Redwood City woman fights off debt collectors for 3 years after unjust AT&T bill

By Michael Finney and Randall Yip

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    REDWOOD CITY, California (KGO) — An elderly Redwood City woman stood up to debt collectors for what she knew was an unjust bill for three years. The woman told 7 On Your Side she did everything she was supposed to do when she canceled her AT&T service, yet she says the company kept billing her.

Mickey Dorsett knows what she wants.

When AT&T U-verse took off a few of her favorite channels in 2019, she decided it was time to switch.

She called the company and asked what she needed to do to cancel her TV and internet service.

She followed the company’s instructions and returned all its equipment using their pre-addressed labels.

“And at the end of the phone call I asked, ‘Are you going to hit me with an early termination fee now?’ And he said, ‘Oh, no. You’re no longer under contract with us,'” said Dorsett.

The following month she received a bill for $70 for internet service.

“I phoned them and told them how could I have internet service when I sent back to you all of my equipment?” she said.

One month later, she received another bill.

This time it included an early termination fee.

She complained once again. They promised to get back to her, but she says she never heard back.

Instead, she said she received over the next three years numerous collection notices.

One came from a company known as Franklin Collection Service. Another came from Radius Global Solutions. Still another from I-C System.

They all tried to collect and failed.

“It was the principle. I did not owe them. I had been told I was not under contract and I just felt like I did not owe it,” Dorsett said.

After three years, she called for reinforcements and contacted 7 On Your Side.

“Was I scared? No. I was determined I was not going to pay it,” she said.

7 On Your Side reached out to AT&T and she received a call from AT&T’s president’s office telling her the bill would be zeroed out.

“I have not heard a thing since thanks to 7 On Your Side,” Dorsett said.

AT&T told us: “We helped this customer understand the charges on her account, and worked with her to resolve this. She is satisfied.”

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