Cingular Wireless - horrible experience with Cingular Wireless phone warranty exchange

From: Cingular Wireless - horrible experience with Cingular Wireless phone warranty exchange

Hello,

I just had a horrible experience with Cingular phone warranty exchange. I purchased a Sony Ericsson T68i from Cingular and signed one-year contract. Since late Sept., small pink leakage started to appear on my color LCD display, and got bigger and bigger. Since the phone is still under warranty, I went to a Cingular store in downtown San Francisco for exchange on Oct.28.

The sales representitive did explain to me that I'd be charged for the full price if the phone was found damaged. But then again, he took a look at my phone and told me that I shouldn't have anything to worry about because there was no damage or excessive wear. I totally believed him because I knew that I took

good care of the phone and there's apparently a defect of phone. So I signed the customer repair form and left with a new phone.

A month later, I found I was charged $300 for the exchange. On Dec.13, I called Cingular customer service. They explained nicely that the charge was put on by the store I went to and I had to talk to them. So I went to the sore again. At the beginning the store manager insisted that they have nothing to do with the charge. So I had to call customer service right in front of him.

Then he said there was nothing I could do about it because once I signed the customer repair form, I agreed to leave them to decide if the phone was covered by warranty or not. Then I asked him for prove, but he didn't have any. He asked me to call him back on Tue. Dec.16 to see how things went.

I called him many times on Tue. but was told he didn't show up at work at all. I didn't have time to call him on Wed. because I was too busy. Then Wed. evening, I found my service was disconnected. I called Cingular customer service and explained the whole thing. The woman told me it's because the $300 pass due. She said there was nothing her department could do and she would transfer me to their financial department. But then instead of being transfered, I was disconnected.

I don't know she did it on purpose or by mistake. But I'm too tired to call again because it takes lots of time and patience to wait for a customer representive and explain the whole thing again and again.

Today, Dec.18, I called hime again and finally got to talk to him. He promised that he would call back right away to give me the phone number that I can call to discuss the issue. But Almost 3 hours has passed, he still hasn't called.

Looking back, I can't see what I did wrong. I understood the form I signed. But I signed because, first, I was sure I didn't do anything improper to the phone to break the warranty; second, my thoughts was confirmed by the sales representitive; third, I had to have it exchanged because it was annoying to look at that pink dotted screen. I guess the only thing I didn't do was to record my conversation with the sales representive in the store so that I can use it as an evidence now.

Now my phone is still disconnected and people can't reach me. I don't want to pay $150 to terminate my service because I believe this is a misconduct of Cingular. I suspect the store is using this way to increase the sales of their cell phones. When I searched the internet, I found a huge number of complaints about Cingular. I believe I deserve my service back without charge and the $300 mischarge credited to my account. And I hope business like Cingular who cheats its customers constantly should be punished.

I hope other Cingular customer and people who consider using Cingular won't have to suffer from similar experience.

Thanks,

-- Cindy

Comment On This

I am having the same problem, maybe we should report them to the better business problem. Funny they are charging me in march for a phone I sent them back in January. The post office tracking number said that the phone was delivered on January 19, 2007. It is March and AT&T say that they do not have the phone and they are charging me $300.00. I think this is a scam. As soon as I get my credit. It will be well worth terminating my contract even if it is $1000.00 and going to verizon. Who is with me?