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cpumunkey
join:2004-07-21
Riverside, IL

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cpumunkey

Member

AT&T + SBC + Ameritech = Is this a retarded question?

Ok, so recently attempting to check my billing, let along just about anything else online through any of the above mentioned since the merger appears to be totally futile and fruitless. I've been with "ameritech" as a phone service since I can remember ameritech coming together as a company here in the chicago area. The merger with SBC was slightly bumpy, but overall, managing DSL and my phone over the net wasn't much of a problem. Now AT&T steps in, and it appears to have all fallen apart. My account is still magically active, I'm logged in, yeah, I can get access through Yahoo (even though SBC services there are about as helpful as trying to understand what their cryptic errors mean and other broken 'service pages' are doing)...

Since AT&T has apparently 'assimilated' everyone, it seems that my account and telephone number is nowhere in their damn system. Ameritechs pages look the exact same since I signed up in '02, and SBC's site is now one with AT&T's so accessing anything between the two relating to my phone number or any of my accounts is a no-go. What's the deal? But the better question is, who the hell is actually the company responsible for my total phone/dsl/overall-line & connection to the CO (outside of ASI) and how do i regain control of my account without having to speak to some idiot that's probably going to suggest I reboot my computer for something to happen?

Anyone else experiencing this stupidity? or am I just overly-tired? I just really want to know who I should be directing the screaming at in the end.

Old_Grouch
Don't just sit there silly DO something
Premium Member
join:2004-05-26
Greenwood, IN

Old_Grouch

Premium Member

Hopefully you will have slept before reading this and the new day looks brighter.

AT&T didn't "step in".

Historically, Illinois Bell and four other state companies which were wholly owned by AT&T became Ameritech when divestiture was executed on January 1, 1984.

Long about 1999 or 2000, the Texas-based version of another post-divestiture company bought Ameritech and the mid-west was assimilated into the SBC collective. Times got a bit bumpy due to some service issues but we won't go into who's fault those were.

Last year (2005) the SBC collective bought AT&T. For whatever reason or because a coin really does have two sides and this one came up tails, SBC decided to assume the name of the purchased company so they bought AT&T then claimed they would be known as at&t (little letters and I'll avoid that joke as well).

OK, now for your problem. You tried to log onto a system someplace hoping to reach your account information.

What was the url you tried to connect to. From that home page, where did you go looking for your data and what happened when you entered some sort of account information.

See, we have brass thinggys not crystal so you have to give us something to work with. Supply clues, we'll help with gee-whiz of some sort.

RadioDoc

join:2000-05-11
La Grange, IL

RadioDoc to cpumunkey

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SBC bought the dying carcass of AT&T. You've got the same ineptitude you've always had inside the mothership.

Instead of ranting away, you might want to be proactive and get whatever it is fixed. Go to SBC Direct and post the details (leave out the adolescent sarcasm) and hopefully they'll be able to point you in the right direction.

This mostly a billing and online data (which SBC is notoriously bad at) screwup.

Old_Grouch
Don't just sit there silly DO something
Premium Member
join:2004-05-26
Greenwood, IN

Old_Grouch to cpumunkey

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I got curious.

Tried to go to the old www.ameritech.com and it delivered me to att.sbc.com etc etc. Looks different but still usable. It is HERE if you want to follow along.

At the top I found links to Manage Your Account....I selected Residential customers which deposited me to an inquiry page trying to find out whether I came to the new company from SBC or the AT&T piece. I gave it my NPA/NNX combine and clicked on SBC customers which got me to a page that prompted me to log in to MySBC (seems to have taken forever to get here!

Next page (also new since I was last there) finally asked me for a username and password. Now, here is a trick...when my cursor was over the username blank, a hint box opened and suggested I enter my phone number. BUZZZ - - my username is not my phone number, it's my last name. I clicked on the forgot User ID/Password link and it hinted me to my password....after I successfully guessed it, they gave my username to me and I logged in.

I know, long but it is a process you might want to try.

Let us know how/if it works.
jrb531
join:2001-02-14
Chicago, IL

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I still have an ameritech.com email

-JB

NormanS
I gave her time to steal my mind away
MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
TP-Link TD-8616
Asus RT-AC66U B1
Netgear FR114P

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MVM

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said by cpumunkey:

Anyone else experiencing this stupidity? or am I just overly-tired? I just really want to know who I should be directing the screaming at in the end.
The folks in Plano, Texas, in the end. Ed Whitacre, who ran the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, back when Ameritech, Pacific Telesis, Prodigy, and Southern New England Telephone Company were independent entities, is still in charge.

Ed just got greedy, bought himself a member of the U.S. Congress, Billy Tauzin (who left the Congress a while back), and, through the usual backroom maneuvers took over those companies; didn't stop until he acquired AT&T. Then changed the name.

Or something like that.
jacksonrl
join:2002-02-16
Dayton, OH

jacksonrl to Old_Grouch

Member

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As confirmation, I did the same except started at »www.sbc.com . All after that was the same process as you.

Was able to see detail of all of my services except DSL. I think that's because I moved about a week ago and transferred (successfully) my DSL so expect to see that detail next month.
cpumunkey
join:2004-07-21
Riverside, IL

cpumunkey

Member

Ok, I'll save the sarcasm, just for you doc and thanks for the history lesson Old Grouch. I was running for 36 hours when posting this and meant ameritech.NET not .com, my mistake. But I still find it annoying that sbc can't get their act together when it comes to online billing. Currently I have the Express package from looking through at the paperwork but apparently I'll have to call them to see what contracts are available to get the lower prices since online, I don't exist to them.

Thanks again everyone.

koma3504
Advocate
Premium Member
join:2004-06-22
Granbury, TX

koma3504

Premium Member

Well Since you don't exist online you should be able to renew for the same rate as one could online by calling them IMO.