When it comes to cell phone promotional offers, free doesn’t always mean free.
Avon resident Norm Keeney learned that the hard way, when he started noticing changes on his cell phone statement for his new, free, iPad.
He got the iPad as an add-on to the phone he bought for his wife’s birthday.
“She’s a school teacher and her phone is more out of date than any of her seventh graders,” said Keeney.
AT&T said he would only have to pay for the data he used, which, it turned out, wasn’t much data at all.
“We brought it home, looked at it, did a couple of things with it and it went in a drawer from that point on,” said Keeney.
A few months later, Keeney started noticing charges on his bill for the new device: $79 to activate and $12 for every month after that.
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“It’s not free,” he said.
AT&T, along with other major carriers, have a minimum data plan charge even if customers don’t use any data. Keeney said no one explained that to him, but AT&T says it’s in the terms he agreed to in his contract.
Regardless, Keeney wanted out.
He called customer service and says he got different answers from everyone he spoke with, but an agent eventually told him he could cancel for a 110 dollar fee, plus a restocking fee.
He felt stuck. Those two fees would cost him just as much as it would to pay the data plan through the rest of his contract.
“So I said, that’s enough. I’m going to call NBC Connecticut Responds, which I did,” said Keeney.
Technically, he was bound to the terms of his contract, but out of good faith, AT&T immediately canceled the rest of his bill and waived the cancellation and restocking fees, saving him $156 dollars.
“I’m very happy with (NBC Connecticut Responds) for getting in and getting this taken care of so I don’t have an extra $156 I have to shell out for something I’m not even using,” said Keeney.
AT&T told NBC Connecticut it believes the concerns have been addressed and this issue has been resolved to (Keeney’s) satisfaction.
A good lesson for any consumer: Before signing the dotted line for any contract, ask questions regarding added costs and cancellation rights.
