Cingular Wireless, poor reception, false advertising, fraudulent customer service

Cingular Wireless, poor reception, false advertising, fraudulent customer service

In 2002, I "bit" and signed a two year contract with ATT Wireless for a "life time service" plan. In writing, guaranteed for life never to change. All went well, very good customer service, excellent reception on my 80 mile round trip commute, including the entire length of Topanga Canyon, in Los Angeles.

Until November, 2004. Cingular Wireless absorbed ATT Wireless, much to my dismay. Over night, the entire length of Topanga Canyon, from the Pacific Ocean to Mulholland Blvd. in Woodland Hills was lost. No reception. I called to file a complaint and was told there was "nothing wrong", but "someone would look into it and get back to me". No one did, either. Several weeks later, I called again. No one had taken a service report from the first call. This time, one was taken, again with the promise someone would get back to me with an explanation. Again, nothing.

Twice more, over the months from December, 2004 until March, 2005, I called to register my complaint. No one returned any calls, nothing. In writing, ATT promised my cell plan to be "for life". Cingular, in writing and electronic media "promised" what you had before the merger, you'd have after it. "Nothing will change". My reception began deteriorating when Cingular ate ATT. Everything changed. I realize my old ATT plan was on the prior technology, and the new Cingular was the updated GSM technology. I was lied to repeatedly that "nothing was wrong, and nothing has changed". Everything changed. My old phone and my old plan were no longer being supported by the new Cingular. I called and asked what Cingular was prepared to do to accommodate me to make up for my "life time plan" being taken away from me. I completed my contractual agreement. I remained on the "life time" plan for the agreed upon two years. Shortly after the expiration of the contract, Cingular began eliminating the towers supporting my service, and repeatedly lied about it. And, stated to me, twice, NOTHING was going to be done to accommodate me for the loss of my "life time" plan.

Recently, from April to June, 2005, my phone service began deteriorating at an accelerating rate. I was guaranteed, in writing, "life service" where nothing would ever change. Cingular changed towers daily, lied that they were being changed, and didn't plan to offer anything comparable to replace the service. Yesterday, June 22, 2005, my cell phone became useless. No where on my 80 round trip commute could I get sufficient reception to make and complete a call. I gave up and upgraded my "life time" plan for a Cingular roll over plan. What Cingular offered as a suitable replacement was only 1,000 minutes a month, no other features nor services, not even long distance, no nights/weekend time, nothing. This was to be for the same price as what I'd gotten 400 anytime minutes; free, unlimited night/weekend minutes; unlimited free long distance with no roaming, with a price guaranteed never to change "for life". The terms of the new contract would only last two years.

I signed for the new GSM, being "guaranteed" far better reception, clearer calls, etc. My first day has shown me it's another Cingular lie. My new phone, on my new service plan, still fades out where the old technology plan eventually did. I still experience long stretches where either I can hear the other party and they can't hear me, or vice versa. And, I still encounter long stretches where "call impossible" is the only information the phone provides on the screen. I am experiencing as many dropped calls as I did when Cingular destroyed ATT. Where the old technology could, but seldom did, drop a call, GSM "fuzzes" it out. I can hear the other party, but have no idea what is being said, the reception is too fuzzy.

What's finally been explained to me is that Verizon is still on the old technology, which is why they experience far fewer dropped calls and much more consistent reception. GSM is better because it allows the cell service provider the ability to squeeze more calls into the same signal. The old technology covers a larger area, with stronger signal, and uses fewer towers. GSM crams more users into the same signal, with a weaker signal, requiring many more towers. For a higher consumer cost, Cingular now provides inferior service than the old technology provided. The GSM system is NOT in place. Many more towers are required to provide the type of service the old ATT customers became accustomed to. The old towers are systematically being 'decommissioned". Yet, Cingular customer service continues to deny the old technology towers are being removed from service.

What I economically enjoyed for over two years is now gone. I get to pay more for inferior service on a system which is actually only "improved" in that it allows Cingular to provide this inferior service to more customers using the same signal. I'm sure I can't be the only old ATT customer who feels cheated and lied to by Cingular?

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