In the email sent by the company, AT&T explains that some of those customers won’t, in fact, have a choice in the matter. Specifically, the deal applies to AT&T subscribers who have Puerto Rican or US Virgin Island phone numbers but primarily use the service on the US mainland. And that the change is the result of the sale of the business in those regions to Liberty Wireless. Because the customers are chiefly using the service on the mainland, they need to switch to a mainland phone number as part of the sale. Other customers who don’t fit the bill will be shifted over to Liberty Wireless.
How is AT&T delivering the $100 to customers who change phone numbers now?
AT&T is offering its $100 reward for customers who change phone numbers in the form of a Visa Reward card. And, as per its email, it’s also offering to effectively refund any fees associated with changing phone numbers. The sole caveat noted in the emails, of course, is that this is a “limited time” offer. And AT&T hasn’t provided any details regarding exactly how long the offer will remain in place.
This also won’t affect many users overall
In the interim, AT&T has issued a statement clarifying that the reason for the offer is a lack of authorization to use phone numbers in the above-mentioned territories. So the offer is being made to help offset what is, even for AT&T, effectively a forced migration. Customers who don’t take part in the offer will still be forced to change phone numbers. But the number of users affected, according to the carrier, is small. All customers who need to change are being notified via email. So, while it is an inconvenience, there shouldn’t be much chance that subscribers will miss hearing about the offer. Or for those users to take advantage of it while it’s still available.
