Rec'd 9/1/1999: I have had trouble with AT&T Worldnet since the start. I got a busy signal every time I wanted to connect. I called to complain so they gave me other access numbers. I got a bill for $329.00 for using the 800 number to connect. I then complained and was told that it was a mistake and my account will be credited, Plus a month free for my trouble. Since then they have tried to put that charge on my credit card several times. My credit card only has a small amount available so they cut off my service every time. I then spoke with a supervisor who said he's sorry the last person forgot to credit my account and he will do it immediatly. Two week later they try to put the same charge on my card again. I spoke to another supervisor (Brenda) and she assured me that I would have no more problems and I will get another month free. Now for the third time, they try to put the charge on my card, ans when it wouldn't go through, they put a $14.95 charge on 8-25-99 then a $19.95 charge on 8-26-99. My plan is $21.95 per month so I didn't recognize the amount. Here I am on hold for the billing department once again and this time the supervisor (Michael at the west coast call center) cannot explain why those charges were made nor does he even have a record of those charges being made. In fact no one seems to know anything. It has been 6 months now and nothing has been done. I am sorry I ever got involved with AT&T. Barry G. [Webmaster's note: seems as if AT&T Worldnet has learned from it's telephone service reps how to lose vital records so efficiently... At least we still have wide choice of ISP's].

Rec'd 6/25/1999: I have beenrunning the marathon with ATT for sometime now. The problem seems to be somehow they have me confused with someone! I have received all at once, out of midair a bill for net service Inever signed up for. My bookkeeper mistakenly on the first notification made a payment in excess of $200.00. After catching the mistake, I talked to AT&T and found they created the problem. Now I am receiving mail from a collection agency.THEY STILL CLAIM I OWE $108.47! :( I have written letters to the people I was ask to write by ATT. The problem goes on... Don't mind paying for what Ihave or use,but Idid't and don't have ATT WORLDNET. Sincerely, Bookkeeper error.

"GOVERNMENT HAS PROOF THAT AT&T SIGNS UP CUSTOMERS WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION!" (KNOWN AS SLAMMING)

7:08 PM 1/23/1996
Phone company faces FCC `slamming' fines - Staff and News Reports

WASHINGTON -- Federal regulators Tuesday proposed the first fine against the biggest long-distance company -- AT&T -- for signing up customers without their permission. The action is part of a broad crackdown by the Federal Communications Commission on an illegal practice called "slamming." The FCC issued notice to AT&T to expect a $40,000 fine. It may be possible that AT&T's customer complaints cited by the FCC already have been cited by the Texas attorney general's office.

Though the fines are tiny compared to the billions in revenue generated by AT&T, they are a sign that slamming is not confined to small, relatively unknown phone companies eager for business.

*** AT&T: The following web site at  http://www.intergov.org lists companies that either do not answer assistance requests or refuse to assits. In the list you will find that "5e-mails were sent to AT&T, No Reply received; 2 e-mails sent by someone else for assistance, AT&T 'Refused to Assist'." ***

Eureka, CA, April 22, 1996 (DLD DIGEST) -- Just when you thought it was safe to pick-up the telephone again... along comes another round of rip-offs from across the telecom industry. Leading the charge (again) this month is a perennial (favorite?) AT&T. What would we do without them?!!? A quick reminder... Slamming is the unauthorized switching of someone's long distance carrier. Well, let's get digging...

AT&T The bad boys of telecom are at it again! This time they are being accused of failing to pass on savings to their customers and charging users excessive monthly leases and service fees on phones left-over from the breakup of the "Bell System". Both Ameritech and the United Homeowners Association (a consumer watchdog group) have accused AT&T of failing to pass on savings to their customers, which came about due to decreased interconnection fees from local phone companies.

Ameritech issued a press release recently accusing AT&T of "hoarding windfall profits" and stated that "AT&T's greed apparently has no limits." The United Homeowners Association has asked the FCC to force the long distance carrier to pass on its savings directly to the consumer, and called AT&T's rates "unjust and unreasonable." A spokesman for the group added that "fees for local access -- what a long distance company like AT&T pays a local exchange carrier to connect a call -- keep going down, but long distance rates are increasing." We will let you know the outcome of actions the FCC decides to take, if any.

AT&T SNEAKS IN SUBTLE RATE INCREASES

Washington, D.C., March 22, 1996 (DLD DIGEST) - AT&T, has raised their respective per-minute residential rates over the last few weeks. Unfortunately, most of these rate increases are slipping-by unnoticed by the consumer. Here are a few examples of increases that most people are not aware of...

AT&T - The nation's largest long distance carrier has imposed a whopping $.80 per call surcharge to all "casual callers". Casual callers are those calling from their home or workplace using AT&T's 5-Digit "PIC" (Primary Interexchange Carrier) or "CIC" (Carrier Identification Code) codes. If a customer is not pre- subscribed to AT&T as their long distance carrier, they will now be charged $.80 each time they use the 10ATT (10288) code before dialing 1+ to make a long distance call. This type of access code is oftentimes used by customers of other long distance carriers who only wish to use AT&T for certain calls, such as late-night/weekend calls, when AT&T's rates are least expensive. Callers simply dial 10288+1+AREA CODE+PHONE NUMBER to complete a call over the AT&T network. The code is also used often by callers who can not complete international and/or fax calls using their regular carriers. A number of long distance companies will suggest to their customers to dial 10288 if they are having difficulties with overseas calls. It seems that AT&T will be making SOME exceptions to this new surcharge. It will waive the surcharge on all "intralata" calls, as well as calls made by those with established accounts. If you were formerly an AT&T customer, you MAY not have to pay surcharge, as AT&T will already have your account information in their records. Another almost unnoticeable rate increase to their customers... AT&T is now rounding-up all fractional cents to the next full-cent on certain business accounts. It already has a $5 monthly minimum per account on certain of these services. So, customers using AT&T who do not make many/any long distance calls will end-up paying a $5 additional fee. AT&T is obviously not a good choice for businesses with little long distance usage.

SORRY, NO DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE!

"MCI's rates are actually $.0001 per minute cheaper than AT&T and Sprint. That's one ten-thousandth of a cent cheaper. I guess that this allows them to claim that they ALWAYS have the cheapest basic rates! SPRINT isn't such a saint either...their FRIDAYS FREE has been a joke from the start. Only verified business users get Fridays free, and many have apparently lost their long-distance service all together and without notice, because they switched over to SPRINT." Check out http://www.imran.com/Consumers/Sprint/IMRANSCAPE.html to see how you can get on the FCC complaint list against SPRINT.

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