latimes.com/business/la-fi-lazarus31-2010jan31,0,225278.column
By David Lazarus Los Angeles Times January 31, 2010 Hidden deal When you call a company and ask about the lowest price for a product -- that shouldn't be so hard, right? Encinitas, Calif., resident Carol McIver recently called AT&T to find out the cheapest plan available for the company's U-verse TV service. She told me she was offered the U-family plan for $49 a month. As it happens, McIver had looked online and saw another plan, U-basic, for just $19 monthly. What about that one? "That was available," McIver told me. "But the woman I spoke with said I had to specifically ask about it in order to get it. That was AT&T's policy." Say what? I called AT&T and followed McIver's footsteps. I asked for the lowest-price U-verse plan. The rep said I could go for either the U100 or the U-family plan, both now priced at $54. "That's it?" I asked. "That's it." "What about U-basic?" I could hear the rep shuffling some papers. Yes, he said, I could have U-basic for $19 monthly. "Why didn't you tell me about that in the first place?" "You have to ask for it," the rep answered. "I can't proactively give it to you. That's our policy." I put this to John Britton, an AT&T spokesman. How could the company have a policy of not telling customers about their most economical option? Britton replied a day later that my question "made us aware of some confusion, and we have taken action to correct it." Glad to help. ----------- David Lazarus' column runs Wednesdays and Sundays. ================================================= George Antunes Voice (713) 743-3923 Associate Professor Fax (713) 743-3927 Political Science Internet: antunes at uh dot edu University of Houston Houston, TX 77204-3011 *********************************** * POST TO [email protected] * *********************************** Medianews mailing list [email protected] http://lists.etskywarn.net/mailman/listinfo/medianews
