AT&T admits mistake after Solano-area Walmart stores decline to honor promotion
(Photo courtesy TheDesk.net, Graphic by Solano NewsNet)
Wireless phone company AT&T has stopped offering a deep discount on prepaid phone service that was sold exclusive at Walmart stores after several locations in Solano County declined to honor it.
The move came amid a weeks-long investigation by Solano NewsNet sister publication The Desk that involved an attempt to sign up for a $45 a month wireless plan called Unlimited Max that promised access to AT&T’s 4G LTE and 5G networks along with a number of other perks like cloud storage and unlimited high-definition video streaming.
Marketing materials reviewed by The Desk indicated Walmart customers could take advantage of the deal by signing up for a new, single line of prepaid wireless phone service, which had to be done inside a Walmart store.
Last month, associates at Walmart stores located in Vacaville and Suisun City said they were unaware of the promotion, the said it was available only if a customer purchased a new phone at full retail price from Walmart.
None of the promotional material reviewed as part of the investigation said customers had to purchase a device in order to take advantage of the promotion. Associates at two other Walmart locations — one in Dixon, the other in Fairfield — were unable to assist because of staffing and supply issues, The Desk said.
On June 1, an AT&T spokesperson affirmed the company was responsible for distributing marketing material to Walmart stores. The spokesperson admitted in-store and online promotional materials related to the Unlimited Max promotion mistakenly omitted the requirement to purchase a new device in order to take advantage of the deal.
“Unfortunately, some of our promotional materials were not as clear as they should have been, and we are in the process of updating them,” the spokesperson said.
Instead of updating the material, AT&T simply ended the promotion, The Desk reported on Tuesday. In its place is a new deal that allows customers to sign up for the same unlimited wireless plan at a cost of $50 a month. New marketing materials associated with the deal specify that a customer must purchase a new prepaid phone from Walmart in order to take advantage of the deal.
Customers who previously purchased an AT&T SIM card from Walmart stores and who were unable to activate the $45 a month deal can contact AT&T’s prepaid customer service for enrollment, the spokesperson said.
Officials at Walmart could not be reached for comment.
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