</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ( At some time in the future, someone will be reasonable and make a settlement. ) )</font>
You would think so. But at least with ATT it probably never will happen. There is a SYSTEM, utterly devoid of human reason, let alone courtesy or compassion.
We got into a horrific dispute with ATT about ten years ago, over a bill that we did not owe. We had been an 800 number customer for more than 10 years, and in that time paid them at least $10,000 in fees. We finally changed providers to save money. ATT claimed we had to pay for a full additional year due to a "contract." It was one of the idiotic bogus deals. We also demanded that they provide a copy of the “contract”. They never could. But they go after you anyway.
Without going into the mind-numbing details, suffice it to say that we called and wrote and wrote and called --- for FIVE YEARS. We could not get it resolved. Virtually every contact, verbal or written, was to a different person in another office, in another state, and ultimately, in other COUNTRIES!
Finally, just by happenstance, we became good friends with a couple from New Jersey, who -- lo and behold -- worked for ATT. In fact, believe it not, the lady's actual JOB, was the SUPERVISOR of resolving customer complaints! Naturally, we related our tale of woe. She dutifully took down all of the details and confidently told us that she would "get it taken care of."
Almost nine months later, she too, GAVE UP.
But wait, the story is not quite over. I went to Wabash College, which it happens is also where a man by the name of Robert Allen attended. At the time of my problems, he was the President and CEO of ATT. He was serving as President of the College Board of Trustees. Due to some work I did on college committees, I had his personal home and office phone and fax numbers. Tee hee!
Just for the HECK of it, I called his personal office number and got his assistant. I related my collegiate relationship with her boss, and asked her help. She was very apologetic, and warm, and promised she would indeed get things moving to solve this terrible breach of common sense. I never heard from her or her boss again.
It is an almost mystical corruption of the human mind that business ethics are so demolished that situations like can even exist. Yet, as we all know, these kinds of tales have become commonplace.
But, there is no one to force them to do otherwise.
The only consolation I got out of it was that I NEVER paid almost $900. I didn’t owe it, so I of course felt no guilt.
At that time, ATT did not (or were not allowed) to report delinquent and non-paid telephone charges on your credit report. So, although I have impeccable credit, I was not penalized in any way. I would make sure that ATT cannot or will not report to the credit bureaus. Losing your good credit for 8-12 years, even over $2 or $3,000, is not a fair trade, IMO.
Good luck! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
