AT&T billed an 83-year-old man over $24,000 for two months of dial-up Internet service

[ahhming]

Ron Dorff of Los Angeles recently fielded a pair of bills from AT&T totaling $24,298.93.

As PCMag notes, the 83-year-old received a recent statement in the amount of $8,596.57. A bit baffled by it all, he called AT&T and spoke with a customer service rep that was just as confused as he was. An in-home service visit was scheduled but the tech never showed up so Dorff simply wrote it off as being solved.

The next month, he was billed $15,687.64 – far more than the $51 he’s used to paying for Internet service (am I the only one that thinks $51 a month for dial-up service is also ridiculous?). Another call to AT&T was in order and this time, a technician actually made it out to inspect the issue.
 

As it turns out, a simple yet unexplainable error was to blame for the overages. Dorff's modem somehow started dialing a long-distance number to access AOL. That’s not AT&T’s problem, apparently, as another rep he spoke to insisted he had to pay and was, as Dorff describes, very blunt about it.

 

Once the LA Times got involved, however, AT&T quickly changed its tune and waived the erroneous charges. The provider contends the timing of the publication's involvement was just a coincidence.

Source:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2483480,00.asp

[Guest]

Scum of the earth those ISP's.

[Suffokation]

ISP's are so petty.

I had an issue with my ISP where they broke our router with an update and we took them to court and moved to Telstra.

What a fucking HUGE improvement. (kek)

[Suika]

The only thing that pisses me off about this is that AT&T's attitude didn't change until media caught wind of it.

[terrytek]

That's so fucked up. They charge an innocent senior citizen over 50 Gs for dialup? holy fuck, they want to screw us of our money.

[Comessy]

Cheap compared to some ISPs in Canada and the US

[AlexGoesHigh]

The only thing that pisses me off about this is that AT&T's attitude didn't change until media caught wind of it.

how to fix ISP issues in 'merica,

 

1 call support, just as a proof that they are useless

2 contact media

3 ???????

4 profit

 

also if some company is still offering dial up, they should do it for free, 56k is almost useless

[Misanthrope]

To top it all this motherfuckers just bought out my local carrier, Nextel Mexico. Luckily for me I'm all but out of contract.

[Lazmarr]

ISP's are so petty.

I had an issue with my ISP where they broke our router with an update and we took them to court and moved to Telstra.

What a fucking HUGE improvement. (kek)

BSkyB is pretty awesome, have had no complaints with them and their support is pretty nice too

[MRSMIFFY]

Seeing this stuff all the time pisses me off, the same sensationalist headline shit you read in the papers.

Do you really think they done it on purpose? They obviously have a computer system that works out charges and then sends out bills, there was an error and it wasn't resolved how it should, that's what you guys should be pissed about.

If they can get away with fleecing an old man they will.

[imthewalrus]

My isp does this really cute thing were she is a bitch.

[Ertman]

Seeing this stuff all the time pisses me off, the same sensationalist headline shit you read in the papers.

Do you really think they done it on purpose? They obviously have a computer system that works out charges and then sends out bills, there was an error and it wasn't resolved how it should, that's what you guys should be pissed about.

If they can get away with fleecing an old man they will.

You do realize your last statment contradicts your second paragraph right?

Isn't the title accurate? Did the ISP not bill the 83 year old man for those charges overthe course of two months?

Also people are upset over this. People are also just generally angry towards ISPs for the reasons you mentioned.

[Commander Llama]

Okay but, if this was dropped on me by my ISP, even before going to any news media, my response would go something like this...

 

"Hmmmmmmm, yeah, no, not paying that." *hangs up* *cancels credit card*

[Aniallation]

Wait, dial-up? As in these sounds? In 2015?

[JamGorby]

Wait, dial-up? As in these sounds? In 2015?

Also, long distance is still a thing? 

 

[MrRavens]

Dang, poor guy. D:

[geforceftw]

how to fix ISP issues in 'merica,

 

1 call support, just as a proof that they are useless

2 contact media

3 ???????

4 profit

 

also if some company is still offering dial up, they should do it for free, 56k is almost useless

I read that filing a complaint with the FCC, FTC, or both works wonders. 

[Scruffy90]

ATT has a history of billing ridiculous amounts dont they. These carriers and ISP's need to be taken down a notch fast, they're getting too out of hand.

[zacRupnow]

Scum of the earth those ISP's.

[iruixos]

how to fix ISP issues in 'merica,

 

1 call support, just as a proof that they are useless

2 contact media

3 ???????

4 profit

 

1 move away from the US

2 don't move to Australia

3 ???????

4 profit

 

also if some company is still offering dial up, they should do it for free, 56k is almost useless

 

Fixed your post

 

Sorry Australia

[D3MON]

yeah i wouldnt pay that, see them take me to court and try and argue the case, that might be worth it, hope this makes wan show just so the IPS learn to get thier shit straight.

I'm in the UK and i have a 2 meg connection (so usually a download flickers around 150-220kbps though it can crash down to nothing) the only consolation is its a shared sheltered house so its free, free doesnt help when 360p youtube has to buffer for a few seconds and videos on your facebook "home/timeline" that autoplay make it crawl and we're not allowed to run ethernet or get our own internet. 4 more months and ill happily pay for 50 meg virgin.

[Admire]

They should pay him to use dial up.

[Guest Strangerbob]

Disrespecting elders like this... wow... guess thats your western cut-throat culture at its best.

 

Had you disrespected an elder like this in the eastern culture... you`d commit social suicide.

[That Norwegian Guy]

Whoa, whoa, whoa

 

WHOA

 

US still has dial-up? You can actually go and buy dial-up, as in, it is a product that is available still?

 

WHAT

[sof006]

BSkyB is pretty awesome, have had no complaints with them and their support is pretty nice too

Wait till they start magically increasing your monthly bill and send you a letter in the post stating its because "we're improving our services".

 

We used to be with them for years and every time they started doing it we had to call up and threaten to leave before they moved the price back to what it stated in the contract. Shortly after we left them, I am on EE fibre now but looking to swap to Plusnet because its better than EE.