AT&T Becomes First Wireless Carrier to Receive Accreditation from Every Better Business Bureau in the U.S.

Company's Commitment to BBB "Standards for Trust" Earns It Recognition Held by Few Other American Businesses.

AT&T* announced that its mobility unit has earned accreditation with each of the 111 Better Business Bureaus (BBB) across the United States. AT&T is the only wireless carrier to earn the distinction and is one of just a handful of companies, overall, to achieve accreditation with every BBB.

BBB-accredited businesses adhere to the BBB’s “Standards for Trust,” a comprehensive set of policies, procedures and best practices on how businesses treat consumers. The standards call for building trust, embodying integrity, advertising honestly and telling the truth, being transparent, honoring promises, being responsive and safeguarding privacy.

Over the past several years, AT&T Mobility has launched a number of consumer-friendly initiatives that emulate these standards. For example, AT&T offers its customers:

Numerous service options — many that are pay-as-you-go with no contract term.
An easy-to-understand summary provided at the point of sale outlining customers’ calling plans and features, along with a detailed itemized estimate of their first and ongoing monthly bills.
A 30-day trial period for both service and equipment.
The ability to change calling plans or features without having contract terms extended.
Prorated early termination fees for service options with contract terms.
A wireless consumer policy portal located at www.att.com/wirelesspolicies that lists AT&T’s consumer-friendly policies.
Several parental control options, enabling parents to set limits on children’s cell phone usage.
A detailed, online street-level coverage mapping tool, called the Coverage Viewer, which provides important information regarding the quality of coverage the customer will receive in a given location.
Rollover® Minutes, which is the ability to keep any unused monthly minutes for up to one year to safeguard against any future monthly overage charges.
“We are passionate about serving the customer, and doing it with the highest degree of integrity,” said Paul Roth, president of Marketing and Sales, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “Accreditation with every Better Business Bureau in the country reflects our commitment to live up to the highest ethical standards and provide the very best customer experience.”

BBB is a resource for the public, providing objective, unbiased information about businesses. A key piece of information that helps consumers make informed decisions is whether a company is BBB accredited. Begun in 2007, BBB accreditation is an honor and not every company is eligible. BBB standards are approved by the national Board of Directors, and businesses meeting all BBB standards are presented to local Boards of Directors for final review and acceptance as a BBB Accredited Business.

“AT&T and BBB share a common goal of encouraging trustworthy business practices, and we congratulate AT&T on its efforts to earn accreditation across the entire BBB system,” said Steven J. Cole, President and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. “We are gratified that an important global company sees the benefit of working closely with BBB leaders in every market across the U.S.”

The Better Business Bureau was founded in 1912 with a mission of fostering a fair marketplace. According to the BBB, seven of 10 consumers say they are more likely to buy from a company designated as a BBB Accredited Business.