Cingular Wireless Rant

[Jbarrax]

Just wanted to post a liitle note about why I love corporate mergers. I signed up for cellular service with ATT&T Wireless in October of 2004. ATT&T wireless merged with Cingular Wireless shortly thereafter and the quality of service immediately deteriorated. Cingular's "customer service" is a bunch of people in Singapore or somewhere who barely know what they're doing. After months of lousy service I switched to Sprint.

When I closed the account with ATT&T/Cingular, I paid my final bill and wrote Cingular a check for about $290.00. I received a statement shortly thereafter indicating that I'd overpaid and that they owed me $40.55.

I called about it in January and was told that they would send me a check.

I got a statement in February indicating that a refund check would be issued.

I'm a patient and busy guy, so I waited...

and waited.. and waited...

I called about it today, July 29th and was put on hold for an HOUR.

When I finally got someone to speak with me, I was told that Cingular doesn't owe me any money because my accoutn was not with Cingular but with ATT&T!! Funny, that didnt' seem to be a problem when the money was going from me to them. They accepted my final payment with no reservation. But when it has to go the other way, sudenly, they have nothing to do with ATT&T and they don't know me from Adam.

I bluntly told the Cingular representative that her company is full of horse manure and that I would recommend that anyone interested in cellular service look elsewhere.

[Linda Z]

My sympathies. I had Cingular Wireless for about 3 years and just switched to Verizon. No comparison, so far.

I was never able to use my cell phone in the house unless I stood in just the right spot in the kitchen, which has windows close together and perpendicular. Even then it was a lousy signal.

My motto for Cingular was always, "Can you hear me yet?"

I hope Sprint is better for you.

[GarthP2000]

One of the reasons why Cingular's service went south like it did was because it was purchased by AT&T. A good friend of mine used to work for AT&T for about 30 years, and she told me, from experience, that in many respects, AT&Ts reputation as a corporation is quite pathetic. In how they deal with their employees, their customers, etc.

Many years ago, AT&T was THE company to work for, and their customer service was top notch. Nowadays, all that is gone. Which is one reason why AT&T's profitibility and value as a company is in the toilet.

<_<

[wwjesuslaughat]

Jbarrax,

I saw on TV recently an ad trying to get a class action lawsuit going against AT&T. There was an 800 number but I don't remember what it was. You might try looking online for it. I too had AT&T when it got bought by Cingular. I was told by several Cingular employees that they would no longer be servicing AT&T towers so my service would steadily deteriorate until I came to the dark side and bought a new phone and signed a new contract. I wasn't impressed with that deal.

I have to laugh (sympathetically, of course) because I work for a cellular provider in my area. We are on the same system as Verizon, but it's not Verizon service here. We get all kinds of complaints and problems. It ain't easy on this side of the fence either, but since I am a customer also, I do understand both sides

[Jbarrax]

I saw the class action suit referenced in an article online right after I posted my rant. Apparently my experience was not unique. Here's an excerpt from the article at www.consumerwatchdog.org.

Cingular bought AT&T's cell phone system in October 2004, after assuring federal regulators that the merger would be "seamless."

But, the lawsuit contends, instead of the new and better services that Cingular promised AT&T customers, Cingular immediately began dismantling and degrading the AT&T network, forcing AT&T customers to move to Cingular's cell network. That meant buying new phone equipment, moving to higher cost plans, and, in some cases, an $18 "transfer" or "upgrade fee." Some customers who tried to go to another company were hit with "early termination fees" of $175. Others who didn't want to pay or couldn't afford the fees have been stuck with riding out their contract with AT&T Wireless while suffering poor to no reception.

Here's the full text

I also got stuck for $175 when I switched to Sprint, even though I was only a month away from the end of my contract. If I can find out how to join the class, I'll add my name to the list of litigants.

[Jim]

There's a reason the AT&T logo looks like the Deathstar...

We just reupped with T-Mobile. Good prices, ok service. Learned our lesson with Cingular aka AT&T.

[pond]

I got

[pond]

I got

sorry i did not see an edit and it posted before i could write.

???

I got a corporate group rate at cingular many years ago.

cheap cheap cheap.

they no longer offer it anywhere.

so I was told I must get a new phone and the new phone requires a new plan.

i said um no they said we will not sell you a phone for this plan.

can you believe that?

so i said i want to keep the plan.

they said well all the satellites are going to be dead soon. they now use a new technology. I beleive that but the older one works fine and cheap for me.

i said I will take my chances. believe that ? cingular is going into space now to pull out the satellites?

well the new phones have new technologies , I believe that for a extra 50 to 60 dollars a month on top of the phone price.

you will not have any reception.

so i went on e-bay and bought a new phone with the "old" technology. full warranty and everything.

they did not want to hook it up but hello I do have contract, they didnt charge me. it has been 5 years same old plan very cheap.. same phone no problems . works great.

i feel they are very mean and threatening and rather deceptive in trying to force me to get the new super duper phone ( they even offered it for free a few times) that had to have a new plan with alot of new money.

as long as i pay so little I will stay with cingular there is nothing cheaper out there for me.

but i wonder and this thread speaks .

[Belle]

I'm shocked! I've been a Cingular customer for many years and have never had a problem. My whole family, as a matter of fact, have been on Cingular and have found them to be the best in customer service, the quickest to answer the customer service calls and the most cheerfully helpful. I really don't ever get dropped calls either.

In fact, when I started online dating my cell phone minutes went sky high and I was shocked to get an outrageous phone bill ($400, I think). I paid the bill because it was my fault for not paying attention and then called the customer service dept. to switch to a better plan for my now new needs. The rep gave me a $200 credit on my account to help with the bill and would have waved the whole thing if I had called before I paid it.

I got the latest and greatest in cell phones last year for free when I re-upped my contract for another year, too.

I'm sorry to hear that everyone has had a hard time with them. It sounds like bugs in the switch from AT&T to Cingular which is never easy. I remember when Daddy was responsible for a smooth transition from small, locally owned back to regional, big name bank back in the day when banks first started buying each other out. It was horrible! Hopefully they'll get things straightened out and back to the Cingular that I continue to know and love.