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Cell phones: ATT + Cingular Merger Problem 4 Replacing Phone
No Service = No Contract
by cca009 - 4/26/06 4:44 AM In reply to: Unbelievable! by aliciad54I totally agree with this. It is nothing less than being mugged if you live in an area where cell phone towers are limited in the first place AND they are shutting off most of them or making them a frequency that you can not work from BUT they are still charging you the same fees as before AND they want you to pay MORE money to get equipment and a bill that syncs with the new system THEY imposed on you.
If I didn't live in a major metro area I know that I would have done everything thing possible to get out of my ATTWS contract for free. Right now though I can't say that my service is really any worse (or better) than it was prior to the merger and I feel prepared with my new phone (which Cingular didn't get a cent for).
Lawsuit against AT&T/Cingular over deception of AT&T Custs.
by bbbbombshell - 7/15/06 12:05 PM In reply to: ATT + Cingular Merger Problem 4 Replacing Phone by sylvanrLawsuit Alleges Cingular Crippled Cell Service, Deceived & Overcharged AT&T Customers. This may not show up as a link, but you can cut and paste it in your browser.
http://www.lawcash.com/attorney/4860/att-att-wireless-cingular-wireless-lawsuit.asp
any answer to your questions
by gloch - 9/2/06 2:11 PM In reply to: ATT + Cingular Merger Problem 4 Replacing Phone by sylvanrdid you ever get an answer to all your original questions? it appears that all the responses never gave answers....I have same problem
So could I expect to be able to pretty much put the GSM sim chip in ANY AT&T compatable phone? Why can't I put it in the new Cingular compatable phones?
Are there places other than EBay that I can find replacement phones?
lots of answers
by aliciad54 - 9/2/06 5:42 PM In reply to: any answer to your questions by glochYou've got to go through the messages and you'll find all the answers to your questions. Lots of options for phones, unlocking them, etc. I could go through all the posts and let you know where they're at, but I've sifted through these posts once already. You need to go through them for your own knowledge. And knowledge is power.
at&t phones
by billymack - 9/2/06 5:58 PM In reply to: any answer to your questions by glochAnyone need at&T phones please email me billymack195945@aol.com). I have about 10 phones, some brand new...some slightly used but thet all work fine
Cingular Abusive Thieves!
by Keo914 - 12/16/06 8:10 AM In reply to: ATT + Cingular Merger Problem 4 Replacing Phone by sylvanrI also have the same problem being a legacy AT&T customer. Fortunatly, I have no contract. I have been trying to upgrade my (2) phones since just before Christmas last year. FORGET CINGULAR... they will not lalow you to upgrade your hardware unless you let them screw you on a more expensive contract with far less mins!
FINAL SOLUTION: I have considerded the eBay route on many occations but not taken it and now I am glad not to have done it! Althought you can purchase unlocked phones there as well as at stores like Wireless Toyz.... I have heard recently that Cingular is beginning to send out letters informing former AT&T customers still with Cingular that as of March 1st, they will be required to convert like it or not. Switching phones will not save you and will likeley cost you more in the long run although if you purchase the right one, you can ossibly use it on another carrier. Based on this new info, I am close to deciding to leave Cingular for another provider. My problem at this stage is where can I get many mins for a reasonable price. Some have recommended T-Mobile but I have not done enough homework to know for sure yet and of course if depends on your needs as well. I may simply wait until the bitter end with my old device and make a choice in March, unless my phone breaks that is!
Hope this helps somebody!
cingular will be going back to AT&T
by sting7k - 12/17/06 5:01 PM In reply to: Cingular Abusive Thieves! by Keo914In 2005 cingular purchased AT&T's separate wireless division AT&T wireless and as a result they merged into a single company operating with the name cingular wireless. But what many didn't know is that SBC owns 60% cingular and AT&T (worldcom) owns the other 40% so AT&T would still be in the picture for cingular. Well in the summer of 2006 AT&T bought SBC and as a result AT&T became the sole owner of cingular, and what many still don't know is that sometime in early 2007 cingular will be changing names again, back to AT&T. This is part of the self branded "new AT&T" which has communications systems around the world.
Not exactly
by birdmantd - 12/18/06 4:08 AM In reply to: cingular will be going back to AT&T by sting7kYou are almost right but not completely. Yes, Cingular Wireless bought AT&T Wireless at the end of 2004 and completed the acquisition in 2005.
Cingular at that time was owned 60% by SBC and 40% by Bellsouth. This year, SBC bought AT&T landline (not the other way) and recently announced they are buying Bellsouth which will give them 100% ownership of Cingular Wireless. You are correct that Cingular will be rebranded as "the new AT&T"
Branding it as the "NEW" AT&T
by aliciad54 - 12/18/06 6:30 PM In reply to: Not exactly by birdmantdHa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ... and do you know why they had to do it? Because they made such a bumbling mess of the first take over. They made a lot of enemies with the Cingular name. A lot. And perhaps they can fool some of the dummies that don't know any better with their new name and rope them back in. But birdmantl THANKS TO YOU this forum DOES know better. You've helped spread the word.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Huh??
by birdmantd - 12/18/06 8:13 PM In reply to: Branding it as the "NEW" AT&T by aliciad54That was a brilliant response, way to go. I did not attack you personally, I simply pointed out that the previous post was slightly incorrect. Please grow up now and quit trying to blame me for your problems.
Say what?
by aliciad54 - 12/19/06 3:34 AM In reply to: Huh?? by birdmantdYou've been on this forum long enough to know that I wasn't attacking you. But that I was in utter glee at reading the joys of Cingular, aka the *new* AT&T. Please don't take offense at my post. Only take credit for the joy in the tone of my keystrokes.
AT&T wireless, locked phones and some merger info...
by redkingkills7 - 1/10/07 7:21 PM In reply to: ATT + Cingular Merger Problem 4 Replacing Phone by sylvanrI saw this post and felt obliged to reply. I work in the phone industry and think I can help clarify things. First as far as the phone that has liquid damage goes... When you buy a phone with almost any company in the United States (Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, etc...) it is "locked." This means that if you put a SIM chip from another carrier in the phone it wont work. Also the settings for messages and internet are pre-programed to that specific provider. The reason your AT&T SIM chip wont work in the Cingular phones is because AT&T wireless programmed them that way BEFORE the merger. This was so a customer could not take thier AT&T exclusive phone and get service with Cingular. Likewise the Cingular phones are not able to be used with AT&T SIM chips. One possible solution is to buy an unlocked phone. An unlocked phone will work with ANY providers SIM chip; however, the internet settings and message settings will need to be reprogramed. This process is not that hard and can be done from Cingulars website or by calling customer service. You can buy an unlocked phone from the manufacturer directly and this is usually the best way to get a phone because they still have the warrenty. At this point most phones that were old AT&T have been replaced as the companys merged over two years ago...
In regards to the Cingular rate plans. You need to change your rate plan becuase AT&T and Cingular both used different software to activate customers and maintain accounts. This meant after the merger Cingular had two billing systmes and two customer service/sales programs. They are trying to combine the two billing systems and service programs so any old AT&T customers who upgrade to Cingular need to change thier rate plans to the current Cingular equivilent. There is no way around this though Cingular will offer deals on new phones and sometimes even bonus minutes to old AT&T customers. Keep in mind that AT&T was NOT doing well as a company and that allowed Cingular to buy them in the first place... Which brings us to the final point. When companys merge contracts are maintained so even though you bought your phone from AT&T wireless since they don't exist your contract was taken over by Cingular as the legal owner. The rep you talked to was mistaken about the termination fees they are 150.00 if your a former AT&T customer. As some advice before switching... Seriously look at not only your rate plan but your monthly usage. Most AT&T customers had obscene amounts of minutes for thier actuall usage and therefore it's very possible that you can find a comparable plan at a good price. I hope this helps anyone with similar questions.
Cingular finally forced us to upgrade!
by SorrelAQHA - 1/10/07 8:42 PM In reply to: ATT + Cingular Merger Problem 4 Replacing Phone by sylvanrMy husband and I both got cell phone service with US Cellular, several years ago - our plans offered TDMA service and 1100 anytime minutes with free nights and weekends for $39.99, this was a local calling area, which was part of Florida and part of Georgia, which was perfect, as we live right near the state line in Florida, but do most of our shopping, etc. in Georgia. Then, AT&T took over US Cellular, and sent out letters saying "yippee, we are your new carrier - enjoy fewer minutes (450) and a useless coverage area (state of Florida only, any calls from Georgia would be roaming all for the same rate!"
I called them up (having worked in customer service for years, I know the higher up the ladder you demand to go, the more likely it is you will get what you want - the managers DON'T want to talk to you) and told them it was not acceptable - I wouldn't pay the same for less - and quoted the "your service will continue..... blah, blah". After several calls, many customer service reps, and a few managers, I got plans I could live with, a regional (5 state) calling area and 1000 anytime minutes, unlimited nights & weekends, for our original rate of $39.99.
We went along for another year or so, and then get letters from Cingular "yippee, we are your new carrier - upgrade to a new Cingular plan now and enjoy fewer minutes (450) for the same rate as you are now paying!" We simply ignored this and carried on happily using our US Cellular phones, replacing them with compatible phone bought on eBay if we needed a new one. Well, I ignored it until the bill came in...... I was charged for about 400 overage minutes. Cingular's excuse was that some of the minutes I had were an AT&T promotion that had ended. Well, after MANY MANY customer service reps, I managed to get a refund on the overage, 950 anytime minutes, 500 M2M, and the same calling area. My husband got the same calling area and 1175 minutes == and hurray, we still had our original rate of $39.99.
Now, 2 years or so later, they have finally figured out 2 ways to get us! 1) They simply stopped provided reliable digital coverage - areas where the signal had been strong were now sending calls to voice mail - or even worse, telling the caller that the "phone number could not be completed as dialed" or simply a fast busy - and my husband uses his phone for business! 2) Adding a $4.99 TDMA surcharge on the bill.
So, I called them to upgrade to GSM, told them that 450 anytime minutes wouldn't cut it, and worked my way up through the ranks of people until I reached someone who gave me 1000 rollover-anytime minutes (no free nights or weekend), with unlimited M2M, but my rate is still hanging on at $39.99. I figure if my husband is careful for a couple of months, he should be fine - he only averaged about 1000 minutes on his old plan, and didn't have unlimited M2M.
They did however lose me - HS internet finally became available where I live, so I got that (now I can be on the phone and internet), added $15 unlimited long distance to our home phone and bought a Net10 phone. Since my coverage had gotten so bad with Cingular I was only using my phone about 200 minutes a month, and at that usage a Net10 phone will only be $20 a month.
Just remember - when you are dealing with customer service - a "that's not acceptable, I need to talk to someone above you" will work wonders. If they say no one else can help you, just repeat "that's fine, but I still need to talk to your boss / supervisor". Keep on going - you'll probably get satisfaction before you get to the president of the company!
You ask why
by Alfo57 - 1/12/07 4:02 PM In reply to: ATT + Cingular Merger Problem 4 Replacing Phone by sylvanrBecause telecom companies are big scam artists. The same people just changing names. Just like AT&T said No Tricks and games. They should know. They invented Tricks and games. And they are still playing them
and always will.
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