Well I wanted to share the experiences i have had in the last few weeks...Though i have been a customer for over 4 years and not had any issues until this monster of a mess.
Thursday - 11-15
- Use the online chat to contact AT&T to transfer my service from my apartment to the my house, they get all my information and say that it will cost me $100 for new eqipment even though I am doing a "self install" and already have the router. I say that this is the dumbest thing i have heard and that I will just call in to speak with someone else.
- I call AT&T that evening, they say absolutly nothing about needing new equipment, however there is a $50 install fee now. I ask why i need to pay $50 for a "Self install", end up talking with a manager who explains that someone still has to come out to the property and "turn on" the service, even though they can turn it off remotely. I tell her she is full of it and i want to cancel everything.
- Magiclly, she puts me on hold and comes back with an offer of $18 off a month for 12 months and a $30 credit towards my install fee. I say ok lets book it!
- After putting in all the info and running it, she THEN notices that the previous owners of the house still have active service there and they can not do anything until they cancel. She says that AT&T will contact them and then call me with in 24 hours to confirm. I say OK.
Friday 11-16
- No call from AT&T yet so I contact my realtor and let him know what is happening with it, so he calls the previous owners realtor and has them contacted to shut off service. I get confirmation that they put in the order for it to be turned off that morning at 10:30am.
- I move in Friday/Saturday waiting and hoping that my internet will be turned on very soon.
Saturday 11-17
- After still not getting any type of call i try and call AT&T back that evening after getting moved in, to find out their hours are Mon-Fri. and that i need to call back.
Monday 11-19
- I call AT&T at 9:00am to confirm that the internet will be hooked up. They tell me that because of the "issue" of services that was still active the whole order had been canceled.
- I explain the situation and then they say that the order can be reactivated but an install will need to happen on 11-23 and can not be done sooner.
- I say i want to cancel all services.
- I then fill out the online "new customer" information and find out that I can get a 100% new internet connection costing the same per month as the "special" offer mentioned above and costing $100 for new equipment but ALSO get $100 visa in the mail 4-6 weeks later, so a FREE install and equipment. Nothing about this was mentioned in all of my previous communications.
Tuesday 11-20
- I sign up online as a new customer and just wait. HOWEVER, since i canceled i am now a new customer and have a longer waiting time.. and will now not get internet until TUESDAY the 27th.
- So i wait...
Thursday 11-22
- Even with the holiday I get my new customer package in the mail with new router and all the cables, etc.
Tuesday 11-27
- Service was to be activated by 8pm (according to the install instruction sheet i got in the mail)
- 8:00pm came and still a red light.. so I called into AT&T
- First, i give my account number as it is shown on the paperwork that came in my new customer box. "Account has been canceled" is what i am told. I say that this is what JUST came with the new equipment so i am not sure how that is possible. Well apparently the paperwork that came with my new equipment has mixed information on it, some from my new account some with my old.
- The rep looks up accounts by my phone number and finds the new one.
- Tech support said that activation is actually anytime between 8pm and 8am the next day. I asked why this was not anywhere on any of the instructions or anything,.. had no answer for it.
- I asked why it was not in the automated phone calls i got thet day and the day before.. had no answer.
- I asked what exactly we were waiting on, I was told that I needed to wait for the main office to switch the service on, "so i am waiting for someone to push a button?" "Yes" "Then why can't they do it right now and not in the next 12 hours?" ... no answer for it, just the way it works.
- I ask why i had to wait so many days IF it is just a matter of someone "turning it on" at the main office. "I am not sure" is what he tells me. Then backtracks and says that maybe someone had to come out to the house, but can not confirm if anyone did or will have to do so. (no idea how a work order of some kind is not directly linked to the account...Uhggg)
- So i wait...
Wednesday 11-28
- 7:30am i leave for work, still a red light (even after a full reset)
- I chat with someone online from AT&T when i get to work at 7:45.
- Told that i need to register my modem before it will work, BUT i have to do that at home on my connection with the modem on it. Apparently this will work even if i do not have internet working.
- I asked again why this was NOT a step on any of the instructions or calls, and why the rep i talked to the night before did not say anything about it.... no answer just "Sorry for the trouble"
- So, now i wait to get home and see if it will work... Then call in again when it does not.
I have really never had SO much trouble just trying to get a service installed. My entire house buying and closing was easier and faster then this process. It just blows my mind as to how unorganized it all seems, how i can get completely different answers depending on who i talk with, showing to me that there is no real process for this whole thing.
EDIT: I have also sent a PM to custoemr service with this same story, will et you know how it keeps unfolding.