1800CallATT - four collect calls totalling 50 minutes cost over $ 70

# 30 for September 23, 2003

Complaints.com received the following on September 22, 2003:

From:

RE: 1800CallATT - four collect calls totalling 50 minutes cost over $ 70 1800CALLATT. I was charged over $1.13 per minute, PLUS $3.99 per calls for the connection. Four collect calls totaling 50 minutes cost me over $70.00. We live in Phoenix, AZ, and when my husband traveled to Hartford, CT, he would call me collect.

After watching numerous "1800CALLATT for your collect calls/Free for you, Cheap for them" commercials, we thought we would use AT&T's service. After all, would Carrot Top lie? When I contacted AT&T, via email, about my concerns regarding the costs of their calls, I was basically told that since I was NOT a customer of AT&T's there was nothing they can do about the charges.

The reply went on to say that I should have checked their web site for their "prices" or dialed "0" for the operator to make the collect call. So, I called AT&T. When I told the customer service representative my dilemma, she questioned me about my long distance habits.

She advised me of the other ways AT&T could save me money, like I should have used an AT&T calling card instead of using 1800CALLATT. I reminded her that my call was about how much AT&T was charging me, not saving me, that's when she transferred me to a "Billing Specialist". The billing specialist was worse. Once again, she was trying to sell me AT&T's services.

I advised her that I was not interested in what AT&T had to offer me in the future, I wanted to know AT&T can do for me NOW. I brought up the fact that their web site stated that the per minute fee was .99 cents and that I was charged $1.13 per minute on an average. She told me that the "local provider" was charging us the rate and they had no control over those prices and we should have called an AT&T operator directly.

I thought we did that by using 1800CALLATT? I politely advised her that I would do my best not to use AT&T products and to let people know the truth about their "Free for you / Cheap for them" commercials. So, remember, 1800CALLATT, its "Free for them, but NOT cheap for you". Carrot Top - You should be ashamed.

Comment On This

I just got a bill for over $500 for a total of three collect calls. I was talking to my girlfriend in Maine for about a total of 3 hours all in all. $500 for 3 hours.

Before I told her she could collect call me I called AT&T inquiring about the rates. The person told me that the rates were "8 cents a minute" but she messed up and meant to say "$1.98 a minute"

So today I got this outrageous bill that I had thought was only going to be $30 at max. After calling customer service and informing them of my problem I was told there nothing they could do and I had to write the company directly, but he hung up without giving me the address.