ByAre You Entitled to Compensation for an AT&T Internet Outage?
Internet outages might be a way to eliminate distractions at the dinner table. However, the trouble an can cause for businesses, students, and other people like you might not be worth it. Internet and power outages can cause damage and revenue and income loss.
As an AT&T customer, you pay a premium for high-speed internet service, and you deserve to get compensated if you lose the ability to use it.
How to Check for an AT&T Internet Outage
The first thing you want to do is make sure your isn't just you. If you have access to the internet via your smartphone, you can check AT&T's online outage page:
- Navigate to https://www.att.com/outages/
- Choose one of the following:
- Sign in using your account
- Search using your ZIP code
If you didn't find an outage, go to their support page for information on troubleshooting your problem. You can either sign in for one-on-one help or navigate through the FAQ-type options.
Get Compensated for an AT&T Internet Outage: The DIY Way
AT&T is an enormous company, and you might feel like David going up against Goliath if you decide to file a claim for compensation on your own. We don't blame you, but the best way to win your case is to document just about every aspect of your professional and personal life that was affected by the AT&T internet outage, send it to the right person, and cross your fingers.
Phase One: Document Everything
- Note the date, time, and duration of the AT&T internet outage.
- If the outage is a neighborhood or widespread issue, find out the cause.
- Have a recent bill handy to find your account information easily.
If the outage affected your work-from-home schedule:
- What work-related duties did the outage prevent you from completing?
- Get documentation that proves your hourly rate as a self-employed contractor, and pay stubs if you're employed.
- Copy any e-mails or note phone calls you made to your boss or clients explaining the cancellations.
If the outage affected your business:
Did your cash registers or security system go down? Did the AT&T internet outage severely impact your ability to conduct remote client meetings or other business? With the right documentation, you can pursue a claim for lost revenue. Here's what you need:
- Evidence of the day's schedule and meetings
- Itemization of essential equipment that relies upon an internet connection to work
- Tax records and/or bank statements verifying the average daily revenue
- Payroll records
- Sales receipts from comparable retail or commercial dates
If the outage ruined your plans to play video games all day, you're still entitled to a refund for the time you went without the internet service you pay dearly for.
Phase Two: Prepare Your Claim
Put together your documents and draft a cover letter that summarizes your losses and gives a specific amount you wish to be credited or paid in cash. Make sure each page is labeled with the name on the account and the account number to prevent misfiling.
Phase Three: Find the Right Contacts
If you're an AT&T customer, you already know that it's nearly impossible to reach a customer support representative, much less the person in charge of customer claims. It's always best to send your claim to the right person. To start, choose how you'd like to contact AT&T customer support. We'll tell you what our experiences have been going through the consumer channels.
| Live Chat | AT&T's live chat does not appear to be programmed to answer questions relating to personnel departments, damage claims, or reimbursements. |
| By Phone | You can call Billing, account, and tech support at 877.886.0655, choose the option to speak with a live person and spend a lot of time listening to lousy music. |
| By Mail | You won't find any mailing addresses related to customer services, claims, or even headquarters on the AT&T internet support pages. Trust us. We've looked. You can find a corporate office near you on this page. |
| At an AT&T Store | It's entirely possible you can speak to a manager at an AT&T store near you and see if they can advocate on your behalf. While AT&T, in general, is famous for horrible customer support, their local retail managers genuinely try and do their best |
Phase Four: Send in Your Claim
Send your claim in via USPS First Class or Priority Mail, and be sure to get delivery confirmation to help track your claim. Utility companies typically require four to six weeks to process compensation claims, and that's what you can expect from AT&T.
Get Compensated for an AT&T Internet Outage: The Easy Way
If you want to get compensation for an internet outage, but you want to save time and hassle, DoNotPay has you covered in 9 easy steps:
- Go to the Outage Refunds product on DoNotPay.
- Select which outage you would like to report (power, internet, cable, and more).
- Select your energy provider and enter your account number.
- Indicate when the outage started and how long it lasted.
- Verify your account information.
- If you want to be reimbursed for losses related to a power outage, choose whether you want to be reimbursed for personal injuries, damaged property, or both.
- Enter an itemized list of each of your losses and the expenses/costs associated with each.
- Upload documents or photographic evidence that proves your losses. Also, add the names of any witnesses who can attest to your losses if possible.
- Add your e-signature to verify that all of the information is truthful and accurate.
Does DoNotPay Help With Other Types of Outages?
We sure do! We'll help you file a claim with any internet or power service provider in the U.S., including these:
What Else DoNotPay Can Do For You
- Robocall compensation
- Neighbor complaints
- Jump the phone queue for any company
- Get help with bills
- File insurance claims
- File a customer complaint
- Appeal parking tickets in any city
Now that you know how much time you'll save, why not file your AT&T internet outage claim with DoNotPay? We promise you'll want to learn more about our other services and how we advocate for consumers like you every day.