I have heard all the horror stories about ATT U-Verse. My sister had it before me and she had a laundry list of complaints. Also, my pre- purchase search of the internet dredged up horror story after story. Still, I forged ahead with my purchase and thus far I am elated. I am getting all the movie channels, all the sport channels, BET G & J and TV One (where I will get my "chocolate news" coverage of the election, tonight) plus internet and phone service for what I was previously paying for just DISH TV, DSL and limited pay channels before. And, while I currently only have a DVR on my HD television, I can watch my recorded programs on each of the other three televisions I have the service connected to.
I have recorded MALCOLM X from the HD movie channel and just last night I recorded A SOLDIER'S STORY on TV-One. Further, I love the convenience of programming my DVR via my laptop. Two weeks ago, I programmed my DVR in Milwaukee, WI from my hotel room in Kansas City, MO - cool beans, man! To date, I haven't had any of the problems others have complained about. Of course, a black woman set my service up ;> ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Bosco Bosco <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Okay so I have detailed my ATT Uverse experience previously. Today I am so distressed by the incompetence of ATT that I am seriously rethinking my entire deal. > > For those who are interested, here's the review. Over a month ago, I bought a three service package from ATT: Internet, TV and VOIP Phone. It took weeks to get an Austin install because there's a backlog in Dallas. Apparently the brain trust at ATT thinks the best idea to solve the backlog is to create a backlog in two cities rather than hire more people in the place where service sucks so they're sending half the Austin Techs to work in Dallas. I'm patient and I wait. I've waited for years for TV and I already have phone and internet. > > The day arrives. The Tech shows up. He gets everything going. He's really good at his job. I was cable installer for a while. I know when a guy is competent or not. However, there's a network outage that's messing up new installs. At 6PM, I'm been home for over 8 hours waiting for my services to work and no other services available. Finally it's determined that the VOIP phone is preventing the other services from working and has to be cancelled and reordered. I do so with some twinge of doubt that this will work. > > I wait three more weeks for an VOIP install. I wait at home for the guy to come and HE NEVER SHOWS UP!!!! He's supposed to be there at 3PM. At a couple of minutes before 3PM, I call ATT to get an idea of when he's coming. The person who answers, hereafter referred to as "Phonetard" acts as if I am inconveniencing her precious time on the job with my inquiry and tells me "he's probably just running late." I wait til 6PM when I have an appointment and no one ever shows up or calls to tell me what up. > > Today I wake up, put in a call to ATT. I'm hold for 30 minutes. I literally cooked and ate breakfast while I waited for someone to talk to me. I had my dishes finished before I talked to a human being. She promptly transfers me to a Uverse specialist who can't find me or my phone number in her system, even though I already have ATT phone. I've not received a bill so I don't have a Uverse account number. Again, she acts as if my insistence on resolving my issue is a major inconvenience for her. I'm not rude. I don't yell or curse or call people names but I am incredulous that I can't be located in a system for which I have been an established customer for over a decade, 8 years at my current number. She transfers me to customer service. Who puts me on hold. The finally locate me through my cell phone number which is not a part of my ATT billing. I spend the better part of TWO HOURS on hold and finally hang up when it becomes clear that no one is ever > going to return to deal with me. I had planned to hang up earlier but felt a need to see if they would really let me hold for TWO HOURS. They really did. (I watched "My Own Worst Enemy" off the DVR. Not so great. Added nothing to my experience)After I hang up and call back, I get someone on the phone who again has to locate me through my cell phone number but was kind enough to get my account number. After twenty more minutes of waiting, I'm told they're gonna have to call me back. > > All of this is underscored for me by the fact that if I keep the service, I am gonna have to spend another day waiting for an INSTALLER who may or may not even friggin show up. I feel the pull of Time Warner Cable calling even though the internet and cable package from ATT is way way better. > > If you're thinking of ATT, be aware that getting everything installed and running is apparently a physical impossibility. > > Bosco >
