T&C state that if a merger/takeover happens your service and contract may be divested and you will still be bound to the T&C of the contract and service.

By using the service customers agreed to be divested if the company goes under. And thats what happened.

Sucks I know but not Cingulars fault.

Correction said:
T&C state that if a merger/takeover happens your service and contract may be divested and you will still be bound to the T&C of the contract and service.

By using the service customers agreed to be divested if the company goes under. And thats what happened.

Sucks I know but not Cingulars fault.

Nope. And unfortunately, folks just don't read cellular contracts.

you know that article is BS because if someone with half a brain that read that article would know that we would not intend on loosing 300,000 customers on purpose ! the great uncle sam is responsible for that . So all of the customers that are pissed off should vent their frustrations in the correct place, which would be the government not us . that was a very bias article and sounded like one of the higher-ups at usa today was possibly one of these customers . THAT WAS BAD JOURNALISM

And I use to enjoy reading USA Today...

this for for anyone who disagreed with the divestment and contracts....
when you sign an agreement with a company. you are going to see the part where it says that the company can sell part or off of itself to someone else without notice to the customer... as long as they dont do anything material impacting your contract is lagit,
so with the FCC stating cingular had to "get rid of" this is not a fault of the companies involved... the customers who are being divested are not just being dumped... they are being sold to another company... customers have never had a say in this anyways so what different.. they are on the same contract same service... same everything... maybe the bill is different or a few smaller changes.. but is it impac...
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But if the US government has not forced cingular to give up those markets then this problem wouldnt happen.

but the FCC did force cingular to devest these markets cingular didnt do this by choice is was apart of the agreement of the merger that cingular " has to" divest

Yes, but when your mortgage gets sold or your student loans, the interest rate and terms don't change--all that changes is who you send the check to. Additionally, you can immediately refinance with another company if you feel strongly about it, and a little sleuthing will turn up mortgage companies who don't sell their loans. The situations aren't completely analogous, since a cell phone provider is an entity that you can reasonably expect to have to interact with on a fairly regular basis, and coverage and service can change when going to another provider and can cause a more profound disruption.

"since a cell phone provider is an entity that you can reasonably expect to have to interact with on a fairly regular basis"

Say what? Maybe if your a "credit slut" or have a lemon phone. Most folks call customer care one or twice during the entire time they have service. For every customer if seen that calls in every week, I've one that is making their first call in three years. If we had more than a percent or two of our customers call in we'd have to doublt the number or reps on the phone.

I love folks who always say "it's not the same" and then trot out some lame anology of their own. Sorry Perry Mason, but folks with real law degees, with a few on the government payroll, had MONTHS to go over this BEFORE the merger was actually st...
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i got it !!!!

Leslie [email protected]

But she used an example that was not valid and painted the situation with a false premise.

That is why she was either incompetent or not acting in an impartial manner.

texaswireless said:
But she used an example that was not valid and painted the situation with a false premise.

That is why she was either incompetent or not acting in an impartial manner.

I think we all find "facts" considered to be invalid when it comes to companies we know and love. It's inevitable.

To say he would be forced to leave Cingular and be required to pay an ETF is not accurate, hence invalid. At the point he would be moved off the Cingular system he could be released from his contract with no ETF and simply resume service with the Provider of his choice.

No where did the "journalist" mention that process.

texaswireless said:
To say he would be forced to leave Cingular and be required to pay an ETF is not accurate, hence invalid. At the point he would be moved off the Cingular system he could be released from his contract with no ETF and simply resume service with the Provider of his choice.

No where did the "journalist" mention that process.

Thanks for elaborating.

Actually babe...you just READ an oxymoron 😉 😛

😁 So I did. That's why I lov ya!!!

lol love u too 😁

Hi Shayby Lordrevan05 says I make customers angry.

No it's just that stupid people hate to be shown how stupid they are. It's like showing Medusa her reflection in a mirror.

...be nice to marcus..

I just ask stupid customers questions and tell them why they do not make sense.

Lol thats good customer service 😛

Was cingular REQUIRED to merge with ATT or immediately accept the terms of the merger given by the FCC? The answer is they were not, and like I said they did because it was in their financial interest to do so. Perhaps i am skewed from the multi color fishwrap(whatever the hell that means) and missed the part where customer's are given the honor of using cingular's service until they are forced to a CDMA carrier, who again like I said they never signed anything with.

I think if you were to re-read the article you would see that contractually the 6,000 customers in question are technically not required to pay these fees as there is no actual agrement between them and US Celluler. What I take offense to is Cingular agreeing to to enforce th...
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How are they getting screwed right now?

Once they are ACTUALLY required to be on US Cellular's network they can disconnect for free!

You are basing your opinion on two facts, people are getting screwed and Cingular is enforcing ETFs. The enforced ETFs are only currently being done because NOTHING HAS CHANGE TO DATE.

Why don't you get this?

How many times do I have to say it? Cingular doesn't have to charge these people anything, they do it simply because they can. They have told their own customers we have decided you're not really worth keeping and expect them to sit around and wait to be dumped.

I work for a carrier that sold our coverage in several mountain states because it was not in our interest to keep it. we did not force our customers to keep our service until the switch was actually made. They were given the option of keeping our service until they were switched to the new carrier or cancelling their contract without penalty.

I have to stress AGAIN that I am not surprised by corporate america getting over on the consumer, but the people on this forum complete...
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WHAT ARE THEIR CONCERNS?

Nothing has changed for them yet, and they don't know whether or not they will actually dislike US Cellular.

What are they losing by staying with Cingular now until the switch is made and getting out for free then? Explain your thinking to me as to what they are losing. They won't lose their number. They won't lose their minutes. They won't lose their coverage. What exactly are their damages? Once they even have the potential for damages they can get out for free, but not until then. Why should Cingular just let them out now when they gave them equipment at a reduced price and they are in no worse position? How is this their responsibility? They didn't say "you guys aren't worth it". That is just your...
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I have danced around it five different ways now, so I'll put in simple terms, because its the right way to treat peolple. I say this with the full understanding that there is little comprehension of this on this forum. And for once why not just come out and say why you feel the need to defend holding someone to a contract that is meaningless simply because the language of said contract allows you to, it doesn't make it right.

They are being treated the EXACT SAME way they were treated before. You interjected the "we don't care about you" speech. Were they not being treated right before? And when it comes time to actually switch to the new provider, they can get out for free.

How is that not treatly them fairly? What about the way they are being treated now is UNFAIR?

I got your point, but your assumptions on which to base your opinion are all a false premise. HOW ARE THEY BEING TREATED UNFAIRLY NOW?

texaswireless IS correct.

When those 6000 customers are FORCED to use US cellular's service... when their plans must change... when their service agreement changes... when their coverage changes... THEN they will have the option to opt out of their contract, and not pay an ETF.

Right now they still use ATT towers/phones/plans and still have an ATT contract. So, even though the name has changed from ATT to US cellular, their service hasn't changed. "What's in a name? A rose by any other word will smell as sweet." Meaning? Those 6000 customers are NOT following USC's policies and using their plans. It's just a name so far. Therefore, as of yet, they are not USC's customers. Therefore they SHOULD be responsible for cancelling now, because...
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And USA Today should be ashamed to have such a poor example of unbiased reporting. In essense, those customers are getting a gift, a "get out of contract free card". To say they are getting, in essense, the shaft is completely false. The customer will be NO WORSE OFF at any point in time. I guess if the customer wanted to switch early to get new business cards and stuff with his new number... Oh that's right, we have local number portability.

I challenge anyone to give me a scenario in which this customer will suffer any financial loss.

The guy in the article may become the laughing stock of his community, become an alcoholic to deal with the mental pain and suffering, loose his job, not be able to pay his bill, be disconnected for non pay, charged ETF, and finally sent to a collection agency where a guy name 'Mr. Knucles' comes to collect on it.

Here's one..... let's say its fall of "04", i've just bought my SE P910 from AT&T with 2 year for 499.99 from the AT&T website just before it is shut down, a few months later I find out AT&T and Cingular will no longer exist in the area which I live, now I have a $500 paperweight, my options are to ride it out and pay Cingular(the company that has screwed me over...and please don't say this was mandated by the FCC as I have addressed that point several times over) until I can cancel without ETF with US celluler.

Like i have said before Cingular chooses to enforce these contracts, the T&C's you hold so dear certainly are iron-clad which I understand, but are completely voidable by the issuer.

And if someone would just once address my ...
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Your example shows your ignorance. Why is it a paperweight? Do you realize they can port their number to Cingular, keep that handset and not pay an ETF? I guess not.

Yes, I will not address your point of "but they should". They shouldn't and have no logical or ethical reason to do so. That "paperweight" was sold at a subsidized price 6 months ago. The customer received consideration. They are no worse off and will not be in the near future.

I am a small business owner who happens to sell Cingular. I expect my customers to fulfill their agreements, as they do I. As long as they will not suffer ANY financial hardship from this changeover they have no reason to be upset. The hardship you mentioned, fortunately, will not happen.
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Do you even get what has happened. CINGULAR HAS DIVESTED THE MARKET!!!!!!!. How the hell do you port to a carrier that does not offer service in your market. Wow you are dense. Should all 6,000 people up and move to a market where Cingular does have service? Is that in the T&C's? By the way, exactly how long should a $300 subsidy on a $800 phone get you in terms of actually being able to use it? You being an authorized dealer explains it all, who cares what the customer has to deal with as long they can't cancel and you don't get hit with that chargeback.

My lord you are an idiot.

http://www.fcc.gov/transaction/cingular-att_wireless ... »

Read Appendix D, Market Specific Analysis

As you can seem, the Barton, MO (CMA Barton, 517, of which Lamar is located) has 3 operating carriers.

According the the order, Cingular is REQUIRED to divest a portion of spectrum and customers in the market, which was done (at a later date)with USCC (who owns spectrum in the region but has not yet deployed their entire footprint).

Cingular will STILL be operating in the region with a smaller portion of the spectrum than was available combined from ATTWS.

Hence why De La Vega said, "we would welcome them back".

If you don't even understand what is happening maybe you shouldn't jump right in the...
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Also, if you bought a GSM phone, you do realize it can be unlocked and used on another GSM carrier's network, right? Granted, AT&T might not assist you in getting the unlock code, but there are other ways, if your smart enough to do some internet searching. Stop expecting the companies to do EVERYTHING for you!! If you don't want that phone to be a $500 paper weight, then do something about it yourself. (I know you just used an "example" but this can be directed at any lazy cell phone customer) The are ALWAYS other options, you just have to be smart enough to look into them.

Sorry but when i read the posts by texas and Jldnr77, i thought of one word: PWNT!

First of all, yes you have DANCED around the issue, and that's about all you have done...you haven't addressed any major points.

Major points...the biggest one you even bring up is "because it's the right thing to do" I have customer's tell me all the time, that I should do something because it's "the right thing to do." I should give them a free phone, or free accessories, or take a valid charge off of their bill. All because the customer think's it's the right thing to do. What a customer's perception of the "right thing to do" may not be in either the companies, or the customer's best interests. So it would be the right thing to do to eat 6,000 $175 ETF's because the FCC mandated that Cingular couldn't have those customers? That's...
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Well, genius, if you are able to read(and comprehend... a very important part of reading) you will understand you have made my point for me. Cingular decided to give up these customers in exchange for millions of others, which you seem to get considering you have noted this in your response. So let me say for the third or fourth time now(and this is where that comprehension comes in), Cingular was not required to aquire AT&T, nor was it required to immediately accept the terms of said aquisition set forth by the FCC. The rendering of these customers to US cellular was meant to appease them and other CDMA carriers. Being that AT&T was and is the only GSM carrier in the area was reason enough to object to this particular mandate. Cingular didn...
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You really are a tool, aren't you? I answered your question for you already, but let me put it in plain english, because obviously you have a problem reading too. THE FCC REQUIRED, AS A CONDITION OF THE MERGER, THE IMMEDIATE DIVESTMENT OF THE MARKETS, AND CINGULAR HAD TO DO IT, OR NOT GET AT&T AT ALL. Did Cingular have to buy AT&T. NO. Do people have to buy that big screen tv and surround sound system? No, but we do it anyway. Get off your high horse man. It's not cingular's fault, and people know what they are agreeing to when they sign a contract. Look how many companies merge every year...but all of a sudden two cell phone companies merge and it's a tragedy. Like I said in my prior post. Cingular is still supporting those custo...
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Sorry, I had just come across it, didnt know I was reading an old post.

lol im jk CB