On Your Side: Unexpected Phone Bill Charge

Your cell phone bill is a prime source for big profits. While an extra $3 monthly charge doesn't soundlike much, it could mean billions each year for North Texas-based ATT.

What's more: that charge may have been stacked on to your service.

Like many cell phone customers, Christine Ogren rarely reads her cell phone bill.

The balance is auto drafted from her bank account each month.

"I don't look at it," said Ogren. "I trust ATT. I've had them for so long."

But Ogren recently noticed a $3 charge on her bill, and maybe other cell phone customers shouldstart looking.

"I definitely believe and know that there was signing up without customer knowledge," said a womanwho asked to remain anonymous and until recently, worked for Ogren's carrier, ATT. "...We werethreatened quite frequently to be written up if we didn't hit goal. Potential job loss was there."

She says pressure for stores to meet sales goals and quotas may mean countless customers arepaying for a service they didn't ask for and don't need.

"It's a product ATT wants us to push, and it was basically told to us that if we don't push it, then wedon't need to be there," she said.

The product is called Mobile Protection Pack. At $3 a month, it might not sound like a big expense.

ATT's Mobile Protection Pack offers enhanced technical support, cloud backup and a GPS locationfeature which is designed to help find your phone in case it's lost or stolen.

Most of those features already come free and standard on many smartphones, but ATT insists there'strue value since their paid service covers you even when your phone is out of warranty.

"You're paying extra for things you're already getting for free with your devices," said the formerATT employee.

So how does the charge appear in the first place?

A spokesperson for ATT tells FOX 4 you agreed to it -- you verbally signed up in the store and because the process is all-digital, it's the sales representative who documents your decision.

A year and a half ago, when Ogren started the service, there was a digital signature, too. Yet sheinsists, "They didn't tell us we were signing up for this. They try to say they did, but they didn't."

Meanwhile, dozens and dozens of ATT customers are saying the same, taking to FOX 4's Facebookpage because they see the same $3 charge, too, and don't remember signing up for it.

The former ATT employee says the signup process can be a little sneakier than that -- it starts whena customer asks about insurance.

"We would automatically bundle it together in a package," she said. "We would try to not separateit."

ATT offers an insurance plan for their phones from third party vendor, Asurion.

The cost to you is $6.99.

An ATT spokesperson tells FOX 4 the extra $3 Mobile Protection Pack is completely voluntary --they're even separate when they're printed on your bill.

But when we took our cameras shopping for the insurance plan at local, corporate-owned ATTstores, we were told by two employees that insurance was $10. That optional $3 suite of services isslipped in.

"Is it customizable? Or $9.99 flat rate?" asked FOX 4.

"Flat rate," said an ATT store employee.

That was the price until we asked one more time.

"Well, OK. So that includes enhanced support," the employee said.

"One of them for $6.99, one for $3.99...$10," said the other employee FOX 4 spoke to.

That $3 charge is tacked on in secret.

"I don't think that's fair," said Ogren. "I think that's taking advantage of the consumer."

So why risk customer loyalty for a measly $3 a month?

Consider this: by their own published stats, ATT has 116 million wireless customers -- more thanfour times the population of Australia.

At $3 a month each, that's $4 billion a year in potential revenue, unless you notice it first.

ATT declined our on-camera request for this story because they declined our request for a sit-downinterview, preferring instead to only answer questions in writing.

We did ask about store quotas and whether it was standard practice for employees to automaticallybundle insurance and the $3 add-on. ATT chose not to answer those questions at all.

If you see anything unfamiliar on your ATT bill, you can make changes online or by calling 611 fromyour cell phone.

Remember to always request a back credit for any charges you feel you didn't agree to.

ATT's full statement is as follows:

"Thank you for bringing this customer's questions to our attention. We resolved her account issuesand apologized for the miscommunication.

ATT encourages customers to review their bills on a regular basis and promptly contact us at 800-288-2020 if they have any questions.

ATT Mobile Protection Pack is a voluntary insurance service for those who lose or damage theirdevices. Customers can learn more about this service -- and enroll or cancel at their discretion - byvisiting us online at https://mobileprotectionpack.att.com/, or by visiting one of our stores, orcontacting us by phone."

'We, like other wireless providers, offer mobile phone insurance to our customers and it is entirelyup to them whether they choose to purchase it. With phones being very valuable, our customers whoelect it often find the extra layer of protection very comforting in the event their phone is lost, stolenor broken since it often costs hundreds of dollars for a replacement."

"We have insurance options that provide far more protection than what may be provided by thephone manufacturer. For example, we have an option that offers protection if the phone is lost,damaged, or malfunctioning and out of warranty. We also offer personalized device setup and accessto expert troubleshooting support for the device. And we have a feature that helps you find your lostdevice, backup and restore content in the cloud and remotely lock or wipe data from the device toprotect your privacy."

"Our sales representatives are trained to offer our insurance options to customers and we takeseveral steps to validate the customers' choices during the sales process. We confirm those choicesonce they are made, and customers have the ability to cancel their insurance at any time."

http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/27370693/on-your-side-att-phone-bill-charges