Cingular Wireless - accepted phone promotion from SBC customer service - haddle returning phones after deciding not to keep them - terrible service experiences

Complaints.com received the following consumer message on February 22, 2003:

From: Barbara Coffey [Email User]

RE: Cingular Wireless - accepted phone promotion from SBC customer service - haddle returning phones after deciding not to keep them - terrible service experiences

Do you remember the saying "Going postal?" Perhaps this can be changed to "Going Cingular." On Feb 7, 2003 I called SBC customer service to have call manager removed from my service. Before I hung up a young woman informed me I was eligible to receive cellular phone service. I listened and was told that I could receive 2 free Motorola phones and 250 anytime shared minutes and 5000 night and weekend minutes for the price of $29.95 per month. I could get 500 daytime minutes for $39.95. With either plan the phones were free. Yes, all billing would be via SBC. If I had any problems with service or reception I would have 14 days to return the phones without having to pay a contract cancellation fee of $150. The only cost involved would be $9.95 shipping unless I wanted rush delivery which would cost more. I opted for the regular shipment. Five days (Feb. 12, 2003) later UPS arrived at my door with two boxes. Inside with the packing slip was a bill with (one for each box, one for each phone.) I pulled everything out and found some "rebate" certificates. I would receive a refund for the purchase cost of my phones. Deceptive practices or fraud. You decide. That night I charged up and activated the phones. No power bars. No service. I tested the phones in another location to see if I could get them to work. Bad connection. Consider returning the phones. Feb. 21, 2003 I receive a bill from cingular for $196.08. That's it these phones are going back. Feb. 22. I call SBC customer service. I am referred to Cingular customer service. I spoke first to Fred Medrano, he informs me I will have to drive to Muskogee today to return the phones or I will be charged a cancellation fee. I explain that I have not had the phone 14 days. To bad, physical carry in returned by close of business to 3405 Chandler Rd. Muskogee. He gave me their phone #. It's Saturday. I want to make sure they're opened. After all it's 108 miles round-trip. When I get the digital punch and voice run around but no real person; I call back Cingular Customer Service and this time I talk to Claudia Ramerez.

I explain my dilemma. She says she will call the # I was given. She comes back in a couple of minutes. Yes. They're there. She talked to a live person. I reconfirmed they would be open till five p.m. I tried calling again myself with the same results I'd had before. I decided time was wasting and I packed everything back in the boxes and drove to the Cingular office at 3405 Chandler Rd. in Muskogee, OK.

I entered the storefront. There were 2 clerks and several customers. The salesclerk on the right saw me and said. "What's in the boxes." "Returns" was my reply. "Get out of here!" she said. "Excuse me?" I was stunned. "We do not accept returns at this location." "But I called your customer service center and they told me bring them here. I just drove 52 miles."

"I don't care what they said. Get out."

I moved to the middle of the store. Raised my voice level to that of a motivational speaker. "Potential customers may I have your attention please. The integrity and sales practices of Cingular and SBC are dubious. I suggest you disregard anything they tell you."

The same clerk now screamed, "How dare you question the integrity of Cingular! Get out or I'm calling the police."

"How dare I? Just as I did." I said as I made my exit.

I drove home with deep breathing and prayers.

Calm upon arrival home I immediately called Cingular customer service. I prayed. I got...

Jesus, Jesus Coralis. He was quite nice. I heard much keyboard stroking in the background. He gave me an address I could ship the phones

to: Cingular Wireless, c/o Sergio Larez, 2321 N. University, Lubbock, TX 79415. He assured me he would email me confirmation of this arrangement and that it had been sent while we spoke. I've yet to receive it. I called back when no email was forthcoming and spoke to Vicki Moore and was assured that such email was this time already sent by her. I've yet to receive it.

I called SBC to share with them my challenges of the day and to offer their management my opinions of ways they might better serve their customers. Erma Hogan only left me with dead air on hold for 7 minutes. She apologized for the delay and told me someone from SBC would call me on Monday. I wonder; will they. I am a mild mannered grandma and I am suspecting someone eventually will go CINGULAR!