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A California man claims AT&T is running a phone refund program that cheats customers out of the refunds they’re properly entitled to.
Plaintiff Simon Meron claims that AT&T’s handling of its own return and refund process for mobile phones is so ineffective and poorly implemented that it violates several consumer protection laws.
He alleges the company fails to follow the terms of its own mail-in return program, keeping refund money that it should have sent to its customers within a specified number of days.
According to Meron, AT&T offers a return policy for new phones that lets the customer return the phone for a full refund within 14 days of purchase.
Customers may ship the phone to AT&T with a request for a refund, and within 14 days of receiving the phone AT&T is supposed to send the customer a full refund, Meron says.
But in practice, AT&T creates a thicket of false promises and customer service runarounds that prevents customers from ever receiving this refund, Meron alleges. He says the company never intended to honor its promise of a refund. Rather, AT&T tricks customers into purchasing a new phone and maintaining their AT&T plan, he claims.
Meron claims he bought a phone from AT&T in October 2015. He says he sent it back to AT&T for a refund within 14 days of his purchase and expected to receive his refund 14 days after that, in accordance with the company’s refund terms.
At the same time, Meron alleges that AT&T refused to cancel his service contract. So he had to purchase a new phone in order to keep using his AT&T service, he claims.
Fourteen days later, Meron says, he still had not received his refund. The plaintiff claims he called customer service and was told the refund was on its way, but several days later it had still not arrived.
Meron says he ultimately made 16 phone calls to AT&T customer service, trying to track down his refund. He claims he was frequently reassured that he would receive his refund, though in other phone calls he was either put on a long hold or the call was dropped.
To date, Meron says, he has not received the refund that AT&T has promised him several times.
Meron filed the AT&T class action lawsuit in California state court in May 2016. Defendant AT&T has since removed the case to federal court.
If certified by the court, Meron’s proposed Class will represent all persons who bought a phone from AT&T and shipped it to AT&T for a refund but whose refund was not processed within 14 days of the date AT&T received the phone.
The AT&T class action lawsuit seeks an award of damages, and restitution of all money gained via the alleged unlawful business practices, plus costs of the suit and attorneys’ fees.
Meron is represented by attorney Stephen Noel Ilg of ILG Legal Office.
The AT&T Phone Refund Class Action Lawsuit is Simon Meron v. AT&T Corp., Case No. 3:16-cv-03739, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division.
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52 thoughts onAT&T Class Action Says Customers Get Runaround Instead of Refund
Same as everyone else. I returned a phone to the store and never got credit for the phone. Took me 6 months to finally get a credit less a restocking fee. But in the meantime they had bundled my internet bill with my phone and disconnected my internet for non payment of my phone bill. I ended up paying almost $300 for internet service I never received and had to get new internet service because they wouldn’t do anything about my credit until 6 months later. I hate them. They are evil.
At&t also screwed me on rebate offer they owe me 490.00. Any suggestions on how to get it from them legally
Back in April 2016 I ordered the AT&T and U-verse bundle .I was told I had 30 days to cancel if I wasn’t happy with the bundle.They came to my home and wired the whole house up and nailed wires into my fireplace.And put a dish up on my roof.They said that they were not U-verse but Direct TV.He quoted me saying that U-verse and Direct TV are the same.I wasn’t happy .I cancelled after 7 days.I was given the runaround about the 30 days.I must have tried to communicate with 22 people maybe more.No one could communicate with me.All they did was tell me I had to pay 20 dollars a day for 2 years ..I returned the equipment myself as no one at AT&T and Direct TV would help me.I returned the equipment to UPS in the second week.I am getting a bill for $500 dollars.I tried and tried to speak with representatives and they all just passed me from one individual to the next.Some of the people were so rude and irate.I became so frustrated because i could not communicate to them.One my email it says that I signed up for 30 days and after 30 days if I was not satisfied they would come out and disconnect.That never happened I had to disconnect because I could not reach anyone to help me on the phone.I signed up for the U-verse bundle not Direct TV.I don’t understand how people can treat human beings like this.and just go around and say pay or else.Its not right.If you are going to advertise a bundle with a grace period of 30 days,why are you not living up to your end of the deal.These people were very hurtful.Its just not right. didn’t do anything wrong.
YES!! I submitted a claim through the consumer protection via the Attorney General’s office and within 3 days Att called to let me know my money was credited to my bill!!! I live in Washington state so hopefully your state is on top of their consumer protection game as well!
Go figure, their (ATT’s) insurance company Asurion has exactly the same practices as ATT. Promise to refund me my copayment because I canceled the $199 insurance claim to fix a $5 part when they weren’t even going to send me the exact same phone i purchased, sent the replacement phone back without opening the box and they they kept giving me the oh it will take about a month or so for it to be credited back. Now my company ported my phone over to their tmobile account and att says i am not eligible for the refund they have owed me for the last 4+ months now that I am not a customer. Of course they can fix it if I just rejoin….. I have all sorts of cuss words to explain this but that fixes nothing, hopefully the attorney general will help out!
Happen to me too! I was sold a phone I found out they weren’t even going to have in stock till the following month well after my 14 day return period, luckily I caught it and brought the free tablet into the store which they tried to make me mail by threatening a restocking fee but I got online care to admit they told me different. Then they kept the line on and charged me every month saying I returned the device but not the plan. Every month they would lie and every month I would get charged till I finally left and went to Verizon… now they are coming after me for $675. I have several printed online chats with each of their lying reps
Yes AT&T has no customer service. I have a land line and internet service and last year when I called for repair they came out..never repaired and connected my line to my sisters across the road. It tookbthem 3 months to correct this and get it straight with me on the phone for 3 hours a day explaining it to someone in Taiwan or somewhere. It took me one year to get all the refunds due me and to get my internet back up and running. A real nightmare.
My husband had 2 cell phones with ATT. Some hacked our phones & took over our account. Took me off as authorize user. We started to get Direct Tv, but called to cancel before it was installed. The man came out to install. Then we tried to use plenti points. Cause not use because they said we was combine billing. In Dec 2015 We called company to fix, they said it was fixed. Next month same thing. In May it still not fixed, so husband drop ATT & changed phone service. We tried over 5 months to correct. We for paid 3 months for Direct tv. They said we would get a refund never did. They said the money paid to Direct tv would e used to our bill, it never was.
AT&T has given us the runaround for many years, from trying to take away our rollover minutes, to charging me $175.00 for who knows what and I can’t even pull up a paper bill to find it. I am still with them but its just random things like that seem to happen. I am from Kansas but remember AT&T is nationwide!!
I called them due to having money issues after a rehabbed house of mine didnt sell as quickly as I hoped. I told the rep I wanted to cut my internet and land line bill with them to as low as we could so I could keep the services. She worked out a bundle that included a cell phone that was slightly cheaper than my present plan without one. I told her their service didnt give reception here. She said just send the phone back within 30 days and I could still keep the rest of the new plan. I tried the phone for five minutes walking around my house and yard and found they didnt have any better reception than years earlier. I took it to an AT&T store to make sure it was in great shape and they said it was. The plastic to protect the screen was even left on. They sent it back in plenty of time. What did I get for my free 30 day trial? My wiring repair part of the plan taken off of my account and a $200 bill. I called and said that wasnt proper. The manager got snitty and asked if I thought I was going to get a free months service said they couldnt tell who sold me that bundle with those terms. Now you know they reward their folks for selling that crap because they push new services every time you call them about a problem with the ones you have. They have to know. They took the bill from $200 to $76 then $58 when they turned it over to collections because I refused to pay it. Then I dropped all of my plans with them but my internet. I bought the modem and have a document from them that says I did. Yet they now are charging me $7 per month to rent it. I asked where I could send those docs for a refund. They claim they dont know. I asked if I should send them to where the bill address is where you send them a check. The rep said that may be a good idea. MAY? You dont know? She gave me some bull about that charge being a repair if anything goes wrong charge. Yet it says rental fee. Verizon has done the same thing with bogus bills after you close your account with them. The feds need to get onto these phone companies. They are getting worse about ripping folks off through fraud. If they own your infrastructure they know you go through them whomever you go with. You need those services to live nowadays and that the government will let them get by with it.