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AT&T Wants $300 From Wildfire Victim
They didn't think to grab their Dish network receiver...

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I was hit hard by the floods in the Northeast last year. Everything I owned was destroyed by eight feet of raging mud water. Obviously, mud and electronics do not play well together, and the photo to the right was what my desk looked like at the time.

Amid the hassle of salvaging possessions and dealing with organizations like FEMA, I was pleasantly surprised to find that neither Time Warner Cable nor DirecTV charged me for destroyed modems and/or DVRs. In fact, both were kind enough to reconnect my service high on a hill free of charge.

At least one California wildfire victim isn't getting the same treatment, according to a local news report posted to YouTube. Matt and Danelle Azola returned from a cruise to find their Ramona, California, home burned to the ground. When they called to cancel their services, they were told they owed $300 for the receiver -- non-negotiable. The company wouldn't even postpone the bill until the couple was reimbursed by their insurance.

We fired off an e-mail to AT&T public relations to see if there's anything that can be done to cut the couple some slack, and the company told us they're looking into it. We'll post any information we receive, when we receive it.

Update: AT&T has told us they've investigated the incident, and the couple will not have to pay. We've posted their explanation here.

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ptrowski
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join:2005-03-14
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ptrowski

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That's just wrong.....

I can understand "in theory" why they would want the money, but come on, that's just freaking wrong on so many levels.
93388818 (banned)
It's cool, I'm takin it back
join:2000-03-14
Dallas, TX

93388818 (banned)

Member

Re: That's just wrong.....

Sucks to go through it, but in theory, wouldn't homeowners insurance cover things like this?

rbrussell82
join:2003-04-19
Elgin, IL

rbrussell82

Member

Re: That's just wrong.....

I'm sure it would, so they'll eventually get reimburse for it, but until then, they want their money right away so they have to fork it over.

N3OGH
Yo Soy Col. "Bat" Guano
Premium Member
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs

N3OGH to 93388818

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to 93388818
said by 93388818:

Sucks to go through it, but in theory, wouldn't homeowners insurance cover things like this?
Sure but between the time AT&T and Dish want their cash, and the time the home owner gets a settlement check for the $300, she/he's out the $300.

So instead of buying some replacement clothes, or a few nights in a motel room, they're stuck paying this garbage bill.

AT&T are going to get some seriously bad press out of this, and sure they'll recind the fee, but that's not the point.

Just more proof AT&T totally sucks the root.

At least now I know to stay away from Dish network as well.

What a bunch of ass hats...

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

1 recommendation

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: That's just wrong.....

said by N3OGH:
said by 93388818:

Sucks to go through it, but in theory, wouldn't homeowners insurance cover things like this?
Sure but between the time AT&T and Dish want their cash, and the time the home owner gets a settlement check for the $300, she/he's out the $300.
The houses being burnt down are worth millions. They can afford to pay the bill.
moonpuppy (banned)
join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD

moonpuppy (banned)

Member

Re: That's just wrong.....

said by FFH5:

The houses being burnt down are worth millions. They can afford to pay the bill.
You know this how?

Shouldn't matter what that house costs since cost of living is different all over the country. While that same house may cost $250,000 where I live, it may cost more where they live but their pay will reflect that too.
jjeffeory
jjeffeory
join:2002-12-04
Bloomington, IN

jjeffeory

Member

Re: That's just wrong.....

From experience...

The pay will not neccesarily reflect that.
moonpuppy (banned)
join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD

moonpuppy (banned)

Member

Re: That's just wrong.....

said by jjeffeory:

From experience...

The pay will not necessarily reflect that.
So you know what houses cost just by the large area they are in?

Unless someone shows me the address and the records of house sales on the same street, you can't tell me how much a house is worth just by looking at it or its location.

en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

en102

Member

Re: That's just wrong.....

As a resident of SoCal, you'll be hard pressed to find even a piece of vacant land to build on worth less than $250,000.

On the other side, just because the house may be worth +$500,000, (most in SoCal are), doesn't mean that

A) People are rich (many spend +1 income just to pay mortgage and taxes)
B) They have money. Some may have bought the house back in the 90's or earlier for --
Canada = Hollywood North

S_engineer
Premium Member
join:2007-05-16
Chicago, IL

S_engineer

Premium Member

Re: That's just wrong.....

One reason people scrap for a home in a semi affluent area is for an investment. I live in a nice area and I'm far from rich. Tack on my kids pending college tuition and you could consider me broke!~

The death Star wants the money...fine...send it to them in pennies and cancel your account!

Thaler
Premium Member
join:2004-02-02
Los Angeles, CA

Thaler to moonpuppy

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to moonpuppy
said by moonpuppy:

Unless someone shows me the address and the records of house sales on the same street, you can't tell me how much a house is worth just by looking at it or its location.
Reminds me of the houses on Venice Beach. The houses themselves look very "rustic" (ie. shithouses riding bare minimum up to code), but the property they sit on is worth millions.

en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

en102

Member

Re: That's just wrong.....

I tend to agree... the homes here aren't worth anything (except contractors that want to add on will charge a boat load of $$$ for any change).

Marina Del Ray has VERY nice condos.

Thaler
Premium Member
join:2004-02-02
Los Angeles, CA

Thaler

Premium Member

Re: That's just wrong.....

said by en102:

I tend to agree... the homes here aren't worth anything (except contractors that want to add on will charge a boat load of $$$ for any change).
Oh, but of course. With property values like those on the beachfront, contractors KNOW residents can afford to pay through the nose. I'm sure the city also tacks on a nice hefty tax/fee wherever they can for home remodeling.
emptywig
Huh? What?
Premium Member
join:2002-08-05
Pasadena, TX

emptywig to moonpuppy

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to moonpuppy
Yeah, you can certainly know what a house is worth just by knowing what area its in.

I can say with a pretty good degree of certainty that any house in, say, Tokyo, no matter how small, is probably worth nearly a million dollars.

I can also tell you that those numbers are completely relative, and just because your house is worth a million doesn't mean you have a millionaire lifestyle. A million dollars is a lot more money if you live in Houston than if you live in NYC or LA. If I had to, I could probably find an $80,000 house here in the Houston area that I'd be happy to live in. I don't think I could find a cardboard box on a piece of lawn in all of Southern California for that amount of money.

wig

ptrowski
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said by FFH5:

said by N3OGH:
said by 93388818:

Sucks to go through it, but in theory, wouldn't homeowners insurance cover things like this?
Sure but between the time AT&T and Dish want their cash, and the time the home owner gets a settlement check for the $300, she/he's out the $300.
The houses being burnt down are worth millions. They can afford to pay the bill.
Wow, really? I did not know fire only target high end homes. Oh wait, it doesn't.

»www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/2 ··· dex.html
ctggzg
Premium Member
join:2005-02-11
USA

1 recommendation

ctggzg

Premium Member

Re: That's just wrong.....

said by ptrowski:

Wow, really? I did not know fire only target high end homes. Oh wait, it doesn't.
But wildfires start in the hills, where the most expensive homes tend to be.

ptrowski
Got Helix?
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ptrowski

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Re: That's just wrong.....

said by ctggzg:

said by ptrowski:

Wow, really? I did not know fire only target high end homes. Oh wait, it doesn't.
But wildfires start in the hills, where the most expensive homes tend to be.
Being started by an arsonist, it started in the opportune area.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

2 edits

88615298 (banned) to FFH5

Member

to FFH5
said by FFH5:

said by N3OGH:
said by 93388818:

Sucks to go through it, but in theory, wouldn't homeowners insurance cover things like this?
Sure but between the time AT&T and Dish want their cash, and the time the home owner gets a settlement check for the $300, she/he's out the $300.
The houses being burnt down are worth millions. They can afford to pay the bill.
At&t has BILLIONS of $ they can wait a few weeks for the insurance company to give them $300

yock
TFTC
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join:2000-11-21
Miamisburg, OH

yock to FFH5

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to FFH5
said by FFH5:

said by N3OGH:
said by 93388818:

Sucks to go through it, but in theory, wouldn't homeowners insurance cover things like this?
Sure but between the time AT&T and Dish want their cash, and the time the home owner gets a settlement check for the $300, she/he's out the $300.
The houses being burnt down are worth millions. They can afford to pay the bill.
That shouldn't even factor into the equation. AT&T can wait, like all of their other debtors and leinholders, for homeowner's insurance to indemnify the policyholders.

Transmaster
Don't Blame Me I Voted For Bill and Opus
join:2001-06-20
Cheyenne, WY

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to FFH5
Such sweet people from New Jersy, but then I suppose it takes an A$$hole to live there...............

This doesn't sound like the Dish Network (DN) I know. Look at what DN did after Hurricane Katrina. They flooded the area with service trucks and got their customers up an running real fast, they even installed DN systems in shelters. I'll bet you they were dealing with an AT&T billing agent in India, or The Philipines, going by a script, or some low paid butt munch State side, who would get strangled in any other line of work.
93388818 (banned)
It's cool, I'm takin it back
join:2000-03-14
Dallas, TX

93388818 (banned)

Member

Re: That's just wrong.....

WTH does New Jersey have to do with this?

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

2 edits

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: That's just wrong.....

n/m
Replied to wrong post.

DownTheShore
Pray for Ukraine
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join:2003-12-02
Beautiful NJ

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to 93388818
Just another gratuitous swipe at a lovely state.

bent
and Inga
Premium Member
join:2004-10-04
Loveland, CO

bent

Premium Member

Re: That's just wrong.....

Way OT, but it's a state that has more Superfund cleanup sites than any other.

»www.epa.gov/superfund/si ··· /npl.htm

DownTheShore
Pray for Ukraine
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join:2003-12-02
Beautiful NJ

DownTheShore

Premium Member

Re: That's just wrong.....

said by bent:

Way OT, but it's a state that has more Superfund cleanup sites than any other.

»www.epa.gov/superfund/si ··· /npl.htm
Immaterial. Every state has aspects that are not favorable, whether they're envionmental, economic, political, or social. We are just paying the price of the economic growth that benefited the entire country.

There's still beautiful places and people here. It's a great place to live, and I'm just tired of it being considered some sort of joke state by people who've never lived here.

~stepping off soapbox~


Transmaster
Don't Blame Me I Voted For Bill and Opus
join:2001-06-20
Cheyenne, WY

Transmaster to DownTheShore

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to DownTheShore
said by DownTheShore:

Just another gratuitous swipe at a lovely state.
Beautiful compared with Wyoming or Colorado, I don't think so. But you do have some really cool places to eat.

DownTheShore
Pray for Ukraine
Premium Member
join:2003-12-02
Beautiful NJ

DownTheShore

Premium Member

Re: That's just wrong.....

said by Transmaster:

Beautiful compared with Wyoming or Colorado, I don't think so. But you do have some really cool places to eat.
Nothing out here compares to the vistas you folks have there - we just don't have those mountains or vast tracks of undeveloped land for that kind of classic landscape imagery. But there's a lot of quiet beauty here, if one looks beyond the Turnpike.

NJ is a smörgåsbord of eateries.
jjeffeory
jjeffeory
join:2002-12-04
Bloomington, IN

jjeffeory to Transmaster

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I was in Katrina. Charter cable sent us bills for months that their cable lines were down. I don't know what Cox did, but Charter didn't help too much.

supergirl
join:2007-03-20
Pensacola, FL

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New Jersey is just a suburb of NY.

KrK
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said by Transmaster:

This doesn't sound like the Dish Network (DN) I know.
This isn't DN. This is AT&T's bundled Dish deal. If they had service thru DN, this wouldn't even be a problem. In fact when I moved years ago Dish Network let me use DishMover and suspended (IE I didn't pay to turn off or turn back on, but was not billed for a couple of months) my service while I got situated and then reinstalled. I think I paid em a $5 a month just to keep my grandfathered East West Network feeds up, because if you turned em off you couldn't get them back.)

This is purely AT&T for ya... and a sign of how DN will be in the future if the rumored buyout does happen, most likely.

markwp2001
Spreadhead
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Long Beach, MS

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markwp2001 to FFH5

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to FFH5
said by FFH5:
said by N3OGH:
said by 93388818:

Sucks to go through it, but in theory, wouldn't homeowners insurance cover things like this?
Sure but between the time AT&T and Dish want their cash, and the time the home owner gets a settlement check for the $300, she/he's out the $300.
The houses being burnt down are worth millions. They can afford to pay the bill.
Now that's an ignorant, ill-informed, stupid statement. Congrats.

graycorgi
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join:2004-02-23

graycorgi to FFH5

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to FFH5
said by FFH5:

said by N3OGH:
said by 93388818:

Sucks to go through it, but in theory, wouldn't homeowners insurance cover things like this?
Sure but between the time AT&T and Dish want their cash, and the time the home owner gets a settlement check for the $300, she/he's out the $300.
The houses being burnt down are worth millions. They can afford to pay the bill.
I disagree. Most if not all people around here are barely able to afford their homes, so they barely scrape by in the other parts of their lives. Just because the house is worth millions, doesn't mean they are millionaires. The wages here are probably the lowest in the US relative to the cost of living.
eric890740
join:2004-08-13
Henderson, NV

eric890740 to FFH5

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to FFH5
"The houses being burnt down are worth millions. They can afford to pay the bill."

Insurance doesn't pay the "worth" of the house it pays the cost to rebuild it and replace the items in it.

brian
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Mission Viejo, CA

brian

Premium Member

Re: That's just wrong.....

If you're lucky.

GlobalMind
Domino Dude, POWER Systems Guy
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join:2001-10-29
Indianapolis, IN

1 edit

GlobalMind to FFH5

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to FFH5
said by FFH5:

said by N3OGH:
said by 93388818:

Sucks to go through it, but in theory, wouldn't homeowners insurance cover things like this?
Sure but between the time AT&T and Dish want their cash, and the time the home owner gets a settlement check for the $300, she/he's out the $300.
The houses being burnt down are worth millions. They can afford to pay the bill.
Thanks, but really that's not the point. I could probably pay the bill too if my home were destroyed by wildfire or in my case, hurricane.

It wouldn't change the fact that it is purely bad form to do business this way as the "corporate citizen."

AT&T / Dish make billions of dollars a year. They can afford the write-off.

Thaler
Premium Member
join:2004-02-02
Los Angeles, CA

Thaler

Premium Member

Re: That's just wrong.....

said by GlobalMind:

It wouldn't change the fact that it is purely bad form to do business this way as the "corporate citizen."

AT&T / Dish make billions of dollars a year. They can afford the write-off.
And that's the perfect response to FFH5 See Profile's post.
Expand your moderator at work

Deckoh
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join:2002-07-24
Chesapeake, VA

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Deckoh to FFH5

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to FFH5
quote:
The houses being burnt down are worth millions. They can afford to pay the bill.
Now thats just a dumb comment. Better yet stupid!

Cheese
Premium Member
join:2003-10-26
Naples, FL

Cheese to FFH5

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to FFH5
said by FFH5:

said by N3OGH:
said by 93388818:

Sucks to go through it, but in theory, wouldn't homeowners insurance cover things like this?
Sure but between the time AT&T and Dish want their cash, and the time the home owner gets a settlement check for the $300, she/he's out the $300.
The houses being burnt down are worth millions. They can afford to pay the bill.
I am pretty sure not all of the houses are worth millions

tma
@k12.ca.us

tma to FFH5

Anon

to FFH5
How do you know these houses are worth millions? My aunt's house in Running Springs burnt down, a small cabin worth maybe $150,000 and DISH Network wants $600 for the receivers in her livingroom and the one in my grandmother's room. They are not wealthy people. Far too many generalizations about people in CA are being made.
47717768 (banned)
join:2003-12-08
Birmingham, AL

2 edits

47717768 (banned) to FFH5

Member

to FFH5
said by FFH5:

said by N3OGH:
said by 93388818:

Sucks to go through it, but in theory, wouldn't homeowners insurance cover things like this?
Sure but between the time AT&T and Dish want their cash, and the time the home owner gets a settlement check for the $300, she/he's out the $300.
The houses being burnt down are worth millions. They can afford to pay the bill.
I am sure AT&T and Dish Network makes more money than any average person makes,but i could be wrong

KrK
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said by FFH5:

The houses being burnt down are worth millions. They can afford to pay the bill.
They have mortgages payments of multiple thousands a month. They still have to pay while fighting with insurance companies.

Maybe some can afford to pay, but I'm betting a lot can't. Especially as their cash is needed for temporary housing and so on atm.

Really it's of little point to the issue.

I mean your statement is no different then someone saying:

"AT&T is worth billions. Screw 'em. They can afford it." now isn't it?

Just depends who you feel sorry for more, I guess.

zoom314
join:2005-11-21
Yermo, CA

zoom314 to N3OGH

Member

to N3OGH
said by N3OGH:
said by 93388818:

Sucks to go through it, but in theory, wouldn't homeowners insurance cover things like this?
Sure but between the time AT&T and Dish want their cash, and the time the home owner gets a settlement check for the $300, she/he's out the $300.

So instead of buying some replacement clothes, or a few nights in a motel room, they're stuck paying this garbage bill.

AT&T are going to get some seriously bad press out of this, and sure they'll rescind the fee, but that's not the point.

Just more proof AT&T totally sucks the root.

At least now I know to stay away from Dish network as well.

What a bunch of ass hats...
I wonder now, Why would AT&T want the Dish Network box back? I mean last I looked Dish Network is still owned by Echostar and AT&T hasn't bought either one of them as of yet. But then I own My HD Dish Network box outright, Although one time a rep from Dish Network did try and say that they owned It, Until I objected as I had a receipt from when I bought the box online, Then Dish looked It up and said I was right and apologized.
caco
Premium Member
join:2005-03-10
Whittier, AK

caco to 93388818

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to 93388818
Yes, it should. If they owned the equipment it wouldn't be a problem.
Enlightener
join:2006-01-28
Cedar Park, TX

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Member

to 93388818
Actually I wonder if hazard insurance would cover it or not since the policy holder doesn't actually own the equipment.

••••

blah blah blah
@adobe.com

blah blah blah to 93388818

Anon

to 93388818
Depends on the insurance. Some policies may only pay for the rebuilding of the house and not the contents. Does this come under act of God? Sometimes, they don't pay for those...
kcblack
Premium Member
join:2000-09-11
Chicago, IL

kcblack to ptrowski

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to ptrowski
I'll bet it cost them more than $300 in bad publicity...

Kevin
tpac_man
join:2007-02-27
Riverbank, CA

tpac_man to ptrowski

Member

to ptrowski
I'M MORE THEN SURE THIS IS NOT POLICY WITH ATT. I'M NOT SAYING THIS BECAUSE I LIKE ATT, BUT BECAUSE ATT HAS A BUNCH OF IDIOTS IN INDIA WHO DON'T KNOW ANYTHING. I'M SURE THAT THE REPRESENTATIVE THEY TALKED TO WAS IN INDIA. IF I WAS TO CALL ATT NOW AND SPEAK WITH SOMEONE IN THE U.S, IM SURE THIS WOULD NOT BE THE CASE. LETS HOPE!

•••
19579823 (banned)
An Awesome Dude
join:2003-08-04

19579823 (banned) to ptrowski

Member

to ptrowski
ATT IS NOTHING BUT GREEDY BASTARDS!!!!

THEY DONT GIVE A FUCK WHAT SOMEONE HAS BEEN THRU AS LONG AS THEY GET THIER MONEY TO LINE THIER DEEP POCKETS WITH....

UNREAL.......

ptrowski
Got Helix?
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ptrowski

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Re: That's just wrong.....

said by 19579823:

ATT IS NOTHING BUT GREEDY BASTARDS!!!!

THEY DONT GIVE A FUCK WHAT SOMEONE HAS BEEN THRU AS LONG AS THEY GET THIER MONEY TO LINE THIER DEEP POCKETS WITH....

UNREAL.......
Dear Dude111,
Learn how to type without the Caps Lock button on or don't type at all.
Sincerly,
The Adults of DSLReports.com

KrK
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Please check it!
Kearnstd
Space Elf
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Mullica Hill, NJ

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to ptrowski
this will never fly, now that its in the media AT&T wont bill them for the box. $300 dollars is a far better loss then bad PR, as Dish is an optional provider for TV. while AT&T isnt for your phone in most areas.

exocet_cm
Writing
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Brooklyn, NY

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exocet_cm to ptrowski

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to ptrowski
said by ptrowski:

I can understand "in theory" why they would want the money, but come on, that's just freaking wrong on so many levels.
Wait until the cable company jumps on this!

"Satellite TV will make you pay for your satellite dish even if your home burns down! BUT WITH CABLE you HAVE no dish to pay for!"

ptrowski
Got Helix?
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ptrowski

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Re: That's just wrong.....

said by exocet_cm:

said by ptrowski:

I can understand "in theory" why they would want the money, but come on, that's just freaking wrong on so many levels.
Wait until the cable company jumps on this!

"Satellite TV will make you pay for your satellite dish even if your home burns down! BUT WITH CABLE you HAVE no dish to pay for!"
That is excellent! I am willing to bet it will be running on TV by the time I get home this evening....

KrK
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said by exocet_cm:

"Satellite TV will make you pay for your satellite dish even if your home burns down! BUT WITH CABLE you HAVE no dish to pay for!"
Only catch is with Cable is they'll bill you for the Convertors/Wiring/Modems/Phone etc

sigh
@swbell.net

sigh

Anon

sigh

They'll reverse it.

Wills9
join:2001-01-03
Port Charlotte, FL

Wills9

Member

Re: sigh

Maybe. Maybe not.

But someone hit by this kind of damage have enough to worry about and don't need this kind of crap. This should be the last thing they have to worry about.

If DirecTV was willing to come out and simply re-aim my dish for me for free after Hurricane Charley then AT&T can be just a tad more lenient on these people.

Sigh all you want, this is complete and utter bullshit.

I'm glad some companies are willing to put the almighty dollar aside to keep their customers happy. AT&T obviously isn't one of them.

sigh
@swbell.net

sigh to sigh

Anon

to sigh
Well la de da, look who was right.

»AT&T Tells Us WildFire Couple Won't Pay [111] comments
gaforces (banned)
United We Stand, Divided We Fall
join:2002-04-07
Santa Cruz, CA

1 edit

gaforces (banned)

Member

You owe

Pay up sucka!
ATT is hurtin too .., they have all that melted copper and fiber to replace, like the cruise ship couple with insurance.
moonpuppy (banned)
join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD

moonpuppy (banned)

Member

Sheer stupidity

ATT is going to lose a lot with this PR move.

Instead of the news trying to draw parallels with this and the Katrina flood, maybe they should broadcast stories like this and see how far ATT back-peddles.
garaux1
join:2004-07-26
Gaffney, SC

garaux1

Member

Re: Sheer stupidity

yeah lets Broadcast it on AT&T so they can filter that too...
majortom1029
join:2006-10-19
Medford, NY

majortom1029

Member

hmm

Just remember Dish Network asked for their money back also , so dont single out att.

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

pnh102

Premium Member

Screw AT&T

What can AT&T do if they don't pay? Take their house?

••••
caco
Premium Member
join:2005-03-10
Whittier, AK

caco

Premium Member

They will get it waived

The equipment fee charge will be waived as a courtesy but ATT/Dish are under no obligation to do so. This happens all the time and what the rep. told her about taking it up with home insurance is correct. Sucks but, hey the rented the equipment not owned it.

••••

tscallions
join:2003-03-05
Memphis, TN

1 edit

tscallions

Member

Don't Charge Me Bro!

I was about to say the same thing... It's not as if these two companies are going to have the mafia come break their legs or something. Screw 'em, pay 'em when you have the money to do it. And it would take more than 90 days before they started to report to a credit agency. These people have no reason to worry.
Rick5
Premium Member
join:2001-02-06

Rick5

Premium Member

Well,

In fairness to at&t there is a normal process that people should go through for something like this. It's called..Insurance...and filing a claim with your insurer for what you've lost. And not simply calling whomever you owe and asking to be relieved of your obligations.

Assuming these folks are insured..they're going to most likely be reimbursed for this and, if at&t were to simply forgive this debt..technically these homeowners would be benefitting financially from having had the fire in the first place.

In other words..they'd be keeping the 300.00 themselves.

What did at&t do wrong? They need to flag these accounts to work with these homeowners until their claims are resolved and wait for their money the same as the homeowners have to wait on theirs. Insurance co's will move quickly on this though and chances are..these folks will soon have a check anyway for their losses.

What AT&T SHOULD do as a PR move, is to forgive or at least, reduce the debt of anyone who wasn't insured. But that will take some time to sort out as to who or wasn't insured.

I also don't really think this reflects on the company as a whole. First line call center folks don't have this kind of authorization and basically read from a script. This is an upper management issue to deal with. They should have done so however already..having had this issue publicized for days now.

•••••••••

LarryFArkin
@bellsouth.net

LarryFArkin

Anon

Yeah

It's a business, they want their rightful money. Nothing you can do their.

burgermeister
All Computers Are Junk
join:2000-10-23
Utica, MI

burgermeister

Member

Maybe I'm crazy...

But I guess I'd expect I'd have to pay for it. I'd have to pay for everything else (or insurance would) in my house, so I don't understand what makes the at&t hardware any different.

tshirt
Premium Member
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA

tshirt

Premium Member

The dog ate my dish......

This doesn't seem unusual.
One house or 1000, if leased equipment is stolen, lost or destroyed, they send the bill, so you can present it to your insurance company. If you have a decent agent they will make sure it gets payed promptly
If you are uninsured/under-insured/ or went with "Mutual of Nowhere" because it was cheaper, be glad it wasn't your leased lexus or Hummer that got toasted.
LostMile
Premium Member
join:2002-06-07
Coloma, MI

LostMile

Premium Member

I'm shocked!

You mean that FREE receiver we frequently see advertised is not really FREE? What idiots to have missed reading the TOS written in 1pt type buried a bazillion clicks deep on their website.

Anonymous_
Anonymous
Premium Member
join:2004-06-21
127.0.0.1

Anonymous_

Premium Member

Re: I'm shocked!

said by LostMile:

You mean that FREE receiver we frequently see advertised is not really FREE? What idiots to have missed reading the TOS written in 1pt type buried a bazillion clicks deep on their website.
the FREE receiver is NOT FREE you pay a fee every month

ATMW
@att.net

ATMW

Anon

Flood

The issue may be that they have ZERO coverage for flood. Unless they have coverage through the National Flood Insurance program they may get ZERO from their insurance company. 99% of the insurance policies do not cover damage due to flood unless you have a special rider and/or purchase flood insurance through the government program.

Ask your insurance agent what happens if you get flooded out. I suspect you will get nothing.... If you are in a flood prone area or in a flood plain most lenders require flood insurance, but sometimes homes slip through the cracks.

In my case the lower part of my property is in a flood plain, but the home sits up on a hill so I could opt out of the coverage. I'm hoping they had flood insurance. It's normally not a covered item on your policy, so there may not be any $$$ coming in to cover this loss.

I'd suggest contacting the Office of The President of ATT. Should get a bit of help from there. People in high places can do things the clerk on the phone can't....

•••

KoRnGtL15
Premium Member
join:2007-01-04
Grants Pass, OR

KoRnGtL15

Premium Member

$$$$$$$$$$$

It's all about the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

supernac3
join:2003-03-26
Springfield, MO

supernac3

Member

Why is this an issue?

Guess what, their mortgage company, auto financing, credit card companies etc etc will all still be expecting a payment as well. I worked with a person who's house burnt down, their insurance company cut them a check for several grand the same day they made the claim. This allowed them to buy clothes, get a hotel room and such. Most insurance companies do this. I know it sucks having your house burned down, but you cant expect to just stop paying your bills.

burgerwars
join:2004-09-11
Northridge, CA

burgerwars

Member

Business is Business

Since I don't have handset insurance with my AT&T cellphone, if it gets destroyed in a fire or flood, or I accidentally destroy it, I got to pay for a new one.

Whether AT&T wants to be forgiving, it's for them to decide, not the customer. I think during hurricane Katrina, the cable companies didn't bother to try and collect for the tens of thousands of drowned cable boxes. The damage was just too extensive, and they had enough problems of their own. For something like that, companies have business loss insurance.

The fires were bad, but contrary to what you may see on CNN or Fox News, it's not anywhere near as extensive of a disaster, like Katrina or the Northridge Earthquake. There's no comparison.

If your washer and dryer were destroyed in the same fire, and you still owed for it on a credit card, do you think your credit card company will say "no problem, we'll zero out your bill." This person needs to add his Dish Network receiver to his homeowners insurance claims.
moonpuppy (banned)
join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD

moonpuppy (banned)

Member

Re: Business is Business

Looks like another one who did not see the video.

They are only asking for time to get the insurance check. They are not looking for forgiveness of the charge.

As for the ATT phone, that could be covered under homeowner's insurance. Same thing for the washer and dryer. You still pay the credit card but you get new washer and dryer with insurance check.

And while I agree it is not as bad as the earthquakes or a hurricane, it is still large enough that rebuilding will be time consuming and the area affected is widespread.
MikelD
join:2001-02-09
Austin, TX

1 edit

MikelD

Member

Re: Flood or fire???

Sorry, don't know how that wound up here.
matt498
join:2006-07-31
Waycross, GA

1 recommendation

matt498

Member

People are blaming the wrong company.

The only thing AT&T has to do with this is the fact that they have a bundle package with Dish Network. The billing and equipment still comes from dish network, not AT&T. The story line here is his satellite tv equipment not his phone equipment or his phone line. This is just another story line to try and bash AT&T (SBC).

Woof Woof
join:2004-09-01
Sachse, TX

Woof Woof

Member

So just pay the monthly fee until your ready to re-connect??

So you pay your standard monthly bill for a couple months until the insurance pays off, then you use that to pay the equipment charge to get a replacement unit in whatever house you end up needing it. Why would AT&T care if it is destroyed unless you were demanding an immediate replacement? As long as you're paying your monthly bill, why would they care if the equipment is on, off, or burnt to a crisp?

I dunno... seams like a story to garner knee-jerk reactions...
Mad Mac
join:2003-03-10
Moorpark, CA

1 edit

Mad Mac

Member

Re: So just pay the monthly fee until your ready to re-connect??

Yes, they should pay the cost of the receiver, whether they are insured or not. Those are the terms and conditions of their contract.

No, they should not be asked to pay it immediately. AT&T (or whoever this actually comes back to) needs to exercise some discretion (even if only for PR reasons) given the circumstances, which I'm sure will happen once it gets high enough up to someone with that authority.

No, they should not have to pay for service they are unable to receive through circumstances outwith their control.
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