[alabamaMT]

Hey all, I am new to this site so please forgive me if I have posted this question to the incorrect place.

I am in desperate need of advise with what to do with an issue with AT&T regarding our phone bill. I will try to make this a short as possible and hopefully easy to understand and follow: Starting in October 2007 (when AT&T took over BellSouth) our phone bill statements started showing a "previous balance" - I called AT&T (numerous times) they told me to have our bank fax proof of payment statement to AT&T "Roadblock" services. I did this staying in contact with both AT&T and our bank. Although the proof of payment statements were faxed to AT&T Roadblock within a weeks' time of my initial call to our bank it took AT&T until February 2008 to apply any of these payments to our phone bill. Come to find out our "Online payments" through our bank website were being applied to another phone number in another state (no fault of mine or our bank - AT&T changed account numbers without informing anyone). Anyway, in May 2008 we received over $1000 in credit for payments and adjustments leaving us with a credit balance, then in June 2008 AT&T charged us $1200 (a total of 6 different bills - 3 of which were ours that AT&T had given us credit for and are now charging us again for and 3 of which are bills that aren't even ours to begin with). All of our phone services have been turned off (the first time since all of this started in October 2007) and AT&T is now saying we owe them over $2300!! Even though our bank has faxed proof of payment statement to AT&T twice now, AT&T is still saying we owe them this money when we don't!! My husband wants me to write a "bill dispute" letter to AT&T (of which I have no idea how to even start this kind of letter) but I honestly feel that even this letter will fall on deaf ears with AT&T. Does anyone have any ideas of what I should do?? And how to go about writing a dispute letter that will make an impact with AT&T but not sound threatening or "hot tempered?"

I'm stressed to the absolutely max about this whole situation and quite frankly have had all I can take with AT&T but I definitely need to get this issue resolved so it doesn't affect my husband's credit rating (which is grade A currently).

Anxiously awaiting advise/help,
alabamaMT

[jjwoodhull]

I would go to the bank and speak with someone in person. Bring as much info with you as possible including copies of all correspondance with bank and AT&T. If someone at the bank can not help you to quickly resolve the problem, then you should contact a lawyer. I don't think contacting AT&T yourself is going to do any good. First of all, you will never get to speak with anyone who could actually help you. Also, these disputes are made difficult in the hopes that you will decide that paying the outstanding balance is easier than continuing the fight.

[alabamaMT]

I too have told my husband just that very same thing... that I don't think contacting AT&T is going to do any good and that they make it extremely difficult to resolve these types of issues on purpose hoping we will pay what they say we owe just to make it go away. But he seems to think that this dispute letter will give us some sort of leverage against AT&T should we have to go to court. I say we already have all the leverage we need (i.e. proof of payment from the bank and that same proof faxed by our bank to AT&T). However, nonetheless, the plan right now is for ME to have a 3-way conversation with myself, AT&T and our bank tomorrow to try once again to resolve this matter and with me telling AT&T we are willing to make some sort of payment that very day in order to bring this matter to a close. I think he is wrong for doing it but what can I do?? It's his credit that is in jeopardy.

[lawanwadee]

Similar situation happened to me when AT&T took over SBC in California a few years ago. I received a bill of over $2,000 for long distance calls that were not mine. After months of dispute and felt like running around in circle plus nightmare with AT&T's customer service, I filed a lawsuit and I won.

[twinkiedooter]

Is there any way you can go to AT&T in person and present the proof that you paid for everything they claim you didn't? They must have an office near you to be your phone provider.