At&t Issues

[Callum]

I understand my current AT&T Wireless contract will expire in Sept 04. However, a few months ago, I purchased my last of several wireless telephones from AT&T. It is an expensive, $275 Motorola model, with the bells and whistles.

It worked ok for these few months, except for frequent disconnects. Today, most people I speak too all over Silicon valley regardless of where I am say that they cannot hear me. Its gotten much worse over the past month to be point it is becoming unusable. I reported it to AT&T yesterday and went into an AT&T as well. They tell me to buy yet again another telephone. I tell them it isn't the phone, it is the fact that they have outsold the bandwidth of their infrastructure's capabilities. Too many people getting very thinning slices of the pie so to speak. They tell me its my phone and we argue over it. I don't think they understand they are violating the laws of physics as well as making their customer's miserable. It isn't my phone and I don't want to buy another and the clerk on the line didn't want to make good on the warranty anyway as they say they will replace it with a rebuilt unit. I don't want a rebuilt unit. I want them to have a better quality and reliable wireless circuit that works so my phone is useable. I want to inform the authorities and I want to cancel my contract as I feel they are in a sense commiting fraud by telling people they have quality service when in fact the service sucks. Its been getting worse over the years, not better.

I also feel compelled to let the world know that their attitudes for their customers suck as much as their non reliable services. I am damn tried of my cell being constantly disconnected rudely when I am on the phone with a business collague or friend. I think it is reasoanble to expect that the person that I am calling can hear me clearly nor I should not be required to pay for crappy service. Contract or not. What do I do?  [email protected]

[Jaques]

Dear Terry,

AT&T Wireless is one of the worst cellular companies around.  I battled them for months when I had three phones for my mom's law practice.  If you bitch and scream every day you have a problem, they might take care of you.  Document everything in a notebook on on the computer.

I went through THREE different types of phones and it wasn't the phone, but the fact they don't build enough towers fast enough but keep signing up thousands of new people.  They are the AOL of the cellular industry:  Always turned off.

I suggest you file a complaint with the FCC:

FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureauhttp://wireless.fcc.gov/services/cellular/

Also:

Better Business Bureauhttp://www.bbb.org/bbbcomplaints/Welcome.asp

In addition, I know there are pending class action lawsuits against AT&T because I just proofread a deposition that involved something about overcharges.  You might find info on that here:

Big Class Actionhttp://www.bigclassaction.com/newsletters/

Last but not least, this is always a good general resource for consumer issues:

Consumer Action Handbookhttp://www.consumeraction.gov/

Please keep me posted.