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By Christopher Elliott

AT&T offered him an iPhone 11 for $36, but now he’s paying $500

When Loc Nguyen ports three phones to AT&T, the wireless carrier offers him a fourth line for just $1 a month. But it never follows through and now he has to pay a total of $500. How can he fix that?

Avis wants Dominic Changco to pay $14,700 after one of its rentals gets water damage. But why did it take five years to get the paperwork?

Question: While I was porting three of my cellphones to AT&T, a company representative told me adding an iPhone 11 and a fourth line would cost $1 per month over 36 months. It seemed like a good deal. The representative told me to wait for three billing cycles for the credit to show up. But after three months, I didn’t get the credit. Instead of paying $36 for the iPhone 11 ($1 a month for 36 months), I’m paying $500 ($13.89 per month). I spent many hours contacting AT&T through phone calls and store visits, and they would not honor their sales quote. I would like AT&T to credit me what we already paid and only charge us $1 per month for 36 months for the iPhone11, as agreed. Can you help me?

—Loc Nguyen, Sunnyvale, California

Answer: If AT&T offered you an iPhone for $1 a month — which seems like a great deal — it should honor its offer.

You sent a transcript of the online chat between your wife and an AT&T representative. It certainly looks as if you had a promise in writing.

I tried to find your offer online to see what went wrong, but I couldn’t. Instead, I found a dizzying array of iPhone offers on the AT&T site. And I know if I’m confused, chances are, so are a lot of other people. Some of these bewildered readers may work for AT&T.

So, what went wrong? It’s difficult to know for sure. Sometimes, companies just make mistakes when they handle your paperwork. And yours was a somewhat complicated transaction because it involved porting three numbers and adding a fourth. Chances are, someone just pushed the wrong button.

If this ever happens to you again, feel free to reach out to one of AT&T’s executives. I publish their names, numbers and emails on my consumer advocacy site, elliott.org.

I reached out to AT&T on your behalf. A representative responded directly to you, apologizing for your billing problem.

AT&T applied the credit for $500, as promised, which left you a positive balance of $82. “Please allow one to two cycles for the bill to reflect changes,” it added. Where have I heard that before?

Five years later, he got a $14,700 bill from Avis. Does he have to pay?

Question: I rented a car in Maui from Alamo in 2017. It rained heavily for one day and the car floor became soaked. All doors and windows were closed.

I noticed water leaking from the vents, indicating possibly faulty weatherstripping. Enterprise, which owns Alamo, now says it salvaged the car and the engine won’t start, even though we drove it there. They want me to pay $14,700 for the vehicle. Can you help me get this claim dropped?

— Dominic Changco, Salinas, California

Answer: It’s highly unusual for a car rental company to take five years to process a claim. For that reason alone, I decided to look into your case.

You should never, ever pay for damage to a rental car. Before you rent, ensure you have sufficient insurance. You can get coverage through your auto policy, your credit card, the car rental company, or online through a company like InsureMyRentalCar.com. But whatever you do, don’t rent a car without insurance.

Other than the timing, there were a few more strange things about your case. You say you drove the car to the Avis lot. But now Avis (via Enterprise) claims the vehicle is undriveable. You also claimed you had the windows and doors closed, yet the water still came into the vehicle. If that happened anywhere else in the world, that might have

been unlikely. But we’re talking about Maui, which is one of the rainiest places on the planet. Big Bog on Maui is the seventhwettest place in the world.

The real question is who is responsible for weatherproofing the rental car — you or the rental car company? I would say it’s on the car rental company to send out a vehicle that’s roadworthy. But it’s a shared responsibility. It’s also up to the driver to make sure the car is operated safely and carefully. I don’t think you could have known your car couldn’t withstand the rain until it was too late.

Another problem with your case is you didn’t have any paperwork. It looks like you had either misplaced it or discarded it, hoping the Avis claim was in the past. Only it wasn’t.

You could have contacted Enterprise about your case to find out why it took so long to get this case settled. I list the names, numbers and emails of Enterprise executives on my consumer advocacy site, elliott.org.

I asked Enterprise about your $14,700 bill. A representative acknowledged a five-year wait was “a bit strange.”

“Our records indicate that the vehicle in this case sustained flood damage at a hotel,” the representative said. “The hotel denied coverage, and the customer did not have a damage waiver. There was a refusal to pay the damages that was documented and then following, there was a series of subsequent followup communications between us and the customer regarding payment. The customer has been sent to collections for nonpayment, and I believe the letter he sent you is the most recent letter from collections.”

Enterprise would not drop the claim, but you still have options. You can find out if the credit card you used to rent the car would pay for the damage. Or you can contact your auto insurance to find out if you might be covered. In any case, this isn’t the end of your road.

Christopher Elliott is the chief advocacy officer for Elliott Advocacy. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help with any consumer problem by contacting him at elliott.org/help.

DROUGHT PIPELINE PROJECT

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

Phoenix Water is installing new pipelines between 32nd Street and Bell Road and 26th Street and Northern Avenue and pump stations to ensure all customers will have access to safe, clean and reliable drinking water for generations to come.

These improvements will help move water supplies during water shortages along the Colorado River.

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Installation of the Drought Pipeline is more than halfway done!

We are currently on schedule for all pipe installations to be complete by late 2022.

Construction schedules are subject to change. The City of Phoenix and its contractors recognize the inconvenience of construction and we thank you for your patience and support!

24-HOUR CONSTRUCTION HOTLINE: 602-235-2666 Drought Pipeline Project Improvements Include:

12 miles of new pipelines.

Delivering a reliable water supply.

4 water booster pump stations.

Transporting and boosting clean water throughout the water distribution system.

Pressure-reducing valve stations.

Regulating and maintaining safe water pressure to provide better water distribution.