AT&T rings up extra charges for Auroran

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Updated: May 31, 2011 4:48AM

Dear Fixer: Last December, my husband and I were planning a trip to Mexico for our belated honeymoon. Around Dec. 4, I went into an AT&T retail store in the Loop to inquire about what features I needed to add to our phone plan so we can use our iPhones in Mexico.

The sales agent told me that by adding AT&T’s Mexico Plan for an additional $4 a month, we would be able to make calls, text and surf the Internet with no added fees. A few days later I added the Mexico Plan.

My husband, Jose, left for Mexico ahead of me, on Dec. 15. A few days later, Jose forwarded me an AT&T text message saying we had exceeded our data plan of $19.96 per megabyte and they were suspending his service. I immediately contacted AT&T and spoke with a customer service representative who told me the $4 Mexico Plan only covered calls. It did not include texts or Internet usage.

Also, the phone calls were not deducted from our Anytime Minutes or Unlimited Nights and Weekends. They were an additional 59 cents a minute. At this point, our phone bill was $5,200.

The only way to reduce it was to add an additional $199 international data plan and $10 global messaging plan (which would cover 50 texts). This could cut the bill to $2,200.

I called AT&T to express my frustration at being misinformed and to contest the international charges. The rep proceeded to give me all the information about iPhone usage in Mexico. Had the in-store agent provided me with this information, my husband would not have used the Internet and would have texted sparingly and only made calls when needed.

I asked about getting a credit and the phone rep told me he couldn’t do anything until the bill dropped, which would be around Jan. 15. Around Jan. 16, I called again to dispute the international charges. The woman I spoke with said I could file a claim, but she said it would probably be rejected because there are a lot of people who just don’t want to pay their bills.

I have been an iPhone customer since 2009. I have given AT&T thousands of dollars over the years.

They did reduce the bill from $2,200 to $1,665.88. I called again, arguing that I shouldn’t have to be liable for any of these international charges because I was misinformed by their store employee. I was told that it was our fault, because we turned on the data roaming when it said that high charges may occur. However, I was told I would be able to use the roaming feature. They said all the information is on the Internet and that I should have double-checked.

I was told to submit another claim. After that, the bill was reduced from $1,665.88 to $1,562.96.

My bill is usually around $225 a month. Their employee’s lack of knowledge resulted in me getting a $1,500 phone bill. As a paying customer, I deserved to be provided with the correct information so I would know what charges to expect.

Veronica Andrade, Aurora

Dear Veronica: Ay carumba! This is like a guy feasting at an all-you-can-eat buffet and then, after the meal, getting a bill for each individual item.

Had you known those texts, calls and Web surfing minutes would be so expensive, you and your hubby could have gone incommunicado, or at least used postcards.

We took your problem to AT&T spokeswoman Brooke Vane to see if anyone there could take a closer look at what happened.

Your story must have been convincing, because in a matter of days, all the international charges disappeared from your online account.

We also asked Vane what other travelers should do to make sure they don’t find themselves in a fix like this. (AT&T has voice service in more than 220 countries and data service in more than 200 countries, so a lot of U.S. consumers use it overseas.) She suggested using their online international travel kit, where you can plug in your itinerary and type of device and compare rates. That’s at att.com/travelguide. AT&T also provides additional tips for overseas travelers at att.com/wirelessinternational.

Check this stuff out, folks, before taking an overseas spring or summer vacation.

Scammers gone ‘phishin’

Dear Fixer: I recently received a very official-looking e-mail from Bank of America. They claimed that different computers had logged into my Online Banking (their capitals) and multiple password failures had occurred. They needed to reconfirm my account information. I had one day to complete this before my account would be suspended. I was furnished a B of A website to confirm my records. They finished up with “Thank you for your patience in this matterm.” Matterm?

The website provided a phone number for customer service, which I called. The first message asked for my Social Security number or FEIN. Yipes! When I contacted a local branch of B of A, they seemed very concerned and said I wasn’t the first to encounter this scam.

It seems like somebody is looking to steal my identity. Maybe you can pass this along to other Fixer readers. Keep up the good work.

Jim Schmitt, Bolingbrook

Dear Jim: You’re absolutely right that someone is trying to steal your identity. It’s called “phishing,” and some of the perpetrators use quite sophisticated look-alike websites to trick consumers.

A similar scam that’s common this time of year is a fake e-mail from the IRS asking people to click through to a look-alike IRS site for information about their tax refund or about an audit. Don’t fall for this. The IRS never sends unsolicited e-mail to people about their taxes.

If you get a phony IRS-related e-mail, you can send it to phishing@irs.gov. You can file complaints about other suspicious e-mails with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.

Verizon makes it right

Dear Fixer: Verizon mistakenly put me down for a corporate data plan rather than an individual data plan last July, causing my bill to be $15 more each month.

I contacted them recently because my bills have seemed too high lately. They admitted it was their error, but they will only refund the last two months of the overcharge. I believe I should get refunded back to July, when they made the mistake.

Debby Pope, Chicago

Dear Debby: You told The Fixer this mixup coincided with your daughter — who’s on your family phone plan — getting a new phone last summer. You suspected something got keyed in wrong at the time.

Regardless of when the error was noticed, it only seemed fair for Verizon to pick up the tab for this mistake. They had already refunded the most recent two months of charges, and after we brought this to their attention, they agreed to credit the previous five months as well.

Call-center refugees

Have you left a job at a call center? What drove you away? Team Fixer would like to hear your story. (And if you’re happily working at a call center, we’d like to hear from you, too.) We’ll protect your privacy if that’s a concern. Please e-mail your story to szimmermann@suntimes.com with CALL CENTER in the subject line. Thanks!

Free advice for renters

If you’re a renter and want to know how to avoid expensive problems with utility bills — as well as how to bring down your electric, natural gas and phone costs — the Citizens Utility Board has just the program for you.

The nonprofit consumer advocacy group is hosting “Learning about Utility Bills,” a free bilingual workshop, from 10 to 11 a.m. on Thursday at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 5100 N. Springfield, Chicago.

Among the topics:

How to avoid potentially expensive problems with estimated bills.

Using the CUB Energy Saver to create a personalized, money-saving plan for your household.

Using the CUB Cellphone Saver to analyze your wireless bill and save money.

Information about the cheapest local and long-distance calling plans for Illinois consumers.

Getting the runaround about a consumer problem? Tell it to The Fixer at www.suntimes.com/pcds/ssl/scn/fixer.html. If you don’t have a computer, you can mail a brief description of your problem, along with your name, address and telephone number, to: The Fixer, The Beacon News, 495 N. Commons Drive, Suite 200, Aurora, IL 60504. Don’t send original documents. Due to the large volume of submissions, The Fixer can’t make personal replies. Letters are edited for length and clarity.