Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Surprise Monetary Benefits of Dumping AT&T
First of all, the MagicJack and outside antenna replaced the home line and television UVerse. Those are two bills I don't have to pay each month. I think the savings is about $80/month. I forgot what I figured the savings would be. That's great, anyway.
However, last week I received a check for about $33 for a refund on the home phone service, something I paid and they are returning it. Then, Monday I received a check for $133 on UVerse service. I have no idea why I am getting these checks, but AT&T won't get any argument from me.
Since the MagicJack was about $40 and the antenna was $99 for a total of $139+tax=$152, and the two refund checks were $160. It appears my two devices are paid for by the refunds, and I am not out any money at all. That is $8 I have left over. Ooops. I spent $6 on a phone for MagicJack and $4 for a loooong phone cord. It appears I have only spent about $2 over the refunds. Sweet!
The whole ordeal of getting rid of AT&T has been traumatic. The people are really abusive when they really understand I am over AT&T, and I am actually leaving. However, I have found someone who has the power and is making this easier after such traumatic encounters with some of the agents. I take their name, write down the date and time. They still have the recordings.
Having to spend extra money for the two devices to free myself was just killing me. Now, it has all smoothed out for me. Whew. I think I will take my last $2 I have in my purse and go buy a vanilla ice cream cone from McD since I can cash this $133 check tomorrow and pay a bill. I just wish I could go in my nightgown to get ice cream!
When I was married, I could go out in a nightgown and robe because I knew husband would come get me if the car broke down. Now? Well, I would just be embarrassed!
Your turn
Have you ever had surprise refunds that saved the day for you? Have you had trouble getting rid of AT&T or another business with whom you could not extract yourself? Have you or do you go out in a nightgown?
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I have been out in a night gown but rarely as I am always afraid the car will pick that day to break! I say go for it, get your ice cream.
ReplyDeletePatti,
DeleteI fear that too! I got the Hershey bar but did get dressed...lol.
No surprise refunds. I had a horror experiece getting rid of a security firm employed by my mother. After her death I cancelled the contract and returned their equiptment. And then started receiving letters from a debt collector saying my mother owed them $800. It seems that dying is sufficient reason to cancel a contract. I won in the end, but it was a hard fight.
ReplyDeleteEC,
DeleteI hate those fights. I do prevail, but it should not be so difficult. I have heard that most places don't take death as an excuse.
They might not take death as an excuse, but they still have only a limited amount of time to present their bills to the executor of the estate. That assumes there is enough left in the estate to pay them.
DeleteSo true.
DeleteWhat a nice surprise! And You certainly deserve some good news. I don't think I have had a surprise refund, but have had some money out of the blue that saved my life. How do you like Magic Jack?
ReplyDeletecarol,
DeleteYes, I did deserve good news...lol. I use my cell phone all the time because of the location of the other phone. However, I have it forwarded to my cell. I never miss a call--for good or worse. But, it works as it is supposed to when I go over to it and dial my cell that I have lost. I would highly recommend it.
This refund saved my life. I was burning fumes when I put gas in the car.
Or go to Burger King and get that ice cream cone for 75c, you, frugal girl :)
ReplyDeleteLena,
ReplyDeleteUntil about a month ago, BK cones were $0.50, but the new owner changed lots of things. Besides the price of an ice cream cone, they close at midnight. McDonald's machine was down for three hours to cool off and be cleaned. So, I got a $ burger.
I regularly drive the kids to the train or even to school in a nightgown. A couple of weeks ago the car appeared to breakdown and I was dying inside. I kept trying and made a whole string of peak hour traffic wait through an extra set of traffic lights but i did get it going again without having to exit the car.
ReplyDeleteThe stupid part is I keep on going out in my nightie
When I was single, I once got a refund for my utilities (apparently, I had forgotten that I had to pay a security deposit when in moved to a different state!). It was like Christmas! Several hundred dollars - unexpectedly!
ReplyDeleteI've never gotten on the AT&T bandwagon, but I have had friends who almost needed a surgeon to get rid of Comcast.
Speaking of nightgown, just this morning - the only morning I could sleep in thus far this summer - I was surprised by a work crew at my door at 8 a.m. The appointment was actually for 12 noon. Fortunately, my son's robe was handy (speaking of which, where in the world is my robe?).
Love this post...I could feel the ice cream coated joy.
Cherdo
www.cherdoontheflipside.com