I'm loaning $100 to AT&T while they freeze my upgrade

on 7/20 I placed an online upgrade order for a phone on my account. My friend uses the line & his phone has been malfunctioning for some time. We finally had the money for the upgrade. I requested it be shipped to his apt to save myself a trip. I checked the address several times. Received confirmation email immediately following placement of order.

On 7/21, phone shipped via UPS. Received an email stating phone had shipped, with 2-day shipping. Notified my friend it would be arriving, money was deducted from my account, and I didn't hear anything else so I thought all had gone according to plan. On 7/28, my friend contacted me saying the phone had not arrived. I checked the UPS tracking & saw that the phone had been delivered to Ft. Worth, TX instead of the destination of Riverside, CA. Called UPS & they informed me that when the package went out for delivery in Riverside, address was missing the apartment number. They notified the shipper to attempt to get an apt number, and the shipper requested the package be returned to them. I immediately called AT&T, & customer service transferred me to the "e-store" center because it was an online order. The "e-store" had no record, and the rep realized that since I am a business customer I needed to be transferred to the Premier customer service center. I was transferred, and the message said there would be a 20-minute wait. Few seconds later, message came on saying "technical difficulties, please try your call again later," and the connection was killed. Tried calling back several times over the next hour, with same outcome. Then called the regular customer service number back & the rep offered to call himself and connect me directly. He came back on the line and said the Premier store closed at 6pm Pacific and that was the reason I couldn't get through. I would need to call back in the morning.

I called from work the next day, held for 20 minutes, the rep I spoke with said that the phone was returned because UPS does not allow the shipper to add an apt number while the package is in transit, and that once the phone had been received in their warehouse, I would receive a refund after 2 weeks and that my upgrade would also be reset at that time. He said that if I wanted the item shipped out again he would need to charge me for it (a second time). I told him to cancel the order and I'd go to the store in person.

After almost a week of not hearing anything I called again on Monday, 8/3, held for 45mins. That rep also said it would be 2 weeks before a refund would be submitted, and that the upgrade would reset 72hrs after the phone was received by them. I informed him that they'd had the phone since 8/28. He checked the tracking # and confirmed. I pointed out that 72hrs would've been the previous Friday, and he said he'd submit a request and that it would be reset 24 hours from our conversation.

I emailed customer service, hoping to get a better response. Was told the phone had not been received by their warehouse and that once it is received it will be 2 weeks til they submit the refund and 24hrs for the upgrade to reset. I was told that even though the phone was returned to Ft. Worth a week prior, it had not been received by the warehouse and I have to wait.

AT&T made the mistake of not including the apt number when they shipped. I've had no apology, they are holding my $ and freezing my upgrade because they screwed up, and they did not even notify me of any problems, I had to contact them.