So I took wife to Best Buy to get a new phone and they had Samsungs for great prices just before Black Friday.

She picked one out and originally was going to get it unlocked and counter guy looks up our ATT plan and says we can get a better deal if we go with that and I say OK. It was a replacement phone for my wife and we used ATT for 24 payments zero interest. Then he says we have to pay sales tax today and I said OK if that is the way it is.

So I get my ATT bill today and I am comparing it to the old one as it was supposed to go up $30 for activation fee and $25.63 for first payment. Well there was a $2.41 difference. I found it to be for sales tax payment on just her phone number (other phones are paid in full) for state. city, and county sales tax that was not on last bill for her phone number with old paid off phone.

So I called ATT today and talked to very nice lady and I explained to her that I paid the full 7.5 tax rate on the full purchase price of the phone already and she that was correct that Best Buy did charge me sales tax. She saw what I was talking about and said that was probably a tax for cell phone "usage" but I explained to her that this was a new charge on this bill and for the three items on the bill that show "sales tax" and there is a separate line for state/municipal telecommunications tax of $3.92 for just this phone number. Then she said hmm and was not sure why that was there LOL. So she elevated it for investigation and I am supposed to hear back from them within a couple weeks.

Hopefully they get this resolved or a satisfactory explanation. Anyone else go through something like this?

Here is a copy of that portion of the bill. The items in question are lines 12,13, and 15. The other two lines have only lines 14 and 16. Previous several bills all three phone numbers showed only lines 14 and 16. $2.41 does not sound like much but over 24 months that is $57.84 and I hate the thought of paying Illinois tax twice.

Phone taxes suck.

quote:

Originally posted by TomS:
Phone taxes suck.

LOL, no kidding. I also asked the Best Buy guy why I had to pay sales tax on the full price of the phone and not the sale price. He said that's the way it is with cell phones, ugh. I wish now I had gone with the unlocked price and be done with it as it was not much higher.

quote:

Originally posted by grumpy1:...

This is why I dumped Sprint and now have Tracfone. I prepay for a minute card and pay sales tax plus a small excise tax.

With Sprint I was paying over $10 a month just in fees/surcharges with no minute rollover.

These added fees are a cash cow for cities and counties.

I don't blame you one bit. We may be looking for something similar sooner than later.

Cricket uses the AT&T network. Might look them up.

They have some sort of deal now, 4 lines with unlimited data for $100. We have 3 lines with unlimited data along with tethering for my phone and I pay $100/month. Don't need a 4th line so I have an older plan.

Dress up like an Indian and throw your cell phone in the harbor.

quote:

Best Buy

I will not walk in that store. 20 years ago I was overcharged $13 for a cable I did buy on a $750 total ticket. When I discovered the error and tried to return the unopened packaged cable for a refund, they refused.

It's Illinois. What did you expect?

Tax on tax on tax....

Someone's got to bail the state out.

quote:

Cricket

+1


Highly satisfied Cricket customer here.

Just ask AT&T to remove the $30 charge. I had them remove it when I purchased a phone for Mrs. K they did it with no issues. Used the chat function and did not even need to speak with anyone.

-K

Well just got the latest bill and not more sales tax charges , so worth taking the time to call them.

quote:

Originally posted by Anush:

quote:

Best Buy

I will not walk in that store. 20 years ago I was overcharged $13 for a cable I did buy on a $750 total ticket. When I discovered the error and tried to return the unopened packaged cable for a refund, they refused.

I hate Best Buy! They are arrogant, over priced, unhelpful! Will not go in there again! EVER