My experience with AT&T and the Better Business Bureau

[cp2_4eva]

What's up folks. So recently I made a thread about how me or my wife were not able to buy a Lumia 920 at a couple AT&T stores FULL RETAIL pricing. Their claim was that their store only sold the phones on contract. I thought this was totally stupid so I filed a complaint to the AT&T customer service folks. I'm not sure how high it got, but I basically got an apology and I still wasn't able to get the phone I wanted full retail. I ended up getting a phone full retail 45 minutes away. Now the reason why I wanted to get the phones full price because like so many other windows phone people, I jumped on the L900 when it came out. Anyways, so after my frustrations, I decided to take matters up to the Better Business Bureau.

I remember a few member not liking the BBB for whatever reasons and I had to state that over the past 3 years, the BBB has help rectify many situations for me that I felt were bad business practices. I can't stand for a huge company to get over on the little men and women who help keep their companies going by buying their products. A week later I get a call from an AT&T rep about my case i filed with the BBB. She apologized and said she would get someone above her to look into it. Then a few days later they called my wife and apologized again and said that they would credit $100 dollars to our account for our troubles. Once again, the BBB has done me some sort of justice. The AT&T rep says there is NO written clause that says they will never deny a customer full retail pricing on a phone. She flat out said they were WRONG to do that. She said thanks for calling the BBB and giving them a chance to settle it and make up for in. They also called the stores we noted and told them that they aren't supposed to be denying the full retail pricing. Maybe they didn't go and tell them, but I still had the warm fuzzies and $100 off my next bill.

 

[Maserati Storm]

Are you serious!, i called bloody 5 stores and they said they dont sell it without a contract!, damn AT&T shysters -_-

 

[cp2_4eva]

Yeah, I don't know where that idea came from that they couldn't do it. Apparently stores are doing it. I heard a rumor they do it to keep their commissions coming in. Whatever the case is, the lady on the phone told us that they can't do it and anytime they do it then to call the managers manager and maybe they can settle it.

 

[aubreyq]

Nicely done, man. I think the issue is what others told you: AT&T retailers want to sell contracts so they claim they can't sell the phone outright, which is completely false. I wonder if the AT&T retail employees are worried about saving their job, like some do at Best Buy where they push those extended warranties like mad. The employees get measured on how many warranties they sell and sometimes their jobs are at stake based on those metrics.

 

[cp2_4eva]

While I sympathize with them trying to keep their jobs, I don't think there are that many people buying this phone or any other phone off contract like that. I could be wrong though. And even if that is the case, well they might want to think about getting a job that isn't quota based or something. I could never let a up and down market like wireless carriers dictate my livelyhood. Not knockin' those that do, but that just isn't me. They could also work for verizon where they probably worry less about all that.

 

[MacDaMachine]

Great example of people having the power. Especially cell phone carriers. Each one is trying to one up the other, with the wrong customer service any of the big three could fall.