Last month my 19 nephew garduated from Army Boot Camp. A very larger family group drove the 13 treck to SC to go to his graduation.

While we were there he asked for help in picking out a cell phone & carrier from the PX. We went to the main cellular booth & they only had 3 cell services to choose from. There were huge lines & no one to answer any questions. We took the info pamphlets & read through them. not really exciting & worth waiting for so we left. We figured after graduation he could leave the post & we would figure something out when there were more options.

We left the PX for awhile, but went back later b/c he needed some other things. When we walked in, AT&T Wireless had a table set-up. We started asking questions about the plans & phones. He told us the rates & we found one that worked for him & his needs. We asked about a military discount & he told us what it was. We picked out a phone that best fit his needs & asked about calling when "posted" where ever he ends up being & he said that they were covered internationally. Set it up to be a direct withdrawl for payment so that he didn't have to worry about a bill finding where he was @ any given point. etc...

Now my SIL gets a call from my nephew saying that he got a call from them saying they were goning to disconnect him for non-payment. My SIL calls them and inquires as to why??? - Considering he set-up a direct withdrawl?

Then it gets fun! the guy never set-up the withdrawl. He lied about the rates. It's actually $50 more a month! The international calling is per minute. He did not tell us that. Can you imagine being stationed where ever & paying .45/minute to talk to your family for 2 years? They also said that the phone he picked didn't qualify for the plan he picked. WHAT??? So now I am wondering-are they going onto bases & scamming our soldiers? If they are going onto a base-they should be equipped to direct the soldiers appropriately. Don't you think?

Anyway there is more to this whole scenrio & I could drone on for quite a while with this, but I will spare you all.

Bottom line, has anyone else run into problems w/ their soldiers being taken advantage of? They have no choice normally. They have to shop on base. They don't have the luxury of going where ever-at least in the begining.

Anyway... I'm done

Blessings All
Thanks for listening to my Aunt Rant

That is horrible!!! I would contact AT&T and let them know what just happened!! Did you get a biz card from the sales person? I'm so sorry this happened, its no way to send our men and women over seas!

I would call the manager in charge to get this straighten out if that doesn't help I would call the 1800 number and talk to someone there.

We have never had any problems like this on base, that is really awful. I agree that you should call a corporate # and explain the situation.

. . and NOT a 'major company' employee. The only 'employee' in an Exchange are those Associates that work directly for the Exchange. All others are 'Vendors' of, or 'Representatives' for, a specifc company. None are directly associated with, employed by, or get paid by, any major company. Trust me - not them. I worked for AAFES for 2 years and then as a 'Representative' for a 'major computer company', inside AAFES, for 2 years. As I learned, the term 'Representative' only meant that I 'represented' the 'major computer company' product.
After 2 years I was fired because I started telling customers I was a 'demonstrator' and not an actual company 'Representative' and that I did not work for the company but for a vendor. I felt it was misrepresentation and misleading. Exchanges still use the term 'Representative' when that person is nothing more than an employee of a 'Vendor' that supplies the Exchange, or has contracted, with the Exchange, to set up a kiosk, booth, or table.
My DW, retired AF, and I, retired AF, have over 41 consecutive years of shopping Military Exchanges, and, adding our son you can tack on another 6 years.

IMHO . . never contract through a 'Vendor' on base for cell phone service. They offer you a contrat which is exclusive to them and may (probably) contain early termination fees, additional 'service fees', phone rates, etc., which the 'Service Provider' does not. When you buy a cell phone through a 'Vendor', and not from the 'Service Provider' you are obligated to the terms written into that 'Vendors' contract - including cell phone cost, usage charges, almost anything that 'Vendor' can include. There is, virtually, nothing the 'Service Provider' can do since your contract is with that independent 'Vendor' and not them.
(For Example - and only that - let's say you get a contract with a 'Vendor' that says you'll pay $.45/min for overseas calls. You later find out the 'Service Provider' actually only charges $.30/min for overseas calls. Then, I'm only guessing, that the $.15/min extra goes back to - hummmmm - I don't know. Do you? Hey! It's written into the contract you signed.)

Offered IMHO - As concerns the, apparent, misrepresentation of your son's cell phone purchase:
1st - Document, Document, Document - write down every thing that happened, and who you talked to and dates and times and everyone that was with you . . .
2nd - Call that Military Exchange and ask for the store manager (talk to him/her only).
3rd - calmly, very camly, explain what happened and when. (Keep it brief as possible, but detailed.)
4th - Ask for the name of the 'Vendor' that contracted that table for that time.
5th - Ask for the name of the 'Representative' that signed in that day to work the table.
( * All Exchanges are required to keep a 'Vendor Log', requiring all 'Vendors', 'Reps', to sign in and out. Give the Mgr time to get back to you. )
6th - Call the 'Vendor' (probably a local company downtown somewhere). Explain the problem.
7th - Request the contract be cancelled as misleading, misrepresented, and not fully disclosed. If they refuse . . .
8th - calmly, very calmly, let them know you will submitting this - in writing - to the Military Exchange - to ATT - and to the State's Attorney General for their information.
9th - Call ATT Corp. HQ and inform them of everything that happened and what you have done to correct it. I really do think they will work with you.
(I've had ATT celluar for 10 yrs. - before they became 'Cingular' and after they became ATT, again. I've had problems and they have always been good to me. But, this is only my experience. )

When our son was in the Marines, we had this problem (another cellular provider) when he was sent to Iraq. Worked for us. Hope it does for you.

WrapUp . . . .
Do Not let them take a cell phone to Iraq or Afgan., they will Not work, except in specific locations. Wait until they get where they are going - and send them a Phone Card. In Iraq, our son had to use a EURO Calling Card (he was in the boonies), ATT and cell phones would not work. Also in Afgan. Hope all this helps, at least a little.
Do Not let them take a cell phone overseas. It has personal information and phone numbers.
Wait until they get where they are going . . Then send them a calling card based on where they are and what will work there.

All of the above is offered only - IMHO and IMPO. It is only offered in what I have done and what I have experienced.. Hope it helps - at least a little. Good Luck. (I know this is a 'Commissary' post thread - but, works for me.)

..mama . . Please feel free to edit/copy/paste, or what ever, as you see fit. BX 'sticky' would be nice, but, this works for me. Thanks.

The good news is he can send a copy of his orders sending him to where he is going and cancel the contract. If they try not to let him out contact jag. I would also make an ICE report about this. I have had problems with AT&T before and won't use them again.