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Forum Thread

Seeking Help with mentally disabled person duped by AT&T into unneeded wireless & hotspot contracts

376 50 May 22, 2018 at 08:28 PM
Know a mentally disabled woman who was just divorced, and for first time is on her own, with two kids. She's epileptic and had brain surgery. The seizures stopped, but she has extremely limited comprehension, so learns very slowly. Unfortunately, she doesn't seem to be able to remember her limitations. She works FT but earns very little n her ex isn't paying the court-ordered child support (claims he's on disability.) First time sh's ever been on her own, and I'm trying to guide her toward finding a government support agency, as she has no family to assist.
Main issue is that she was called by AT&T and convinced to sign up for an internet hotspot for $150+/mo, and a single cellphone for her daughter for $70+/mo, both for 2-year contracts. She can't afford either. And, somehow, her 1st useage bill was $600!
So I need to know if anyone can advise how to cancel those contracts Without Paying Penalties. Thank you
(Spent 15mins searching SD and can't find any related posts, or even the old posts I used to see re canceling wireless contracts.)
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KicknDive
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Joined Aug 2003
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> bubble2 4,298 Posts
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fsyowad
05-22-2018 at 09:30 PM.
05-22-2018 at 09:30 PM.
Maybe write corporate?Twitter complaining used to get results.But then again we all live in the America we have had since the last election, where we all have little recourse if we are tricked, swindled or taken advantage of. These days outright robbery is legal because of course we had to have asked for it ...didn't we?
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> bubble2 38,964 Posts
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User339811
05-22-2018 at 09:51 PM.
05-22-2018 at 09:51 PM.
do Twitter and youtube, prove she has all the issues you just described. Send them to AT&T corporate.

Do this:

https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us
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Joined Aug 2014
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> bubble2 2,960 Posts
euuser3818772
05-23-2018 at 12:15 AM.
05-23-2018 at 12:15 AM.
If you can proof she lacks capacity, then the contract is void. But the lawyer fee may costs almost as much as the penalty. Try taking it to an att store and explain your situation, see if anything could be done for her.
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KicknDive
05-24-2018 at 09:25 PM.
05-24-2018 at 09:25 PM.
Thanks. Some are actions I thought to take, but not sure what the suggestions re Twitter n youtube mean. You suggesting I or she publicly broadcast her disability in order to shame ATT?
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> bubble2 38,964 Posts
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User339811
05-24-2018 at 09:39 PM.
05-24-2018 at 09:39 PM.
Quote from KicknDive :
Thanks. Some are actions I thought to take, but not sure what the suggestions re Twitter n youtube mean. You suggesting I or she publicly broadcast her disability in order to shame ATT?
that way or get a lawyer which will cost money.
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Joined Oct 2007
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AngryPirate
05-25-2018 at 06:39 AM.
05-25-2018 at 06:39 AM.
Man... just write corporate before going to all the extremes or public shaming stuff. Include documentation about her condition. Then if they want to be asses about it, blast them on social media, etc. But at least give them a chance.

And I'm not calling you a liar OP... but something seems strange to me that if she were truly mentally incompetent, how is she still able to have primary custody of her kids?
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KicknDive
06-19-2018 at 12:41 AM.
06-19-2018 at 12:41 AM.
Quote from AngryPirate :
Man... just write corporate before going to all the extremes or public shaming stuff. Include documentation about her condition. Then if they want to be asses about it, blast them on social media, etc. But at least give them a chance.

And I'm not calling you a liar OP... but something seems strange to me that if she were truly mentally incompetent, how is she still able to have primary custody of her kids?
She doesn't. Custody is split. Since her ex didn't show for the hearing, she's Asian n came over at ~12, so doesn't speak great English, n I doubt her lawyer would've figured it out-after all, how much time does an attorney actually spend with a client?- her capacity likely never came up. Further, I doubt that without several long conversations about anything of depth, most would suspect she's limited when compared to others who are foreign-born, low-income n only high-school educated.
Thanks for the suggestions. Hopefully she'll take some guidance.
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Dr. J
06-19-2018 at 05:14 AM.
06-19-2018 at 05:14 AM.
1) try dealing directly with corporate. If you have a atty friend perhaps have them send something legal-looking.
2) go to local news. Thelocal NBC station [nbcconnecticut.com]here does consumer protection stuff (I think most NBC stations do across the country). PLENTY of things they cover on air were CLEARLY the person's fault (not the company) but the company caves because it's super bad PR to argue over irrelevant crap (a single contract is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things).
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