You do not need the WAP for Wi-Fi, as it only works with the U-verse Wireless TV Receivers (unless you manage to somehow reconfigure it). However, the WAP has never been a returnable item. You need to keep the Gateway to keep Internet, so that's not an issue.
You can try to return the Receivers by taking them to a The UPS Store / FedEx Office (along with your account number) and see what they say. Or you can hold on to them to see if AT&T tries to charge you for unreturned equipment that they told you that you don't have to return.
AT&T is trying to get rid of AT&T U-verse TV subscribers by moving them to DIRECTVstream. While they haven't ordered a new TV Receiver in years, they probably have warehouses full of refurbished returns and don't want to warehouse any more.
But you're only the second subscriber who has reported a clear message from AT&T that they shouldn't be returned.
Yes I canceled my U-Verse TV but not my internet. They even mentioned that I had canceled it in the email. I'm going to just return it to avoid any problems in the future. Thanks for your response.
Someone recently posted that they, too, had been advised to recycle the UverseTV equipment. The assumption would be that since Uverse is being phased out they don't want that equipment back.
Personally I would keep it for awhile...but that's just me.
After switching from U-verse to Directv Stream I received a letter a week later from AT&T stating that I do not have to return the
U-verse equipment, instead the instructions were to recycle it, which I immediately did. A second letter then came in the week after stating that the equipment had to be returned and the instructions for doing so. Confused !! and no equipment to return at my disposal. What can and should I do?
Hey there jdelllano, we want to help look into this for you. We'd like to invite you into a Direct Message to find out what occurred, and get this resolved for you.
When it comes to returning your AT&T equipment, we have a list of items that must be returned for U-verse customers, as well as where to take them. If you only had U-verse TV, you would need to return all the receivers and remotes you got from us. If you had AT&T Internet as well, we would also need your AT&T Gateway as well as any Wi-Fi extenders that were part of your service with us.
In the meantime, please have the first letter you received available so that we can get a copy of it sent to our Direct Message with you. Please check your Direct Message Inbox, which is the chat icon next to the bell icon in the upper right corner of the Forums page.
Now I'm totally confused. I'm only exchanging a wireless receiver that went bad. I was told on the phone that I would need to return the old one the same day I receive the new one. Then I received an Email stating to recycle it. Guess I'll hold on the old one for awhile once the new one arrives.
Once the new one arrives and has been shown to work, my advice to you is to take your account number and go to the The UPS Store or FedEx office and have them look up your account and see if they will accept the return of the box you no longer need. If they do, give it to them AND KEEP YOUR RECEIPT!!! If they won't, I'd still hang on to the box for a bit just to see.
There’s no sense keeping old equipment. Just bring it to UPS and let them handle. Have your BAN to give and last name on account. I’ve spoken to several people in att and all are aware of the letter but still insist on having equipment returned. It will cost you $150 otherwise.
I received the letter for my moms equipment. She recycled the equipment and the letter was thrown away. Now they are charging her $150 for 3 uverse boxes. With tax it’s almost $500. She’s 75 and on a fixed income. Can anyone send me a copy of their letter please?
@jowilson44 Just return everything you don't need within 14 days. It's not worth the risk of being charged. Old equipment once swapped won't function anyways since only boxes that are actively assigned to account can be used and once you swap the replacement in it's removed from your account. So old boxes are immediately worthless you can't use them even if you wanted to send the replacement back and go back to the original box anyways.
Just take all equipment to fedex or ups and bring AT&T u-verse account number and they'll take care of it and box it up and send it for free.
@dimplerose That sucks and sadly is par for the course for at&t. I'm not sure the letter will help you, I'll take a look and see if I still have one somewhere, but I think I threw them away. The only other thing I'd try, if she still has any other at&t services is talking to customer retention/loyalty department and hoping they take pity on you and try to remove the charge, but that's a long shot. If you don't pay it knowing at&t they'll damage her credit and send her to collection.
Accepted Solution
Official Solution
JefferMC
ACE - Expert
•
36.8K Messages
3 years ago
You do not need the WAP for Wi-Fi, as it only works with the U-verse Wireless TV Receivers (unless you manage to somehow reconfigure it). However, the WAP has never been a returnable item. You need to keep the Gateway to keep Internet, so that's not an issue.
You can try to return the Receivers by taking them to a The UPS Store / FedEx Office (along with your account number) and see what they say. Or you can hold on to them to see if AT&T tries to charge you for unreturned equipment that they told you that you don't have to return.
AT&T is trying to get rid of AT&T U-verse TV subscribers by moving them to DIRECTVstream. While they haven't ordered a new TV Receiver in years, they probably have warehouses full of refurbished returns and don't want to warehouse any more.
But you're only the second subscriber who has reported a clear message from AT&T that they shouldn't be returned.
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JefferMC
ACE - Expert
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36.8K Messages
3 years ago
I don't know. Maybe you're still using it?
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skeeterintexas
ACE - Expert
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28.3K Messages
3 years ago
Did you cancel your UverseTV service?
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Mixforum66
3 Messages
3 years ago
Yes I canceled my U-Verse TV but not my internet. They even mentioned that I had canceled it in the email. I'm going to just return it to avoid any problems in the future. Thanks for your response.
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skeeterintexas
ACE - Expert
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28.3K Messages
3 years ago
Of course, you'll keep the gateway.
Someone recently posted that they, too, had been advised to recycle the UverseTV equipment. The assumption would be that since Uverse is being phased out they don't want that equipment back.
Personally I would keep it for awhile...but that's just me.
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Mixforum66
3 Messages
3 years ago
I’m keeping my Gateway and my WAP for Wi-Fi.
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jdelllano
2 Messages
3 years ago
After switching from U-verse to Directv Stream I received a letter a week later from AT&T stating that I do not have to return the
U-verse equipment, instead the instructions were to recycle it, which I immediately did. A second letter then came in the week after stating that the equipment had to be returned and the instructions for doing so. Confused !! and no equipment to return at my disposal. What can and should I do?
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JefferMC
ACE - Expert
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36.8K Messages
3 years ago
Provide a copy of the first letter to anyone asking where your equipment is.
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DIRECTVhelp
Community Support
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254.4K Messages
3 years ago
Hey there jdelllano, we want to help look into this for you. We'd like to invite you into a Direct Message to find out what occurred, and get this resolved for you.
When it comes to returning your AT&T equipment, we have a list of items that must be returned for U-verse customers, as well as where to take them. If you only had U-verse TV, you would need to return all the receivers and remotes you got from us. If you had AT&T Internet as well, we would also need your AT&T Gateway as well as any Wi-Fi extenders that were part of your service with us.
In the meantime, please have the first letter you received available so that we can get a copy of it sent to our Direct Message with you. Please check your Direct Message Inbox, which is the chat icon next to the bell icon in the upper right corner of the Forums page.
We hope to hear from you!
Donovan, AT&T Community Specialist
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JefferMC
ACE - Expert
•
36.8K Messages
3 years ago
Uh, ATTHelp, this comment you have replied to was moved to its own post:
https://forums.att.com/conversations/uverse-tv-equipment/was-told-to-recycle-equipment-then-to-return/625ef26c62fc7311ed19092f
(edited)
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jowilson44
2 Messages
3 years ago
Now I'm totally confused. I'm only exchanging a wireless receiver that went bad. I was told on the phone that I would need to return the old one the same day I receive the new one. Then I received an Email stating to recycle it. Guess I'll hold on the old one for awhile once the new one arrives.
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JefferMC
ACE - Expert
•
36.8K Messages
3 years ago
Once the new one arrives and has been shown to work, my advice to you is to take your account number and go to the The UPS Store or FedEx office and have them look up your account and see if they will accept the return of the box you no longer need. If they do, give it to them AND KEEP YOUR RECEIPT!!! If they won't, I'd still hang on to the box for a bit just to see.
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gr8sho
ACE - Professor
•
1.5K Messages
3 years ago
There’s no sense keeping old equipment. Just bring it to UPS and let them handle. Have your BAN to give and last name on account. I’ve spoken to several people in att and all are aware of the letter but still insist on having equipment returned. It will cost you $150 otherwise.
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dimplerose
2 Messages
3 years ago
I received the letter for my moms equipment. She recycled the equipment and the letter was thrown away. Now they are charging her $150 for 3 uverse boxes. With tax it’s almost $500. She’s 75 and on a fixed income. Can anyone send me a copy of their letter please?
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madmax988
Scholar
•
404 Messages
3 years ago
@jowilson44 Just return everything you don't need within 14 days. It's not worth the risk of being charged. Old equipment once swapped won't function anyways since only boxes that are actively assigned to account can be used and once you swap the replacement in it's removed from your account. So old boxes are immediately worthless you can't use them even if you wanted to send the replacement back and go back to the original box anyways.
Just take all equipment to fedex or ups and bring AT&T u-verse account number and they'll take care of it and box it up and send it for free.
@dimplerose That sucks and sadly is par for the course for at&t. I'm not sure the letter will help you, I'll take a look and see if I still have one somewhere, but I think I threw them away. The only other thing I'd try, if she still has any other at&t services is talking to customer retention/loyalty department and hoping they take pity on you and try to remove the charge, but that's a long shot. If you don't pay it knowing at&t they'll damage her credit and send her to collection.
(edited)
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