I’m leaving after 20 years.

I’ve had AT&T wireless since Feb 2004. I have 11 lines and spend just shy of $7k a year and I am fed up. I called in October 2023 to have a 12th line turned off as we no longer needed it. The lady on the phone told me that if instead I added a hotspot, their promotion would allow my bill to go down by $10, and the equipment was free. 

I made her repeat this 4 times. I wanted it to be crystal clear what she was saying as I did not believe her. 

I was right.

My bill went up significantly. I called 2 months later to figure out why. I was given an apology and a nonsensical explanation, something about account credits, and equipment rebates. I was promised it would be corrected going forward and I would be given a refund. A refund was given and for one month my bill was back to normal, I thought for good.

Fast forward to last week. I am in the Yukon Territory of Canada and call to confirm international data on my primary phone line and the dreaded hotspot. 

The agent on the phone says I can have the unlimited data on the phone for free for the next 4 days (all I needed) and the hotspot will only cost $30. I agree. While reading his disclosure it becomes clear he has added a new, larger, and more expensive hotspot!

While I’m stuck in rural nowhere Canada with barely a signal this donky-hole has mailed a different device to my mailing address instead of activating the one I had with me.

I was very clear the situation I was in and what I needed. This guy took the opportunity to upsell me a device and service he knew I clearly couldn’t use and didn’t want. I refused the confirmation email and try to call back and sort this out, but I’m in the Yukon and that’s not easy.

During this fiasco I also found out that my bill went back to normal for only one month. Now I’m back in the states and go to an AT&T store in person to finally get all this settled. They tell me they cannot change my plan, or cancel any service… I must call the phone number to get help. So here I am typing this out on my phone 1 HOUR into my customer service phone call. She cannot explain why my bill has gone up $100 a month, and next month I will be charged $376 for the hotspot. First she told me that my bill went up because I wasn’t using a debit card for autopay… except that I am, and have been for 13 years… same account, every month. Then she tried to tell me that it had to do with my non-enrollment in paperless billing… except that I am, and have been for 13 years. 

So it looks like cancelling a 12th line has ultimately caused my bill to go up $100 a month, and $376 for an electronic trinket I never wanted. I have never seen such a dishonest and purposely deceitful set of circumstances.

I can’t believe after 20 years, when my vacation is over and I get back home, I am going shopping for new providers.