Mobile phones

[The Chairman]

Well I wanna VENT!

I have been a LOYAL ATT cell phone customer for 6 years. I never even upgraded my original cell phone, which is slightly smaller than the one Tommy Vercetti uses in Grand Theft Auto Vice City.

So anyway I want one of those new phones and I like the Motorola V60 flip type. I also want color and the web access stuff, SMS. So a few months ago I go to ATT Wireless store and they say they don't have SMS yet like Verizon and they can't tell me when they will have it.

So I want and need a new phone so I ask for the V60 and they charge me $200. And then my friends get the same phone for $50 or even for free with a new activation. So my reward for being a loyal ATT customer is that I have to pay $200 when new sign ups get it for free! So I complain and they tell me that if I cancel my service and sign up as a new customer I can get a free phone, but my phone number will be different. So now I have to decide between a phone number I've had for 5 years (and is easy to remember) or $200. So I keep the phone and they say I have 30 days to return it.

Then 36 days later, ATT launches the SMS technology and my phone is not returnable and not compatible. So people now getting the phone can get web access, download games, etc, and I'm stuck with an outdated phone! It's like buying an Original Nintendo and having PS2 come out right after!

Has this happened to anyone else? Does it "suck to be me" or do I have a legitimate gripe? What incentive do I have to stay with ATT? How does this policy retain customer loyalty?

:-(

<img src = http://thereisnogod.faithweb.com/images/kaga.gif>
thanks ADF for the SigPic!!
I'll take that Chesterfield now...

[TooCute]

Sucks to be you, AND you
have a legitimate gripe. Not
the fault of the folks who
sold you the phone - it's
AT&T's fault. Switch to
Verizon!


<img src=http://thereisnogod.faithweb.com/images/toocute2.gif>
ADF makes great sigpics!

[TheGameHHH]

Let's see, I was an AT&T customer for just over 2 years and it was probably the worst service I ever had in my life. After my contract ran out I went right over to Verizon and they hooked me up with a sweet deal on a v60 (which is king of all phones by the way) and the best service a person could ask for, why anyone would still be with AT&T is beyond me.

<img src= http://thereisnogod.faithweb.com/images/hhh.gif>
Thanks ADF

[pixiestix]

I had ATT for less than one year.
People would constantly get a
busy signal when they tried to
call me. Their customer service
was terrible and had no interest
in solving the problem, so I cut
the service before the year was
up. Now I have Verizon and
haven't had any trouble. I have
an excellent phone, the Motorola
T721 and I love it.


<IMG SRC="http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/angelaelle/myhomepage/pixie.jpg">

[Hawiian shirt craig]

So I complain and they tell me that if I cancel my service and sign up as a new customer I can get a free phone, but my phone number will be different. (ok this is gonna be long, i work for verizon wireless...) <P>
this is illegal, by the way. every cell phone carrier has a clause in theor contract that if u cancel your service and start up again within their cooling off period, usually 90-120 days, you are subject to a penalty equivilent to the comission paid to the retailer. this is generally betwee 200 and 300 dollars. dont do that. the slaesman told u that b/c he gets a big comissoin on new activations and almost nothing on upgrades. <P>
as far as the $200 u paid for a V60, this is reasonable as every other carrier charges about this much on an upgrade, and in some cases a new activation. the ACTUAL value of the V60t is about 250-300. you got it for 200, and a new customer for 50, because AT&T SUBSIDESES the equpiment, in return for you comitting to their service. <P>
so basically a phone that i sell to a customer for like $50 cost my store $300... then verizon pays us and every one is happy. <P>
At&T is having MEGA financial problems in their wireless division, and they are cutting down on making people happy at any expense. the bitch is you're stuck with them for the duration of ur contract. u can cancel if you'd like and come over to verizon, i can get you the v60i (our version) for like $50 if u want. lemme know, and we'll chit chat. <P>
so the lesson is folks, listen to too cute, buy verizon wireless, and buy it from me ;-) <P>
ok i'm done ******** <P>


-Hawiian Shirt Craig
THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T
HAVE NICE THINGS!!

<img src="http://home.ix.netcom.com/~camman/_uimages/HSC.gif">

San Diego Chargers 8-5

[TooCute]

HSC - If I wanted a v60i right
now, I would not have to pay
$200 for the upgrade. I
could just sign a new
contract and get it for
whatever promo price is
going on. I mean I don't
really need a new phone
more frequently than every
10 months, right? Also, the
woman at the local verizon
was cool, she emailed the
business center or
whatever to get the 10
month thing waived for me
because I bought a new
phone like 8 months ago, a
cheap one, just because I
broke the old one & wanted
a new one quickly. I think I
will get the new color
motorola dealie :)


<img src=http://thereisnogod.faithweb.com/images/toocute2.gif>
ADF makes great sigpics!

[TooCute]

btw if you have been with
AT&T for 6 years.. how
could you possibly have
been a 'disloyal' customer?
:)


<img src=http://thereisnogod.faithweb.com/images/toocute2.gif>
ADF makes great sigpics!

[JustJon]

I worked for AT&T corporate for over 2 years. At the time (1998), I decided I needed a cell phone in case of problems commuting. I had a nice, big Tommy Vercetti Nokia phone that I got the crappiest reception on. I was once stuck in traffic a mile from my office on a major highway and I couldn't get a signal at all.

July of 2000, I switched to Verizon 1 month before my AT&T contract was up. To cancel early would have cost me a couple hundred, so they made me keep the phone live for one month for no reason.

When I joined Verizon, I got a StarTac, upgraded to a v60 last summer, and just got a t720 a couple weeks ago. The biggest problem I've had with Verizon? The default lock on my phone wasn't what it said in the manual.

<img src="http://www.chaoticconcepts.com/bans/rfjustjon6.jpg">

[The Chairman]

A few points:

I paid $200 for a cell phone I could get for free from ATT as a NEW customer.

I UNDERSTAND the rationale (store makes $ on activation, ATT subsidizes the cost of the phone.)

My point is:

ISN'T ATT'S POLICY ACTUALLY ENCOURAGING ME TO SWITCH CARRIERS (I.E. VERIZON)? Isn't this like STUPID? I stayed with ATT and spent $200. Or I could have switched to Verizon, (no really big deal that I'd have a new phone #), better reception, AND A NEW MAC DADDY PIMP ASS PHONE WITH SMS for like $50! Now I'm stuck with a phone that IS NOT THE BEST and a $200 bill!!!

It's like I just bought an IPOD and they ASSURED ME at the store that the 10 GIG model was the BEST. And now I see the Apple web site features a special 20 GIG model. What the F**CK?


<img src = http://thereisnogod.faithweb.com/images/kaga.gif>
thanks ADF for the SigPic!!
I'll take that Chesterfield now...


This message was edited by Chairman_Kaga on 12-17-02 @ 2:38 PM

[wilee]

I got a new phone about a year ago. Previously, I had a Nokia 2160, which I lovingly referred to as "The Brick". At the time, it wasn't TOP of the line, but it wasn't too far from the top. The nice thing is that it could connect to my laptop via the modem and I could use it to fax and connect to other systems. I never successfully connected to the Internet with it, though.

When it started dying within hours of getting a freshly charged battery, I hit Cingular (then: SBC Cellular One) and got the new phone for $25 (a Nokia 3360) which was their current promotion. I had to sign a contract, though.

C_K, did you sign a contract? The companies like to believe that you'll be with them for a while, and will give you a better deal if you commit to them. It sounds like you got a bad service rep that was pulling something shady on you.

You should check the web for current promotions and such before you buy a service/phone like that. It lets you know what you can get, and you may be able to work a better deal if you are willing to walk to another company and they know it. Companies are more willing to eat up-front costs if it means that you'll still be paying the monthly charges to them for some time....

<IMG SRC="http://cwjr.home.infi.net/wilee.jpg">

[BrianTheBailBondsman]

I have had alot of experence with cell phones I even had a phone that was the size of a lunch box thatwas tha smallest they made. In my opinion the peast phone and plan are... Hang on a sec my cell is ringing....

"Getting my 15 minutes of fame a few seconds at a time"

[Violent Jay]

ok, ive heard this alot. What you do is as long as the plan with the sms is the same price you can call att and you fight with them and they will update your plan. My mom tred that(when she had att there a joke)and she kept callling and eventually they gave her anew phone. Try that and if that doesnt work. GET YOUR SELF NEW SERVICE. att sucks get tmobile(vociestream)thats what iu have no problems.

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R.I.P Skipper

[SweetPea]

My Mom works for an AT&T dealer, we get our phones for pennies. We all had nokia 5160 (my Mom still has hers) which is actually being discontinued. Me & my brother have switched phones a couple times. I had an Ericson phone for a couple of months til I got mad one day cause it sucked & I threw it against a brick wall. Then I got another 5160 and I was happy with it, now I have a 3360. My brother is a mechanic so his phone get abused & dirty. He had 3 5160, 2 5160i, 2 3360's, and now he is on his 2nd V60.
T Mobile is to new, they dont have enough sites up there service kinda blows. My brother and I got my jack ass dad a cell phone last year for his b-day, but he didnt use it so we made a few calls with it and UGH the WORST! I've had AT&T service my whole cell phone life (5 years) and it's been very good to me. It's just the phones we have had troubles with. Sometimes I dont even have to pay a bill ;)

This has been another rare post by the (greatly missed) Sweet one!

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Missing member of the family.

[TeRRoR]

hey craig, i am with cingular right now... but i am goin to need a new phone soon...

wanna hook me up with a dam good phone and a f'n nationwide plan for cheap?

TeRRoR

Tell me all your problems and the way you're gunna solve them and i'll do my best, to prove you wrong

[spoon]

Kaga
Call customer service and explain to them that you asked about future service and were lied to. Tell them that you know most new service contracts have a 45-60 trial period and you want out. As for the phone, say that they made it sound like it had some feature/s (pick something) and well it didn't and that your reception is plain afwul compared to your old phone.

I speak from experience here. I went through a similar process with Verizon last September/October. I was able to return the V60 (not the V60i), and get the new motorola color dealie your girfriend toocute spoke about (T720c). I had some complaints with the system and that they hadn't informed me properly when asked about any new phones on the way. However, I paid a high price for the phone at the time, $299, but worked out a deal. I agreed to stay with them if they gave me $100 bucks off any phone up front. Hence I paid $199 in October. Later, the phone is advertised on tv for only $49 after the mail in rebate of $100, which I got later. Now my phone cost $100. Next, I called about the price protection on their products (this past week) and they stated that it only is possible within 30days or so. I spoke to the nice woman and sweet-talked my way into the correction in my favor of $159. My receipt stated the original price of the phone bc the $100 agreement was a charge back after, so she didn't have a record of it connected.
So do the math and find that they actually paid me $59 to take their newest flip motorola with color and web technology to boot. Work it, its fun and as you can see worth it. And HSC, shhhhhhhh!

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Nothing...i have nothing!

This message was edited by spoon on 12-21-02 @ 5:16 AM

[Fallon]

<li>It's a portable phone!

<li>HELLO?! YOU'RE CRACKING UP!

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[Reephdweller]

I'm an AT&T customer as well, and was going to switch to the SMS service...this was about 2 weeks ago. The AT&T folks said that they have it, but don't recommend it because its in very limited areas, that i'd see many dropped calls. To wait six months or so and then switch. Which is what I plan to do. Though they never hinted that I'd have to drop the service.

<IMG SRC="http://www.osirusonline.com/reefdw03.jpg">

[LatinSpiceXoX]

I've had AT&T for a year now.
First got it w/ the LIL red nokia, then I upgraded to a V60.
I was up to 800 anytime minutes and free nights and weekends starting at 8pm.
Now I am on the GSM network, which required me to purchase a new phone.
I am now the proud owner of a MOTOROLA T720... it's fantastic! :)

I am selling my 5 month old phone on ebay.
If anyone knows anyone who'd like to bid on it then, http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1946375401


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<font color=red><font size=4>Happy HO-HO-Holidays!! </font></font>
:)

[LatinSpiceXoX]

I forgot to mention that the GSM network allows me to use my phone anytime, anywhere in the US, and call long distance without having to deal with roaming charges, going over my minutes, etc.

It's called 'UNLIMITED ANYTIME'.


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<font color=red><font size=4>Happy HO-HO-Holidays!! </font></font>
:)

[Reephdweller]

Now I am on the GSM network

Latin, how's the coverage under GSM?

<IMG SRC="http://www.osirusonline.com/reefdw03.jpg">

[LatinSpiceXoX]

You can travel coast to coast, and as long as there is a spot within that state where this network has been installed, you will be able to use your phone. If in the case that the GSM network is not available in a certain area, it will then pick up the frequency of another cellular service provider, but you will be charged substantially.
Europe first started this system. So if you travel there, it will work also.
The monthly charge is $99.99, but it's certainly worth it.

I did it cause I kept going over my minutes, and because I hardly used my private line at home.
So I figured I'd use this one phone and cancel my private line, which will all add up to the $100 that i'd be paying anyway, and not have to worry about going over.

It also includes text messaging, internet access...but that's the features the phone has.
It's pretty cool.


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<font color=red><font size=4>Happy HO-HO-Holidays!! </font></font>
:)