I've audited about dozen AT&T business accounts over the past 18 months here in Missouri and I'm starting to see consistent error patterns. The most common issues are: 1) Long distance charges being applied even when clients have unlimited plans, 2) Directory listing fees continuing after customers request removal, 3) Wire maintenance charges for lines that were converted to digital services years ago. The errors seem too consistent to be random - almost like there are systematic billing system problems. Anyone else seeing similar patterns with AT&T?
AT&T billing errors seem systematic - anyone else noticing patterns?
Elmer, I've seen exactly those same issues with AT&T accounts here in Pennsylvania! Especially the wire maintenance charges - I found one client being charged $47/month for copper line maintenance on services that were migrated to fiber 3 years ago. When I called AT&T about it, their response was basically "the system automatically applies these charges." It definitely feels systematic rather than isolated errors. I've recovered about $78K from AT&T billing errors in the past year alone.
This is fascinating because I've found similar patterns with AT&T here in Texas. The directory listing issue is huge - clients request removal but the charges continue for months or even years. I think there's a disconnect between their customer service system and billing system. When customers call to make changes, the service reps enter it in one system but it doesn't automatically flow to billing. I've started requesting confirmation numbers for any changes and following up monthly to verify billing adjustments were actually processed.
I'm seeing the long distance charge issue down here in New Orleans too. Even on unlimited long distance plans, AT&T keeps billing per-minute charges for certain call types. International calls I understand, but I've found clients being charged extra for calls to toll-free numbers and calls during specific time periods. When challenged, AT&T usually credits the charges but claims these were "system errors." The frequency suggests otherwise.
Juan brings up an important point about the "system error" explanations. I've heard that same response multiple times from AT&T here in Oklahoma. What concerns me is that these errors almost always favor AT&T - I've never seen a systematic billing error that undercharged customers. That suggests the problems aren't truly random system glitches. I'm documenting all these patterns in case there's ever a class action situation. Individual clients benefit from the audits, but the bigger picture is troubling.
Susan makes an excellent point about the errors favoring the carrier. In all my AT&T audits, I've never found a case where they under-billed a client. That's statistically impossible if these were truly random system errors. I think we're onto something significant here. Maybe we should start tracking these patterns more formally and consider reaching out to regulatory authorities if the evidence becomes compelling enough. For now, at least our clients are benefiting from the recoveries.