End of Service, Account Credit Balance

[Aridon]

Cancelled a few weeks ago. Anyway D* owed me $44.87 since I canceled mid cycle. I figured they would send me a check or just credit my payment method. Instead I get a pre paid visa in the mail for the amount today.

Now, yeah, thanks for sending the money you owe me. I mean they have to do that otherwise people are going to sue the balls off of them and AT&T could solidify their hated company status. Sending it on a Prepaid card though? I know why they do it, statistically speaking a higher percentage of people than you'd think will not use it, lose it or otherwise leave some kind of balance on there. It's free money for the company. So I get it. Perfect logic from AT&T.

Seriously though, irritates me as a consumer there are a few more hoops to jump through to get my money back (Get card, call to activate, keep track of balance so 100% can be used etc).

Anyway, just a heads up that is how they are doing credit balances on the account now.

 

[Tampa8]

In some States you must give permission to get money owed you via a card. Their contract may provide for that. Also in some states it can never expire and for some there can be no charges associated with the card. Always good to use it as soon as possible including the reasons you gave.

 

[SamCdbs]

That is really crappy.

 

[raoul5788]

It doesn't seem crappy to me at all. He got his refund in a few weeks, much faster than others that have closed their accounts. It's can be used just about anywhere.

 

[navychop]

I'm all in favor of it. Paying the ATT bill with a prepaid Visa, that is.

 

[Claude Greiner]

I think the issue is that if they send a check there will be a percentage that do not cash the checks. Then after so many months they have to send that money to the state as unclaimed money.

If they send it to a prepaid card company, then they wash their hands of it once the card is issued.

Then after 24 months, the card company then starts to charge a $2 or $5 service per month to start to burn down the balance.

But as far as the gift card, $45 should be easy to spend in a single transaction.

 

[Jimbo]

Cancelled a few weeks ago. Anyway D* owed me $44.87 since I canceled mid cycle. I figured they would send me a check or just credit my payment method. Instead I get a pre paid visa in the mail for the amount today.

Now, yeah, thanks for sending the money you owe me. I mean they have to do that otherwise people are going to sue the balls off of them and AT&T could solidify their hated company status. Sending it on a Prepaid card though? I know why they do it, statistically speaking a higher percentage of people than you'd think will not use it, lose it or otherwise leave some kind of balance on there. It's free money for the company. So I get it. Perfect logic from AT&T.

Seriously though, irritates me as a consumer there are a few more hoops to jump through to get my money back (Get card, call to activate, keep track of balance so 100% can be used etc).

Anyway, just a heads up that is how they are doing credit balances on the account now.

Many Many companies are doing that now.

 

[navychop]

I think the issue is that if they send a check there will be a percentage that do not cash the checks. Then after so many months they have to send that money to the state as unclaimed money.

If they send it to a prepaid card company, then they wash their hands of it once the card is issued.

Then after 24 months, the card company then starts to charge a $2 or $5 service per month to start to burn down the balance.

But as far as the gift card, $45 should be easy to spend in a single transaction.

Thank you. I never considered that. It makes perfect sense, having been on the side that had to void out checks.

 

[fayrich]

I had no problem with this method. I spent it all at Home Depot this morning.

 

[jerryez]

Spend it at the grocery store. I am sure that your groceries cost more that $45 each shopping trip. Bam, pay the balance with your ATM card and its done. Plus you do not have to authorize a gift card, just spend it.

 

[Aridon]

Yes I'm aware of that.

Fact is they could just put the credit right back to the account I paid them with for years. The only reason they do this is to screw people out of part of the refunds they either lose or forget about. Just sh!tty anti consumer policy. I understand why they do it and why it evolved from checks to pre paid cards, I just don't care for it.

 

[Jimbo]

Yes I'm aware of that.

Fact is they could just put the credit right back to the account I paid them with for years. The only reason they do this is to screw people out of part of the refunds they either lose or forget about. Just sh!tty anti consumer policy. I understand why they do it and why it evolved from checks to pre paid cards, I just don't care for it.

If you don't spend the money on the Credit card, shame on you.

 

[ChadT41]

The way I see it is most people pay their bill via card. ATt is paying their "bill"(refund) via card as well.