Back in June, we had our telephone service with Bell South (now AT&T) shut off at our request due to the fact that Bell South/ AT&T did not hold up to their pricing plan on a triple services (phone, internet and satellite TV) and we found that we could obtain the same services through our cable company for more than $70 a month cheaper. AT&T billed us for phone and internet here in FL and we received a separate bill (but one that was supposed to be 'discounted' from being an AT&T Triple Plan subscriber.) We had our services shut off 8 days into the June billing cycle. We were told that we would receive an adjusted bill for only the days of service which we had used. Let's not mention that the Satellite TV company soaked us for a few hundred dollars for breaking our 'two year contract' which no one ever mentioned that we had when they installed. SBC who we had done business with in the past never did that!

Anyway, I get a bill for AT&T for June's billing cycle, and it is about $120, exactly what it was for a full month's service the month before...including the taxes. I call and they tell me that they will send me a corrected bill which will be pro-rated. I get the new bill, and it is only $8 less than the original one. I asked them how is this pro-rated? I told the rep that I wanted it fixed properly, and she told me that was as good as I was going to get...As you see, if you cancel your service with AT&T...you don't get 'bundle' pricing anymore, you have to pay 'full price'. Full price which was something ridiculous like $42.95 for internet service for one month...and not the $19.95 we signed up for. I contacted AT&T by mail informing them that I was contesting their billing, and that I wanted it properly corrected.

In response, I got a collection notice from Franklin Collection Service. I wrote to them once explaining that we did not have the phone shut off for non-payment but that we had asked for the service to be terminated due to their overcharging us, and that since they (AT&T) apparently still wants to make a buck off us, that we are not going to pay the bill until they(AT&T) fix it. I let them know that I will take care of the matter with AT&T personally and for them to cease and desist from sending further notification about this account.

I got a nice little card in the mail after the cease and desist letter. It wants me or my husband to fill it out and mail it back stating who are employers are and what assets we have. The only place that went was in the paper shredder.

This was such an easy thing to fix...If they had said Oh, hey $50 I would have said great and paid it in a second.I refuse to pay for services for the duration of the month which I did not have. And to make AT&T's way of doing business even more awful...my cable company who we got our triple plan with currently does not have a contract of any sort, it is one bill, one flat fee every month, about $70 cheaper, and we had our service from the 9th of June until August 1st, when ou first bill was due...for free! That is how you win and KEEP customers!