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How to Cancel AT&T Internet

Trying to cancel your AT&T internet seems simple enough. Send an email or make a call and say you want to cancel.

It turns out that the process is not nearly that simple. There are several factors to consider before starting the process.

Here we will walk you through the steps. We will also address some of the questions you should answer before starting the process.

Things to Consider Before Canceling

Last year, AT&T made the process of canceling your internet a little more complicated. It used to be that if you canceled, you would get a refund for the service you paid for but had yet to use. That has all changed with AT&T.

Starting last year, AT&T would no longer offer prorated refunds. What that meant was that if you canceled, you would not get a refund for unused service. So if you try to cancel two days into your billing cycle, you might end up paying for over 20 plus days of service you do not use.

Here is how AT&T describes it on its website:

You’re billed a month in advance. Before, if you canceled any of these services, you’d lose access to the service right away, and we’d give you a credit for the rest of the days in your bill period.

With the new Terms of Service that took effect January 14, 2019, we won’t credit your account if you cancel these services before the last day of your bill period. Instead, you can use your services until your bill period ends. This way, you still get the full month of active service you were billed for.

AT&T’s Spin on Their Policy

You will notice that AT&T is trying to make it seem as if this is a good thing. No, you do not get a refund, but you get to keep using the service.

This is, of course, a service you want to cancel. It seems implausible that customers would want to keep using a service they are trying to cancel.

Cancellation Fees

Paying for something you do not use is bad enough, but many customers are forced to pay an early termination fee when they cancel.

This is a fee that may fall under the heading of fine print for many of us. You get a great rate and fantastic internet and assume you will never need to cancel.

Then the day comes you want to cancel, and this little nugget rears its ugly head. This boils down to a simple math problem. If it is cheaper to keep the service for the length of the contract, do that. If it is not, then you may just have to pay the fee.

Find a Loophole to Avoid Paying the Fee

There are several articles on the internet describing how to avoid early termination fees from AT&T. Some deal with other services like mobile phones or television service, but the theories apply across the board.

If you want to avoid the early termination fee, it boils down to being persistent. Call and call again and do your best to speak to a manager or a supervisor. It may be that after hearing from you enough, they will waive the fee just to get you to stop calling.

Where You Live May Matter

The imposition of a cancellation fee may not apply to you, depending on your state of residence. There are some states where local or state regulations do not allow this type of fee to be charged.

Consider Trying Another AT&T Service

One loophole to the cancellation fee is to stay with AT&T but with a different service. If you have been considering a new mobile phone carrier or getting satellite TV, this may be your answer.

There are some circumstances where you can avoid the fee by getting different services with AT&T. This will depend on the length of the contract and the cost of the new service compared to your existing service, but it cannot hurt to check this out.

Some Steps AT&T Suggests Instead of Canceling

AT&T, of course, does not want you to cancel. So they offer some other choices you can make.

1. Move Your Service

AT&T has a simple online service to help you move your service. Moving most services is easy using their online system. Even if that is not an option, they provide a customer service number to call. If service is available at your new address, you can move your service there.

2. Change the Service

When you login into your AT&T account, you can see all the AT&T plans that are offered for your account. There may be one that is better suited to your current needs. Change to that plan and keep your internet.

3. Transfer the Billing on Your Account to Someone Else

If your account is in good standing with no past-due balance, you can transfer your billing to someone else. If you have several services with AT&T, you will need to separate them all to separate bills.

Once two billing cycles have passed, the service can then be re-combined into one bill.

4. Suspend Your Service

There are situations when you can suspend your AT&T service. For things like a military deployment, a natural disaster, or another reason like a vacation are choices that are available. Suspension may include a monthly fee, but it is most likely significantly less than your current rate.

Steps to Cancel Your AT&T Internet

Check out these steps for cancelling your internet with AT&T.

1. Find Your AT&T Account Number

Look at the top of your paper bill to find the number. You can also login to your AT&T account online. If all else fails, a phone number or service address should do the trick.

2. Before You Cancel, Review Your Terms of Service

This is a long document with a lot of legalese. It will not be easy to read, but it is worth the trouble. Make sure you know the facts about your service before beginning the cancellation process.

3. Call, Chat or Visit a Retail Location

There are many ways to contact AT&T to begin the cancellation process. If you hate being on hold, visit an AT&T store. Speaking face-to-face with an actual person is often a better way to do some wheeling and dealing as well.

Reasons That People Cancel

If you are considering canceling your AT&T internet, there are probably one if not several reasons. Maybe it is merely a function of cost. Perhaps it is a lack of regular use. In any event, the reasons do matter. It also helps to know what you may do after you cancel.

Get off the Tech Superhighway

It may be that you are canceling your AT&T internet because you want to just cut back on technology. Many folks find they are using technology way too often. It may also be that simple cable television is all you need at home, and you have no need for the internet.

There are many situations where a high-speed connection at home is simply not necessary. If you are somebody that spends the whole day at work on the internet or at a computer, maybe your time at home should be less about technology.

Jumping on the 5G Bandwagon

With the emerging technology known as 5G, many consumers are starting to rethink how they connect to the internet. The days of being connected to a wire seem numbered, and a home internet connection is no different.

The best way to think of 5G for your home is that your home would connect to the internet in the same way your phone currently does. So rather than having wires running to your house to carry the internet to you, everything in your home would connect wirelessly.

Since this is a new technology, availability may be limited. Providers need to install small cell towers in neighborhoods for 5G to be available. The good news is that this is a reasonably straightforward process due to the tower’s small footprint.

This service still requires a router, but since you can theoretically place it anywhere, running wires through your home is no longer needed.

A Change in Tech Habits

Even with streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, there seems to be a reluctance to get rid of the good old fashioned television in many homes. This seems strange since so many people now stream these types of services, or engage in online gaming, on a variety of devices.

If you can watch a TV show on your phone while sitting at a bus stop, why do you need a television at home? Many people are taking the technology that they use outside the house and bringing it home.

With so many large screen technology choices that offer exceptional picture and sound, every user can enjoy a personalized home entertainment experience. Best of all, it can be used anywhere in the home without being tethered to a fixed television location.

Maybe You Just Do Not Like AT&T

Some folks do not want to get rid of the internet in their home. These people may just not like the service AT&T provides. It could be that the speeds are too slow. Maybe they feel the customer service is lacking.

If you fall into that camp, it should come as no surprise that there are other choices. The problem is often how many choices you may have based on your location.

The best part about this choice is that other providers will bend over backwards to get your business. Most home internet providers offer discounts and specials to get started with them.

All this really costs is your time to have them do the install. Try them out for a while and if you don’t like them, go back to AT&T or give another provider a try.

All the Cancellation Choices

The choice to cancel AT&T internet is certainly simple enough, but as you can see, it pays to think about what all the steps are. The amount of opportunity that exists in the technology market today is virtually limitless.

There is certainly no point in keeping a service you do not like or need. With a little time spent researching, you can find what is best for you.

If you are willing to do a little haggling, you can probably do all this at a great price. The trick is to understand the facts and then use them to your advantage to get the perfect solution for your needs.