Complain about a product or service

AT&T Wireless - Coverage

AT&T Wireless • Billing disputes • Unexpected contract expiration • Network problems • GSM service • Number portability • Sales practices • Customer service • GO Phone • Everything else --- News • Cingular-AT&T Wireless Deal is Done • Cingular Buys AT&T Wireless • Software Glitch Blamed for Losses • Cingular, AT&T Wireless In Merger Talks • AT&T Wireless Leads In Number Portability Problems

Sonja of Oakland CA (5/25/04):
My complaints are:

1. Unacceptable call dropping.
2. Poor reception or no reception
3. Increasing dead areas in Oakland (surrounding)
4. Incoming calls go directly to voicemail. Much of my work depends on the use of my cell phone. I am a mobile notary. Missing calls = missing income.
5. Gross overcharges in December and January.
6. Upgraded phone/plan for better service per store rep. Advised that company was working out "kinks" in service and will be up completely by end of December 2003.
7. Service worsend with outgoing and incoming calls, often times get a recording "your call cannot be completed, number not in service." I have called my home and received this message.
8. I have been charged 3-5 times more in monthly fees since upgrade in October, and ended up with the worst quality of service and poor account management services. I am completely dissatisfied.

My bill has increased over 300% and I want out of this contract.

Aimee of Shelton WA (1/2/04):
I have had service with AT&T for almost three years. My contract is set to expire in July of 2004. In the last few months I have received awful reception on my cell phone. I have not changed service plans to gsm. I recently need to make and receive urgent phone calls (one regarding my child, who'd had a major seizure) and missed the calls. I called the company to complain and disconnect my service. They said it was my phone. They said Nokia no longer makes those phones. However, in checking out new wireless services, I've seen Nokia phones that look almost exactly like mine. I have seen other people using what appears to be the same type of phone and theirs works great.

I had no problems with my cellular service or phone until recently. They disconnected me and sent me a bill for the $175.00 disconnect fee. In talking with other companies, I have discovered that AT&T recently switched over to gsm service instead of digital. They did not ask my permission and this is not the service I originally signed up for. The agreed to just charge me the normal monthly fee until my plan is up, but now that I know that the problem is their fault, I find that deal unacceptable as well. I have not paid the disconnect fee yet. I would like them just to drop any fees and charges since the problems with the service are NOT my fault.

I missed a phone call about my 4 year old having a seizure. We have been unable to get his seizures diagnosed. We need to catch one to find out what is going on. Luckily, he was okay. We needed to call about a dangerous and reckless car driver that was trying to run other cars off the road. Once again, no service (we were on I5). I use my cell phone for emergencies and quick calls. I use less that 60 minutes a month. The cost of obtaining new service will be at least $129.00 to $150.00. As an itinerant teacher, and with a small child with medical problems, I need reliable cellular service.

Jerome of Riverside CA (10/6/03):
I have been with AT&T wireless since 6/29/2002. At the time I entered the 2 year contract with them, it was with the understanding there would be an early termination fee would apply, but I did not understand that included not receiving service at all. I have failed to receive service within 2 miles of my home since I purchased the phone.

I have made several calls to AT&T about the problem but they always try to sell me a new plan or a new phone. I am not interested in a new plan or a new phone, I need service. Most of my life revolves around a 20-mile radius of my home and more than 40% of the time my phone drops call or no service is available. Because of the poor service for such long time I have become familiar with the areas where the calls will drop. I now have to pull off the freeway to complete my phone call. This has become a major enconvience.

I have 9 months remaining in my 2 year agreement and their best recommendation is to lower my plan to 19.95 to avoid paying $175.00 termination. But anyone clearly sees I would pay $180.00 plus the taxes and any minutes I go over the plan. This is another way for AT&T to get me to pay for service I am not receiving. This recommendation does not address my problem at hand which is no phone service. As a paying customer I feel I should receive service for anything I pay for. But in this sitituation I will pay for not receiving service no matter what.

Melanie of Tucson (11/24/03):
I have been a customer of ATT Wireless and my cell phone is constantly cutting off no matter where I am. I can be in my city of Tucson or in downtown Chicago and it will cut off. I have complained to ATT and they had me purchase another phone. I am still having the same problem 3 phones later plus they committed me to another year contract. I called them to complain and to tell them that they are not keeping their end of the contract and therefore I should be able to terminate the contract. Instead of terminating it they are trying to get me to buy yet another phone and commit to a 2 year contract this time.

Do I have any rights when they are not keeping their contract comittment? I have had it with them and I want out of the service. News as of 10/28/03: I got suckered into getting another phone and if that is GSM and supposidly better than what I have. But of course I am having the same problems. I have been calling them for the past 2 weeks to get a shipping label and return the phone per the agreement they sent me. I cannot get through to them. Either I am on hold forever or they say their system is down and they cannot access my files. Of course the 30 day return fee is steadily approaching and I cannot reach them.

Ted of Philadelphia (11/20/03):
Had been an AT&T wireless customer for a few years. I go to the S. Jersey shore area as I own a home there. Had to go outside to the middle of my yard to answer or make calls 75% of the time. When my plan was over Feb 2003, I went to the Philadelphia store to complain about the bad service. I was assured they were working on this problem and it will be fixed this summer (2003). It was not and I had purchased another phone at the manager's suggestion. I told them I was going to cancel and they said I would be liable for an early cancellation fee of $175.00 because I have a contract. I told them they have a contract to provide service and they didn't.

I was called by Victoria at AT&T consumer affairs and was told the same thing, after explaining I had no service most of the time. I told them I will not let this go if this charge goes through. It did. I called AT&T and got "Tanya" who told me they can't guarantee that I can answer a phone indoors; absolutely ludicrous! I have filed a complaint with the FCC and will post on my 10,000 member union bulletin board NOT to purchase any AT&T product especially wireless. The representatives smugly suggest I did something wrong and the contract must be honored. When I tried to get copies of my bill in early October, I could not sign onto the website, although my account was billed through October 20th. I needed copies of my bill for the FCC. This company is not consumer friendly.

Tebbano of N. Hollywood CA (11/18/03):
I was without cell service for weeks since a representative deactivated my SIM card. SInce AT&T has been going through a conversion with their system, acouunts could not be accessed, therefore, card could not be activated. I need compensation in terms of paying for a service I was not receiving.

I use my personal cell phone as a district administrator for a school district responsible for the welfare and safety of over 97,000 student snad 2,000 employees. I need to be able to be contacted at all times. The interruption of service was far reaching. Additionally, I was no able to reach family in an emergency. All of this coupled with the time and frustration dealing with ATT&T representaives over the weeks has caused me undue stress.

Christine of Morro Bay CA (11/12/03):
I purchased a phone for myself, and one for my daughter. I used my phone for work and it was critical that I had service. The first month I missed 85% of my calls. When people did call, it went directly to voicemail half of the time. AT&T explained that while they sold the GSM service, it was not yet active in all of the areas the original service was. They switched me back to PDMA. That was fine and I had no more complaints. Recently, I relocated out of the area for work. The company I was working for closed, and I moved to Northern California. AT&T has no service in my area.

They tell me I have to honor my 2 year contract because they don't guarantee service everywhere! I can either pay $350.00 early termination or I can reduce my bill to $40.00 per month and pay it for six months. Even the IRS understands having to move to support your family!

Sachim of Edina MN (10/02/03):
I subscribed for AT&T wireless service in April, but since the GSM coverage was horrible I disconnected the service within the first 30 days (April 21st). I had paid a security deposit of $800 and $160 for the equipment. The cell phone was returned to AT&T and reached them on May 4th. Since then I have been trying to get the deposit and equipment charges refunded but to no avail.

Each time I call they say that they have raised a request and would take 4-6 weeks but nothing happens. Its been almost 5.5 months and still I haven't received my money back. I have raised a request again for the same but have little hope. Most of the customer service representatives are not concerned with the problem and at times even rude. Seems as if I am asking for a favour and not my own hard-earned money.

David of Abington MA (10/28/03):
I purchased a two-year contract from AT&T Wireless which expires in August of 2004. From the beginning I had problems but they have escalated to the point my phone is out of service more than in. My phone barely works within a 10 mile radius of my home. I have spoken to AT&T four times over the issue, and their response is I can terminate my plan and pay the $175.00 fee. They are so quick to point this out that I wonder if they count on this to increase revenues and make Wall Street happy.

I have been denied the chance to speak with a supervisor on two occasions, the rep just offers to cancel my service. Why are they in such a rush to do this?. Recently my phone has stopped ringing and calls go to voice mail.(when it works) AT&T customer service tells me to buy a new phone or service. I don't want a new service, I want the one I pay for to work!! I want out of a contract that I pay for but receive little or nothing in return. AT&T custormer servce could care less!

I pay for a service that does not work and I have to pay a penalty to get out of. Why am I being penalized when they cannot provide service. My children take the phone so they can call home in case of an emergency. The problem is they can't call, the phone is out of service to much. It has frustrated my wife to the point of cancelling, but why should we suffer not AT&T. All I've done is to pay my bill as required. I'm forced to pay for no service but I refuse to pay they them to end it.

Nancy of Riverside CA (10/18/03):
I have been a customer of AT&T for years and since 2001 as a AT&T Wireless Customer. I first got my service when I lived in Oregon. Service was fine and when I moved to Riverside, CA it was ok as long as I lived right next door to their tower. I have since moved. As soon as I moved I called the customer service dept. to report that I was receiving no service at all! They changed my plan and said that this would help. When I called them back a couple of months later I told them I still did not receive any service. They told me it was because my phone was outdated and that I needed a new phone to pick up their special digital service. Everytime I spoke with them I told them I did not want a new contract and they said that was ok.

When I got the new phone and the 100.00 charge for the phone it did not work any better maybe even worse. I then moved closer to their tower and still received no coverage. When I called I spoke with a service rep and refunded my total charge for the phone as he said they should have never sold me another phone. They should have cancelled my service. So he cancelled my phone and I paid my last bill then they sent a bill for 175.00 early disconnect. I called them and told them that I was not going to pay for an early disconnect because I had my phone for over two years. They said that when we spoke in April of this year my contract renewed. I did not renew my contract. I have called several times and I always am put onhold for 45 min. to an hour they send you to the complait resolution dept. and these folks basically tell you tough, you can not talk to a supervisor.