titanium
Titanium
join:2000-05-25
West Richland, WA | hand made...
riiiiiiiiight ... thats the biggest crock of $hit i have ever heard... but can't expect much else from this company. |
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buddasahn
join:2000-11-27
Akron, OH
| Yeah..OK..they're hand-made! just like my nike's
Are you kidding me? What a bunch of horse s**t! These modems are probably made right down the street in another Taiwanese sweat shop...probably on the same line as my damm sneakers. You can say what you want about how congressional leaders rip the public off and waste our tax money....but ...GEEZE LOUISE.... these utility companies come up with more hidden and outrageous fees than I've ever seen before.
Just a little message to those in charge... DON'T INSULT OUR INTELLIGENCE!!! WE, AS CONSUMERS, ARE NOT AS GROTESQUELY STUPID AS THOSE LAME-BRAIN IDIOTS THAT YOU HIRE IN THE 1ST PLACE!!! |
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cdgreer
Hoosiers
join:2002-01-03
Columbus, IN
| That's funny... I have a shark fin modem and it's made by 3com.. and retailed for about 175.. good thing the satellite dish people don't do that. they never did come get mine and it's been 2 years. course, you can buy the whole thing from wal-mart for 49 dollars. |
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pules
join:2001-01-10
Los Angeles, CA
 ·Comcast Formerly ..
 ·Verizon BroadbandA..
 ·ViaTalk
| tis true
I cancelled my service with ATT some 8 months ago, but no one ever showed up to pick up the equipment. I had both Internet and digital cable TV with ATT. About a month ago I got a bill for $1,600. I was like what the? I called them up and the customer care person told me that all of the charges were for the equipment. I was so shocked. I too had the shark fin modem. I guess that’s ATT for you!!
To solve the problem, just return the damn thing even though it’s their job to come pick up their stuff to avoid these charges. |
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daparker
Nothing Runs Like A Deere
Premium
join:2001-11-06
@ H2O
clubs:
| reply to buddasahn
Re: Yeah..OK..they're hand-made! just like my nike's
Umm, I think they were kidding about where the modems were made. Granted the price is pretty outrageous, but in the attbi forum it was pointed out that AT&T probably got to that figure by calculating the cost to get someone out there, court fees, etc if one was unwilling to return it. |
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aalmolah
join:1999-12-24
Boulder, CO
clubs:  |  Rolls-Royce?!
This must be the Rolls-Royce of cable modems..NOT  |
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The Dv8or
DSLReports Forums -- The Mouse House 2.0
Premium
join:2001-08-09
Danbury, CT
clubs:
| I believe them...
said by AT&T:
hand-made by top executives at a clean-room on the top floor of the AT&T headquarters
Of course! It makes perfect sense! In the attic where they lock up illegal immigrants, chain them to their stations, and force them to get everything perfect, or get whipped by the guards. And they are "top executives". They are on top of the building, and if they miss one part on one modem, they get executed. See, and you all thought it was a bunch of baloney. AT&T tells the truth! 
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Why buy your woman a watch for Christmas? There's already a clock on the stove. |
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boom4u
join:2001-01-20
Holiday, FL
|  Ur all wrong
When u sign up for the service, and u sign the form when the tech comes out, you state that your responsible for the equipment since its in your possesion you are simply renting the equipment as part of your service, so its YOUR responsibility to return it....bottom line, why should they pay for it if you lose it huh ??? see what im saying, and by the way, it works ! they get back almost all there equipment and have good inventory control for this very reason-- if you had to pay for it if you were the co. ud do the same......-- retired Roadrunner Tech, (i now monitor the network and trble sht the cisco network) |
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Roundboy
Premium
join:2000-10-04
Drexel Hill, PA | Wow...
Comcast wanted $400 for my forgotten modem..
I guess the level of quality is higher at AT&T?
--
»cliftonclassic.winocrossing.com
R.I.P Invader Zim |
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TimSpencer
join:2001-05-18
Arvada, CO
·Comcast
| Cox tried to bill me $500...
I inadvertently packed my cable modem when we moved from CA to Denver. I called Cox and they sent me a box to return the equipment. The package was received and signed for in CA, but they claim the cable modem serial number is still not in their inventory system so they tried to charge me for it. Took me almost six months to resolve. |
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AkumalDave
Life's A Beach
Premium,MVM
join:2001-04-20
Minneapolis, MN
| Yes, but...it worked, didn't it?
I'd view this more as an "Incentive Clause" than AT&T thinking their modems can walk on water. If they charged the $50 or so a used cable modem might garner on ebay, how many do you think they'd get back? Exactly. But, bill the former customer $650 for it and the return rate skyrockets.
Of course, the $650 price wouldn't likely stand up in court. But, it sure gets attention!
FWIW, I was responsible for returning my Cable Box to AT&T when the jerks cancelled my grandfathered-in Movie Package and I dumped them for DirecTV. Don't see why their Internet equipment should be any different.
Dave |
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richb01803
Rich
join:2001-02-14
02100
|  Pre-emptive strike
I bought MediaOne service two years ago. Soon after it became AT&T, I took the precaution of buying my own modem and returning the silly 3Com modem to AT&T.
Saved me $10/month and avoids the danger of ever getting screwed by one of these charges.
Do it today--if you have a rental modem, buy a replacement (too lazy to go to the store? click www.warehouse.com or www.computershopper.com). It'll feel better, not paying so much $$$ to AT&T every month.
Just be sure to get a receipt when you give your old modem back to AT&T! |
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jamesd0
join:2001-09-13
Carol Stream, IL | $650!!!
What a load of crap how can ATT charge that kind of money when they ask if you want buy the modem instead of lease it for $200???????????????? |
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richb01803
Rich
join:2001-02-14
02100
| reply to boom4u
Re: Ur all wrong
After a certain number of price-gouging months, the cable company should just assign equipment ownership over to the customer. If the equipment's only worth a hundred bucks or less, it's more of a headache to process returned equipment (which is generally obsolete anyway) than to just give it to the customer.
Of course, they don't think of that.
I think it was AARP that squawked at another division of AT&T for continuing to charge rental fees on 40-year-old phones installed at the homes of hundreds of thousands of nice old ladies. The telco finally sent them a letter saying keep the phone, we're not going to gouge you for it any more.
Somehow I suspect there will be more than one 90-year old still paying AT&T ten bucks a month (2002 dollars) for a 3com shark-fin modem in the year 2042. |
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skedatl$
To Provoke And Annoy
Premium
join:2002-01-29
Corona, CA
| The fact remains
ATT can't only claim the real worth of the modem. They can try and charge you $500 but it's so arbitrary, why not make it $1000. Unless the charge is stated in the contract...the amount falls to fair market value.
--
Notice to web hogs: A good parasite doesn't kill its host. |
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VindictiV
Pebkac Error
Premium,VIP
join:2001-11-27
Burlington, ON
clubs:
|  Modem costs
I noticed the date on this was last year; but I wanted to bring up something not being addressed here.
Depending on when AT&T bought that modem, it may well have cost that much. It was not that long ago when cable modems were very expensive, and if it happens to be a modem they bought even 2 years ago that cost could be close to valid.
(not the replacement cost, but the capital cost they'd have to right off on what they spent on that modem when they bought it).
Prices NOW are dirt cheap; but they were not cheap not too long ago.
$650 is still a bit much regardless; but like buddy was mentioning above it is an incentive for you to return the equipment.
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There is no such thing as a stupid question, only stupid people. - Dogbert |
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techoncall$
join:2001-09-18
Charter-WI
| reply to titanium
Re: hand made...
Think about this. If you lose a movie from a video store you have to pay the 89.95 suggested retail cost.
If you lose a book from the library you have to pay the suggested retail cost.
You could go to a discount store and buy these items cheaper. This is how companies ensure that they will get their return on their investment if a customer loses or breaks it.
Just my 2 Cents--Flame Away
--
The views expressed may not directly reflect those of my employer, Charter Communications |
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titanium
Titanium
join:2000-05-25
West Richland, WA | reply to VindictiV
Re: Modem costs
it wouldnt have cost them 650$ EVER.. i bought my cable modem from AT&T 2 years ago (was mediaone then) like a dumbass.. anyways, it cost me 250$... so, it deff. didnt cost them 650$ a year ago. |
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soamelt
join:2000-10-23
| reply to boom4u
Re: Ur all wrong
said by boom4u:
so its YOUR responsibility to return it
When I had Comcast@home my modem died. I told them that I would return it and pick a new one up, they said no, you have to wait for the next available dispatch (which was 3 days). They said they don't allow customers to pick stuff up at their local office. Of course when I canceled a few months later they asked when I would be able to stop by their local office to drop the equipment off. Needless to say I made them do a truck roll to pick it up. |
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achuchma
join:2001-04-11
Tampa, FL
| reply to skedatl$
Re: The fact remains
said by skedatl:
ATT can't only claim the real worth of the modem. They can try and charge you $500 but it's so arbitrary, why not make it $1000. Unless the charge is stated in the contract...the amount falls to fair market value.
Exactly, we practice the same with customer's when we lease them equipment when we set-up their OC-3, etc...
The fees we charge customers when they cancel their telecommunications contract (or let it expire) and refuse to let our techs take the multiplexers are much higher than what we buy the equipment for.
Mostly it's to recover leased equipment because most customers won't pay the insane charges.
Most courts won't let us hold the charges to the customer, but issue an order to force return of the equipment.
After all, they leased it from us, therefore we still own it.
--
WARNING! Do not look directly into the processed chicken... |
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