phone. I prefer the comfort of my cordless handset phones while doing things around the house -- while my mobile phone is charging.

I dumped the ATT phone land line, kept the ATT DSL and went to Magic Jack for the Cordless handset in the house. For something my wife can keep tabs w/ me I have a really bare bones Boost pay as you go 'shirt pocket' phone. She has a mobile my daughter pays for to keep tabs w/ Mom. That one texts and can take picks too!

Golly, what will they think of next !?

BTW, in my book Magic Jack rules...