AT&T Users Already Complaining About Inaccurate Meters

[ChromeFoundry]

Measuring From DSLAM Inflating Usage Numbers?

While the consumer response to AT&T's T-Mobile is generally negative, AT&T's fortunate in that the deal at least has http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Exclusive-ATT-To-Impose-Caps-Overages-113149">shifted media attention away from AT&T's recent decision to start charging DSL and U-Verse users overages. Over the years as we've watched ISPs (especially in Canada) embrace metered billing, so enamoured with the potential new revenue -- they often forget to make sure their usage meters actually work (see: Cogeco. Bell), Judging from http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r25626981-AT-T-usage-meter-is-yours-as-wildly-inaccurate-as-mine-">posts in our forums by AT&T users, AT&T's effort on this front so far isn't any better. Comparing AT&T's new meter system to their firewall and router logs, http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r25622288-Services-NOT-HAPPY-with-the-new-DATA-CAPS-">several users note that AT&T's meter is off -- by as much as hundreds of gigabytes:

AT&T's data appears to be wholely corrupted. Some days, AT&T will under-report my data usage by as much as 91%. (They said I used 92 meg, my firewall says I used 1.1 Gigs.) Some days, AT&T will over-report my data usage by as much as 4700%. (They said I used 3.8 Gig, dd-wrt says I used 80 meg. And no, this day wasn't anywhere near the day they under-reported.)

AT&T's data doesn't add up. If I take AT&T's data, and add up the individual day's usage as provided by them the totals don't add up to the automatically calculated total for that date range! For example, for my account from February 18th to March 17th, AT&T says the total usage is 221GB down, 12.8GB up, 234GB total. But if I actually add up the individual days from feb 18th to march 17th, the totals are 206GB down and 11.95GB up, 217GB total! That's an 8% difference just adding up the daily totals!

Another user in the thread suggests that the discrepancy is because AT&T is measuring usage at the DSLAM, thereby creating unrealistic totals that incorporate PPPoE and ATM overhead:

This is the problem. DSLAM's are layer 2 devices in the OSI model. Unlike Uverse which uses IPDSLAM the counters for an ATM based DSLAM are going to include the PPPoE overhead and ATM overhead. Conservative estimates would put PPPoE and ATM overhead at 30%. Of course it all depends on the type of data sent and the size of the packets. If AT&T is indeed pulling it's usage statistics from the DSLAM then they are billing customers for the overhead injected by their use of PPPoE (1500 - 8 = 1492) and for the overhead necessary to transport a packet over ATM (due to the minimum 53 byte atm cell size).

More: http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/ATT-Users-Already-Complaining-About-Inaccurate-Meters-113314

[OhioChick]

1. Time to dump AT&T n/t

[Initech]

2. I'm dumping them as soon as possible and going to Sprint.

[glowing]

3. No Shit.. We only have it due to a company discount off the bill..

but it looks like they snooker money out of you no matter what... Probably not saving money when they are incappable of accurate numbers. However, if we are 1 cent short, they cut u off.

[MilesColtrane]

4. They're old hands at this.

Back when they were just a long distance phone company, AT&T used to routinely bill me for calls I never made.

They figure you'll just give up on monitoring their billing accuracy every month, if you even bother to check it in the first place.

The vast majority of people just wrote a check and stuck it an envelope every month.

Fucking crooks.

[mrcheerful]

5. Well 11 years ago I dropped AT&T over a long distance dispute made on my phone

line, AT&T sent a lineman out to check my line to see if someone was using my line. The lineman told me the main box in the 600 apartment building had broken locks and it appeared that every connected phone line in the building had been tampered with. I had over $1,500 long distance calls made to Detroit on my bill. 11 years ago AT&T told me to just pay the normal bill of $30 and my services were cut at my request. I was in the process of moving and gave AT&T my new address to send the final bill to and when it came I paid the $30, then promptly forgot about it other then to vow never again do business with AT&T. Since that time I have moved 4 more times.

Then about 6 months ago I get a letter from a debt collector telling me if I paid $800 they would write off the rest of the bill. I ignored the letter and about a week later started getting phone calls, SO has the phone in her name and I am clueless as to how they connected me to her phone, I tell the guy, dude the bill is over 11 years old and therefore I do not have to pay the bill due to limitations on how long a debt can be past due before its deemed dead by courts and credit records so FO and die. Well tonight at 11 pm I get a call from the collection agency demanding that I make arrangements to pay off the bill, I laughed and said screw you, if you continue to harass me I am talking to a lawyer about suing your company. Before hanging up the woman said something about my owing them money and they were taking me to court, which btw is illegal, yeah right, after 7 years there isn't a court in this state that will do a thing about their claim. I guess AT&T is getting so much love for their business that now they are trying to collect on dead unpaid bills from 11 years ago, even bills that at the time they dropped because of illegal line use by person or persons unknown, then they wonder why no one wants their crappy services.

[Psephos]

6. Way to go on handling those scums.

You are correct. The statute of limitations is over (it varies by state, but 4-7 years covers most of them). There is no legal remedy available. They can't sue you.

One thing to bear in mind, though - at this point, AT&T is out of the picture. What happened was that a scum collection company bought up old, bottom-of-the-barrel debts in bulk, and yours was in the bundle. The really archaic ones go for a few cents on the dollar, or even less. The scums rely on fear, obfuscation, and ignorance to collect money from people who don't know any better.

But you know better. :)

[ejpoeta]

9. they package up debt and sell it to these collectors. they don't care if it is

actual debt that anyone owes. they get money from these people so they sell it. the debt collectors don't really care either. they figure most people will just pay it. especially if they get all mean on them. if they call again i would request a verification letter. they won't be able to produce it but they also won't be able to keep harrassing you until they do. if they do, then you can sue them for FDCPA violations. I would also send them a verification letter requesting that they send proof that you owe them this debt. And you are right, even if they hadn't took the rest of that bogus bill off the statute of limitations is i think 7 years.

[REP]

10. 11 years ago, AT&T was not part of SWBell, as it is now; Bell changed its name to AT&T

The other poster is correct about the collection agency trying to illegally collect an old bill, but you had long distance from a tiny company called AT&T - which was bought by Southwestern Bell, which changed its name to the nationally-recognized AT&T branding.

[cowcommander]

7. Are there any other alternative ISPs to AT&T U-Verse in California?

[Sonicwall]

14. Dslreport.com

will help you find an alternate..

[kenny blankenship]

8. Heeeelloooo Class Action Lawsuit!

[Lovette]

11. Yipi-Kuy-Ay AT&T UVERSE

I have always had a problem with AT&T UVerse billing and now with them getting ready to charge for over use of the internet I immediately canceled my service with them. Wow will be installed tomorrow!!

[ChromeFoundry]

12. AT&T Says They're Working On Meter Accuracy

Earlier this week we noted that http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/ATT-Users-Already-Complaining-About-Inaccurate-Meters-113314">AT&T's usage meters for their upcoming metered billing push aren't accurate when compared to user firewall or router logs. That's been par for the course with a lot of efforts to bill by the byte particularly in Canada -- where companies like Cogeco and Bell have had significant trouble tracking usage accurately. AT&T has responded to our request for comment on the meter issue, and the company tells us they're working to improve meter accuracy before the system goes live in May -- and will work with anybody who is having problems.

"We're happy to work one-on-one with any of your readers to walk through the measurement tool and address any questions," AT&T spokesman Seth Bloom tells Broadband Reports. "We're already addressing ways we can make the labels and information on the online tool more clear for customers between now and May...I can also assure you our team is performing checks everyday to ensure accuracy."

As we noted earlier in the week, AT&T's decision to measure from the DSLAM could be increasing usage estimates because that would include ATM and PPPoE overhead. AT&T didn't offer us a comment on that.

The company did suggest the volume of time measured by some tools could be to blame. "Other tools may measure at different 24-hour periods than we do, and most likely do not take into account the standard network protocols (e.g. Ethernet, IP) that are used to provide applications and content to our customers via the Internet," says Bloom. "As you know, this is fairly standard to incorporate when measuring broadband traffic and is applied by other ISPs who measure usage." Looking at router logs submitted to us, we're fairly sure this isn't the problem most are seeing.

As we move close to AT&T's cap and overage launch in May, we're interested in hearing from users as to whether or not their meters are reflecting usage accurately, and if not -- how responsive AT&T is to your concerns. Again, keep in mind that as ISPs push for meters on your broadband spigot, there is absolutely nobody (aside from yourself) working to ensure they are metering you honestly.

More: http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/ATT-Says-Theyre-Working-On-Meter-Accuracy-113370

[OhioChick]

13. "there is absolutely nobody (aside from yourself) working to ensure they are metering you honestly."

Isn't that the truth.

Greedy bastards.