AT&T U-Verse
Complaint 45822 Details

I believed the advertisement. Adverstisement states in 1/4" high letters, "Bundle and save! Choice bundles with a DVR starting at $89/mo for 12 months."

And "Get 3 servcies starting at $89/mo(1 for footnote) for 12 months. One-year term required. See p. 24-25." The footnote says, "1 See details on p.18."

This second statement is repeated.

Page 25 states, "Choice just $89/mo (Does your provider offer a price like this?) for three Choice services--save $40/mo for 12 mons with wireless or @25/mo for 12 mos with home phoone.* Includes a one-year price guarantee with term commitement." Listed beneath this statement: "AT&T U-verse TV &-family add high-speed Internet... AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet Pro (1 for footnote) then choose a digital home phone or wireless plan. AT&T U-verse Voice 250 or AT&T Naton 450 OR FamilyTalk additional line*

The asterik , placed on the preceding page and following a short sentence instead of being placed on a line by itself, states, "For new residential U-verse customers. One-year tem required for bundled U-verse services. Pricing excludes taxes, fees, and other monthly charges including a Regulatroy Cost Recovery charge of up to $1.25/mo. See details on p. 18. A $4 monthly high-speed Internet equipment fee applies.

All of the above is printed in clear, large type (excepting the asteriked materials).

Page 18 is one paragraph in a font smaller than Arial 6. It is impossible to determine what any one statement refers to. Page 18 is 134 lines long, averaging 12 words/line. The bolded phrases seem to refer to customer options and deadlines.

This is the six month of my contractual agreement with U-verse. Now that my bill has increased from $89 (+ $4)/mo. to $114 (+$4)/mo., I can comprehend what the fine print means:

THE LARGE PRINT PROMISE IS FALSE: AT&T U-VERSE LIED WHEN THEY WROTE THE BUNDLE LASTED ONE YEAR AT $89/MO. The tiny fine print essentially states that their promise is a lie, there's no other way to reconcile the large print with the small print, and the placement of the small print.

Note that when I called and asked about this offer, then set-up the offer, it took more than two hours for the customer service representative to ask all the questions and whip through long and involved statements. It is likely she told me that after six months, the price of one of the bundles would increase, or might increase. It's impossible to remember; it as a very long phone call. Certainly the only document I have in writing is the advertisement, but AT&T U-verse tells me I have a contract because I agreed to the terms and allowed them to install their equipment in my home. I am aware that it is their equipment, but I paid for the installation.

My complaint is that if their advertising had been truthful, namely:

$93/mo for six months, then $118/mo for six months, then rates jump to an unspecified level for two years

I would not have ordered this service.

I would like to see AT&T u-Verse forced to correct all their advertising and pay back every customer who's been swindled (that is, the amount they were overcharged after the first six months). I would also like it made clear that this false advertising voids my contract, that I am free to cancel my service, that AT&T u-Verse must remove their equipment at my convenience and refund me half the installation charges and any charges rendered for services in advance of receipt.