ATT is Now Charging Fees for Discounts?
http://consumerist.com/5323897/att-charges-you-a-fee ... »
A consumerist reader who works with a company a company that gets a 25% discount from ATT tried to set up her discount after having signed a two year contract only to find out there would be a $36 activation fee for adding the discount.
From her letter:
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A consumerist reader who works with a company a company that gets a 25% discount from ATT tried to set up her discount after having signed a two year contract only to find out there would be a $36 activation fee for adding the discount.
From her letter:
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No problem, there is a store near my home. I called on Wednesday, and went to the store on Friday. I know they will want employment verification so I bring my name badge, photo id, the paper with the discount code. Go in and the man at the desk goes about setting me up. Then he says this "There is an activation fee of $36 to add this discount to your account."
I look at him sho
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If you add the discount within 2 weeks of activating service there is no extra fee. This $36 enrollment fee is a little crazy but it gets sales people in the habit of making sure all qualifying individuals recieve the discount at the point of activation. All in all its still a win win for most customers. To pay the enrollment fee and break even in 3 months and further save $150 or more a year for most customers is still very good. The argument here is that at&t is probably the only one charging for such a fee...for now.
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Hmm...36 dollars activation fee...save a hundred dollars off my bill this year.
And the year after that.
And the year after that.
And the year after that.
Overall you still save money. Most of the time you will save 36 dollars in 3-4 months.
This has been in effect for about 3 weeks. I can't remember the exact date it went into effect.
And the year after that.
And the year after that.
And the year after that.
Overall you still save money. Most of the time you will save 36 dollars in 3-4 months.
This has been in effect for about 3 weeks. I can't remember the exact date it went into effect.
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That doesn't make any sense to charge a fee to the customer to encourage then to do something right.
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😳 😳 I cant believe that they would charge you to place a discount on your account. it just doesnt make sense. Here is your discount and also a $36 charge for setting that up for you. That is just crazy. I would give them the finger if you are within the trial period and can cancel for free. It is just nuts why pay for a discount.
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you dont pay the fee for new activations; on family talk plans its charged once to the primary if the account has 5 individual plans it is charged 5 times. This is a convenience fee to add a discount; and AT&T did notify the HR departments and contacts of all employers of this change and gave them 30 days to negotiate a waiver of the fee. It is not AT&T's fault that the HR coordinator sat on it.
I think its a fair fee. I had to pay a fee for a ride pass for the fair...
Most contracts give MORE discounts on already subsidized phones and alot of the contracts have waived activation and upgrade fees negotiated.
I think its a fair fee. I had to pay a fee for a ride pass for the fair...
Most contracts give MORE discounts on already subsidized phones and alot of the contracts have waived activation and upgrade fees negotiated.
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Stop using logic texas!
If that fee is legit its asinine. I don't know any other carrier that charges customers for adding a discount.
GREED
If that fee is legit its asinine. I don't know any other carrier that charges customers for adding a discount.
GREED
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Like I said, it is a little crazy. As a salesperson though I make sure to get any applicable discounts on a customers account before the fee would be in place to avoid such a headache.
I think this is absolutely hilarious that at&t would start charging this fee after putting us through a 4 hour training on how we can bring at&t up from the bottom of the jd power rankings in customer service.
I think this is absolutely hilarious that at&t would start charging this fee after putting us through a 4 hour training on how we can bring at&t up from the bottom of the jd power rankings in customer service.
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Heck they trained on us this fee over 1 month ago. We knew it was going into effect about 30 days before it did. I don't agree with it but oh well, gotta make money for the company.
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It was not done to punish the customer, but to keep the reps from putting the CocaCola discount on everyones plans. One of the memos that I read said that 60% of all customer who have discounts have the Coca Cola discount (28% no fees)
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So how does this stop the reps from putting on the coca cola discount? It doesn't.
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I don't know about elsewhere, but here we have a form that we have to fax in, along with proof of employment and drivers license. So you can only add the discount for the customer that they have employment proof for.
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We have the same form here, except the fax # never seems to work. But people can still add on the discount regardless of what proof they supply and unless at&t audits the accounts regularly it might still happen. I've seen a bigger push by at&t to snuff out fake fan #'s lately which is a good thing. They should really start firing the idiots who are breaking the rules.
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This program is kind of cheesy, especially since ATT has emphasized to us lately to be sure to ask a customer where he/she works to apply any discounts that they are eligible for.
A couple of things that I have read about the "Sponsorship" fee. First of all, it was started about 30 days ago. So salespeople and care reps should not just be running into it.
Secondly, the fee is not charged if you add the FAN number within 30 days of activation. So any new activations, be sure to question the customer and get the discount set up ASAP.
I have also read on CSP that if you add the discount at the time of Upgrade, then the $18 Upgrade fee is waived.That way the customer is not double dipped for fees.
A couple of things that I have read about the "Sponsorship" fee. First of all, it was started about 30 days ago. So salespeople and care reps should not just be running into it.
Secondly, the fee is not charged if you add the FAN number within 30 days of activation. So any new activations, be sure to question the customer and get the discount set up ASAP.
I have also read on CSP that if you add the discount at the time of Upgrade, then the $18 Upgrade fee is waived.That way the customer is not double dipped for fees.
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