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AT&T Free Tablet Scam

By Charlotte Robinson, January 28, 2015
We should know by now that if a deal sounds too good to be true it usually has hidden charges. Especially with AT&T who over the years have offered free phones with hidden monthly fees. When my wife & I decided to upgrade our phones & phone plans over the recent holidays we were told that we also qualified to receive a free LG G Pad 10. When I inquired if we could use our Wi-Fi connection with this new device I was told yes we could do that instead of using AT&T. What he neglected to tell us was there was a $40 initiation fee as soon as we turned on the tablet & a monthly $10 fee whether we used the devise or not. We were totally in the dark about this until our bill came with an extra $50 charge. My wife immediately called AT&T to inquire about this extra cost & was then told about all the fees the salesman neglected to inform us about. When she stated that if she knew about these fees we never would have accepted this “free” but really not free offer. The AT&T operator apologized that the store clerk had not been clear about the charges & then told her we still had a month to return the devise but the charges would remain. Of course it’s totally wrong for AT&T to be advertising Free Tablets in their TV ads. So all we can say is buyer beware. If AT&T is offering anything for free, it’s probably not. We’re returning the tablet.
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9 comments:

Marilyn Rosen said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Were you able to return the tablet and get your money back? Same thing happened to me and by the time I got my updated bill and went back to return the tablet they said because it's been after 14days, I would have to pay for restocking fee and early termination fee for the tablet account. I really want other people to know this is a big scam thru AT&T. The store clerk NEVER explained about additional costs. Like you said If the deal sounds too good to be true, be aware and read all the fine prints before you sign. Argh!!

Anonymous said...

AT&T uses deception to sell their services! The same happened to me with their
FREE tablet. Never a mention of an activation charge or monthly fee.
Of course, the bill arrives after the 14 day return period.
Bait and switch - deceptive - insulting - poor business ethics....the list goes on.
Sad, because I've been a customer for over 15 years!
Waiting for AT&T to call me back to resolve this matter.
Verizon here I come!!

Pendziwiatr said...

I tired to return my tablet hope to get some refunded money but ended up having to pay $140 termination fee for something I never even used. After my contract is out on my cell phone I'm switching carriers! Deception is the worst thing you can do to a customer, they may have my money for now but they lost a customer for life!

Michael Perrin said...

Yes, the "free" tablet had a $10 charge for 2 years, but it also had to have its own new line, and this added up to a total of $75 a month for something free! I called as soon as my online bill posted, and I was able to return it with all fees removed and no restock. Probably because I have been with them for 8 years with five lines. Never again.

Work said...

Would it be categorized as a bait and switch?

annettechambliss2002 said...

The same thing happened to me Shame on them. My son is in the navy and returned from deployment from Hawaii. They told him he was getting a free tablet and now we are having to pay these fees every month. AT&T is nothing but deceptive. I'm moving to another company ASAP.

Kim in Tennessee said...

Hello, fellow victims. I rue the day I said yes to the tablet. I was told about the 40.00 initiation fee and the 10.00/month, but the sales jockey also put 30gb of data on the account! As of today, I have made calls for four months trying to get the extra 195.00 off of my account. Now am down to calling the regulatory franchise authority. My service is suspended and I owe over 400.00 in late charges. I will NEVER use at&t again.

Unknown said...

Our "free" tablet has a $45 activation fee and $10/month AND a 2-year contract! Even though we never signed ANYTHING, they said we can not even return the tablet without a penalty! They said it was in the terms and conditions we never saw or received!

Calling someone, offering him a "free" tablet he does not want or need smell of the Wells Fargo scams to me.

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