AT&T Wireless Customer Service

[MotionMan]

This is a negative and positive story about AT&T Wireless Customer Service.

This past January, after my uncle became ill and had to move into a group home, I added him to my AT&T Share Plan with a dumb phone and a MyFi (The home did not provide phone or internet service in the rooms).

My uncle died late last month. Soon thereafter I was near an AT&T store, went in and asked about removing the phone and MyFi from the account without a penalty. The CS said it would be no problem, just bring in the death certificate and it would be taken care of.

We received the death certificate yesterday, so today I went to an AT&T store (not the same one as above), presented the certificate and asked that the phone and MyFi be removed from the account.

(Now, if he had done that with no issues, this would not be much of a thread, would it?)

Once he pulled up the account info on the screen, he got a funny look on his face and asked who "owned" the account. I told him (again) that it was my account, but that my uncle had the two items on the account.

He said he would have to check with the manager, went in the back room and returned to tell me that they could not remove the items without a charge since I, not the deceased, is financially responsible for the account. After a brief idiotic discussion, I left the store.

I called AT&T from my car, explained the situation and after a few minutes (and after many expressions of condolences), they had removed both items, retroactive to the date of death, without any penalty, fees or even needing a copy of the death certificate.

It ended up a win, but AT&T needs to better train their CS and store managers.

On a side note, credit card companies and banks also need to better train their people to handle the deaths of clients. Many of them clearly have no idea what to do. This results in a lot of wasted time for the family member (in this case, me).

MotionMan

 

[compman25]

Not that I'm defending AT&T, but was it a corporate store or a reseller? just interested to know.

 

[MotionMan]

Not that I'm defending AT&T, but was it a corporate store or a reseller? just interested to know.

Both of the stores I went to were corporate stores.

MotionMan

 

[khha4113]

This is a negative and positive story about AT&T Wireless Customer Service.

This past January, after my uncle became ill and had to move into a group home, I added him to my AT&T Share Plan with a dumb phone and a MyFi (The home did not provide phone or internet service in the rooms).

My uncle died late last month. Soon thereafter I was near an AT&T store, went in and asked about removing the phone and MyFi from the account without a penalty. The CS said it would be no problem, just bring in the death certificate and it would be taken care of.

We received the death certificate yesterday, so today I went to an AT&T store (not the same one as above), presented the certificate and asked that the phone and MyFi be removed from the account.

(Now, if he had done that with no issues, this would not be much of a thread, would it?)

Once he pulled up the account info on the screen, he got a funny look on his face and asked who "owned" the account. I told him (again) that it was my account, but that my uncle had the two items on the account.

He said he would have to check with the manager, went in the back room and returned to tell me that they could not remove the items without a charge since I, not the deceased, is financially responsible for the account. After a brief idiotic discussion, I left the store.

I called AT&T from my car, explained the situation and after a few minutes (and after many expressions of condolences), they had removed both items, retroactive to the date of death, without any penalty, fees or even needing a copy of the death certificate.

It ended up a win, but AT&T needs to better train their CS and store managers.

On a side note, credit card companies and banks also need to better train their people to handle the deaths of clients. Many of them clearly have no idea what to do. This results in a lot of wasted time for the family member (in this case, me).

MotionMan

Agreed. Recently, I upgraded my family plan and my local AT&T store insisted in charging upgrade fees on my 3 phones ($36 each). I went online chat to AT&T Customer services, and they waived those fees as well as gave discount 50% off for unlimited text messaging (I used to have 1000txt/$10 so monthly charge is the same as before).

 

[iahk]

Just a big FYI to everyone here, if you want stuff taken care of properly on your account with the carriers, call into customer support rather than going into a store. Especially if it's something more complex than adding/removing features and/or device purchases.

Customer services reps at the call center get extensive training in the more complex issues and mostly know the proper procedures like the back of their hand. If they don't, they're not shy to transfer you to someone who can. Store reps get completely different training and probably find it burdensome to call into customer service for you.

 

[Chocu1a]

This is a negative and positive story about AT&T Wireless Customer Service.

This past January, after my uncle became ill and had to move into a group home, I added him to my AT&T Share Plan with a dumb phone and a MyFi (The home did not provide phone or internet service in the rooms).

My uncle died late last month. Soon thereafter I was near an AT&T store, went in and asked about removing the phone and MyFi from the account without a penalty. The CS said it would be no problem, just bring in the death certificate and it would be taken care of.

We received the death certificate yesterday, so today I went to an AT&T store (not the same one as above), presented the certificate and asked that the phone and MyFi be removed from the account.

(Now, if he had done that with no issues, this would not be much of a thread, would it?)

Once he pulled up the account info on the screen, he got a funny look on his face and asked who "owned" the account. I told him (again) that it was my account, but that my uncle had the two items on the account.

He said he would have to check with the manager, went in the back room and returned to tell me that they could not remove the items without a charge since I, not the deceased, is financially responsible for the account. After a brief idiotic discussion, I left the store.

I called AT&T from my car, explained the situation and after a few minutes (and after many expressions of condolences), they had removed both items, retroactive to the date of death, without any penalty, fees or even needing a copy of the death certificate.

It ended up a win, but AT&T needs to better train their CS and store managers.

On a side note, credit card companies and banks also need to better train their people to handle the deaths of clients. Many of them clearly have no idea what to do. This results in a lot of wasted time for the family member (in this case, me).

MotionMan

Similar thing happened with my mother in law. After her husband died, she called Mercedes to have his name removed from the car title. They told her they needed a copy of his death certificate & Will. Wtf do they need a copy of the will for. She told them to fuck off & come pick up the Mercedes.

 

[ibex333]

Motion Man, it seems to be some sort of a rule, that in-store the ATT reps are complete assholes, and on the phone they are quite nice.

Let me give you a few examples...

I been managing our family account for years. I pay all the bills, I make all the calls, and all the upgrades. Parents just don't want to deal with any of it and they want me to take care of things. Many times when I called to do this or that, I thought that there would be issues, since my dad is the primary owner of the account but ATT always let me make ANY changes on the account I wanted. I never posed as my dad, always told them my name, but they never gave me a hard time since we obviously have the same last name and I have all the passwords.

Anyway, when I last went to the ATT store, the guy working there refused to exchange my phone for another one(which I recently upgraded to) because I am not the prmary guy on the account. That's BS I said... I called many times before, upgraded many phones, exchanged phones, made changes on the account, etc, etc. No one EVER had a problem with that, but now all of a sudden, it's NOT ok. WTF? Anyway, once the issue was taken care of and I came back to exchange the phone, the bitch working there was obviously taking me for a complete idiot... She lied to me and said I MUST get the upgraded insurance pack, because ATT no longer offers the regular one. I asked her several times if she was sure, and she confirmed it again. I told her this can be true, I know it for a fact! She still held her ground and told me its the only option. Ok so she put the extra fees on my account.... Before I left, the bitch told me I should sell them my old iPhone 4S, and if I agree they MIGHT EVEN give me as much as $100! She sounded like they were saving me and doing me a huge favor. I smirked, said thanks and left...

I can easily get $250 and up to $300 for a 4S in such a pristine condition.


When I came back home, I called ATT they off course confirmed that the girl in store gave me wrong information. They apologized and took off the extra insurance pack and refunded me the fees.

The people working in these stores are like sharks. They will go to any extent to get a few more dollars out of you, and they will talk to you always assuming that you are a herb and a complete imbecile. That's what upsets me the most. This assumption.

I really hope a customer comes in one day who will teach them some respect for the customers.

 

[MotionMan]

Motion Man, it seems to be some sort of a rule, that in-store the ATT reps are complete assholes, and on the phone they are quite nice.

The CS I spoke to at the first store was very nice and had given me the correct information. She had helped me previously when I did our most recent upgrade/phone swapping.

It was the CS at the second store who dropped the ball. I was tempted to call 611 while standing in the store because I knew it would get resolved, but I was too angry to hang around there any further.

That being said, I think YMMV, but, yes, in general, the phone CS seem to be much better at their jobs than the in-store CS.

MotionMan

 

[MotionMan]

my dad is the primary owner of the account but ATT always let me make ANY changes on the account I wanted. I never posed as my dad, always told them my name, but they never gave me a hard time since we obviously have the same last name and I have all the passwords.

You and your dad should go through the minimal effort of getting him on the phone with AT&T and officially giving you G-d Powers on the account. One day, it may come in handy.

My wife would never do a thing on our account, but she has G-d Powers, just in case.

MotionMan

 

[iahk]

Just go to online account management and add yourself as an Authorized User (might say Retail Authorized User). I think you can have up to 2 per account. No phone call necessary.

All you have to do to verify yourself at the store after this is show them your ID.

 

[ibex333]

You and your dad should go through the minimal effort of getting him on the phone with AT&T and officially giving you G-d Powers on the account. One day, it may come in handy.

My wife would never do a thing on our account, but she has G-d Powers, just in case.

MotionMan

Well, in my case it is not a minimal effort at all, given the father is constantly at work, and has no time to call ATT, and the fact that he hates making this kind of calls. ; )


We did what we were supposed to do course, and made me the "authorized" guy. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to exchange the phone. I understand your point, and off course I should be a good, and law-abiding citizen, but what pisses me off is the lack of consistency on ATT's behalf. If they are so concerned about peoples security, they should have never let me handle the account any way I wanted to, without making sure I am the primary person on the account. They were always fully aware I am not, yet they were always ok with it. Suddenly in-store it is not ok. Where is any sense in that?

There is no sense in that, just as there is no sense in a bank asking a father to "confirm" giving a check to his son for college fees and later still making the father and son jump through several "security" hoops just to deposit that check to the sons account.

Anyway, I am going into a different topic. Sorry about that.

But even if I am wrong about the whole security thing, you gotta admit it's not cool how I was clearly lied to about the phone insurance.

 

[MotionMan]

We did what we were supposed to do course, and made me the "authorized" guy. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to exchange the phone.

If you mentioned that before, I missed it. Your original post made it sound like you were not authorized on the account. If you are authorized, then there is not much else you can do (I am the primary on our account, but my wife is authorized to anything she wants, i.e. G-d Powers).

Sounds like you just got a bad-seed CS, just like I did.

MotionMan