AT&T review: 30-year customer charged $700 because of AT&T’s fine print

I have AT&T’s Next Up service and recently upgraded to a new iPhone. Before my new phone arrived, I accidentally dropped my old phone and cracked the screen. Since I pay for AT&T’s HomeTech insurance, I assumed the damage would be covered when I sent the old phone back — especially because the repair would have only cost $25 with a claim.

What AT&T didn’t tell me is that I had to file a claim before returning the device. Because I didn’t, AT&T decided my phone no longer qualified for Next Up and charged me $700 for a one-year-old device. Instead of notifying me or returning the phone so I could repair it myself for $25, they simply billed me the full remaining balance.

I spent two days and over four hours on the phone with multiple representatives, getting transferred, repeated, and dismissed. In the end, I was told, “Sorry, we won’t help you,” despite having six phones on my plan and being a customer for over 30 years.

This is unacceptable. AT&T failed to communicate, failed to support a long-time customer, and charged me hundreds of dollars for something my insurance should have covered. Terrible customer experience and a terrible way to treat loyal customers.