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story category AT&T: Human Contact Costs Extra
$5 fee in May if you want to pay bill via live support rep
(old news - 02:40PM Thursday Mar 06 2008)
tags: prices · business · AT&T DSL Service
It looks like AT&T will be joining Comcast and others in charging consumers extra if they want to pay their bill over the phone with a human being. An anonymous AT&T employee tells the Consumerist that by May, AT&T will be charging $5 if you desire human phone contact during a bill payment. Comcast recently started charging customer $4 to pay their bill with a human by phone, and $2 to pay in person at a billing center. The disgruntled AT&T employee is apparently having small pangs of conscience about the new fee:
...it upsets me as an employee. I feel this is taking advantage of our customer's trust, because even when we put it on all of their bills, and let people know, there will be tons of reps that won't let the customer know they're being charged for taking their payment.
Like grandma, who's failing eyesight makes her prefer a live agent to paying by mail or Internet. Well she can move to France if she doesn't like it! Script-reading offshore billing agents don't come cheap these days, you know. These companies aren't running a charity! Now get outta here, you bums.

Related:
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  2. Getting $10 AT&T DSL Still a Pain?
  3. How to Get $23.99 AT&T Dry Loop DSL
  4. Naked AT&T DSL Expands
  5. $20 AT&T Naked DSL Arrives
  6. AT&T Adds 'Line Inspection Fee' To Landline Bills
  7. AT&T To Raise DSL Prices
  8. Broadband Price War Isn't Coming
Forums » AT&T: Human Contact Costs Extra
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ninjatutle
You can keep the "change"

join:2006-01-02
San Ramon, CA
·AT&T U-Verse

hmmm

The rumor mill still turns...Whatever happened to the ATT Wireless data caps that were reported here?

»'Unlimited' AT&T Wireless Data Plans About To Be Capped?

supergirl

join:2007-03-20
Pensacola, FL
·Cox VOIP
·Skype
·Cox HSI
·AT&T Southeast
·magicjack.com

Re: hmmm

Cox charges $4.95 here for paying over the phone.

Honestly, I wouldn't give payment information to somebody in India.
--
Saving the world keeps me busy. However, I find Earth very primitive from my home planet of Krypton.
-Supergirl

telcolackey
The Truth? You can't handle the truth

join:2007-04-06
Death Valley, CA

Re: hmmm

Can someone post the BBR tech support telephone number?

CoxCable4
Temp banned from BBR more then anyone

join:2002-10-02
PwnZone

Re: hmmm

you mean justins telephone number? i'm sure the post would be removed almost immediately if I did, will you take a pm?
MyDogHsFleas
Premium
join:2007-08-15
Austin, TX
·AT&T U-Verse
·AT&T Southwest

Re: hmmm

said by CoxCable4 See Profile :

you mean justins telephone number? i'm sure the post would be removed almost immediately if I did, will you take a pm?
LOL I believe it was a rhetorical question, to point out that Broadband Reports also believes that live telephone assistance is a costly resource, despite their mockery of AT&T for believing the same.

jgkolt
Premium
join:2004-02-21
Lakewood, OH
clubs:

edit:
March 6th, @04:08PM

Re: hmmm

But att is a business selling itself. BBR really isn't aimed as a normal business. but good point non the less.
--
3 free for you/3 free for me: Free Stock Trades : PM Me
MyDogHsFleas
Premium
join:2007-08-15
Austin, TX
·AT&T U-Verse
·AT&T Southwest


edit:
March 6th, @04:05PM

Re: hmmm

said by jgkolt See Profile :

But att is a business selling itself. BBR really isn't aimed as a normal business.
Thanks, Mr. Buzzkill. It was supposed to be FUNNY. Not a perfect little gem of a debate point. I laughed when I saw it, anyway.

telcolackey
The Truth? You can't handle the truth

join:2007-04-06
Death Valley, CA

edit:
March 6th, @04:09PM

What is a "normal" business? Only one that takes phone calls?

jgkolt
Premium
join:2004-02-21
Lakewood, OH
clubs:

Re: hmmm

Established business I guess? I normally think of att as big business and think of dsl reports as organization. But BBR does have 4 or so employees i think i remember reading. A lot of people here volunteer their time such as the mods.
--
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AquaBlaze
Premium
join:2004-02-02
Encino, CA

said by telcolackey See Profile :

Can someone post the BBR tech support telephone number?
Tech support is a service. Paying/receiving bills is an incorporated "cost" of doing business.

Its a good point you're trying to make, but you're comparing apples to oranges here.
devnuller

join:2006-06-10
Hollis, NH
·Verizon Online DSL
·Charter Pipeline

Re: hmmm

said by AquaBlaze See Profile :

Tech support is a service. Paying/receiving bills is an incorporated "cost" of doing business.

Its a good point you're trying to make, but you're comparing apples to oranges here.
Perhaps, but everything Internet needs some sort of tech support. More direct services (ISP, VoIP, etc) vs high touch content (Amazon, E*Trade) or even ad revenue based forums (Digg, BBR, etc).

Some have a phone system due to a close customer relationship (Broadband, E*Trade) and some choose to have a cheaper email based interface like Google, ad supported BBR, etc. The later have cheaper costs due to the lower support costs. Basic business decisions.

Welcome to America. Have a nice day.

Dogfather
Altitude is your friend
Premium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA
·Cox HSI
·MegaPath
·Verizon FIOS
·Cox VOIP
·Verizon west (ex G..
·ViaTalk
·Time Warner VOIP
·RoadRunner Cable

All expenses are a cost of business.

Some dumbass telcos and cable operators just choose to itemize their overhead.

With your logic they should also charge for ANY customer service call. It should also be $5 to add features to my account. But no, they just want to cherry pick what overhead to itemize.
AquaBlaze
Premium
join:2004-02-02
Encino, CA

Re: hmmm

said by Dogfather See Profile :

With your logic they should also charge for ANY customer service call. It should also be $5 to add features to my account. But no, they just want to cherry pick what overhead to itemize.
They'd probably cherry-pick everything they could come across as fees, if given the option. However, I think they'd be hard to make tech support a similar pay-per-call basis. Why? Well if your internet connection doesn't work, then what incentive do they have to keep paying monthlies for "faulty" services? That's why they have customer tech support, and additionally why ISPs don't commonly troubleshoot customer's PCs for them. (Its outside their job scope, and a different product market alltogether)

Dogfather
Altitude is your friend
Premium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA

Re: hmmm

It's all about telcos wanting to mislead customers in their advertising.

They want to sell you on $15 DSL that is $22 or $30 phone service that's really $45.

Surfinusa
Premium
join:2001-02-08
ATT wireless is also back to charging 2.00 for detailed billing.

morbo
Complete Your Transaction

join:2002-01-22
00000
clubs:

Re: hmmm

what a horrible company.

mocycler
Premium
join:2001-01-22
Naperville, IL
·AT&T Midwest


edit:
March 6th, @06:57PM

It's because of junk "news" like this that I place so little credibility in BBR's "reporting" and mostly hang out in the social/tech support forums.

Ironically, another story is also being pushed off as legitimate journalism today:

»FBI Gets DS3 Backdoor Into Verizon Wireless Network?

They accept at face value the word of every unnamed disgruntled employee...anonymous sources...unknown bloggers: Does BBR bother to independently verify anything or do they just cut-and-paste any vaporous rumor that fits their "all big companies & the government sucks" bias?

I'd probably not be as cranked if BBR would be honest enough to post these items as editorials and not factual news reports.

mocycler

DivineDark

join:2001-08-30
Oklahoma City, OK
clubs:

edit:
March 7th, @12:15AM

Re: hmmm

This story is fact because I work for the company and I know its real. What did you think BBR was going to do? Im sure screen shots of proprietary information would not bode well.

mocycler
Premium
join:2001-01-22
Naperville, IL
·AT&T Midwest

Re: hmmm

said by DivineDark See Profile :

This story is fact because I work for the company and I know its real. What did you think BBR was going to do? Im sure screen shots of proprietary information would not bode well.
So it's a "fact" because DevineDark from Oklahoma says so?

What I expect BBR to do is what any legitimate journalist would do: Verify the information. For example, a comment from a company spokesperson (not some service rep at an 800 number), or an actual customer bill showing the charge.

And why not a screen shot? So what if it's proprietary? They can be submitted anonymously. If some nameless "disgruntled employee" is going to make the claim they could at least have the balls to back it up with something.

If you want to be in the "I saw it on the internet so it must be true" crowd, then that's your business. I prefer to get my news from sources that at least put half-assed effort into validating the "facts" they are reporting.

mocycler


DivineDark

join:2001-08-30
Oklahoma City, OK
clubs:

Re: hmmm

I was just about to post you a screenshot but then I got a better idea. Since all employees are being instructed to educate customer on the payment administration fee you should just call that 800 number. Its 800-331-0500. Ask if the bill payment fee is going to happen. Then call back until your heart's content.

This is already happening in the southeast market which is in line with the memo and verified by one of BBR's users.

said by cleezee See Profile :

This is already happening, not waiting until May. I track ATT voice tariffs - it was just filed yesterday for Ohio (effective as of 3/3). Other states filed and listed effective dates as early as last year.

But, you can still pay online, at the 1-800 #, or by mail, all without the Convenience Fee.
So remember before you call BS on something please take the to understand it just may very well be true. Have a wonderful day!

NicoleDiana
Unexpected
Premium
join:2003-10-10
Valdosta, GA
clubs:
·Mediacom

Really?

I cannot say that I'm surprised by this. I've long abandoned "in person" dealings when possible, as I wound up paying more to do so (Mediacom, AT&T/Cingular, etc.) This goes for purchases, account activation, payments and pretty much everything else.

I pay bills online but if there is a disputed charge, I phone in. So now what? I'll have to call to get the bill corrected and then go online to pay it to avoid a charge eventhough I was already on the phone with a rep?

Gotta love it. This is exactly why the employees (and business owner) here have already left AT&T. Our business is pulling the plug at the end of this quarter.

Sayonara AT&T.
--
I would like to change the world but nobody will give me the source code.
MyDogHsFleas
Premium
join:2007-08-15
Austin, TX
·AT&T U-Verse
·AT&T Southwest

Re: Really?

said by NicoleDiana See Profile :

I pay bills online but if there is a disputed charge, I phone in. So now what? I'll have to call to get the bill corrected and then go online to pay it to avoid a charge eventhough I was already on the phone with a rep?
No, they will credit you on your next bill. You don't have to pay over the phone to dispute a charge. I've done this myself.

I am careful to make a note of the date, time, person, person's phone/extension, and what credit they promised, because sometimes it doesn't show up on the next bill. Then you just have to call again.

And, sometimes, oops, you get double credits that way! I retain these as inconvenience fees for making me call twice.

Authority
Obama Biden '12

join:2000-03-29
Beverly Hills, CA
·AT&T Yahoo
·Packet8
·magicjack.com

I rarely need to talk to a live person, but for the few times I do I'd happily pay to speak to someone in the US. I hate out sourced third world support to India, Canada, Philippines, etc. Who can understand those people?
--
Installing OS X on PC hardware is not a "illegal"!

trebzon

join:2001-09-03
Grandville, MI

Re: Really?

Yes. Those crazy Canadians are so hard to understand.

Authority
Obama Biden '12

join:2000-03-29
Beverly Hills, CA
·AT&T Yahoo
·Packet8
·magicjack.com


moderated:
March 6th, @04:17PM

Re: Really?

said by trebzon See Profile :

Yes. Those crazy Canadians are so hard to understand.
Ya, eh?

en102
Canadian, eh?

join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
·DSL EXTREME
·DSL EXTREME


edit:
March 6th, @03:26PM

I'd hardly call Canada third world, especially since its a G8 country. Mexico might be closer to what you're think of as 'third world'.
Last time I looked, the Canadian dollar was worth more than the U.S. dollar.

CAD to USD (YHO:CADUSD=X) Delayed quote data Edit
Last Trade: 1.0142 USD
Trade Time: 3:19PM EST
Bid: 1.0142
Ask: 1.0145
--
Canada = Hollywood North

Authority
Obama Biden '12

join:2000-03-29
Beverly Hills, CA
·AT&T Yahoo
·Packet8
·magicjack.com


moderated:
March 6th, @04:16PM

Re: Really?

said by en102 See Profile :

Last time I looked, the Canadian dollar was worth more than the U.S. dollar.
Who would care?

Let's remember... Canada is smaller than California. It's not exactly relevant in the world. They don't have a unique culture, cuisine, or anything that makes them more than just another state.. except that annoying accent.

en102
Canadian, eh?

join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
·DSL EXTREME
·DSL EXTREME


edit:
March 6th, @03:27PM

Re: Really?

Canada is actually much larger than than the U.S., although it may have less population than California. You were the one that brought it up... I'm just correcting it.
Those that would 'care' are those that would want to invest in the U.S.
--
Canada = Hollywood North

Authority
Obama Biden '12

join:2000-03-29
Beverly Hills, CA
·AT&T Yahoo
·Packet8
·magicjack.com


moderated:
March 6th, @04:16PM

Re: Really?

said by en102 See Profile :

Canada is actually much larger than than the U.S., although it may have less population than California.
Not "may", DOES. Canada is just another state for all practical purposes. IMHO of course.

en102
Canadian, eh?

join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

Re: Really?

and Beverly Hills is just a part of the City of Los Angeles for all practical purposes.
--
Canada = Hollywood North

Cheese
Premium
join:2003-10-26
Naples, FL
clubs:

said by Authority See Profile :

said by en102 See Profile :

Last time I looked, the Canadian dollar was worth more than the U.S. dollar.
Who would care?

Let's remember... Canada is smaller than California. It's not exactly relevant in the world. They don't have a unique culture, cuisine, or anything that makes them more than just another state.. except that annoying accent.
Are you serious? I would like some of what you are smoking please
Shark_615

join:2006-01-17
Pickering, ON
Spoken like a true ignorant yank. The last time I checked the only unique culture in the US was obesity with a cuisine of bad steask and cheeseburgers.

wanabegeek
1917-1987
Premium
join:2007-06-11
Phoenix, AZ
clubs:

Re: Really?

Anyone heard of Hughes net?

Blame Canada

@rr.com
Really proud of that fact eh? I mean since the US $ has been worth more the rest of the last 100 years

en102
Canadian, eh?

join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
·DSL EXTREME
·DSL EXTREME

Re: Really?

Not really.. I wish the Canadian dollar was back around $0.70
It used to be worth more than the U.S. dollar back in the 50's-1960 and during the 70's as well, if I'm not mistaken.

Oil prices are keeping Canada's dollar high.
--
Canada = Hollywood North

rcdailey
Dragoonfly
Premium
join:2005-03-29
Rialto, CA

AT&T: Human Contact Costs Extra

I pay my bill electronically via my bank. My mother still pays hers by mail, and probably couldn't figure out how to pay it over the phone. Of course it's more expensive to provide a live contact person than an automated system. That's always been true. So why is it only now that they are deciding to charge for the service? Maybe because the cost of fuel is going up?
--
No one is always right or always wrong, unfortunately.
Doug135

join:2008-01-12
Laredo, TX
clubs:
·AT&T Southwest

This doesn't...

..surpirse me at all. Should of figured AT&T was going to do this. I'm surpised they didn't implement it when they merged with SBC. I'm just waiting for the other charges like paying in person or by mail like comcrap and just leaving only internet pay available.

jt44

@comcast.net


from:
Cabal See Profile

Re: This doesn't...

comcast does not charge to make payments my mail. next time get your facts straigh. poeple like you are spreading stuff around that are not true. comcast charges to make payments over the phone with a live person or at the cable store. you can pay your bill for free by mail,auto pay,through you bank,website, and their phone system allow you to make payment without getting a live person on the phone.

DivineDark

join:2001-08-30
Oklahoma City, OK
clubs:
Paying in a store will also cost 5.00 too. the story failed to mention that.
MyDogHsFleas
Premium
join:2007-08-15
Austin, TX
·AT&T U-Verse
·AT&T Southwest

I'm actually all for this

If you take off your "greedy evil corporations" blinders and actually break it down, it makes sense for people like us.

If you're like me, you almost always do routine transactions over the Web. And, the service provider saves money on transactions like this, because they don't have to pay for the human in the loop (who simply inputs what I tell them on the phone into the same system, after all).

If the service provider rolls the cost of human customer service evenly across all their subscribers, then I am paying extra for those subscribers who aren't like me.

Therefore, AT&T charging extra for paying your bill by phone actually benefits me by keeping my subscriber price down.

See 6 replies to this post
JSRoman
Premium
join:2005-03-10
Callahan, FL

Lather,Rinse,Repeat

If the company provides you a fee-free alternative to paying in person then what is all the crying about.

Free alternatives-
Company website
Company IVR
Mail
Your bank's online billpay area

I'll help grandma pack her bags!
--
»www.seabee.navy.mil
MyDogHsFleas
Premium
join:2007-08-15
Austin, TX
·AT&T U-Verse
·AT&T Southwest

Re: Lather,Rinse,Repeat

said by JSRoman See Profile :

If the company provides you a fee-free alternative to paying in person then what is all the crying about.

Free alternatives-
Company website
Company IVR
Mail
Your bank's online billpay area
Actually the easiest is autopay from your checking account (or credit card). You just give AT&T your account info and authorize it, and your bill is automagically paid on the due date. Easy as pie. This how I pay all my bills.

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ

Re: Lather,Rinse,Repeat

said by MyDogHsFleas See Profile :

said by JSRoman See Profile :

If the company provides you a fee-free alternative to paying in person then what is all the crying about.

Free alternatives-
Company website
Company IVR
Mail
Your bank's online billpay area
Actually the easiest is autopay from your checking account (or credit card). You just give AT&T your account info and authorize it, and your bill is automagically paid on the due date. Easy as pie. This how I pay all my bills.
Works fine until some disgruntled employee takes your info then drains your account!
--
You can never be too rich, too thin or have too much Bandwidth
MyDogHsFleas
Premium
join:2007-08-15
Austin, TX
·AT&T U-Verse
·AT&T Southwest

Re: Lather,Rinse,Repeat

said by dvd536 See Profile :

Works fine until some disgruntled employee takes your info then drains your account!
Well, first, I don't give the information to a person on the phone, I enter it on their website. This is a lot safer than when you buy gas and hand your card to the attendant, or give your card to a waiter in a restaurant! They can easily swipe the info off of it while it's in their possession.

I've been doing autopay for years now with many providers. I do it with mortgage, electricity, gas, water, trash, phone, DSL, cell, Web hosting, newspaper, student loans, car loans, and credit card monthly payments. I have *never* had an issue with fraud, late payments, missed payments, or anything like that. Occasionally there's a billing error, but I just get them to credit the next bill in that case.

I am confident, since all my suppliers are reputable corporations, that if they did have a problem with employee fraud that caused a fradulent charge to my account, that the corporation would make good on it.

In addition, I check my checking account daily online just to make sure nothing untoward has hit it. That way, if something bad does happen, I can deal with it right away.

jtudor
Xm 60's On 6 Freak
Premium,MVM
join:2002-12-07
Morganton, NC
·AT&T Southeast

AT&T Charges for everything - nothing new there!

AT&T's policy of charging for everything is why I took my long distance service away from them about 4 years ago. They were charging a fee for everything including a fee for having the LD service billed to me by BellSouth.

The last straw was when my Long distance service for one month cost me $17.95 in fees and I made NO (0) long distance calls that month.

What a rip off, $18 just for the privilege to dial long distance!

AT&T is evil!
--
Best of luck

"Do, or Do not, there is no try!" Yoda

lesopp

join:2001-06-27
Land O Lakes, FL

Re: AT&T Charges for everything - nothing new there!

Look into Total Call International, I had the same experience with Verizon Long Distance and decided to bail. In the past 7 years my largest LD bill was $11 for a little over 180 minutes to Korea and around 60 minutes for domestic calls.

»https://www.totalcallusa.com/
DemonicLlama

join:2007-11-19
Potomac, MD
I dont even bother with a landline anymore. Not worth the cost. Its easier since most people i know use verizon and my incalling time is huge but very little outside the network.
msuguy71

join:2005-07-10
Haslett, MI

only saving their profits...

The problem with this is that even though they implement this to "save money" and prevent passing higher fees off to their customers, they raise their prices anyway.
Dydion

join:2001-03-07
Baton Rouge, LA

Want to cut costs, AT&T?

Then quit making your management multi-millionaires!!!

Another sellout of America by an American company.
Austinloop

join:2001-08-19
Austin, TX

Another rumor

How is this a news article? This is a rumor started by an unnamed (alleged) AT&T employee. How can we call it news without substantiation???
goalieskates

join:2004-09-12
Knoxville, TN

Another reason we'll never go back to AT&T

(or Comcast)
joker5656

join:2006-06-23
Greenville, SC

English Speaking?

could this mean english speaking people? if i'm paying i want English speaking people
jester121

join:2003-08-09
Lake Zurich, IL
·ViaTalk

wtf...

Like grandma, who's failing eyesight makes her prefer a live agent to paying by mail or Internet. Well she can move to France if she doesn't like it!
And Karl once again raises the bar in sensationalistic reporting editorializing (by shoveling on the BS).

Pray tell, how is "grandma" going to read the numbers off the bottom of her check for the telephone rep, with her failing eyesight? My goodness, she probably can't even read the numbers on her touch tone phone.
AquaBlaze
Premium
join:2004-02-02
Encino, CA

Re: wtf...

said by jester121 See Profile :

My goodness, she probably can't even read the numbers on her touch tone phone.
I have a family relative with this problem. He can't see fine detail for squat, but large, large print is just fine for him.



That's his phone...and he writes all the numbers he has to dial (billing lines included) large, across entire sheets of paper - one page per number. Should he have AT&T, I'm sure he'll have to shell out the extra $5, or whatever they ask of him...or leave his limited home finances entirely to someone else's care to manage. (He has some help, but he likes to stay independant/active as much as possible)
jester121

join:2003-08-09
Lake Zurich, IL
·ViaTalk

Re: wtf...

hehe I was picturing the novelty remote controls with buttons that size... whatever works I guess.

I'd also suggest large Ed McMahon sized checks so your relative can mail his checks in and pay bills on time. But the extra postage for mailing a 4 foot long envelope would probably make it a wash.
tron

join:2007-12-03
New York, NY

Its ridiculous

to charge someone for paying their bill, regardless if it is thru a human or automated.
tmc8080

join:2004-04-24
Floral Park, NY

save your self a headache

get rid of at&t's services, then you won't have to worry about nonsense such as this.. just make sure to tell them when you cancel the account that they now have one less customer to nickel and dime ($5, $10 service charges)!