Tutor
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4 Messages
Security Deposit $449 - misleading information
When I signed up with AT&T in May, I was told by the sales representative that I had to pay a security deposit of $449 because I had just moved to the US from London. I asked when the deposit was going to be refunded and the response was "in a few months" if I pay my monthly bills on time (hence the security deposit).
I have been paying my monthly bills on time and when I called AT&T today asking about the deposit, the response was that the $449 was non-refundable. I was so surprised by this response until I read the posts on here. This is a complete rip-off!!! I told AT&T this was not what I was told back in May. All they could do was to "apologise" for wrong information that was given to me in May - obviously reading from the script in front of them. I don't need their apologies - I want the $449 back as promised!
So basically AT&T provided me with the wrong or misleading information to induce me to enter into a contract with them. That is a fraudulent act!! That contract should be invalid - there is NO way I was going to pay $449 if I had known that money was not going to be refunded to me. If I had the full information, I would not have signed up with AT&T.
I spent 4 hours on the phone - refusing to let the issue go and I was passed around from one department to another and from one representative to another. Some of them, admittedly, were trying to be helpful and came up with a couple of solutions. One of them said they could reverse the amount but the service will be affected and cancelled. I was more than happy with that option as I could go somewhere else and still got my $449 deposit back. But when I got transferred to Account Receivables (a few times) to execute it, they refused to do it and kept saying they cannot refund the $449 despite my explanation that their colleagues from other departments had agreed to it. Don't even bother to speak to the managers or supervisors in Account Receivables - they were rude and refused to listen to the explanation. Only repeating that the $449 was non-refundable. One of them cut me off and put me on hold and transferred me to a competely different department altogether. She also refused to give me her name.
AT&T should not be allowed to carry on with this practice. Reading from the forum, it looks like I'm not the first person who has fallen for this scheme. AT&T knows about this issue and yet it continutes to mislead potentially new customers. The word "security deposit" denotes that the amount would be refunded. In fact, I did not assume it - I had explicitly asked the representative when the amount was going to be refunded. Given the response that I got (i.e. the deposit will be refunded in a few months time), it is clear that AT&T had KNOWINGLY provided me with misleading information - this is fraud! And it's not just me, they do it to a lot of people based on the number of posts on this subject matter - and they STILL continue to do it.
I will escalate this issue to the media as well as the business advice bureau in the area. General public should not be misled by a company such as AT&T and it certainly looks like a lot of people have been misled into believing the $449 was refundable when the product was sold to them.
I want my $449 deposit back. Please tell me who can execute the refund - I do not want to have another conversation as to whether this is refundable or not.
mibrnsurg
Expert
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4.3K Messages
9 years ago
@1900MCK It is a credit management fee for those w/no credit, damaged credit or other reasons set up by ATT. It's non refundable, but can be paid back at $5/mo credit for good pay on billing.
See what ATT Customer Care can do. Click the ATT Customer Care link in my signature below, send the PM, explain your $449 situation.
Include your name, account #, email address and a good phone # (land or cell) and time to contact you on.
Check the blue PM envelope, upper right on every page, for their reply. Good luck 😉
Chris
__________________________________________________________
Please NO SD stretch-o-vision or 480 SD HD Channels
Need Help? PM ATT Uverse Care (all service problems)
ATT Customer Care(billing and all other problems)
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I Call It Like I See It, Simply a U-verse user, nothing more
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1900MCK
Tutor
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4 Messages
9 years ago
Chris - you can explain all you want now or call it credit management or whatevever you want now - it means nothing to me. The fact of the matter is, I was told that it was a security deposit and was refundable after a few months. I was explicitly told I was going to get my money back - this was said to induce me to enter into a contract with AT&T. That is fraud.
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MicCheck
ACE - Expert
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605 Messages
9 years ago
The terms of service you agreed to indicated it was a non-refundable credit fee. Your first bill indicated it was a non-refundable credit fee. Despite what one employee (or contractor) may have told you, AT&T made clear it was a non-refundable fee.
AT&T owes you nothing. However, if you contact Customer Care via PM and calmly and politely ask if it's possible to receive a partial credit due to the miscommunication, you might find that someone can give you a bill credit as a customer courtesy.
https://forums.att.com/t5/notes/privatenotespage/tab/compose/note-to-user-id/192773
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1900MCK
Tutor
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4 Messages
9 years ago
This is hilarious!!! Why bother responding if you haven't made the effort of reading the original post.
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skeeterintexas
ACE - Expert
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28.3K Messages
9 years ago
deposit
: an amount of money that is put in a bank account
: money that you give someone when you agree to buy something (such as a house or car)
: money that you pay when you buy or rent something and that you can get back if you return the thing or leave it in good condition
Note bolded definition. There is nothing about getting this money back. You agreed to buy a service for a set amount of time (ie: contract).
The "non-refundable fee" is in the Terms of Service and reads as follows:
Advance Payments, Deposits, Fees and Limits. We may require you to make deposits or advance payments for Services, which we may use to satisfy your initial bill for Services, to offset against any unpaid balance on your account, or as otherwise set forth in these TOS or permitted by law. Interest will not be paid on advance payments or deposits unless required by law. We may require additional advance payments or deposits if we determine that the initial payment was inadequate. Upon determination solely by AT&T of satisfactory payment history or as required by law, AT&T may begin refunding of the deposit or advance payment through bill credits, cash payments, or as otherwise determined solely by AT&T. Based on your creditworthiness, a non-refundable fee may be required to establish service and we may require you to enroll, and remain enrolled, in an automatic payment or electronic funds transfer plan. We may establish additional limits and restrict service or features as we deem appropriate. If your account balance goes beyond the limit we set for you, we may immediately interrupt or suspend service until your balance is brought below the limit. Any charges you incur in excess of your limit become immediately due.
You can DEMAND this fee back all you want but it IS in the (legally binding) Terms of Service.
Your best bet is to take the advice that Chris gave you to PM Customer Care and (nicely) explain the situation and see if you can get some sort of resolution.
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1900MCK
Tutor
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4 Messages
9 years ago
Absolutely brilliant on the definition of deposit. Top drawer!!!! Can't stop laughing.
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skeeterintexas
ACE - Expert
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28.3K Messages
9 years ago
"Top drawer!!!" How British!
Here in Texas we'd say "What a hoot!"
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barnhartk
Contributor
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1 Message
9 years ago
I agree, they verbally tell you it's a security deposit, then it's on your bill as a one-time fee. VERY unethical.
Not to mention they credit it back at $5/mo. 7.5 years for it to be completely repaid.
That saddens me as I am 72 years old and who knows where I'll be in 7.5 years.
I never agreed to the "fee." I agreed to the deposit, because I know I will pay my bill and if I have to move, I will get that money back.
Shame on you AT&T.
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bako_g
Contributor
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1 Message
9 years ago
No consolation I know, but the exact same thing happened to me. I specifically asked the sales person in store when I could get the $449 back, and was told 6-12 months depending on how quickly my credit rating was established ( I also moved to the US recently). Ok so it's written in the fine print somewhere that's it's a fee and not a deposit, so what, a company employee should know this as well, and when they tell you in plain english you can get it back why would you think otherwise? It's straight up theft, at this rate it will take 7.5 years to get it back with a measly $5 per month refund! What a joke. Every other service I signed up for has since refunded my deposit, every bill has been paid in full on time and my credit rating is over 700. AT&T should be ashamed, but they're not, because they continue to allow it to happen.
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Mariuss
Teacher
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7 Messages
9 years ago
@1900MCK Did you get your deposit back ? I'm going through the same thing, and they are refusing to pay my deposit back. They keep saying the same, but that not what I was told, and I would have never agreed to pay such an outrageous fee amount, but they said when I paid it, that after a year I would get my deposit back.
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mibrnsurg
Expert
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4.3K Messages
9 years ago
Will say one case awhile ago stands out. Turns out he has great credit, but gets hit w/the $499 fee, he gets hopping mad and starts pursuing it.
Turns out he had a credit freeze on this accounts and this caused ATT's computer to freak out and charge him the fee. He unblocked the credit, ATT reran it and they refunded him his $499, he was a little apologetic admitting it was his fault.
Chris
__________________________________________________________
Please NO SD stretch-o-vision or 480 SD HD Channels
Need Help? PM ATT Uverse Care (all service problems)
ATT Customer Care(billing and all other problems)
Your Results May Vary, In My Humble Opinion
I Call It Like I See It, Simply a U-verse user, nothing more
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Legit22
Contributor
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2 Messages
5 years ago
Happened to me also 400.00 two years ago and they told me today it's their money not mine now seriously. Deposit is not a payment . Deposits get refunded as the initial agent told me. This is flat out stealing people's money..
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Jasonu3444
New Member
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2 Messages
4 years ago
Same happened to us, we were even told it would come back at $5 off the bill after 6 months.. yeah never happened, had we known it was nonrefundable we would have gone elsewhere
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baseballisback
ACE - Professor
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8.1K Messages
4 years ago
This is a really old thread. Please don't respond to threads over a few months old.
(edited)
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