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AT&T increases rates. Expect higher bills soon.

Posted July 9th, 2007 by Dr. Dog von Con...

Press Release

 For news coverage of this story, see KPBS radio and the San Francisco Chronicle.

 For Immediate Release: July 9th, 2007

Contact:   Mindy Spatt, The Utility Reform Network (TURN), 415-929-8876, ext. 306

Charles Langley, Utility Consumers Action Network (UCAN), 619-696-6966
Higher AT&T Bills Begin Today

San Francisco & San Diego -- AT&T bills are going up again today, and consumers are crying foul. AT&T is tacking an additional $1.01 onto Caller ID, Call Waiting, Call Forwarding and other custom features that it already raised prices for just months ago. AT&T also recently raised prices for Directory Assistance, late payments, local toll calls and many business services.

Verizon has also hit customers with higher rates since last year's decision by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) permitting phone companies to raise prices at will, regardless of costs. "It didn't take long for the phone giants to take advantage of the CPUC's laxity," said TURN's executive director Bob Finkelstien. "Now the question is how long will it take for the CPUC to stop these reconfigured monopolies from taking advantage of customers, just as they have in the past?"

In a letter to CPUC President Michael Peevey, TURN, UCAN and other consumer representatives point out that the deregulation of phone service has not resulted in more competitive choices for customers but rather in two giants smashing the competition and grabbing a bigger share of Californians' paychecks for their top brass in San Antonio and New York.

When it abandoned oversight of the telecommunications industry, the CPUC vowed to be vigilant to "ensure that the market continues to serve consumers well." Michael Shames, executive director of UCAN, said just the opposite has happened. "This Commission has thrown the state's consumers to rapacious wolves and it's already proving to be a blood bath. The telecom companies have already set their sights on those consumers who have the least amount of choice or ability to assert their rights. The greed of these companies appears to have no bounds."

The Consumer Federation of California, Asian Law Caucus, Disability Rights Advocates, Consumer Action and Latino Issue Forum all joined UCAN and TURN in demanding that the CPUC act immediately to protect consumers. "Many of the price increases, such as late payment fees, return check charges, directory assistance increases and toll increases will hit vulnerable consumers with the fewest options," they said. Read the full text of the letter here.

Filed Under
Communications: Lifeline - Landline -

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AT&Ts pricing just

On May 1st, 2009 Anonymous (not verified) says:

AT&Ts pricing just illustrates what crooks they are. All of their plans are BAD VALUE TO THE CONSUMER. When I called to express concern, the sales rep laughed at me and told me I was crazy if I thought what I thought. He even went so far as to say that not one person has called in with the same concern and I'm the first and only person who feels that way. I told him thank you, hung up, called the Better Business Bureau, reported AT&T and then cancelled my account. I couldn't be happier being back at Verizon.

AT&T Service

On December 7th, 2008 charmingirl says:

he discovery in this case should not be intense, focusing on the issues discussed above, including root cause of MCI’s technological problems, as well as MCI’s subsequent actions to fully credit all customers affected by the “computer coding error,” as well as the nature and size of the total affected class and all credits. UCAN plans to serve its First Set of Data Requests on MCI well before the end of the year.Lingerie Wholesale Based on the limited information to be requested, discovery should take no more than 90 days to complete assuming timely discovery responses.

How can AT&T spend million sponsoring sporting events on TV, and

On August 18th, 2008 MURPHYJUNK says:

How can AT&T spend million sponsoring sporting events on TV, and can't answer the phones or send someone to fix them?

easy to explain, they make their money getting new customers, not taking care of the ones they already have.

directbuy scammers

On August 18th, 2008 MURPHYJUNK says:

any one here been to this place, or been taken in by them

http://www.infomercialscams.com/scams/direct_buy_scams

I hate AT&T

On August 17th, 2008 Anonymous (not verified) says:

I hope their greedy CEO's get cancerous tumors the size of grape fruits on their heads from microwave radiation. God damn AT&T straight to hell.

AT&T Service

On January 21st, 2008 matt meyer (not verified) says:

On January 9 or 10, our AT&T phone service failed. After a long, long time on the phone, we scheduled an all-day appointment window for Sunday, 1/13. No-one called (either our static-obscured landline, nor our cell), no-one came.

We laboriously made another appointment for this Sunday. Our cell rang early this morning. Before we could answer it, th ecaller hung up. My wife went through the long wait again until finally getting to a person, who declared that she "would have no way of knowing," if a repair person had called us and "would have no way of contacting" a repair person.

Then why is she at the end of the line when calling customer service?

Oh, and the best part? Then, she played "Hello? Hello?" pretending she could hear my wife's cellphone anymore. That has never happned in years of cellphone service at our house.

My 80 year old mother is housebound and phone dependent. She hasn't been able to call us for almost two weeks.

Can anyone tell me what agency or what persons we should take our complaint to? The California Department of Consumer Affairs doesn't have a listing for telephone service on its issue menu.

How can AT&T spend million sponsoring sporting events on TV, and can't answer the phones or send someone to fix them?

Matt Meyer
Vista, California

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