$&#^$&%(* AT&T U-Verse!

[Midwesthonky]

Decided to talk AT&T down on the cost of my DSL service. Found out they no longer support DSL and want me to go to their U-Verse. Since only other option in my area is Time Warner and their prices and reputation suck, I said ok. The box arrived, the tech did his thing. I hooked it up. Set up went fine. I did a benchmark on it and it download was running about 4.5 times faster than the old DSL.

Then...5 minutes later the whole U-Verse unit is dead. Nothing. No power, nothing. Ok, I call customer service. "Sir, we can ship you another unit via UPS and it can be there sometime next week." Uh, like can you say NO EFFING WAY!!!??? So I was calm and simply said that would be unacceptable.

Ok, so he tries to find tech in the area. The best they can do is tomorrow between 12 & 4 pm. Right when my kid has a soccer game. So we have to skip my kid's soccer game because your POS equipment failed 5 minutes after setup and you do not forward stage any of those POS units anywhere a customer can drive to and swap them out. Not at any of all those fancy AT&T stores all over the metro area... WTF?!?!?!

So glad I didn't switch the phone service to U-Verse because how embarrassing would it be for me to have to call AT&T support using my Verizon cell phone because AT&T's equipment failed and they can't take care their customers? What if I was a business owner, would their response be "Sorry Sir, I am sorry you are losing your a$$ right now because we can't take care of our customers and you have lost access to all of your business customers because our equipment failed. But if you can stay in business until Wednesday, we might be able to help you."

Sorry, I needed to vent. I can post this because of a Verizon air card for my work computer. Other than this and my cell phone, we are dead in the water for internet access. Didn't realize how much we have come to depend on it until it's gone.

 

[Ares]

That blows but your not alone in this, had AT&T send me a modem for the u-verse that was known to overheat due to poor ventilation design. The customer service for AT&T is bad no doubt, it would make sense to allow you to swap out faulty equip. by simply going to one of their stores but then that would be easy wouldn't.

 

[Tin Ear]

Which unit did you get? I have recently had the U-Verse installed and the Motorola box they gave me runs like it is on fire. I gave it its own little space so it doesn't burn up the rest of my equipment.

 

[Ares]

Which unit did you get? I have recently had the U-Verse installed and the Motorola box they gave me runs like it is on fire. I gave it its own little space so it doesn't burn up the rest of my equipment.

The unit they sent me was the Motorola 2210, the vents are located on the sides and the bottom but none on the top. So when you had this unit horizontal the heat wouldn't dissipate all that well, so I turned it vertical which allowed for much better airflow.

 

[Rickster71]

AT&T has replaced the Motorola 2210 with the Motorola 3360, because of overheating.
Not sure what the OP has.

 

[j_garcia]

I am about >< that close to cancelling my AT&T DSL also. I had their DSL here and when I moved I had to switch to Uverse also; they told me a MONTH before I could get a modem. I called Comcast and was setup the next day... I still have AT&T DSL at my other house and I had called to cancel my phone and dry-loop the DSL. They didn't like that, so they offered me a discounted package. I have had nothing but problems with them ever since then...I actually need to call them right now because instead of charging me the wrong amount for the slowest DSL available, AFTER I have gone into the store 3 times and called them 2 times to get it corrected. Needless to say, I am a little pissed.

 

[lsiberian]

Kinda sad you only have 2 options. I refuse to get cable tv again, but I do at least have good internet and the company has a local store I can go to swap equipment.

 

[JohnA]

I have been happy with TW for my internet, up to 20mps for <$60 a month, very few issues, the issues that have happened were connection issues on their end not all their fault (storm taking out lines, car hitting a poll down the road, bad distro box on the poll that they fixed the next day.

 

[j_garcia]

I now get 36mbps for $45. Performance seems to have more pauses before it dumps large chunks compared to the 12 I had previously for $29, but it is still a lot faster overall.

 

[Midwesthonky]

It's all fixed and running now. Surprise, surprise, I had a bad box as diagnosed by the tech. Just like I told the idiot on the phone. The tech and I got along just fine and he the look he gave me when I mentioned the less than stellar phone support told me he totally agreed. He can't say it, but the look said it all. He swapped out the box and now I'm up and running. Glad I wasn't trying to run a business because it would have been ugly being down so long.

If you still are having problems with your AT&T, call Shirley Anderson at 877-677-3215 ext 3044. She works in "The Office of the President" of AT&T. Basically, I was so PO'd about the problem that I tracked down the CEO's email address and sent off a nasty email. She called me twice about it.