ATT or Cingular, what's a customer to do?
I am an AT&T Digital Customer, and have a great rate plan. I have had many reps tell me I need to migrate to GSM, when first, ATT & Cingular know they coverage is not as wide and complete as on digital, second, AT&T took away holidays on nights and weekends, thirdly AT&T now has only three phones available. They are making it impossible to use a service that suits all my needs and trying to force me to a service that does not have the coverage I currently have and the only excuse I constantly get is....it will get better, just migrate and wait! Why should I migrate to a service that is less than what I currently have and will not in the near future provide the coverage I need and use. If I don't have a phone, I'm out of business! Much li...
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because it is just like when analog turned to digital. Pretty much everyone was forced to move over to digital in some way or another. but it did get better and nobody seems to really want to get off. Digital wasnt fully developed at that time. Now the same thing is happening with digital to gsm. the only difference is that Cingular is in the mix and everyone thinks that it is "the big, bad, evil company" that is forcing everyone to do what they really dont want. Were not forcing you. stay as long as you want on your plan. But like analog, the coverage is going to worsen, and nobody is going to make and sell outdated phones anymore. Cingular does care about its customers, but no company wants to stay behind for all the stragglers.
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The primary reason Cingular bought out AT&T was to get one thing that they didn't have, BUSINESS customers. You try and give me a history lesson on Analog/Digital. I know all about that, but it's stupid to abandon a system that works for a systems that currently doesn't work to the same extent! That's like saying you want me to trade you my Mickey Mantle rookie card for a no name rookie because he had a great season at AAA and is a cinch to make the big league's and his rookie card is gonna double from 2 bucks to 4 bucks in a year! Why not make the system work like it should and then ask me to switch! Makes more sense to me!
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How about this way, you like to watch movies at home? people used to love watching movies on Beta Machines, now when they came out with VHS ,then laser disc and then DVD's.
The fact is those Most Manufacturers don't make digital phones, its because most carriers make either CDMA phones, or GSM, now neither of these types will work for you, so can either go into the future and leap into the 21st century with a gsm phone, or get left behind, but everything will be removed in the next 90 days, promotions, different plans, and no phones.
If you don't believe me, ask anybody you knows that had a national plan on TDMA through att, soon as they wanted to change they either had to go gsm or stay on exactly what they had, and once they left it...
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The fact is those Most Manufacturers don't make digital phones, its because most carriers make either CDMA phones, or GSM, now neither of these types will work for you, so can either go into the future and leap into the 21st century with a gsm phone, or get left behind, but everything will be removed in the next 90 days, promotions, different plans, and no phones.
If you don't believe me, ask anybody you knows that had a national plan on TDMA through att, soon as they wanted to change they either had to go gsm or stay on exactly what they had, and once they left it...
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greyrat said:
there was the dor plan on the digital network.
WAS is the operative word my friend
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I am inclining more and more the the belief that cingular bought aws for spectrum liscences than for the customers.
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ATTINGULAR said:...
I am an AT&T Digital Customer, and have a great rate plan. I have had many reps tell me I need to migrate to GSM, when first, ATT & Cingular know they coverage is not as wide and complete as on digital, second, AT&T took away holidays on nights and weekends, thirdly AT&T now has only three phones available. They are making it impossible to use a service that suits all my needs and trying to force me to a service that does not have the coverage I currently have and the only excuse I constantly get is....it will get better, just migrate and wait! Why should I migrate to a service that is less than what I currently have and will not in the near future provide the coverage I need and use. If I don't have a
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Why should I have to pay to build Cingular's infrastructure? IF they need my business to earn money to build their systems to the coverage standards that I currently enjoy, then somethings wrong. Do you but a house that only have a foundation and nothing else or do you wait it has walls, a roof, plumbing, wiring, carpet, dry wall, etc. As you say, I switch, I get the foundation, in a year, I get walls and in what, two years I get a roof. As it was said in the Movie, Field of Dreams, "IF you build it, he will come"! I say, "WHEN you build it, I will come"!
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Thats fine, but let me tell you soething, I am gonna VERY SERIOUS< NO SCREWING AROUND, if you choose to stay on an oudated technology, and choose to have an outdated phone, then you automatically make the decision to NOT have the right to call in to bitch about service, which you obvliously have according to past posts about how ALL the reps have told you , that you should migrate,if you have been advised then you live with the consequeces.
The bottom line is that you can't get any new phones, the coverage will poorer and poorer, and bottom line, is that being stubborn, and saying that won't switch until YOU are satisifed, just means that you will See Sucky Service, sucky reception, and no one will ehlp you since you CHOSE to not make the ...
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The bottom line is that you can't get any new phones, the coverage will poorer and poorer, and bottom line, is that being stubborn, and saying that won't switch until YOU are satisifed, just means that you will See Sucky Service, sucky reception, and no one will ehlp you since you CHOSE to not make the ...
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3xtr3m3 AvAtAr said:
True Dat. 😎
Don't Hate the playa, that the game ! 😎 😉
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My personal beef with the whole "new" att/cingular is that they're charging old ATT customers to "switch" to cingular, and on top of that charging more for less.
I currently get 650 anytime minutes and unlimited night and weekends for 40 bucks a month. If I "switch" to the same company that I'm currently with but with a fancy new name. I get more like 400 minutes and then 800 or so night and weekend minutes for the same price.
Then I'm told "But, we're giving you roll over minutes!" which I could care less about. Then to top it off, the jackasses want me to pay them an extra 15 or 18 dollars to "switch" from the "old" company to the "new" one.
In my opinion the "new" Cingular can kiss my lilly white arse if they think I'm going to P...
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I currently get 650 anytime minutes and unlimited night and weekends for 40 bucks a month. If I "switch" to the same company that I'm currently with but with a fancy new name. I get more like 400 minutes and then 800 or so night and weekend minutes for the same price.
Then I'm told "But, we're giving you roll over minutes!" which I could care less about. Then to top it off, the jackasses want me to pay them an extra 15 or 18 dollars to "switch" from the "old" company to the "new" one.
In my opinion the "new" Cingular can kiss my lilly white arse if they think I'm going to P...
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Well you better pray you don't need anything, cuz we got e-mails today, customers are locked into their plans , so if you need to from a individual to a shared plan on blue, or vice versa, or if you want to go from a local to a national or vice versa, you HAVE to Migrate, cuz we are not allowed to change from one type of service to another.
Also you say "I'm not gonna pay 18.00 to stay with the same company", well if you upgrade your equipment blue to blue in the last year or so, you paid more, there was a $15.00 fee, first it was called "Equipment Upgrade Process Fee" then after initial merger agreement, ATTWS changed it to "Discount Activation Fee" so not to be confused with Cingular's upgrade fee.
On the ATTWS you had to pay $9.95 ...
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Also you say "I'm not gonna pay 18.00 to stay with the same company", well if you upgrade your equipment blue to blue in the last year or so, you paid more, there was a $15.00 fee, first it was called "Equipment Upgrade Process Fee" then after initial merger agreement, ATTWS changed it to "Discount Activation Fee" so not to be confused with Cingular's upgrade fee.
On the ATTWS you had to pay $9.95 ...
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Thats where I have an easy out. I've been off "contract" for over 2 years. Its customers like me that cell companies should want to keep.
Those of us who were happy with the service until a merger made it impossible to "upgrade" to a newer phone.
I don't really care what they call the fee, and truthfully if when ATT was still ATT I would have told them to shove it if I was told I had to pay anything to "switch" from one phone to another.
Being a customer for over 4 years and never having a late payment is something that most companies love, and will make adjustments in fees to accomodate them. This "new" cingular/att setup is really annoying to those of us who have had rock solid service for years, and our ONLY reason for "upgradin...
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Those of us who were happy with the service until a merger made it impossible to "upgrade" to a newer phone.
I don't really care what they call the fee, and truthfully if when ATT was still ATT I would have told them to shove it if I was told I had to pay anything to "switch" from one phone to another.
Being a customer for over 4 years and never having a late payment is something that most companies love, and will make adjustments in fees to accomodate them. This "new" cingular/att setup is really annoying to those of us who have had rock solid service for years, and our ONLY reason for "upgradin...
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Thats right, that will happen on the Cingular "BLUE" side, not on cingular "Orange" side.Wireless companies don't make money off of selling you a phone, if you don't want to pay an upgrade fee, there here's some options- You think cingular is bad, here you go :
1)Amazon.com or other dot.com websites, you can buy just a phone from them ,but they charge "FULL RETAIL PRICE" plus a surcharge fee to get it from them plus shipping and handling.
2)Best buy or other "Indirect dealer Agents" like them or "circuit City", they will sell you a phone for regular retail price, but they charge you a Surcharge Fee of $200.00 if you don't activate with a new service in the store.Cuz they don't care and are just looking to make a sale.
So you can buy...
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1)Amazon.com or other dot.com websites, you can buy just a phone from them ,but they charge "FULL RETAIL PRICE" plus a surcharge fee to get it from them plus shipping and handling.
2)Best buy or other "Indirect dealer Agents" like them or "circuit City", they will sell you a phone for regular retail price, but they charge you a Surcharge Fee of $200.00 if you don't activate with a new service in the store.Cuz they don't care and are just looking to make a sale.
So you can buy...
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Let me put it this way.
This is the way that technology works!
it's like the other guy said with going from vcrs to dvds.
in order for progress to be made, they have to make something new, but they can't justify that new thing unless somebody gets on the bandwagon and helps them propel that new technology forward more and more into the mainstream.
like beta and vhs. beta was a superior system, but more people bought vhs when it came out, and it eventually grew into the standard. granted, this was mostly sony's fault, but the illustration still (mostly) works.
A new technology can not spread and grow unless people start using it when it's still new and small. otherwise, no corporation is going to be willing to justify complete national ...
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This is the way that technology works!
it's like the other guy said with going from vcrs to dvds.
in order for progress to be made, they have to make something new, but they can't justify that new thing unless somebody gets on the bandwagon and helps them propel that new technology forward more and more into the mainstream.
like beta and vhs. beta was a superior system, but more people bought vhs when it came out, and it eventually grew into the standard. granted, this was mostly sony's fault, but the illustration still (mostly) works.
A new technology can not spread and grow unless people start using it when it's still new and small. otherwise, no corporation is going to be willing to justify complete national ...
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I get customers like this all the time. I agree with them and encourage them to go back to an analog phone and have it activated by Alltel.....bye.
Then I have customers who want the clear reception that GSM gives them; access to SunCom towers, Cingular towers, old AT&T towers, T-Mobile towers, and countless othere regional GSM providors; plus devices that not only make calls but get email, surf the internet, do MMS and SMS, and look good on them.
There is room for all. I just make sure I tell them what they are getting and what the strengths are of each. My personal favorite is still the Nokia 6340 GAIT phone.
Then I have customers who want the clear reception that GSM gives them; access to SunCom towers, Cingular towers, old AT&T towers, T-Mobile towers, and countless othere regional GSM providors; plus devices that not only make calls but get email, surf the internet, do MMS and SMS, and look good on them.
There is room for all. I just make sure I tell them what they are getting and what the strengths are of each. My personal favorite is still the Nokia 6340 GAIT phone.
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Boy, you've bought in hook line and sinker.
I long for the days when a cell phone was just that a PHONE. not a half ass web browser, not a bluetooth device, etc... Eventually it'll come back to people BEGGING for phones that do nothing but make and recieve calls because the amount of viruses that effect them are going to grow and grow, and become more and more damaging.
Just you wait. One of these days some half ass virus written by some 10 year old is going to drop someone's entire cell network, then we'll see who still wants a phone with more options than you can shake a stick at.
I long for the days when a cell phone was just that a PHONE. not a half ass web browser, not a bluetooth device, etc... Eventually it'll come back to people BEGGING for phones that do nothing but make and recieve calls because the amount of viruses that effect them are going to grow and grow, and become more and more damaging.
Just you wait. One of these days some half ass virus written by some 10 year old is going to drop someone's entire cell network, then we'll see who still wants a phone with more options than you can shake a stick at.
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Actually I have two of those phones. One is an old Motorola bag phone which has been disassembled and shrink wrapped before being installed in my dive boat. I get good TALK signal 30 miles off shore from Alltel's old analog tower. I also have a motorola analog phone in my Land Rover. It has been boosted to 5 watts and has an 8db gain antennae mounted. There is no such thing as "no signal". Both of these phones are activated on Alltel's "safety plan". Actually it is one account; one of the phones is a clone...I do love analog for that feature.
I also have a Nokia 6820 to send text messages to my bookie and look at sportsfeed on the mobile internet and get my odds.
I have a Blackberry that I use on the road so I get all my emails;...
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I also have a Nokia 6820 to send text messages to my bookie and look at sportsfeed on the mobile internet and get my odds.
I have a Blackberry that I use on the road so I get all my emails;...
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