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AT&T Imposes New 'Mobility Administrative Fee'
Yet Another Sleazy Below-The-Line Fee to Jack Up Service Price
AT&T wireless users are being informed that they'll be charged yet another service fee starting in May. According to the notification (sent to me by Broadband Reports reader lacibaci See Profile), AT&T in May will begin charging users a $0.61 "Mobility Administrative Fee" for Consumer and Individual Responsibility User (IRU) lines. What exactly does the "Mobility Administrative Fee do? According to the AT&T website, the fee:
quote:
...helps defray certain expenses AT&T incurs, including but not limited to: (a) charges AT&T or its agents pay to interconnect with other carriers to deliver calls from AT&T customers to their customers; and (b) charges associated with cell site rents and maintenance.
In other words, like so many telecom fees, AT&T is taking the normal costs of business and placing them in a below-the-line fee. Such a practice allows companies to jack up the cost of service without raising advertised rates. It's technically false advertising and absolutely anti-consumer, but it's something regulators have ignored for years despite constant proclamations that they're dedicated to transparency and fighting predatory pricing practices.
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norbert26
Premium Member
join:2010-08-10
Warwick, RI

1 recommendation

norbert26

Premium Member

how innovative

How innovative these "because we can" fees are.

CAST SUCKS
@comcastbusiness.net

CAST SUCKS

Anon

A nice get of contract for free with no ETF

A nice get of contract for free with no ETF.

Some should get a nice phone and after this new fee drop ATT and unlock it and go to tmobile.
decifal7
join:2007-03-10
Bon Aqua, TN

decifal7

Member

Re: A nice get of contract for free with no ETF

said by CAST SUCKS :

A nice get of contract for free with no ETF.

Some should get a nice phone and after this new fee drop ATT and unlock it and go to tmobile.

If, only T-Mobile would expand their network more... I hear they are, but haven't' seen much expansion in TN to blow my skirt up

inteller
Sociopaths always win.
join:2003-12-08
Tulsa, OK

inteller to CAST SUCKS

Member

to CAST SUCKS
cant re-up and break once it has been announced, but everyone up until today who just got a sweet phone recently can break after May 1. They may have to wait for the charge to appear on their first billing.
Crookshanks
join:2008-02-04
Binghamton, NY

Crookshanks

Member

Re: A nice get of contract for free with no ETF

Can't speak for AT&T but Verizon changed their contract so you can't do this:

If you're a Postpay customer and a change to your Plan or this agreement has a material adverse effect on you, you can cancel the line of Service that has been affected within 60 days of receiving the notice with no Early Termination Fee if we fail to negate the change after you notify us of your objection to it.

What this means is they'll just issue you a bill credit for the new fee multiplied by the number of months you have left on your contract.

inteller
Sociopaths always win.
join:2003-12-08
Tulsa, OK

inteller

Member

Re: A nice get of contract for free with no ETF

and this is why I don't do contracts anymore, they are absolutely anti-consumer.

Elector
join:2000-05-25
Albany, NY

Elector to Crookshanks

Member

to Crookshanks
The fact of the matter is Verizon Wireless will not credit you anything.
If you leave you would be paying more for that new service provider be it Sprint or T-Mobile or some other carrier.

That $8 charge over a year will cost you hundreds to get a new cell phone, and then an activation fee, and service in advance or pro-rata so it is yet another pick your pocket and live with it.

Sad very sad.
Rakeesh
join:2011-10-30
Phoenix, AZ

Rakeesh

Member

Re: A nice get of contract for free with no ETF

So unlock your AT&T phone and move it to t-mobile. Granted you'll pay $10 for the SIM card, the reduced monthly rate will save you a ton over what would have been the life of your AT&T contract.

Tel
join:2001-10-12
Mauldin, SC

Tel

Member

Re: A nice get of contract for free with no ETF

said by Rakeesh:

So unlock your AT&T phone and move it to t-mobile. Granted you'll pay $10 for the SIM card, the reduced monthly rate will save you a ton over what would have been the life of your AT&T contract.

Tried em, good service if you never leave the interstate.

northalabama
join:2001-06-18
Huntsville, AL

northalabama

Member

Re: A nice get of contract for free with no ETF

when did you try them, 10 years ago? in the southeast, t-mobile coverage is comparable to att & vz, with better quality and lower rates.

josephf
join:2009-04-26

josephf to CAST SUCKS

Member

to CAST SUCKS
said by CAST SUCKS :

A nice get of contract for free with no ETF.

Definitely. Every AT&T customer should go for it.

Some should get a nice phone and after this new fee drop ATT and unlock it and go to tmobile.

One needs to first verify that one can cancel a new contract that was signed after this fee was announced.
fiberguy2
My views are my own.
Premium Member
join:2005-05-20

fiberguy2 to CAST SUCKS

Premium Member

to CAST SUCKS
Here's what I would, and will be doing. I'm going to buy all new phones.. I'm in the early upgrade period. I will then cancel without ETF.. resign back up, get all new phones again, sell the new phones at a higher price and then I'm sure the incredible profits I make on the sale of the phones will cover that $1-something fee.

Just have to play them at their own game is all.

geh
Premium Member
join:2012-04-08
U.S.A.

geh

Premium Member

booo

sounds shady

josephf
join:2009-04-26

josephf

Member

Re: booo

AT&T forcing new fees upon customers who never agreed to it is shady. The customer legally ending his contract upon AT&T's breach is the appropriate customer response.

waffull
join:2000-02-15
New York, NY

waffull to geh

Member

to geh
Have you all ever thought about just giving up the cell phone?

I gave my BlackBerry up 3 years ago when I left the company I was working for and have been very happy ever since. No ties to constant contact, no expectation I'm going to answer every call or reply to every txt or email right away.

I use gVoice + a $40 »www.obihai.com/how-to-get.html box at home. For less than $4 a month I get all calls and basic phone services, including E911. Compare that to your $80+/month you are giving to these corporate behemoths that only care about screwing you over for every dime they can get.

Allow yourself to disconnect for 6 months, you'll realize that having it is more trouble than it's worth. I keep a pay-per-minute phone around for security while driving or, if I remember to take it with me, to make a quick phone call when I'm not home, maybe once every 2 months. And, btw, I have a successful IT consulting business now. My clients sign a "Contract of Expectations" before I take them on. It lays out what they can expect from me and what I expect from them. In there I lay out my availability/non-availability via phone/email. It works great and no one gets screwed and no one gets upset b/c of undefined expectations.

Reconnect to your life and disconnect from cell phone tether. Best decision I've made in the last 10 years!

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

Verizon will probably follow suit

Since the rates for service are locked by the contract, they add fees as back door rate increases.

My Verizon bill is about $278 per month with Verizon for six devices (includes a $49 device installment fee for my iPad mini). Without the the device installment plan, it comes to $210 without the fees.

Gilitar
join:2012-02-01
Mobile, AL

Gilitar

Member

Break contract?

Will this allow subscribers to break their contract without an ETF?

ptrowski
Got Helix?
Premium Member
join:2005-03-14
Woodstock, CT

ptrowski

Premium Member

Re: Break contract?

No. I called them and asked. I was told that since it is not a rate change you are not allowed to cancel. When I said MY rate is they said they apologize, blah blah blah.

josephf
join:2009-04-26

josephf

Member

Re: Break contract?

The front-line customer service reps at the carriers always deny anything is grounds to end the contract. They are trained as such. Nevertheless, all customers are on firm legal ground in demanding the contract be terminated due to AT&T forcibly adding a fee the customer never agreed to when signing the contract and does not agree to now.

The request should be escalated to a supervisor or even higher if necessary. Additionally, customers can file a regulatory complaint.
mjh2901
join:2001-08-02
Livermore, CA

mjh2901

Member

Re: Break contract?

Call customer service, cancel tell them that they broke the contract if they don't wave the fees, go to small claims and sue for the full 10,000 add willful breach of contract. You will win, those judges hate ATT.

The its not rate hike because we called it something else is bogus If its not a government tax its a rate hike.
itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Carlisle, PA

itguy05

Member

Re: Break contract?

said by mjh2901:

Call customer service, cancel tell them that they broke the contract if they don't wave the fees, go to small claims and sue for the full 10,000 add willful breach of contract. You will win, those judges hate ATT.

The its not rate hike because we called it something else is bogus If its not a government tax its a rate hike.

I can almost guarantee they will credit the fee to you every month until your contract ends. That way you won't have a leg to stand on in court.

You: Your Honor they raised my fee by $1.00 a month so I'm eligible to break without the ETF.

Them: Yes, we raised the fee by $1. When Mr. X called in on 6/1/13 to ask about it we offered him a $1 credit of the fee for the remaining term of his contract. Would you like to hear the audio?

Your Honor: Mr. X, you loose.

bobjohnson
Premium Member
join:2007-02-03
Spartanburg, SC

bobjohnson to josephf

Premium Member

to josephf
said by josephf:

The front-line customer service reps at the carriers always deny anything is grounds to end the contract. They are trained as such. Nevertheless, all customers are on firm legal ground in demanding the contract be terminated due to AT&T forcibly adding a fee the customer never agreed to when signing the contract and does not agree to now.

The request should be escalated to a supervisor or even higher if necessary. Additionally, customers can file a regulatory complaint.

While the above is true, you guys may want to wait until the fee is actually added to the bill. The CSR's are correct at this point, you can't cancel with no ETF because the fee technically doesn't exist yet.
nizmoz0
join:2008-05-06
Abilene, TX

nizmoz0 to josephf

Member

to josephf
I have tried this with AT&T and it doesn't work. I even reported them to the BBB one time, their upper management even called me back and refused to do anything. I could not end my ETFs with AT&T no matter what I tried. So I have been stuck with them sadly.
fiberguy2
My views are my own.
Premium Member
join:2005-05-20

1 recommendation

fiberguy2 to ptrowski

Premium Member

to ptrowski
said by ptrowski:

No. I called them and asked. I was told that since it is not a rate change you are not allowed to cancel. When I said MY rate is they said they apologize, blah blah blah.

HAHAHAHA.. that's funny. yea.. Sprint told me the same thing when I broke my contract over that 3 cent fee they added as well. Of COURSE they're going to say you can't break the contract. Personally, I think the state's attorney generals should sue AT&T for lying to their customers.. the law is what it is and the contracts are what they are.. if they're being dishonest to the customer in order to create gains, they should be slapped hard for it.

inteller
Sociopaths always win.
join:2003-12-08
Tulsa, OK

inteller

Member

Keep pushing your customers to prepaid ATT!

Just another reason to leave the sleaze by the wayside and sign up with an ATT MVNO that is flat rate, you pay what you pay and nothing more! Consumer Cellular is an excellent option for light data users and Straight Talk is the best if you can still find ATT sims!

battleop
join:2005-09-28
00000

battleop

Member

Re: Keep pushing your customers to prepaid ATT!

"Just another reason to leave the sleaze by the wayside and sign up with an ATT MVNO that is flat rate"

The herd is too lazy. It's easier to stay with at&t and bitch than it is to leave at&t. If they keep this up and there is little to no churn after it then they think that the customer is OK with it and will continue.

waffull
join:2000-02-15
New York, NY

waffull

Member

Re: Keep pushing your customers to prepaid ATT!

said by battleop:

"Just another reason to leave the sleaze by the wayside and sign up with an ATT MVNO that is flat rate"

The herd is too lazy. It's easier to stay with at&t and bitch than it is to leave at&t. If they keep this up and there is little to no churn after it then they think that the customer is OK with it and will continue.

That's exactly why it's so important for people to call, complain, move it up the chain, don't let level 1 support be you're main contact, ask for a supervisor right away. And most of all, either change companies or simply go back to landlines/VOIP.

There's no excuse for complaining and not doing anything about it. It's the same with voting. I refuse to have political conversations with people who do nothing but complain and won't even do their civic duty once a year to get to the polls and vote. Stop complaining and pay up or vote with your wallet.

Companies like ATT, VZN, Comcast, Cox, etc build in an allowance for churn when they make decisions to make changes like this. If customers don't make them exceed this allowance, then you are GIVING them permission to continue adding more fees. And remember, it's the stock holders, like me, and their management teams that benefit, not you, the customer! Think about that the next time you look at your bill and 1/2 a page is dedicated to taxes and fees. The fees are 100% the company passing the "cost of doing business" onto you. And other than fed, state, local sales taxes, it's the same for the other taxes. Washington won't tell corporations they have to pay their own taxes, so they just pass them along to you, the customer.

Stop letting them! There are tons of other choices out there. Net10, tracphone, Consumer Wireless, or even Credo (if you really love contracts.) Plus many others. Just do it!

battleop
join:2005-09-28
00000

battleop

Member

Re: Keep pushing your customers to prepaid ATT!

You will never get high enough up the chain to someone who cares. They only thing they understand is an exodus of customers, nothing else.

onlyme
@rr.com

onlyme

Anon

What is good for airlines is not good for mobile?

Since airlines have to advertise their final price, why
in the world are the mobile carriers, who have a way larger Chinese
menu set of taxes and fees, not required?
old_wiz_60
join:2005-06-03
Bedford, MA

old_wiz_60

Member

Regulators...

are not going to do a d*** thing; the carriers pay them enough under the table to keep them quiet.

And with the new FCC head a (supposedly former) lobbyist for the cable/cell people, consumer rights will go straight down the drain. Who pays more.. being head of the FCC or being a lobbyist? When the new head retires he will get a very well paid position at the carriers or cablecos. Maybe it's delayed bribery?
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

1 recommendation

Kearnstd

Premium Member

These fees need to be illegal.

Either list the full price of your service on the sign or do not bother working in the business. I mean how damn hard is it to tell people the final price before tax?

When I go to the supermarket and buy a steak that steak has a set price on its price tag. When I get to the register I pay that price, Since its non taxable there is no additional costs. The store does not tack on a "Powering the refrigerator fee, lighting fee, parking lot plowing fee, fee processing fee". No all of those costs are their cost of doing business and are accounted for in the shown price.

We have these stupid fees so that wireless carriers can show $39.95 on TV for voice service and then bill you $89.95 and claim they need those fees to cover business costs. Which is complete bullshit, If they needed to cover business costs they would raise the price of the product.
elefante72
join:2010-12-03
East Amherst, NY

elefante72

Member

Re: These fees need to be illegal.

These fees are there simply to prevent comparative tools and it's small enough that 99% won't even care or know. One of the worst in the past was airlines. They would advertise $99 flight, and then sent you on two stops, and when you add segment fees and taxes that is now $200.

The government said enough, and now when you search (compare) for an airline fee you can see the price after taxes. So they evolved and now they all have differing baggage fees (not easily seen) and they use this as a revenue tool, and of course to make it harder to compare what the true price is, but it is MUCH better than before...

With that said this is a material change to your contract (regardless what the reps say), so you can either:

1 Do nothing, complain and give T an extra $700 million per year to add to the bottom line
2. Call and complain and have them remove it from your account while you are under contract
3. Breach the contract under the fact that there is a material change to it. I would inspect the T&C because it may have some loose wording in there that they can change whatever they want, however if you do go this route, they will put you under "neutral" arbitration and you will probably lose, since of course it's rigged like vegas. Expect some credit reporting issues if you don't pay the ETF up front.
4. Do all of the above, and move over to an MVNO and make back your money on ETF plus some. You lose LTE if you have it though...

If you have an iphone you can break and recoup most of the fees if you have the time, droids maybe not so much....
Couch Potato
What?
Premium Member
join:2004-08-29
Statesville, NC

Couch Potato to Kearnstd

Premium Member

to Kearnstd
said by Kearnstd:

fee processing fee

lol
ihatedslr
join:2000-12-11
US

ihatedslr

Member

duh

These fees don't need to be illegal. If enough people drop their service, they will fix the problem.

Ever see crappy stuff in TV commercials for $19.99 with a $14.99 shipping and handling fee? That's not illegal either, neither is selling something on eBay for $1 and charging $35 for shipping.

If you don't like the total cost, end your service and dispute the early termination fee.

Yep, companies SHOULD show full cost up font, SHOULD tell us we're buying beta hardware or software, and SHOULD inform us they plan to abandon a product right after you buy it, but that's just a dream...

•••

pende_tim
Premium Member
join:2004-01-04
Selbyville, DE

pende_tim

Premium Member

I Have a New Low Cost Cell Phone Plan That I am Offering

This plan is the best deal going: Just $10.00 month* for Unlimited everything. Sign up now and beat the rush.

--------------------------------------
* Final cost excludes Taxes and Fees. Fees are estimated to be $70.00/month and are subject to change at any time

•••

fatpipe
join:2011-10-02
Austin, TX

fatpipe

Member

When will all this fee gouging come to a head???

I'll tell you.

It will stop when all our money is going to these "service" providers and we the people are left with just enough to "get by".

So there.
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9

Premium Member

Re: When will all this fee gouging come to a head???

No, it'll end when you stop giving your money to someone/something that you don't believe deserves your money. Take control.
FrontirCynic
join:2006-10-25
Long Beach, CA

FrontirCynic

Member

revolution in wireless

One of these days people are finally going to get sick of being abused by the "big two" and this may usher in some changes. At some point you have to draw the line. The ATT tMobile merger was an example. But this death by a thousand cuts (or here "tack ons") is going to continue as no small force can stop ATT. Look at this re unscrupulous practices (add to the long list) »www.mobileburn.com/21489 ··· -updates

I am still on ICS 4.0.4 on att S2 Skyrocket. Was told two months ago fix coming for S2 non skyrocket. complete lie

nonamesleft
join:2011-11-07
Manitowoc, WI

nonamesleft

Member

Apparently the immunity must cover this also

Att must think since they got away with there partners in crime the feds...They must think that immunity covers anything now. They should of got slapped hard with one expensive lawsuit. But the feds bailed there sorry asses out on that one.

•••••••••
en103
join:2011-05-02

en103

Member

This is a duplicate fee

On my cellphone bill, there is already a 'fee' for part 'a' and part 'b' is part of normal cost of doing business.

This is already a topic on howardforums

»www.howardforums.com/sho ··· ee/page6
said by karl :
...helps defray certain expenses AT&T incurs, including but not limited to: (a) charges AT&T or its agents pay to interconnect with other carriers to deliver calls from AT&T customers to their customers; and (b) charges associated with cell site rents and maintenance.

A - I do already have a line item for 'Teleconnect Fund'
B - This is AT&T's own choice - somewhere they must have a bad deal and are now sticking it to the average consumer.

The below the line fees are so that AT&T can still 'match' other carriers contract advertised price.
NOVA_UAV_Guy
Premium Member
join:2012-12-14
Purcellville, VA

NOVA_UAV_Guy

Premium Member

Would it be possible...

Assuming that they're not charging the fee today, and that there's no contractual language describing it, would it be possible to start service with them now, then cancel service and keep the phone without paying an ETF?

Not saying that I'd do it, but just wondering whether or not it could be done.

Probitas
@teksavvy.com

Probitas

Anon

??

Did it just become more expensive for them to provide services? I thought the reason they were trying to dump DSL and copper services in favor of pushing wireless was because it was CHEAPER for them to provide those services? Which is it?

Another straw on the lack-of-regulatory camel back.

•••
tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Brooklyn, NY

tmc8080

Member

$$ PREPAID $$

prepaid is looking better and better now isn't it?!?

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium Member
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ

1 recommendation

dvd536

Premium Member

Re: $$ PREPAID $$

said by tmc8080:

prepaid is looking better and better now isn't it?!?

Smart people are on prepaid. no BS unfees, no making money off unhappy subs. no jerking you around. unhappy with the service? toss the phone and be done with it.
BiggA
Premium Member
join:2005-11-23
Central CT

BiggA

Premium Member

Ridiculous

They should just regulate advertising the final price, with all fees except sales tax included.
SatManager
join:2011-03-17
North Las Vegas, NV

SatManager

Member

Truth in Advertising

What has happened to truth in advertising? The Federal Trade Commission and the FCC should get together and require that all fees be included in the final advertised price. The only thing that would allowed to be separate would be government (local, state, federal) taxes.
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