Attn: Cingular management smart guys
I've been told that Cingular requires all of their indirect stores to sell Cingular exclusively (no other carriers at all). Is this the absolute truth? And if it is, do any of you think that this will change with the acquisition of ATTWS? It seems to me that since ATTWS didn't have this policy, Cingular will be forced to close a lot of indirect retail doors that formerly sold ATTWS along with Verizon or whoever else. I personally manage a store representing ATTWS, Verizon, and T-Mobile. I would love to offer the Cingular product once they take over, but I will not be willing to drop the other carriers to do so, especially when Cingular will be brand new to this market and we will basically have to start from scratch. Anyone have any th...
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This does not seem to be the absolute truth to me. Look at the big chain stores (like in my area) Best Buy. They have all the major wireless carriers. And what about non-brick and mortar stores (like Amazon.com)? They have most of the major carriers. I think that there will be some way around it. But, I would, if I was you, keep in contact and up to date with ATTWS to know everything that is going on. Generally, the trend (again in my area) is that you want T-Mobile, you go to a T-Mobile store; you want Cingular you go to a Cingular store; you want ATTWS you go to a ATTWS store etc..... It is called "protecting your brand." Any company would rather you go to X brand store then Jack's who could sell you the same product with better c...
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Well, Cingular doesn't have any presence in my entire state (Oregon), so I haven't seen how they are sold side by side with other carriers.
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Actually the only company I am aware of that has that restriction is T-Mobile, who will not allow agents to sell Cingular and T-Mobile in the same place. It can cause T-Mobile to claim you violated non-compete clause...funny how they don't consider any other carrier to fit into that clause though...
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Well, I do like working with T-Mobile a lot, and they have been good to us. But I would probably consider dropping them for Cingular if they are really the only two carriers with that issue. I'm opening another location, so maybe I'll end up with one of them in each.
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Well Sam's Club has Verizon, ATTWS, Cingular, T-Mobile, and Sprint. I work as a rep for T-Mobile and there's always a Cingular rep in there as well. So i don't know about that.
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What I was referring to is dealers carrying multiple lines. T-Mobile will not allow them to carry T-Mo and Cingular...its one or the other. We had a dealer here in Massachusetts that T-Mobile sued for a violation of the non-compete clause because he was advertising Cingular and T-Mobile in his window, and selling both. T-Mobile shut him off from their product line altogether. A couple of articles have been published in wireless magazines about the policy.
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