ST. LOUIS – Slick and deceptive. That's how a local grandmother described a company she said tricked her into a $1000 phone bill.
The I-Team found out the company wasn't a fly-by-night operation, but a well-known telecommunications business that's been accused of similar tactics across the country.
For ten years, Barbara Carter and her husband were happy with their flip phones.
"This is what they offered back then. They didn't have smart phones," said Carter
And she would've been happy to keep her flip phone for ten more years but she said a few months ago, an AT&T sales rep made her an incredible offer.
"She says, 'You know you can get 2 phones for only $4 more a month,’" said Carter.
So, Carter said yes. And a few days later two new smart phones showed up.
But what also came in the mail? A large much larger bill than Carter had been expecting from AT&T.
Instead of a $4 additional charge, Carter was now being billed for four different phone lines.
Plus, there was the hefty cost of the new smart phones. In total, her bill was suddenly more than $1,300.
And despite weeks of effort and hours of phone calls, Carter said she just got the run around from the company.
Carter canceled her flip phone service because it all became much more than she could afford.
"It's like I’m being screwed all the way around. The bill was $1335 and I didn't have any cell phones!" said Carter.
Immediately after the interview, the I-Team reached out to AT&Tt about the offer Carter was promised.
The company immediately canceled the balance on Carter's bill. Carter said they've also offered her a brand-new cell phone, free of charge.
Her advice to others with an over-the-phone offer that seems too good to be true?
"Ask a lot of questions," said Carter.
The Better Business Bureau also advises consumers to check their contract and question any differences they may see between what they are told and what they read. In many cases, the termination fees are spelled out as well as any recourse for billing errors.
Billing is the source of many complaints and any misunderstanding during the sales process is usually the root of the issue.
Another tip is to ask the provider to give them a written estimate of what the first bill will look like so they can get started on the right foot.
AT&T has been accused of this type of deceptive practice in the past- and they've even been called out by the federal trade commission for such issues.
The company sent us this statement:
"We’ve been in touch with the customer to apologize and are in the process of resolving this issue. Our goal is to ensure that every customer clearly understands the details of our offers, and we take steps to outline the terms and conditions in our materials."-Katie Nagus, AT&T
