I’m on automatic pay aka AUTO Pay and rarely check my bill. I get all the automated notifications of course but more often than not, things simply go through. Then while on vacay last week I have the opportunity to pay closer attention to “stuff”. That’s when I see where our cell phone bill increased by $30 month.
Come to find out AT&T changed our plan without our consent. Oh but they “notified” us two prior statements ago. And this was AT&T being good stewards of our account as the UN-REQUESTED upgrade was completed by the loyalty team. They did us a favor!! Ugh.
After a fairly lively chat I am offered a VALUE plan which is $5 less per month than the upgraded plan with the only difference being we no longer get the AUTO pay discount because the VALUE plan is already deeply discounted.
Huh? What? Take two. Funny math about to ensue.
The old plan was $85 – $10 AUTO Pay discount or $75 a month and let’s not forget $20 a line to activate or some such bullshit. And why not price at $75 and be done with it!!
The upgraded plan moves us from 3G to 4G/5G (when it becomes available) for $95 – $10 AUTO Pay discount or $85 a month and let’s not forget $20 a line to activate or some such bullshit. And why not price at $85 and be done with it!!
The VALUE plan I was offered as consolation costs $80 per month for 4G/5G (when it becomes available). No AUTO Pay discount. BUT still $5 less than the $85 for upgraded with discount.
I have it on good authority that under the old 3G plan we did get speeds of 4G LTE already but I guess they’re taking that away. My non-technical mind seems to think these air waves cannot be contained really. I wonder if with our 4G phones we’d still be hitching a ride on the faster 4G waves even under the old plan. Which they offered to retroactively put back btw.
For Pete’s sake! How did we ever LIVE without SMART phones? What should we do? Take the old plan back? Go VALUE? Leave well enough alone? Which is what I did because B doesn’t care. Which is what they are banking on because I am a Luddite light.
End rant! FIN!
As always, more to come.
J-Dubs Grin and Bear It 
We had to go into the office to figure out our internet/cable service. What are we getting/paying for? Same thing. they had upgraded without telling us. Telephone calls were worthless. It worked out, but was a lot of effort to get there. Wasted $ on cable services we did not we had, never used, and never would. When did we sign up for automatic upgrades?
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That’s crazy. And no one signs up. They sneak it in. I told the guy there are laws against what you did and wa-la he offers my old plan back.
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I’m all for leaving well enough alone.
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That’s so far but I might go VALUE plan. Semi compromise.
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Akkk! How infuriating, Jill. I’ve been fighting with all sorts of things of that nature for several weeks now. I don’t want to see myself as someone who has to fight for every cent that belongs to me, but… bushwa! The weekend is almost here. Hang in there. Hugs.
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Sometimes we just have to row with these big companies. $30 here and there add up. Monthly affordable but years in it all adds up. Don’t even want to think of the money we wasted.
Cheers to Friday eve 😂
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I’m not a Luddite, but I use a $25/mo flip phone from Verizon because of crap like this. I had a nice HTC smartphone, and used the heck out of it, but the bills just are stupid. Plus, I like the smug looks of superiority I get when I whip out my flip phone from folks who don’t know I’m just being retro-cool.
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That’s awesome 😎 and I agree the high bills are stupid!!
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We have Verizon and even though a bit pricier, well worth in IMO because we get cell service wherever we are (almost). I did lower our home phone bill by bundling it with our cable and internet but seriously thinking that maybe if we get rid of the landline we’ll get rid of the telemarketers. Alternatively, keeping the landline at $7 a month keeps the telemarketers off our cell phones.
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We got rid of the landline several years ago. I did some opt out thing and have few telemarketers. Thank goodness. I’ve heard of instances where it’s cheaper to bundle something you don’t want or need. Craziness all around. 😂
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I use straight talk. Switched years ago. $35 a month unlimited talk, text, and data 🙂 Hubby uses the same and pays $45 a month because he says he needs the extra data speed(?) but my son who does nothing but stay on his phone uses the same $35 a month that I buy and says he never has an issue with slow data times. Phone, cable, internet companies are the worst. Right up there with the insurance companies. And the bodies that regulate them don’t do much regulating. Call them, it’s like they work for these companies rather than protect the customer.
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This makes me think we should go back to the old plan.
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Well, they say that 4g Ltd will be a thing of the past by the end of the year but since Apple (which I don’t have) says they won’t be coming out with the 5g phones until next year something tells me it is just a way to get everyone to buy a new phone.
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most likely. I will refrain as long as I can.
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Me too 🙂 🙂 I’ll be holding out until the phone doesn’t work 🙂 Reality, the way they make them today, the phone will give out before the 5g conversion interrupts my service hahaha 🙂
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Do you have Consumer Cellular? They use the same towers. We are getting ready to switch from AT&T.
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I don’t think we do but I’ll look. Thanks for the tip!
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Phone companies are the worst even over here in the UK. Whether mobile or landline, broadband / fast fibre or TV they try to rip you off. They hide it all in the small print .
I constantly argue with them and because I have the time I can usually get a better deal by threatening to leave .
Tell B he should not give in so easily as you say the companies are relying on you to do that!
I just negotiated my fastfibre and landline and got a deal as good as the one I had before, for less than I was paying before, and £15 a month cheaper than they wanted to put it up to. Don’t let the bas###ds grind you down. They can afford it!!. 💜💜🎀
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Love to see the consumer win! Yay Willow!! Sort of happened here when they offered to switch me back. I’m just not sure of what I might be missing.
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I doubt you would miss anything at all Sis 💜💜💜
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Phone and cable companies are the worst when it comes to fees, more fees, higher fees and extra fees. When you see the words, “special” “discount” and “savings” beware!
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Yep 👍🏼. That’s the truth!!
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So annoying. My internet bill just got raised (only a dollar, but still) to punish me for not buying a package of channels. I don’t watch TV! I only need internet! I could get internet via AT&T, who has my phone, but look how THEY act!
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lol 😆 exactly. Look how that act. Hehe 🙃
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Don’t get me started – phone bills are insanely overpriced! Our landline bill is $95 and our families cellphone bill is $200 – for what? Grr… Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to rant. But now you’ve got me fired up to call the companies and complain and get lower rates or cancel what I can! Happy stay connected Thursday! 🙂
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Ha! Rant away. It’s ridiculous. We canned the landline to save. I’ve heard you can save if you complain. Ppl do it all the time. It’s a racket.
Happy stay connected Thursday to you too!!
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Thanks for encouraging my rant ;-)! We need to can the landline soon. It’s a racket, that’s for sure. Tomorrow’s Friday! TGIF! 🙂
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