AT&T Broadband Cable Service Billing Problems - following merger with Comcast

Complaints.com received the following consumer message on March 13, 2002:

From: Renee Roberts [Email User]

AT&T Broadband Cable Service Billing Problems - following merger with Comcast

AT&T Broadband "merged" with Comcast. And problems have been rampant ever since. First, customer service hours have been cut. There is no human available after 10pm. This is, to me, a mistake. Especially since I am trying to get things done, often late at night. Like paying bills. Last night (March 12), I remembered that I needed to pay my cable bill (or it would be disconnected). We are on a fixed income, so I have to sometimes wait until the last minute to make payments. I called the number I have always called... 916-927-3300. I was then directed to call 800-824-2000. I tried to get to a human, to no avail. So, I decided to try their "fast" automated payment system.

Pay by credit card, and all is well! Right... I made my payment of $155.00 through their automated system, expecting to hear after the credit authorization that the payment rendered all well. Instead, I hear, "Your payment will be posted the next business day". I expected it to be posted today. Cable was still working when I left my house this morning, so I *ASSUMED* the payment was posted. WRONG! I went out for a few hours, came back, and found my cable turned off. So, I call AT&T and ask what's going on. The rep tells me that my payment was denied. WRONG! I knew it wasn't. She told me, "Well, if you have PROOF that the charge went through your bank, we will turn it back on". I told her that credit card payments are pulled and a hold put for the amount. She said, "Well, you have to fax it to us, otherwise we can't do anything.". I asked to speak to her supervisor. Her supervisor came on the line. Her name was Barb. She would not give me a last name or extension. I told her the whole thing. She told me if I could PROVE that the payment was through my account, she would re-activate my service immediately. So, I put her on hold, called my bank, and then three-way'd the call.

When a rep for my bank came on the line, I gave her my account number, told her that a rep from AT&T was also on the line, and gave her my verification info. I asked her if there was a transaction from

AT&T for $155. She quoted to the Barb and to me that, Yes, there was a charge that went through this morning for $155.00 even to AT&T Broadband.

I asked Barb if she heard that, and she said, "Yes". I told my bank thank you, and they hung up. Barb put me on hold, came back on and said she could not put service back on, even though she verified the charge went through, and even though she promised it. She told me that a co-worker told her she could not do it, EVEN WITH PROOF! She said that, until the payment showed on her computer, she could not do anything. End of story. Tough luck. Go away. I told her that she lied to me, she promised it, and I expected her to keep her promise. I told her I wanted to speak to her supervisor. She stated that "Brad" was not in, and would not be in. She told me that she was in

charge of AT&T Broadband at that location. She assured me that she would "check on my account every few hours" to see if it posted, but that was all she could do. I reiterated that that it was flat out wrong to promise

something, and then refuse to honor that promise! Their slow computer is not my fault! In the State of California, if there is a delay in posting a payment, it must be declared BEFORE the transaction is processed, not after. AT&T did not do this. They did not restore my service even when there was proof that I paid. Whatever happened to TRUSTING THE CUSTOMER and to GOOD CUSTOMER

SERVICE? AT&T sure seems to not believe in either.

With a monopoly, they treat their customers lousy. Cutting back hours for customer service reps, and not allowing them to make a situation right (or not teaching them HOW to do it) is pure and simple bad business. I want AT&T to: 1. Restore my service IMMEDIATELY

2. Apply my payment

3. Remove ALL late fees resulting from their delay.

4. Correct their automated payment system to announce that payments will be

delayed BEFORE customers make the payment, not after. Renee Roberts

Antelope, CA 95843-4924