Cingular expelled from BBB in Upstate NY!
I guess it's not so hard to believe that Cingular would be kicked out of the Better Business Bureau for having so many complaints, many of which go unanswered.
Only confirms how bad their service is.
In Chicago, Cingular ranks dead last in both customer service, and call service per JD Powers survey and Consumer Reports. Verizon and US Cell just about tie for first. Cingular also has the highest complaint rate with the FCC. Nationally, US Cell has the lowest complaint rate, followed by Verizon. Verizons complaint rate is double that of US Cell (because both get relatively few complaints filed with the FCC). Cingular's complaint rate is many times higher than Verizon's.
I guess Cingular really has raised the bar -- on bad service.
Only confirms how bad their service is.
In Chicago, Cingular ranks dead last in both customer service, and call service per JD Powers survey and Consumer Reports. Verizon and US Cell just about tie for first. Cingular also has the highest complaint rate with the FCC. Nationally, US Cell has the lowest complaint rate, followed by Verizon. Verizons complaint rate is double that of US Cell (because both get relatively few complaints filed with the FCC). Cingular's complaint rate is many times higher than Verizon's.
I guess Cingular really has raised the bar -- on bad service.
...
Have to respond here since I have BOTH Verizon and Cingular service. You are splitting hairs with the difference on every level.
My question to Verixon always is. If you have such great service why not drop ALL contractual obligations? The phones are not the reason for the contracts with any carrier. Only a convenient excuse. The real reason is because no carrier can insure their customer base will stay without a contract. If Verizon came out with a "We are so good we will give all new sign ups all services without a contract" Then I would believe they had the best by a huge margin.
Having both Cingular and Verizon phones and service I can say they are equally bad or good depending on who you talk to and where you are.
If Verizo...
(continues)
My question to Verixon always is. If you have such great service why not drop ALL contractual obligations? The phones are not the reason for the contracts with any carrier. Only a convenient excuse. The real reason is because no carrier can insure their customer base will stay without a contract. If Verizon came out with a "We are so good we will give all new sign ups all services without a contract" Then I would believe they had the best by a huge margin.
Having both Cingular and Verizon phones and service I can say they are equally bad or good depending on who you talk to and where you are.
If Verizo...
(continues)
...
Phonebabe69 said:
The phones are not the reason for the contracts with any carrier. Only a convenient excuse.
That's certainly not true. Every carrier, except for their prepay plans, subsidizes the phones, and they make the money back over the life of the contract.
What would be refreshing would be to see a major carrier offer the option, on post-paid, to have NO contract, but you the consumer pay full price for the phone. A lot of ppl would like that.
In any case, what does this have to do with Cingular getting kicked out of the Better Business Bureau for poor customer service? đ
...
cingular offers a no contract option and buying the phone at full price. You should read my Cingular vs Verizon post
...
I know they do. I have it. BUT people sign these rip off "contracts," then whine when they do not get service and want to cancel.
I agree with wireless companies getting out of the subsidized phone business altogether, But they won't becasue it's the ONLY way to get people to commit without giving away the farm like ATT used to do each renewal.
I buy my own phones used and pay so little for them I can have 2 or three at a time. I have a SET637 an MPX220 and an Nokia 3589. All bought used.
I agree with wireless companies getting out of the subsidized phone business altogether, But they won't becasue it's the ONLY way to get people to commit without giving away the farm like ATT used to do each renewal.
I buy my own phones used and pay so little for them I can have 2 or three at a time. I have a SET637 an MPX220 and an Nokia 3589. All bought used.
...
simplymarcus said:
cingular offers a no contract option and buying the phone at full price.
On post-paid? That's pretty cool.
Not quite as cool as having good customer service or Verizon-like network reliability or 3G already deplolyed in half the country, but still, pretty cool. đ
...
BetterThanJake said:simplymarcus said:
cingular offers a no contract option and buying the phone at full price.
On post-paid? That's pretty cool.
Not quite as cool as having good customer service or Verizon-like network reliability or 3G already deplolyed in half the country, but still, pretty cool. đ
Not really Jake. If Verizon was THAT cool I could get rid of my Cingular service. No they are not THAT cool, or really THAT much better. In fact my Cingular has non service things that are cool. Like IR transfer of business cards. Now Thats cool. Like OBX file transfer of my pics and docs. Thats cool too. Like a data package that does not use minutes and is in MANY mo...
(continues)
...
I dunno PhoneB. A lot of people seem to think Verizon is pretty cool. Almost twice as many customer adds last quarter as Cingy. Consistently way better marks in customer service by JD Power and Consumer Reports. Churn rate is about half of Cingy's too.
Seems like folks are voting with their feet.
Seems like folks are voting with their feet.
...
Yes they are. Wish I could be most people sometimes. Then I would not be carrying two phones around. But I have never considered myself "most" people. Most people just go with the crowd too.
Most people trust others to make their own choices. Most people are not in control of their own lives. Most people are totally content with mediocrity. And that, Mr. Jake, is exactly what most businesses want most from their customers.
Most people trust others to make their own choices. Most people are not in control of their own lives. Most people are totally content with mediocrity. And that, Mr. Jake, is exactly what most businesses want most from their customers.
...
I feel most people buy what works for them. Not because of averages or because they "trust other people". Actually, maybe that is true. Maybe they have a cell phone and have nothing but problems with the phone operating as an actual phone, so they ask their friends what they have. Their friends tell them Verizon Wireless and they don't have problems at all. So they trust that their friends wouldn't steer them wrong and go for the carrier that works...
To trust your own judgement and jump into something that requires a contract without asking for opinions...that is stupid. But then again I suppose you would just purchase a car without reviewing it...ie reviews, quality history, other opinions, etc. So you would just buy because it "...
(continues)
To trust your own judgement and jump into something that requires a contract without asking for opinions...that is stupid. But then again I suppose you would just purchase a car without reviewing it...ie reviews, quality history, other opinions, etc. So you would just buy because it "...
(continues)
...
I would tend to agree, crazyeagle. The 'herd mentality' can only go so far. At the end of the day, the service has to work or you go somewhere else, which is as it should be.
And with the Internet, consumers are more empowered and informed than ever before. There's really no place for carriers with bad service to hide anymore.
About the only things such carriers can do is give away the store, like ATTW did (and look what happened to them).
And with the Internet, consumers are more empowered and informed than ever before. There's really no place for carriers with bad service to hide anymore.
About the only things such carriers can do is give away the store, like ATTW did (and look what happened to them).
...
Well my brand of car fits my needs and gets me anywhere I need to go just as as any other car brand will. Its a matter of what feels right, looks right, has the features I need, cost, reliability, etc.
Now with regard to wireless carriers, they are not all equal by a wide margin nor will they all work in the same areas and have the same features in all areas. In that case to have it all or as close as one can get one must have both Cingular and Verizon phones.
Just as soome people have to have both a pick up truck and Sedan.
Now with regard to wireless carriers, they are not all equal by a wide margin nor will they all work in the same areas and have the same features in all areas. In that case to have it all or as close as one can get one must have both Cingular and Verizon phones.
Just as soome people have to have both a pick up truck and Sedan.
...
I dunno PhoneB... if you're arguing that everyone should get two wireless providers, I don't think that will ever prove terribly popular, for obvious economic reasons.
The vast majority of consumers will do what they've always done... they'll pick one carrier that works well for them and that's that.
The vast majority of consumers will do what they've always done... they'll pick one carrier that works well for them and that's that.
...
Economic reasons? There is a great economic reason to get two phones along with MANY other reasons.
1. Instead of paying one carrier $100 and suffering with only their feature set and coverage You can pay 2 $50 each and have the BENIFIT of BOTH carriers and feature sets! No brainier there.
2. You now have 2 numbers like most people have anyway, Except both are with you all the time.
3. Where one phone does not work usually ALWAYS the other will. Better coverage for the SAME outlay.
4. Redundancy. If you lose one phone you can foward the number to the other until you replace the lost phone.
5. NEVER go over minutes as the Roll over plan covers on one phone keeping the other phone service costs down as well.
I would suggest...
(continues)
1. Instead of paying one carrier $100 and suffering with only their feature set and coverage You can pay 2 $50 each and have the BENIFIT of BOTH carriers and feature sets! No brainier there.
2. You now have 2 numbers like most people have anyway, Except both are with you all the time.
3. Where one phone does not work usually ALWAYS the other will. Better coverage for the SAME outlay.
4. Redundancy. If you lose one phone you can foward the number to the other until you replace the lost phone.
5. NEVER go over minutes as the Roll over plan covers on one phone keeping the other phone service costs down as well.
I would suggest...
(continues)
...
Phonebabe69 said:
Now why is it a bad idea again?
It's a bad idea for most people because the majority of ppl are not on $100+ plans, and the floor for a good plan is usually $40.
So if I'm a $40 customer, why would I need to have two carriers and two $40 plans, and pay $80/month? As I said, doesn't really make much economic sense. âšī¸
...
I agree and did state you should be a "power user" (900 plus daytime) who spends $100 a month before considering my idea. In that case $40 a month limit for a wireless phone is a "pick one" situation.
...
Ah, that makes more sense. đ
Though I do think that, even then, most ppl still do not want the hassle of two bills and carrying two phones around. Does anyone have any good stats on how many consumers carry two or more wireless carriers simultaneously?
Though I do think that, even then, most ppl still do not want the hassle of two bills and carrying two phones around. Does anyone have any good stats on how many consumers carry two or more wireless carriers simultaneously?
...
