Cingular wireless

Cingular Wireless, Pensacola, FL

I started off with At&T service. In the time that I had it, I can't say that I had too many complaints. Then I started getting dropped calls like crazy along with not getting service in areas that I had never had issues with prior. I went to a Cingular store (the problems started after they merged) and spoke with an unattentive and rude sales rep. He told me that they no longer maintained AT&T towers and that's one reason why my phone had stopped working. Logically, my response was that I wanted to just stop service if there wasn't going to be any service and they weren't going to maintain the towers that I was working off. Of course, I was told that I would be charged $200 for breaking contract. They only answer he would give me is to sign up with Cingular (for an extra $30). There towers are maintained and I would receive service from them. Reluctantly I agreed to allow them to take over my contract, but oh no, they don't take it over... you have to get a new phone with a new contract, even though the companies merged. Plus, he informed me that my phone was outdated and wouldn't work on their towers, so I would need to purchase a new phone as well. They are expensive of course, but you can get a lower price with a two-year contract. I don't know about other cell phone users, but I cannot afford to just pay $200 to stop service or to stop then go somewhere and pay another $200 for a new phone and service somewhere else. Ends up, I signed up with the promise my phone service would be better.

For a few months, I can say I didn't have major problems, dropped calls here and there, but nothing I wasn't too used to. It is discouraging to complain because they know they have you with the cancellation fee, so I just dealt with it. Here in the past 3 months, my service has gotten to a ridiculous low. Not only do I have at least one dropped call a day, I have now entire days of no service at all. Calls cannot come in nor can I make them going out. It gives my callers a message that states my number is not in service. It gives me messages that pop up on the screen such as: "Emergency Only", "Unassigned Number" or "Disconnected Call". This is not just in one area, it's everywhere. After this happening 3 times (entire days) I had enough. I am a single, young woman and I depend on my phone for more than just connection with friends and family. If something happened or other, I need a phone on me. I don't have a home phone any longer, which is the norm these days.

I called Cingular and told them about the problems that I was having with my phone. First of all, the initial woman I called said she would have to transfer me to someone in the AT&T dept. I told her that I pay my bills to Cingular now and don't understand why I'm speaking to someone in AT&T. I later found out the reason. The (AT&T) woman on the other end stated that it was probably my phone. I told her that my phone was less than a year old and that's ridiculous, it's not phone messages, it's service. She disagreed and then told me that I could always purchase a new phone. Surprised, she would even recommend that I asked if I would have to pay for a new phone, she answered with an offer for a low, new phone price with a new 2-year contract! Why would I get a new contract for crap service? She then told me that she would recommend me talking to a service rep and I agreed.

The next day I called and spoke to someone in the service department. I again told her the issues I was having and she immediately told me it was not my phone, it was the service. I asked if she could fix it and I heard her typing away on her computer. The next thing I heard from her is, no lie, "Ugh-oh". She said that she that I was not even in the service area! I asked how that could be since I got my phone in the Pensacola area, how can you sell phones where there's no service? She answered that I was still on AT&T towers and they don't maintain the towers, but they are working on the service in the FL area. I told her that this is just crazy! She ended up telling me that the best she could do is send an email to the techs in this area to let them know about the problem. "That's all I can do really" she said. She told me to turn my phone off at least once a week so that I can get updates to my phone that they send out. I had never heard that before, which makes me think it's crap!

I went one step further. I work in a law office and an attorney I work with agreed to call and see if he could talk to them to get me out of the contract. Really, that's all I want, to be done with them. First of all, they WILL NOT give you to a manager. There are so many complaints out there and now it's been told that the people answering the phones are NOT to give clients to managers to talk to. How can that be?? It's hiding from confrontations. The woman repeatedly told him that they protect themselves from these calls by making clients sign an Arbitration clause and you also sign away your rights to court hearings, no judge or jury. They have iron clad contracts. There's no stipulations anywhere where you can get out of a contract if the service is crap. They repeatedly also state they do not guarantee service. It's a big trap! She did offer a months free of service. My response? Why would I want the crap you sell? I asked if she would put that month's free to the $210 that they are going to charge me for canceling and she said no. Under no circumstances will they let you out of their contracts.

My biggest complaint against them in FRAUD! When I switched to them, I was told I'd be on Cingular towers, later found out (by two different people) that I'm not even on Cingular towers and I don't have service in this area because of it. That, to me, means they flat out lie to their custumers. They only thing they are willing to do to fix it is provoke you into a longer contract with them. Now I am in the dilemna of what to do. If I just pay the cancellation then they win and they know they can get away with it. If I continue service, then I lose by not having a dependable phone. What are consumers to do in situations like this? There are SO many complaints out there about Cingular, similar to my complaint. "Cingular Wireless led in FCC complaints per 100,000 customers according to recently released data published today <http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111205654336591433,00.html> [paid subscription req.] in the Wall Street Journal." - mobiletracker.net

What does it take really? If anyone can provide any help then it would be appreciated. It's a pride issue, a money issue, a security issue and a moral issue to me. I'm too prideful to let them win, I don't have the money to pay crazy fees that they trap you into paying, I do not have the security of knowing I have a phone in case of emergencies and what they are doing to trick and trap consumers is just immoral!