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AT&T Upgrades DSL Customer To U-Verse, Slower Internet, Static
By Laura Northrup on May 16, 2012 12:32 PM
22 Comments
Cameron moved recently, but not all that far away. Just to another apartment within the same building. Not so bad. He's been an AT&T DSL customer for six years, but the Death Star wants to wean customers off DSL and get them onto U-Verse. Cameron was told that he couldn't be reconnected to DSL down the hall, so he upgraded to U-Verse. Only the upgrade is more of a downgrade. To lower Internet speeds and static on the phone line. More »
Tales From The AT&T Landline Twilight Zone
By Laura Northrup on May 15, 2012 9:00 AM
17 Comments
Imagine an alternate dimension. One where you have phone service, but it isn't working. You call AT&T your service provider, and their automated response system tells you that you aren't an AT&T customer, and to call your actual provider. When you call up AT&T to wait for an actual human to sort this out, they call you back... to immediately put you on hold. More »
AT&T CEO Regrets He Ever Offered Unlimited Data To You Ungrateful Punks In The First Place
By Chris Morran on May 7, 2012 11:15 AM
86 Comments
A lot of things keep AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson up at night. If he has enough hair gel to get through the week... Putting down the pesky rebels led by that Luke kid from Tatooine. But mostly it's about how third-party messaging systems are taking money out of his company's coffers and how he never foresaw that people might actually want to use smartphones for things other than checking e-mail. More »
FCC Approves Transfer Of AT&T Spectrum To Its Former Flame T-Mobile
By Mary Beth Quirk on April 25, 2012 4:15 PM
11 Comments
In the telecommunications world, the transfer of spectrum is sort of like alimony for a relationship that didn't quite work out. The Federal Communications Commission has approved just such a gift from AT&T to T-Mobile, which was a condition of their failed merger. No word on who got the house in Aspen. More »
More People Would Still Rather Sign A Binding Contract With Verizon Than AT&T
By Mary Beth Quirk on April 24, 2012 10:00 AM
34 Comments
Even though it got the drop on Verizon Wireless by being the first company to offer the iPhone, AT&T still signs up fewer customers with contracts. Maybe because by now, smartphone purchases have slowed down after last year's rush for the newest iPhone. We hear enough bad stuff about both companies to be unsurprised that one is preferred over the other. More »
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How Did Telemarketers End Up With Number That Was Changed To Avoid Telemarketers?
By Chris Morran on April 10, 2012 1:15 PM
75 Comments
A man in California was so fed up with unwanted telemarketing calls (which may be a redundancy) that he finally gave in and changed his number to one that was completely unlisted. Little did he know his actions would only lead to end up on a list of newly changed numbers that was sold to telemarketers. More »
AT&T Caps Off Crappy Year With Third-Place Worst Company In America Finish
By Chris Morran on April 3, 2012 12:30 PM
49 Comments
This sort of epitomizes the last 12 months for AT&T. First it attempted to leap-frog to the head of the wireless pack by swallowing T-Mobile whole, only to fail miserably after many months and at a cost of several billion dollars. Then it came tantalizingly close to vying for the coveted Worst Company In America Golden Poo trophy, only to be given the smack-down by a video game company. At least it won't be leaving the tournament empty-handed. More »
Worst Company In America Consolation Round: AT&T Vs. Walmart
April 2, 2012 12:00 PM
9 Comments
As we announced on Friday, for the first time in Worst Company history, readers will have the chance to vote on a third-place finisher from between the two companies eliminated in the Semifinal round. This means that either Walmart or AT&T will end up being honored with the coveted Bronze Poo trophy. More »
(like this... but bronze)
Third-Place Worst Company In America Winner To Be Honored With New Bronze Poo!
March 30, 2012 5:00 PM
31 Comments
Last year, when Bank of America lost by the narrowest of margins to BP in the Final Death Match of the 2011 Worst Company In America tournament, we listened to readers who called for the creation of the first-ever Silver Poo trophy. That honor will remain in place for the 2012 tourney, and will be joined by a Bronze Poo for the company coming in third — or rather, "turd" — place. More »
Worst Company In America Semifinals: EA Vs. AT&T
March 30, 2012 12:00 PM
69 Comments
This is it. Only one bout remains before we get to the Worst Company In America Final Death Match. But will it be the established telecom terror or the rookie greedy game-maker that vies for the Golden Poo? More »
Let's All Do A Slow Clap For Your Worst Company In America 2012 Semifinalists!
March 29, 2012 9:00 AM
90 Comments
What began as good, clean fun between 32 bad businesses quickly devolved into something so violent and grotesque that it would make a great PG-13 movie featuring Lenny Kravitz in a small but pivotal role. And now, only four contenders for the Golden Poo remain, each with a worthy claim to the trophy. More »
Worst Company In America Round 3: AT&T Vs. Facebook
March 28, 2012 10:00 AM
49 Comments
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... a young man with big dreams took down the Death Star in his X-wing starfighter. Can history repeat itself today, as Facebook's precocious billionaire takes on the dark lords of the AT&T empire? More »
The 8 Remaining Worst Company In America Contenders Sure Are An Elite Bunch!
March 27, 2012 9:00 AM
53 Comments
Two weeks ago, 32 of the nation's worst businesses entered the Worst Company In America Battledome Nonagon, hoping to prove they could out-twit, overcharge and outlast the others to ultimately be named the Worst Company In America 2012. Two dozen companies have since been fed to the shark-eating robot piranhas and only eight remain with a chance to be crowned with the Golden Poo. More »
Worst Company In America Round 2: AT&T Vs. Apple
March 23, 2012 12:00 PM
51 Comments
One of these companies has had a pretty good year, business-wise; the other one... not so much. And yet, here they compete as equals in the Worst Company In America fighting pit. More »
DOJ: AT&T Billed U.S. Gov't For Around $15 Million In Fraudulent Calls
By Chris Morran on March 22, 2012 3:18 PM
15 Comments
The Dept. of Justice has filed a lawsuit against AT&T, alleging that the telecom giant billed the U.S. government for millions of dollars related to phone services intended to be used by hearing-impaired callers. More »
Which Worst Company Contenders Force Customers Into Mandatory Arbitration?
By Chris Morran on March 21, 2012 3:30 PM
37 Comments
As we sifted through the mountain of nominations for this year's Worst Company In America tournament, we noticed a trend of readers who cited companies' mandatory binding arbitration clauses as a reason for nominating. And while it's businesses like AT&T and Sony that have made all the headlines for effectively banning class action lawsuits, there are a lot of other WCIA contenders who are forcing customers into signing away their rights. More »
Please Join Us In Welcoming Your Worst Company In America 2012 Sweet 16!
March 21, 2012 9:30 AM
61 Comments
The floor of the Worst Company In America BattleDome is stained with the blood of the vanquished. But only one company can earn the privilege of placing the WCIA Golden Poo in its trophy case, so the violence must continue. More »
E-Mail To Apple CEO Gets AT&T To Unlock Customer's iPhone
By Chris Morran on March 20, 2012 5:48 PM
34 Comments
The late Apple chief Steve Jobs was notorious for replying to customers' e-mails, though not always in the most professional manner. New CEO Tim Cook may not be e-mailing people back directly, but it looks like someone in his office is checking the inbox. More »
Worst Company In America Round One: AT&T Vs. Verizon
March 19, 2012 12:00 PM
33 Comments
Two telecom titans will step into the Worst Company gladiator pit this afternoon. One will walk out victorious while the other will end up stuck with a huge early termination fee. More »
AT&T Writes Check To Victor In Small Claims Court Suit
By Chris Morran on March 19, 2012 11:34 AM
34 Comments
Even though AT&T had seemed quite intent on either appealing or coming to a different settlement with the California man who won a small claims court lawsuit against the company for throttling his so-called unlimited data plan, it now looks like the Death Star forces have retreated from this battle. More »
