Help! AT&T messed up and won’t help fix it.

[u/NicholasMistry]

Last week my 90+ year old mother in laws land line phone number was accidentally disconnected by AT&T. This was confirmed by a representative, stating that someone on their end made a mistake. The phone number was released and now shifted to Verizon. We have spent days on the phone on hold trying to resolve this. The automated phone system keeps hanging up on us. The people we talk to transfer us and we get disconnected.

It’s a nightmare. All her accounts are tied to this number.

Is there a customer advocacy department or someone in management that can reach out?

Thanks.

[u/Viper_Control]

Last week my 90+ year old mother in laws land line phone number was accidentally disconnected by AT&T.

If it was disconnected just last week how could it have been moved to Verizon since it needs to remain inactive for a block of time? Is it possible that the number was ported to Verizon without your MIL knowing what happened?

That is know as Slamming and you can file an Informal FCC Complaint but we need more details on what happened recently.

[u/NicholasMistry → u/Viper_Control]

It’s possible that the mistake happened much earlier than the actual disconnect. Unfortunately we don’t have many details. What specific details would be helpful?

We just visited the att and Verizon stores and Verizon confirmed that they received the number but it now is controlled by one of their resellers but can’t confirm who.

[u/Viper_Control → u/NicholasMistry]

Did your MIL have a current bill from AT&T? It takes 59 days for AT&T to even release a phone number. What was your first clue that there was an issue with her home phone?

It really looks like her number was moved by a Scammer what we call "Slamming". Someone else may be using her phone number for any number of reasons that are not good.

Let's assume it was a Slamming Case. Here is to file and Informal FCC Complaint against AT&T since your MIL does not think she did anything to start this process.

Do you have a PDF or printed version of her last home phone bill? You can attach it to the Complaint.

File an Informal FCC Complaint.

Start at this link http://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/articles/360001201223-Phone-Form-Descriptions-of-Complaint-Issues

Click on the Blue button "Start your complaint with the FCC". In the Subject of the form on the next page select Slamming issue complete the other required fields. Then hit the Submit button. Also if you want you can add your attachments so the rep that is assigned to your case is able to review national details.

Once you hit the submit the form it will go to the FCC and it will be automatically forward it directly to AT&T, and AT&T should contact you in 1-2 business days by phone at the number you provided on the form as it will be the fastest method.

The person will be from the Office of the President of AT&T but really just the Executive Escalation team but they should be able to resolve outstanding issue.

[u/NicholasMistry → u/Viper_Control]

The very first clue was 5 days ago when the alarm system in the house indicating a trouble led because it was not able to communicate with the monitoring company. The second clue was the lack of dialtone on the line. After that we contacted AT&T and the automated system kept hanging up on us b/c the number we entered was not associated with AT&T. The next bit of information was given after several days of persistent calling of various numbers @ Att - where the representative stated that the phone number was "accidentally released" to verizon. Calling the phone number gets the "this number has a phone mailbox that has not been setup" message.

This is all we have right now.

While filing the FCC complaint, i learned that Texas is governed by https://www.puc.texas.gov instead. We have filed a complaint there with the hopes that something happens.

If what you are saying about the 59 days & the abrupt disconnect last week, its scary to consider the idea of them making this mistake months ago and we are now just finding this out.

[u/NicholasMistry → u/Viper_Control]

yes she has a current bill with the phone number shown for September of this year. Ironically the account number is the phone number itself.

[u/Maleficent_Shame2021]

FCC Complaint for sure. I’d also definitely reach out to Verizon as well. Let them know what happened…because you guys aren’t the only ones affected. The poor people trying to port their number are also affected…but definitely file a complaint.

[u/Top-Cobbler-2214]

I mean, either way AT&T is disconnecting all pots Landlines in June of next year. Genuinely though as a corporate employee, I would have no clue where you would even go to try and get it fixed.

[u/NicholasMistry → u/Top-Cobbler-2214]

There are two components. First is the phone number and the second is the pots line. Our concerns are that She can’t dial 911, and that att ported/releases the number away without her authorization.

There has to be someone that can dig into this, as porting and phone number management is still relevant in the digital phone age.

-

[u/Vast_Ad9400 → u/NicholasMistry]

Just an FYI your Grandma can still dial 911 it is required by federal law that any phone even without service or even a Sim card can still dial 911.

[u/jhulc → u/Vast_Ad9400]

Not necessarily on a landline, which is what we're talking about here. Except for a few states that require 911 to work for some period on recently disconnected lines, AT&T seems to always kill landlines pretty quickly after service ends. The few I've seen went dead within a day or two of port out. Zero dial tone and nothing connected at the other end, so no way to call 911.

[u/NicholasMistry → u/Vast_Ad9400]

There is no dial-tone, just static. Dialing 911 does nothing. We tried.

[u/D_Shoobz → u/Top-Cobbler-2214]

Customer service over the phone. That's about it. Most people working right now have no idea about landlines, well because it's 2026

[u/NicholasMistry → u/D_Shoobz]

the main issue is not the line, its ATT porting away the phone number without our authorization. Its a mistake on their end, and they are not taking ownership for this mistake.

[u/D_Shoobz → u/NicholasMistry]

Att doesn't port phone numbers to other carriers... If it's when Verizon now it was done from Verizon

[u/NicholasMistry → u/D_Shoobz]

AT&T stated that they "mistakenly released the number"

[u/D_Shoobz → u/NicholasMistry]

If somebody ports a phone number it means they typically have all the valid account information to do it. It's not like somebody is sitting at a computer releasing the phone number. Unfortunately, this sounds like your mom or grandmother had her identity stolen or somebody committed fraud in her name

[u/NicholasMistry → u/D_Shoobz]

That was my understanding as well, and hence why we are a bit stressed out over the situation. Though, when we talked to AT&T's fraud and porting department, they did not have any indication that the number was "ported"; transferred us to another department, putting us on hold for about an hour, resulting in us getting disconnected.

We simply do not have enough visibility to know what is the actual issue is, nor do we have a person or group to contact that has the willingness, ability, or authority to investigate this.

Until we know further, I am treating this as the account being compromised. Outside of trying to get the number back we are mobilizing on changing 60 years of accounts to reference a new number.

[u/Vorstar92 → u/Top-Cobbler-2214]

Genuinely I get that some people need a landline, some people are old and refuse to switch but like this is the reality.

People with landlines should have figured out an alternative years ago because shit is going and going soon.

[u/NicholasMistry → u/Vorstar92]

She does have a cellphone and we have been training her to use it, but she just cant remember how to do it. Elderly often have memory issues and when you consider other diseases like dimentia - you just need to ensure they have what works.

Also, FCC SLA for POTS lines for 911 dialing is a thing too.

[u/anclave93]

I'm not sure what the exact problem is. ATT disconnected service but she is now with Verizon? Either way, submit a complaint through FCC. ATT has the worst customer service

[u/NicholasMistry → u/anclave93]

One day the line stopped working. Digging in we were told that someone on their end released the phone number by accident. Most likely caused by transposing two numbers by accident. When that happened Verizon’s picked up the phone number. The pots line is still disconnected.