Ajay Verma says his family switched to AT&T for home internet service — and within minutes of the technician arriving to install it, a sales rep showed up on his front porch offering him a deal on cell phone service, too.
Verma said the representative promised sizable trade-in credits if they switched their cell phones, along with new iPhones, a low monthly bill comparable to T-Mobile, and 20% off home internet.
Doorbell camera video showed Verma speaking with the representative on his porch.
Verma pays for phone service for his entire family, including his parents and a college-aged child. The representative convinced him to transfer all five lines from T-Mobile to AT&T.
But when the first monthly bill arrived, Verma said it was roughly double what he’d been promised. The trade-in values were also far lower than what he agreed to — and the contract was three years, not two.
Repeated calls to customer service went nowhere, and he discovered the sales rep no longer worked there.
Verma said he couldn’t cancel without paying an early termination fee and the balance on all five new iPhones. With their old phones traded in, the family had no backups.
“I felt strong-armed, like, I’m kind of stuck and forced to be with AT&T,” Verma said. “I’m losing — whether I cancel, whether I stay — like, I’m losing. There are no options available for me. What do I do next?”
After nearly a year of frustration, Verma contacted NBC 5 Responds. Shortly after, his complaint was addressed. In an email to NBC 5, an AT&T spokesman said, “We worked with Ajay to address their concerns.”
Verma received a $2,284.99 credit, applied monthly. He’s grateful but said it’s not a perfect resolution. He said he plans to switch carriers as soon as the contract ends.
If your current phone still works, you might keep it instead of trading it in. Recent models can still run most apps on wi-fi, work as smart controllers, or serve as a backup if you lose or break your main device — especially while traveling.
Trade-in offers are often far less than a device’s real value. One recent example: this author’s old iPhone 11 — still in good shape — fetched just $130 when traded in.
