I’d never used AT&T before but needed a mobile hot spot for a 10-day vacation in Vermont. What a nightmare working with that company was!! I’m going to start off venting a little, so if you want to skip ahead to what I learned, scroll to the bottom.

Data Plan Pricing
First of all, I couldn’t get a straight answer from either their website or their online chat rep about pricing. I wanted a Nighthawk Mobile Hotspot, but found two different pages on their website with different prices on a data plan.

One page said $50/month for 8 GB.
Another said $75/month for 8 GB.

The Online Chat Rep (Steve) told me:
Steve: “Oh, is because the plan that you’re seeing on the first link are postpaid plans”
(he started every sentence with “Oh.”)
Me: “But it says AT&T Prepaid right at the top.”
Steve: “also you’re a seeing AT&T prepaid plans for phones”
Steve: “is that we’ve different plans for hotspot and phones ”
Steve: “but you can have a prepaid plan for a phone in a hotspot”
Me: “So you’re saying the cost is different if you use your phone as a mobile hotspot vs. if you use the Nighthawk as a mobile hotspot.”
Steve: “correct!”

Then when I actually purchased it from their website, it was yet a different price: $50 for 10 GB.
And nothing mentioned a $30 activation fee, but that’s what it had on my first bill.

But whatever. I paid for the prepaid plan, no contract. It made me buy this at the time I purchased the mobile hotspot device (even though the online chat rep told me I had to buy the hot spot first, then go back in to buy data to assigned to it).

Trying to Cancel
When we returned from our trip, I turned off the hot spot for the last time and put it back in the box.

And even though AT&T’s webpage said that if I wanted it to continue the data service I needed to go online before the 30 days were up to renew it, this was a total crock. It turns out it continues forever until you cancel it.

But…not trusting AT&T to give me the straight story, I did contact them to cancel once we returned from vacation. Here the nightmare starts.

July 18: Online Chat Rep 2
I logged into my account and clicked on Live Chat on day 25 (July 18) to make sure it was canceled. He looked at my account and told me it was already cancelled and I wouldn’t get anymore bills. I later found out:
1. My account was not already cancelled, nor did he cancel it.
2. The notes he made about the chat said I inquired about international travel; no mention of cancelling.

No surprise I got a bill in the mail for another month.

August 2: Online Chat Rep 3
When I went back to online chat to say I received a bill for another month even though Steve promised me I wouldn’t, this time I got Glenson.
Glenson: “Good news! I successfully make an escalation request for cancellation of the account and request for remove the charges and you will expect an email within 24 to 48 hours.. Rest assured, this will be fixed.”

No email, no cancellation, no removal of the charges.

August 9: Phone Rep 1
Seven days later, I called this time. The Phone Rep just kept repeating: “Good news, I can cancel your account and you won’t get a final bill.”
Me: “But what about this last bill for $58.99?”
Rep: “That’s for the second month. But you won’t get a final bill.”
Me: “But I called to cancel it before the first month was over.”
She put me on hold, talked to someone on her team, and came back with “Good news, I can cancel your account and you won’t get a final bill.”
**Face Palm**
I asked to talk to a supervisor, which she cheerfully transferred me to.

Supervisor Dax: After putting me on hold and checking my account, he said he could see that I did not use the data plan at all in the second month. He said he cancelled the account and reversed the charge of $58.99.
Me: “How can I verify this? I was told that before and it wasn’t true.”
Dax: “If you log into your account after 30 minutes, you’ll see the charge reversed.”
Me: “If my account is cancelled, will it let me log in?”
Dax: “There’s a 14-day grace period during which you can still log in.”

He also told me I would receive a follow-up phone call in 30 minutes, which I never did. In all fairness, I later realized they probably tried to call the mobile hotspot number associated with the account. I don’t even think they had my regular phone number.

No change in 30 minutes. Next day, still no reversal of the charge.

August 10: Phone Rep 2
I called in again. Was transferred twice. Was told I needed to talk to the Loyalty Department which is their euphemism for Cancellation Department.

I spoke with a woman who it seemed was actually going to help me. She understood everything I was saying, but while I was on hold as she checked some things, we got disconnected.

August 10: Phone Rep 3
I immediately called back again, but there’s no way to connect with the same person. So I got another person who assured me she’d help me.
Phone Rep: “I can cancel the account and you won’t get a final bill.” (Oh, after she tried to get me to add a phone to this data plan).
By now I’m ready to tear my hair out…

She pointed out that the second bill says Usage Summary: 5 gigs were used (even though I turned it off and put it on a box on a shelf during the first month).
She put me on hold again, the came back with “Good news. I’ll cancel your account and you won’t get a final bill. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

Ok, I’m ready to jump out a window now.

Me: “No, no, no, I’m not paying this bill when I was assured it was cancelled after 10 days and I didn’t use it, I … (deep sigh) …..can I speak to your manager?”

August 10: Manager
Angelica comes to the phone. She tells me she’s the manager and says something like “so I understand you don’t want to pay your bill even though you used the service?”
Trying to keep the extreme frustration out of my voice, and naively thinking she’ll help me when I explain what happened, I go into the same story over again.

And this is what she told me:
1. There’s no record at all of any online chat on July 18. When I kept insisting I called to cancel it before the 30 days were up, she kept cutting me off and saying “On August 2. That was already in the second billing period.”
2. My account shows that I had usage during the second month. I kept insisting that it’s been turned off and sitting on a shelf, and she just kept saying, “Well someone used it, well someone used it.”
Me: “Then why did Dax last night tell me that he could see I didn’t use it after the initial 10 days and he was crediting me the amount?”
Angelica: “There’s been usage, you won’t get a final bill but…”

First time I recall ever hanging up on someone.

Why my second bill says Usage Summary: 5,250 (5 GB) when it’s been turned off and in its box, I have no idea.

August 10, Phone Rep 4
I immediately called back and asked for the Loyalty Department.

Eighth time’s a charm apparently. This time, thank goodness, I got Sherry.

I’m embarrassed to say I was so frustrated this time that I was actually tearing up.

Sherry was polite, sympathized with my plight, and actually wanted to help me.

When I told her the mobile device was turned off and sitting on the shelf since before the first 30 days were up, she believed me.

When she logged into my account, she could see that I did have an online chat on July 18 (so why did Angelica say there was no record of that?) but his notes did not say anything about a cancellation. His notes said I was inquiring about international travel (wha??? We went to Vermont).

So what I claimed rang true with her even though the July 18 notes didn’t corroborate. Maybe it’s because his comments about international travel to Vermont were so far out there.

Before I went much further, I asked how I could get in touch with her if we get disconnected. She assured me she would call me. Good thing I asked because she was all set to call the number on the account which is the number assigned to my mobile hotspot, not my real phone. So, I gave her my real phone number and we continued.

Sherry:
1. Told me she could see my account was indeed cancelled so no more bills.
2. Reversed the charge right there on the spot. She said I could see that on my account, no need to wait 30 minutes. (I couldn’t see it by refreshing but could when I logged out and back in and then refreshed).

She said I’ll get one last statement that shows a 0 balance. She also said I could still log in for 2 days after the account is cancelled (not 14 that Dax told me).

I asked why Angelica claimed she couldn’t see any record of an online chat on July 18, but Sherry could? She didn’t know because Angelica could see the same data, but said she would give feedback to Angelica’s supervisor. She added that no one should have to go through what I went through and now I don’t have to tear my hair out, which isn’t a good look for any woman. 🙂

She also said that she hopes this restores my faith in AT&T.

I told her, faith in her but not in the company.

How to Cancel Your Account
I’d like to say I’ll never use AT&T again, but unfortunately I’m going to have to go through this again next year. We’ll be going back to that same island with no internet, and AT&T has the best coverage in that area.

So here’s what I learned.

• Well before the first payment period of 30 days is over, CALL 800 331 0500 to cancel. Do not use Live Chat.
• When you get the automated voice, just keep saying “Agent.” If he makes you give him a category, just say “wireless.”
• When you get a live person, ask for the Loyalty Department.
• When you get the Loyalty Department, tell them to cancel your account.
• If they do cancel it, you’ll get an email that says “The wireless number (your number) is no longer associated with Access ID (your email). This change may be due to a request you made, or the wireless account may have been closed.”
• If you don’t get that email within a day, call back the Loyalty Department again to have them verify your account was cancelled.

If for some reason it isn’t actually cancelled and you get a bill, just keep calling the Loyalty Department until you get someone like Sherry.

• Ask her to call you back if you get disconnected and make sure she has your phone number.
• Verify the charge was reversed by logging into your AT&T account while you still have the rep on the phone.