I care very little because I don't sell nor use prepaid calling cards.

When the carriers came for the prepaid customers,
I remained silent;
I was not a prepaid customer.

When they came for the unlimited data users,
I remained silent;
I was not an unlimited data user.

When they started nickel and diming relentlessly,
I did not speak out;
I had plenty of nickels and dimes.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.


-Silly application, but the fundamental theme is sound.

It's not even cell phone prepaid though. This is talking about those prepaid calling cards for dialing from landlines.

Cingular hasn't used a "minute" denomination for it's prepaid in at least the last five years. It's a dollar (cent) amount per minute.

Who said anything about Cingular?

I referenced AT&T and unless I am mistaken, Cingular is the new AT&T.

I think having information regarding a carrier's overall business practices is good information to have, regardless of whether or not it directly affects you.

If they are screwing customers on one side, what's to keep them from turning around to screw customers on the other side?

If they are screwing customers on one side, what's to keep them from turning around to screw customers on the other side?

Serious answer to a rhetorical question: different management teams, for one. Cingular/AT&T Mobility remains a seperate unit with its own directors, and is free of micromanagement from its parent company... just like it was under SBC/Bellsouth.

Valid point... for now 😁

Keeping my fingers crossed on that one too. In the Cingular/Mobility end, I see a genuine attempt to improve customer service and customer satisfaction... especially as compared to old AT&T Wireless (which was again, seperate from AT&T, though we inherited our CEO from them). And I see genuine progress.

In the parent company... well... just read an article somewhere in which they were named as one of the ten worst companies in the US for customer service... and not just in Telecom.

Webb said:

If they are screwing customers on one side, what's to keep them from turning around to screw customers on the other side?

Serious answer to a rhetorical question: different management teams, for one. Cingular/AT&T Mobility remains a seperate unit with its own directors, and is free of micromanagement from its parent company... just like it was under SBC/Bellsouth.

Very true, also... the point was about perpaid land line cards for ATT intl's long distance services... Public service commisions, or what ever there called in your state or locale...

On top of that the only federal or state involvement in charges on Cellular usage is the random charges and unecessary ta...
(continues)

captainplooky said:
I care because it's yet another example of a corporate entity using their power and position to purposefully take advantage of customers in the hopes of reaping more profit.

I think the more appropriate question is; Why do you not care?

i don't use prepaid cards.
also, verizon is just as bad or worse...
http://consumerist.com/consumer/fees/verizon-thatll- ... »
Verizon has a special new fee for you if you don't sign up for a long distance calling plan. $2 for not making long distance calls. The new $2 fee is assessed when a customer with a no-frills calling plan doesn't make more than $2 worth of calls per month. The News & Observer...
(continues)

🤣

I see.

Instead of recognizing the issue with AT&T, you would rather point at other carriers and say something along the lines of, "nanny nanny boo boo, they do shiesty things too."

Of course, in the story I posted, they clearly stated:

In a sign of how far AT&T has wandered from the range, their billing practices have not been followed by either Sprint or Verizon; each charge their prepaid calling card users one minute per minute of in-state talk time.

Yet AT&T insists:

"We're following the law, and this is something we're required to do by the FCC," said Amanda Ray, a spokeswoman in Dallas for AT&T.

She says the change is not a rate increase.

"It's a reclassificatio

...
(continues)

This issue doesn't even pertain to wireless service, hence it's slightly irrelevant to Phonescoop.

Perhaps, but I'll let others make that determination for themselves. AT&T is AT&T afterall.

Fair enough. And our reps are within their right to point out that it doesn't pertain to wireless service so that we don't have folks thinking that their Pay As You Go cards are similiarly charged.

captainplooky said:

AT&T Prepaid Shenanigans; Theft is easy when you redefine words.

but in the title of your post, you pointed to AT&T and used the word theft.

So, noone would think that AT&T alone does things that are shady, I pointed to your precious little verizon..

I think you have your users mixed up, there is no carrier I consider to be mine or precious.

I titled the post in reference to AT&T because, not surprisingly, the story is about AT&T.

The knee jerk reaction to refuse to believe anything negative about this specific carrier and to defend them regardless is interesting. Especially when one considers its history.

captainplooky said:
I think you have your users mixed up, there is no carrier I consider to be mine or precious.

I titled the post in reference to AT&T because, not surprisingly, the story is about AT&T.

The knee jerk reaction to refuse to believe anything negative about this specific carrier and to defend them regardless is interesting. Especially when one considers its history.

actually, the knee jerk reaction by me wasn't defending AT&T. I said that it was landline, not wireless prepaid cards... then pointed to what verizon does shady... so why don't you post equally negative...

🤣

I have and do.

Like I said, you have your users mixed up.

Uhh. I don't actually see anyone defending AT&T Long Distance for this. I'm sure not about to either. Frankly it rubs me the wrong way too. But it's also not a wireless issue. And AT&T isn't the only company that does crap like this.

Other carriers have their issues as well, however, it is clear on this issue AT&T is currently alone.

In a sign of how far AT&T has wandered from the range, their billing practices have not been followed by either Sprint or Verizon; each charge their prepaid calling card users one minute per minute of in-state talk time.

AT&T is television, phone, cell phone, and internet.

Let's have a discussion on Dish Network since we have an agreement with them.

I seem to remember a character from the Incredibles,

Elastigirl.

You are reaching far beyond even her capabilities.

Less pseudo insults, and more merits please.

Good AT&T = My AT&T

Bad AT&T = Irrelevant, I see nothing, I hear nothing

It reminds me of Eric's post.

did you just relate a discussion to a cartoon? did you just finish watching it with your kid?

I did.

I have 2 daughters that watch Disney movies and the like quite often.

Sometimes with people like Plooky that is all you can do.

Coming from someone who responds by saying "trust me" and "come to Lubbock Texas" in regards to questions people have that you can't answer, I can't help but laugh.

Especially considering once again I posted a relevant topic that you can not disagree with on the merits, and instead choose to respond by reducing yourself to petty insults.

Well I guess that is preferable to what you normally do; attack your own customers for your carriers shortcomings.

You don't trust me that my daughters (4 and 2) watch Disney movies?

I guess you can come to Lubbock, TX to watch Disney movies as well. Kinda expensive if you ask me. Well, I do have the newly released Peter Pan. Now that might be worth the trip.

🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣

🤣

Which part of the TOU do you believe me to be in violation of?

As far as I can tell, the only violation would be Items 2 and 3 which you are in violation of and not I.

Nevertheless, thank you for the laugh at your expense.

The part that says you can't post anything that makes ATT look bad.