While AT&T offers impressive internet and other services, you may have to cancel it at times. You may have to move to an area without coverage or may need additional speed or bundles. One great thing about AT&T is that you can deal with the cancellation pretty easily. However, you must understand the AT&T cancellation policy to avoid extra charges and fines. In this definitive guide, I will share all the steps you need.
What Is AT&T Internet?
AT&T Internet is the internet service from AT&T, a company popular in the telecommunications sector. It is a popular ISP in urban and rural areas and offers independent and bundled packages. That is, you can bundle AT&T Internet with other services like telephone, mobile, and TV.
If you have a bundled service from AT&T, the cancellation procedure for AT&T Internet may vary slightly. It is also likely that you have signed a contract for the bundle.
As far as cancellation is concerned, you may have multiple reasons in mind. For one, you may need a better bundle or higher speed. It could also be that you are moving to an area where AT&T doesn’t have the right plan.
Want to Downgrade or Upgrade the Internet Plan Instead?
Before moving forward with the cancellation, you should check whether downgrading/upgrading the plan can solve the problem. Here’s how you can go about it.
- Evaluating the Current Plan: First, you should understand the problem with the AT&T Internet plan. For instance, if you don’t get sufficient speed, you may try upgrading to another plan. Alternatively, if you think you pay a lot, you should consider downgrading as well.
- How to Adjust the Plan: If you think a plan upgrade/downgrade can solve the problem, you should first get in touch with AT&T customer service. The customer service executives will help you choose a better plan and shift to it.
- Pricing Impact: Of course, shifting from one plan to another will have a pricing impact. However, this price difference is lower than what you would rack up while canceling AT&T altogether and getting a new connection.
Options to Consider Before Canceling
You must also understand that cancellation is not the only option. You can try these two methods in addition to a plan change.
- Pause Service: Depending on the region and your reason, AT&T may allow you to pause the internet service for a temporary period. This process is more convenient if you are moving to a place or going for an extended vacation.
- Retention Offers: No company likes to lose customers. So, if you want a way to cut down on how much you spend on AT&T Internet, AT&T may offer some retention offers. These offers may not be permanent, but they can give you some solace.
Well, if these situations don’t apply to you, you should better cancel AT&T Internet and other services.
How to Cancel AT&T Internet and Services
I will now provide a step-by-step guide to canceling AT&T Internet and bundling services.
Method #1 Cancel AT&T Internet Services Online or via Phone
Review Contract
You have two options to get AT&T Internet: a standalone plan or a bundle. If you have a standalone AT&T Internet connection, you don’t have to worry about contracts. These individual connections don’t come with a contract, and it means no cancellation fees, either.
However, if you have a bundled connection from AT&T, you should review the contract before proceeding. In these cases, you may have set up a 1-year or 2-year contract. Therefore, you may have to pay an ETF when you terminate the connection before the contract ends.
I will explain this in a later section.
Contact AT&T
If you have decided to proceed with the cancellation, you must contact AT&T first. You have two ways to get in touch with AT&T: Phone and Internet.
To get started with the cancellation process over the phone, follow these steps:
- Contact AT&T customer service by dialing 800-288-2020.
- Have your account number and personal identification number (PIN) ready, as you’ll be asked to provide these details.
- Once connected, explain the reason for cancellation. Be prepared to deal with some possible attempts at negotiation to keep you as a customer.
- If you handle the negotiation well, AT&T will begin the cancellation process and inform you of any outstanding balances or refunds. You can then proceed to the next steps.
Once you have initiated the cancellation process, you have to deal with a few things.
Dealing with Payments
Once you have proceeded with the cancellation, it’s essential to address any outstanding payments quickly. Start by paying all the billed amounts—if you’ve received a recent bill from AT&T, it must be paid in full.
Depending on how much is left, you’ll be billed on the next billing date, which will be your final bill. This bill will include a few key items:
- Charges for usage during the final period
- Early termination fees, if applicable to the bundle you purchased.
- Unreturned equipment fees can be avoided by following the next step to return any leased equipment.
Make sure you double-check the final bill for potential issues before making the payment.
Return Equipment
When you get a connection from AT&T, you lease equipment from the company. The equipment rental is included in the monthly amount as well. Therefore, when you cancel an AT&T connection, you must return this equipment.
Failing to do so can rack up Unreturned Equipment Fee, which can be as high as $400 based on the bundle.
What to Return?
If you have only an AT&T Internet or AT&T Fiber connection, you should return:
- Wi-Fi gateway from AT&T
- Wi-Fi extenders provided by AT&T
- Power supply unit (adaptor)
How to Return?
On the bright side, you can use multiple methods to return AT&T equipment. You can choose one based on your convenience. Therefore, it does not make sense to keep the equipment.
The options are:
- You can use the prepaid shipping options from AT&T to return the equipment. You can then ship the equipment in its original box and send it to AT&T. You may also have the option to drop all your to-be-returned equipment at the nearest FedEx.
- You can also visit the nearest AT&T store to return your equipment. Once again, you will have to keep all your account information handy. The advantage here is that you get instant confirmation from the company, and there is no need to worry about package tracking.
If you raised the cancellation request online, the AT&T website may show available return options as soon as you confirm the request. You can proceed with those equipment return options as well.
Confirmation
Regardless of how you process the return, you must get a documentary proof of receipt. If you ship it using the prepaid label, you must get the tracking number. You can use this number to confirm that the return has reached AT&T.
Method #2 Cancel AT&T Internet and Services In Person
If you don’t mind traveling, you can cancel AT&T Internet and other services in person as well. To do this,
- Locate the nearest AT&T store and turn up at the location.
- Provide your account number and verifications to initiate the cancellation process.
- The customer service team will fetch your details, and you can deal with pending payments.
- After this, you can choose the return process as well. It is convenient to bring the equipment before so that you can save time here.
- Once you have submitted the equipment, make sure you get a confirmation document.
Cancellation Terms & Fees
Here are a few things you should know about the cancellation terms and fees for AT&T.
If you have not signed a contract for the AT&T Internet connection, you won’t incur any cancellation charge. AT&T allows customers to cancel the connection whenever they want.
However, if you have a bundle, you may have a contact, which incurs an Early Termination Fee. This fee is calculated based on the number of months left in your contract. For instance, if you have 10 months left in the contract, the Early Termination Fees would be $150, calculating $15 per month.
The ETF and cancellation fees would depend on your location, service bundle, etc.
It’s also why I recommended going through the contract review in the first place.
Conclusion
I hope this guide cleared up all your queries about canceling AT&T Internet and other services. The process is as straightforward as it gets, and AT&T does not have any hidden charges, which makes things easier.
