LG Wireless Phone

Can ATT charge you an "Early Termination Fee" for being late on a payment?

This is related to another question I asked. Anyway, I was late on my last ATT bill and my service was disconnected for about 1.5-2weeks. I paid the bill at the beggining of this month and still have my service now. However I just got my next bill, and on it I was charged $175.00 per line on my account as an "Early Termination Fee". I never called them to terminate anything, but now I have a $1,124 cell phone bill. Now my understanding of being late on the payment is they disconnect the lines and continute to charge you regularly as well a late/reconnection fee, not an "Early Termination Fee". So can they just charge you this fee if you're late on a bill or what?

Public Comments

1. It doesn't sound right but technically you are breaking your contract by not paying the bill on time. I would call AT&T and ask. This sounds very wrong, but I wouldn't put anything past them.
2. Yes, once your phone is disconnected you are charged an early termination fee because the line is no longer active. If the phone line was just suspended then you would not be charged the ETF. The ETF can be waived if you pay the past due and reactivate your account (there is normally a time limit with that so speak to your carrier). O, you maybe charged a deposit.