AT and T telephone

AT a& T telephone service

Oakland, CA

It all started about five months before my father moved out of his rental due to it being sold. They were sending my father who is a senior citizen bills and mind you he was on the lifeline service plan. His normal bills for years would be no more than 5 or so dollars a month. Around that price. Then he mentioned to me that his bills were getting higher. When I called for my father. We found out some unknown person has put computer related email call charges on his phone bill without his knowledge or consent. Those figures added roughly about 75.00 out of his pocket. I called the service lady at AT and T and told her he needed to be reumbursed and those were unorthorized. She agreed to file the dispute and that my father would receive a check for the amount after she submitted to another department so they could figure out the taxes part.

Also when my father moved. He asked them to forward his same phone number to the new location. That was never carried out. There was back and forth with calling them to ask when it would get turned on at the new location. Then he was told he needed inside wiring. He had that checked out and found out it was not the inside wiring. Meanwhile they were adding some bogus charged to his bill for not even having a phone! I called the lady and spoke with the technical dept that went out to investigate. They did indeed agree that it was a wire that was defective on their part. I spoke with the lady at AT and T and told her all this and she said that he would get another bill and to avoid paying it. That he would get a check soon afterwards. That was not the case. Also when my father moved. They stated he owed them seventy dollars before they would turn the phone on. That my father paid. On to the story.

He never got a check for the seventy five dollars of bogus charges on his phone bill. He never got all the charges off for not having phone service since he moved. They were trying to charge for that. Crazy but yes.

Meanwhile I had to turn on my phone. I went with this company. My bills have been 75.00 a month just using it for dial up for my computer. I applied for the lifeline service myself. And they keep stating they didn't receive it so they sent out another one. Then I filled that one out and sent back and they state it was three days late past the due date. Therefore they don't elect to send me another lifeline form and they are charging me fines for not receiving it? 21.00 for not getting the form in time. Weird. However I submitted the complaints over to the puc to investigate. My father got a twenty dollar check in the mail from AT and T???

Where the seventy five and seventy he paid? And my bill is higher than the cell phones I own. Its up to seventy here and there a month. And when I tell them that I just use it for dial up for my aol and I haven't even dialed any toll and long distance at all. Why is the bill so high???????????????????????

They say well I see this one charge for not receiving your lifeline form. They are charging me??? For not receiving a lifeline form???????????? A charge here and there. And they can't explain the rest to me. And the weird part is. Where is the PUC to determine and help us??? Why did my father only receive a twenty dollar check? Can they add?????????

Meanwhile they state to me really rude with a care less attitude. The forms get handled elsewhere for the qualifying for the lifeline service. And we can only send out so many. But after speaking with the girl at the lifeline service. She states that isn't true. Call the phone company and ask for another one and re submit it. Regardless I have to take my business elsewhere. I refuse to pay willingly to being just plain ripped off.

I would not recommend their ripp off practices to anyone. And I am highly upset with the PUC for not handling the complaints fairly either. I am calling the puc today to personally direct my frustration about this company or channel seven on your side.

Tracy Reyna

Oakland, CA