11.09.2007
11.07.2007
Why I am ready to leave AT&T
AT&T will not have my service for much longer. They are a bunch of money hungry you know whats!!
I have been a customer for many years. I recived my last bill and the prices are ridiculous. Start with my main phone. I was paying $31.00/month for the Complete Choice package that includes unlimited local and most features that they offer. I was also paying $23.99/month for unlimited long distance. That should come out to be $54.99 but my bill is $71.25. The rest ($16.26) is in taxes and fees. I don't use the long distance that much since I have a cell phone and many of the features I don't use either.
Time to change. I go online to make the changes. I choose the Preferred Pack Plan which includes unlimited local and 5 features (the ones that I uses) for $28.00/month. I choose the One Rate Basic Plan for long distance which is $0.12/minute with no monthly fee. Basically I should be saving $26.99 before taxes and fees.
Now here is my problem... I am charged $1.00 for making the changes, no big deal. When I print my confirmation, I notice one feature was not taken off my account and it cost $7.00/month. I cannot remove it online, so I have to call them. After calling them, and getting through the push 1 for this, etc. including telling it 3 different times I wanted English, I am told that it is not on my account. They recheck and tell me that it is and they will remove it. Then I bring up the $1.00 charge. I ask what it is for. I am told, since I am not a Complete Choice customer, I am charged for any changes to my account and that the fee really is a little over $5.00.
I don't understand how they can justify the fee for changing my service when there is nothing that they have to do... everything was done online without any human interaction. The fees, they are a joke too.
On the local service:
$4.68 in local, state, and federal taxes and fees (I am fine with these)
$6.50 FCC Authorized Charge for Network Access
$0.73 Fed Univ Svc Chrg
On my long distance service:
$1.79 NC - State/Local Tax (I am fine with this)
$0.99 Carrier Cost Recovery Fee (Isn't this part of my regular fee?)
$1.59 Federal Universal Service Fund Fee (What me paying it on my local service isn't enough?)
OK, that is on my main line... did I mention that I have 2 lines?
My second line is my "data" line that I use for faxing and my DSL. It is a basic line with unlimited local service only ($18.75) and 3MB DSL ($37.95).
So lets look at taxes and fees again.
$3.47 in local, state, and federal taxes and fees (again, I am fine with these)
$6.50 FCC Authorized Charge for Network Access
$0.71 Fed Univ Svc Chrg
To sum it up. I pay $26.96 per month in taxes and fees on my two lines.
I didn't even mention that even after paying all of these fees to upgrade their system and to keep it up to date, I still cannot get 6MB DSL. I have been told for over 2 years this is because their computer will not let them turn it on for me, even though the technicians have checked my line and I do have the ability and bandwidth, it is just a matter of allowing 6MB service to my account.
I have been a customer for many years. I recived my last bill and the prices are ridiculous. Start with my main phone. I was paying $31.00/month for the Complete Choice package that includes unlimited local and most features that they offer. I was also paying $23.99/month for unlimited long distance. That should come out to be $54.99 but my bill is $71.25. The rest ($16.26) is in taxes and fees. I don't use the long distance that much since I have a cell phone and many of the features I don't use either.
Time to change. I go online to make the changes. I choose the Preferred Pack Plan which includes unlimited local and 5 features (the ones that I uses) for $28.00/month. I choose the One Rate Basic Plan for long distance which is $0.12/minute with no monthly fee. Basically I should be saving $26.99 before taxes and fees.
Now here is my problem... I am charged $1.00 for making the changes, no big deal. When I print my confirmation, I notice one feature was not taken off my account and it cost $7.00/month. I cannot remove it online, so I have to call them. After calling them, and getting through the push 1 for this, etc. including telling it 3 different times I wanted English, I am told that it is not on my account. They recheck and tell me that it is and they will remove it. Then I bring up the $1.00 charge. I ask what it is for. I am told, since I am not a Complete Choice customer, I am charged for any changes to my account and that the fee really is a little over $5.00.
I don't understand how they can justify the fee for changing my service when there is nothing that they have to do... everything was done online without any human interaction. The fees, they are a joke too.
On the local service:
$4.68 in local, state, and federal taxes and fees (I am fine with these)
$6.50 FCC Authorized Charge for Network Access
$0.73 Fed Univ Svc Chrg
On my long distance service:
$1.79 NC - State/Local Tax (I am fine with this)
$0.99 Carrier Cost Recovery Fee (Isn't this part of my regular fee?)
$1.59 Federal Universal Service Fund Fee (What me paying it on my local service isn't enough?)
OK, that is on my main line... did I mention that I have 2 lines?
My second line is my "data" line that I use for faxing and my DSL. It is a basic line with unlimited local service only ($18.75) and 3MB DSL ($37.95).
So lets look at taxes and fees again.
$3.47 in local, state, and federal taxes and fees (again, I am fine with these)
$6.50 FCC Authorized Charge for Network Access
$0.71 Fed Univ Svc Chrg
To sum it up. I pay $26.96 per month in taxes and fees on my two lines.
I didn't even mention that even after paying all of these fees to upgrade their system and to keep it up to date, I still cannot get 6MB DSL. I have been told for over 2 years this is because their computer will not let them turn it on for me, even though the technicians have checked my line and I do have the ability and bandwidth, it is just a matter of allowing 6MB service to my account.
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