AT&T Long Distance USA Complaint - False promotion - Direct TV

Posted by ThinLazyAmerican on 2007-09-01:

AT&T has nothing to do with Direct TV.

Different companies, different strokes.

Your mistake was accepting a deal over the phone.

How informed or prepared to make a decision involving your finances were you during that phone call?

You made an emotional decision and that's the purpose of a sales pitch over the phone.

Consumers make snap decisions based on their emotions over the phone without knowing all of the facts.

Turn off the t.v, get off the computer, put the phone down and learn to think first before you act.

Posted by tnchuck100 on 2007-09-01:

I agree with Thin. NEVER buy anything on a phone call you did not make. Check my3cents before forking over any money to any company. Read the Terms & Conditions. Remember:
EDUCATION is what you get when you read the fine print. EXPERIENCE is what you get when you don't.

Posted by HappyJoyBear on 2007-09-01:

Agree with both users.

Posted by Inca on 2007-09-01:

Both of you are right. I was a fool accepting that deal by phone but there are laws in Florida again that kine of tricks, so I send a complain to costumer protection and cancel the deal with AT&T. Thanks for your comments.

Posted by ThinLazyAmerican on 2007-09-01:

Inca, from what you told us, I fail to see any tricks.

AT&T offered you a service, you accepted.

AT&T has nothing to do with Direct TV.

I am willing to bet you were confused because you did not know what was what and out of confusion you think you were tricked when you were not.

Make sure you pay your bills while you attempt to cancel the contract because if you don't, you will ruin your credit rating should your bills go to a collection agency!

Posted by Lidman on 2007-09-01:

It was a sales tactic that is not uncommon at all and it is a "trick" and more like fraud!

Inca, good review and thanks for the information. I am also glad you got out of the deal with AT&T.

Posted by ThinLazyAmerican on 2007-09-01:

Lid, she never said got out of the deal.

There was no trickery involved.

Simple confusion by an ill-informed consumer making an emotional decision over the phone involving money.

People who use the word "Trick" are uneducated, ill-informed, perhaps confused, snap decision makers.

The word "trick" is not an all-purpose or universal word to describe everything that doesn't go the way a person would expect it to happen.

If I explained everything to you in detail and you zoned me out after a few minutes of lengthy detail, but you agreeded to my offer at the end of my sales pitch would you still consider it a trick because you failed to listen?

Posted by Lidman on 2007-09-01:

Thin, "I send a complain to costumer protection and cancel the deal with AT&T" Did I read this wrong?

I believe the confusion is caused by the sales person trying to make a sale. Been there, done that one.

While I agree with you that it was most likely was confusion, I can't agree just because someone uses a word that doesn't sound right to us that they are, "uneducated, ill-informed, perhaps confused, snap decision makers".

The way I read what he/she writes says she must be either of Jamaican or Cuban decent or just doesn’t have a mastery of the English language.

A “sales pitch” over the phone is usually read or rehearsed by a person who is in-between jobs, to young to get a real job or someone who can’t seem to do anything else, what ever.

When they go into their spiel or speech they are not listening to anything other then what they are saying, agreed?

If you want them to stop most of the time you must raise your voice or just hang up, agreed?

After you have listened to them you may have questions but the question you have may NOT be on the list of answers they have, agreed.?

The sales person becomes confused or just doesn’t listen, this is passed on to the person on the other end and what happens? Most likely the sales person does a “song and dance” around the question and then tries to do his/her job and “Close the deal.”

This is what I think happened, What do you think?

Posted by ThinLazyAmerican on 2007-09-01:

Yes, you did misread it. She never said she did get the contract cancelled. She said she sent a letter to cancel it.

You jumped the gun and assumed she had the contract cancelled when she did nothing but send a letter or she at least plans to.

I sold plenty over the phone and it's usually the customer who doesn't listen or doesn't know one product from the other.

Just because the consumer doesn't have all of the information he or she needs doesn't mean the salesperson is tricking the consumer.

Just as you believe and make assumptions, the salesperson can say the same thing and believe the consumer is smart enough to know or not Direct TV has nothing to do with AT&T.

Would you expect the salesperson on the phone to ask you if you knew the difference between a phone/internet company and a Satellite/internet company?

If you want to make a sale you can't go around asking people if they are dumb enough or not to know the difference between one product and the other.

If the consumer is listening the he/she can use their judgement and make decisions and ask questions rather than listen to what makes them feel good.

Can I force you to listen to something you don't want to hear? No, I need to make my pitch sound good enough for you to listen, but it's up to you to ask questions beyond the sales pitch, only then will you hear what you don't want to hear but you are listening because you are asking questions and using your logic not just your emotions to make decisions.

Posted by Lidman on 2007-09-01:

OK, I really don't think I was making any assumptions just trying to be logical but if you insist and I'm sure there is a point here somewhere but I don't get it.

I guess you are saying you are a phone sales person? Didn't mean to step on your toes or anything.

What I do is make sure I am on the "do not call list" and I only tell them that once.

Posted by ThinLazyAmerican on 2007-09-01:

No, I'm not a phone salesperson. I'm sure I can sell you the Brooklyn Bridge though.

Posted by UrFriendlyPirate on 2007-09-01:

Way to make friends Lidman.

Posted by *Brenda* on 2007-09-01:

I agree with Lidman. If the sales representative shouldn't have told her she could get a promotion if she couldn't. They did trick her into signing up for it by providing false information.

Posted by UrFriendlyPirate on 2007-09-01:

I don't agree.

Posted by ThinLazyAmerican on 2007-09-01:

Brenda, the sales rep told her the charges would be the same because AT&T and Direct TV are two different companies.

What false information?!!

The sales rep told the truth!!!

Posted by Lidman on 2007-09-01:

Thank you Brenda.

Pirate, STFU it's Saturday for God sakes man!

Thin, I already own the Brooklyn Bridge, but thanks for asking and I wasn't being mean, why are you?

Posted by Lidman on 2007-09-01:

FYI Thin, you say “Direct TV has nothing to do with AT&T”
They may not be the same company yet but they do work together.

Direct TV and AT&T Expand Contract

Direct TV also has access to an AT&T wide-area networking solution that enables the company to effectively communicate with customers, employees, and business partners. A key component in that communication channel is the secure AT&T customer portal, AT&T Business Directâ, which provides operational efficiencies, including around-the-clock, online access to real-time reports on network performance and direct connection to trouble management systems. Use of the portal, allows Direct TV and its business partners to monitor the data network, troubleshoot potential problems and resolve issues quickly and easily.

http://www.directv-zone.com/news/direct-tv-and-at&t-expand-contract.htm

Posted by UrFriendlyPirate on 2007-09-01:

Lid, why do you always have to start trouble with new members?

Posted by Inca on 2007-09-01:

Let me said to those who beleive that there are no tricks. AT&T have a promotion on TV and they offered that combo:Phone line, Internet with DSL, AND DIRECT TV PROGRAMATION for $ 90. Because I allready had a full programation with Direct TV I ask if AT&T can give me the combo with the same programation and the operator said YES but not for $ 90 but for $ 130. That conversation is taped. Because of that I said that is a trick.

Posted by Lidman on 2007-09-01:

Good for you Inca!

Pirate, I am starting trouble with no one but you as always are and I bet you already have this person on your phony trust list. Now do what I said and STFU!

Posted by Lidman on 2007-09-01:

You are so stupid!!!

ThinLazyAmerican is trusted by the following users...

PirateWithParrot

Posted by jktshff1 on 2007-09-01:

he** I agree with everybody

Posted by Lidman on 2007-09-01:

There can be only one!

Posted by *Brenda* on 2007-09-02:

DirecTV told her the charges would be the same, probably after she called to complain about the bill being wrong. AT&T misrepresented the deal to her.