Hidden Value: AT&T Doesn't Want Consumers Finding Out About Its $10-a-Month Internet Service Posted by Bob at 06/19/07 01:33 PM

AT&T has begun offering customers a no-frills, DSL Internet service for the bargain basement price of $10-a-month, something it grudgingly agreed to in order to gain government approval of its recent takeover of BellSouth.

Actually, "offering" is far too strong a word to describe what AT&T is doing. There is no mention of the $10-a-month service anywhere on AT&T's DSL customer web page, which you can view here. The cheapest service offered there is a $19.95-a-month deal for super slow DSL service.

Consumers interested in the $10-a-month deal -- which incidentally is the exact same service the company is touting for $19.95 on the aforementioned DSL customer web page -- will have to somehow figure out that they need to click on a tiny button labeled "Term Contract Plans Available," which is buried in the boilerplate language near the bottom of the page.

Clairvoyance alone will not seal the deal, however.

Clicking on the "Term Contract Plans Available" buttom takes you to a page revealing special conditions that must be met in order to qualify for the $10-a-month service. It's only for new DSL customers or existing dial-up customers who are upgrading to DSL -- a caveat that current DSL customers who are paying more are sure to find interesting. A 12-month contract is required. Cancel your service before the 12 months is up and you face hefty termination fees. You have to have AT&T phone service.

Do you get the feeling that AT&T really doesn't have its heart in this?

Given the lengths AT&T is going to make sure customers don't know about this service, we would be interested in hearing from any consumers who are able to successfully negotiate this maze and sign up for the $10-a-month service. Please drop us a line and let us know how it goes.

We are also very interested in how AT&T will handle another agreement it grudgingly made to gain approval of the BellSouth deal -- offering a $19.95 per month deal for so-called "naked" DSL service. Unlike AT&T's standard DSL offering, "naked" DSL customers won't have to sign up for AT&T phone service.

We'll be watching. And we'll be clicking all the buttons on the customer web page -- no matter how obscure and unrelated they might appear to be. We suggest you do the same.

comments (9)

1 Posted by courtney at 06/19/07 05:26 PM

Saw the requirement month ago before att merged. called to activate said service today and was told the naked service alone was $50 per month but i could get dsl pro service with phone service for the same $50

at no time was the $10 month broadband service offered for the $25 special. Att has no intention to sell this service but instead to have customers paying at least $100 per month for phohe and dsl service.

$39.95 for PRO dsl, $34.95 for basic phone and an additional $30 for unlimited all distance service. its pure double talk and upsell when one call the service center to order the service.

welcome to deregulation america. where is the competition when there are no choices.

2 Posted by mr magoo at 06/20/07 01:43 PM

Unable to find anything about the $10 dollar a month service on AT&T's web site and only passing mention of it on the BellSouth web page I decided to give AT&T a call. They are my local phone provider here in Pennsylvania and I also have their cell phone service (my wife got me stuck in some 2 year plan.) After being passed around and given multiple numbers to call I was finally given 1-800-967-5363. This will allow you to talk directly to the DSL department with any questions regarding this matter. I should note that all representatives I spoke with were obviously outsourced, probably Indian, so it made communications difficult and frustrating.

My first go resulted in the representative saying that the $10 offer was not available to me so I asked to speak with the manager. The manager said the "special offer" was only available in 22 states. I asked him to list them and he gave me the following: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. I asked him why it is only available in those states. He didn't know. I then told him that I had family in California who would be interested in this DSL price, how do I directly access the AT&T web page that details this "special offer." He directed me to att.net which uncovered nothing, then to att.com/localhelp which also uncovered nothing, finally he told me to go to newatt.com which redirects you to attfashion.net a site selling shoes. At this point he was getting frustrated and said he would connect me to one of his "DSL specialists" to resolve the matter.

Can you guess what happened? He redirected me back to the main menu of 1-800-967-5363. *sigh* I waited on hold again for another outsourced Indian representative. This lady was armed with a lot of information. She was obviously reading a printed statement and basically said that the $10 offer is only available where BellSouth owns the land lines. Because Verizon owns the land lines in Pennsylvania the service is not available. I asked when the offer would be available to Pennsylvania and she said she did not have that information.

She then tried to sell on the 19.99 DSL offer. No thanks. Much faster than the $10 offer! No thanks. How about AT&T dial up? No thanks. Its very fast with an accelerator! No thanks. Would you like AT&T wireless? I have it already, it sucks and is overpriced. How about adding another line? *CLICK*

That was my experience. I say to hell with AT&T. Although if you're in one of those 22 states you might be in luck and your best bet is probably ordering it over the phone.

3 Posted by Joe at 06/28/07 01:22 PM

This is the first I've heard of this service. I'm in a one year contract for their 19.95dsl. Did the one year to get a month free. I don't know about the $10.00/month, but AT&T is the worst company to contact. They give you a phone number for internet users, then a time consuming multitude of automated questions before you get connected to the rep you can't understand. I can't even find an email address. They also have an online "chat" to "chat" with a service rep. Although I've never waited more than a minute to be connected with a person to "chat" with, more times than not, it ends up a very frustrating experience. My cable provider, Bright House Networks, becomes more desirable (at a higher price) every time I try to contact AT&T to get a problem resolved. Whenever I call Brighthouse, I only have about two short automated choices to make before I'm connected to a real English speaking person. Got a problem? Call the 24hour service line and in less than a minute will be connected to a service rep (who also speaks real English). Thanks for hearing me out.

4 Posted by David Warren at 06/29/07 03:10 PM

After spending an hour to find the $10 a month offer I did sign up and service was promptly started. The modem cost $50 (which is supposed to be rebated) plus $23 shipping which isn't.

5 Posted by Pat at 07/03/07 07:18 AM

I read something about the $10 dsl and went to the at&t website. I did not see any mention of the $10 offer until I clicked on "sign up now". Then it showed all the offers. I had no trouble signing up and I know of others who got their money back on the modem rebate. I'm leery of what will happen when the 1st year is over. The price will probably go up.

6 Posted by Beverly Kurtin at 07/05/07 01:31 PM

That is so typical of AT&T. Their heavy-handed tactics were responsible for the break up of AT&T and now that they've gotten back together again, it's back to their heavy-handed tactics. I live between Fort Worth and Dallas; no DSL service is available to us because "the people in your area have told us that they are not interested in it." That has become true now that our local cable supplier (Charter) has increased the speed of their service up to 5 Megs from their previous 3 Megs. Who WANTS DSL? Nobody. It is too slow and falls to pieces at the slightest provocation!

7 Posted by Donna at 07/11/07 02:59 PM

My name is Donna Isabelle, I need to speak with someone in charge, and cannot accomplish, as I have tried in any way or reason to do, and I have had no sucess in doing so..No way was found to do so. Guess what?? NO RESULTS...I am very frustrated, can you tell? I have a major problem as I moved my services and my bill is 4 times the ammount.. And I am hear to ask why AT&T would move 2 phone numbers, close the third number out, and I asked to keep all the services intact, and the same as they were before moving and dropping one number.. I was told that would all be done, and welcome to the new AT&T.. I recieved a bill for 1 number kept, thinking as for over 20 tears with AT&T, that, that covered as always, all in house phones, and a bit more for this bill, as services were moved.. Well I recieved a second bill 2 days ago for $399.06, for the second phone # we have and was told by all customer services, that I called and or looked online, that someone agreed to this and please pay.. I will go to any lengths to resolve this, but AT&T will have to fix and resolve this issue.. I am a long time customer, and I do count for something, and my money as well.. AT&T should stand behind it's name no matter what.. I called AT&T to do this change and now I am being informed that my services are now being provided by THE NEW AT&T.. What's the difference?? I should have been told my bill would increase 4 times, and surely I would have declined, and changed after all these years. Not let myself be ripped off, as to a name..
Donna Isabelle

8 Posted by John Rhodes at 11/08/07 05:57 AM

I had a run in with the new AT &T after they double bill me every month! I receive one bill for basic phone service & Nationwide Unlimited
Long distance at the sign up price of $19.99 then they add on all kinds of invisable charges that brings the cost up too $49.99 extra my bill ends up being over $79.99 ! Then 5 days later I receive another bill for Basic Phone Service and Itemized Long Distance Calls totalling over $264.48 ! I called customer service & they tell me I never signed up for the Unlimited Long distance .I ended up paying both bills to "Save my credit" , now I am in the process of finding an attorney to "sue", "It's the principal"!Sopposidly according to what At&t told my attorney
the Unlimited Long Distance does not start until
Janurary 2, 2008'.

9 Posted by connie at 12/06/07 08:00 PM

hey all of you are very correct in your statementsim supposed to have the $19.95 a mo. service and nothing ever worked! i was on the phone more than on my pc and low&behold on my first bill the price was $30.+, i called and wanted to know why and all i got was a bunch of and, if's,or maybe's. got any advice?