Why I love/hate Cingular/AT&T
Yesterday was wonderful and much needed. Jeni was originally going to 1/2 price sushi with a friend in Milwaukee who had to reschedule. So her and I decided to go instead. We kidnapped Katie and we're good to go. Dinner was so much fun and as usual; filled with laughter and smiles. I forget how easily those girls can take a bad day and turn it into something wonderful.
After 2 months of working just fine, my internet stopped working. I called customer service only to be told that in order to use my phone and all of it's features, I must add on a $34.99 data package for the internet PLUS a $14.99 text messaging package. After I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't in the twilight zone, I told the girl she was crazy. She told me that if I ended the call, he had no choice but to remove the data and text messaging plans from my phone and block the internet. I told her to get my a supervisor. Her exact words were "He's just going to tell you the exact same thing I did".
But after 40 minutes of negotiating, I got Andrew the Manager to give me the same amount of minutes, with both unlimited text and date packages AND I'm paying $10.00 LESS per month now. AND (this is the best part) I negotiated a $60.00 credit to my account.
They let me add the phone to my plan with a $14.99 unlimited text and data plan. Then 2 months into it, they're going to tell me that in order to use my phone in the way it is intended, that I need to pay an additional $50.00 a month. I told him I was not interested in switching back to my old phone and having a $250.00 paperweight.
The manager with whom I spoke with was wonderful. He was sympathetic and understanding. I thanked him at the end of the call for being so willing to listen and work with me. He thanked me for realizing that it wasn't him who was the problem, but the company's poor business practices. He actually told me that he felt as though AT&T is raping their Smart Phone customers
I really have loved Cingular. I've recommended them to almost everyone I know. I've defended them as well. Now, I'm not so sure. It think it's so unfair to a customer to have this hidden charge TWO MONTHS after you've purchased your phone. The internet worked just fine for two whole months. But all of a sudden it doesn't work and you have to pay $50 more a month? Seems pretty shady to me.
What do you think?
The only blip yesterday was my horrendous experience with AT&T.
I have AT&T for my cell phone and have been with them/Cingular/Ameritech since 1998. In August Greg bought me the Palm Centro for my birthday. 
After 2 months of working just fine, my internet stopped working. I called customer service only to be told that in order to use my phone and all of it's features, I must add on a $34.99 data package for the internet PLUS a $14.99 text messaging package. After I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't in the twilight zone, I told the girl she was crazy. She told me that if I ended the call, he had no choice but to remove the data and text messaging plans from my phone and block the internet. I told her to get my a supervisor. Her exact words were "He's just going to tell you the exact same thing I did".
But after 40 minutes of negotiating, I got Andrew the Manager to give me the same amount of minutes, with both unlimited text and date packages AND I'm paying $10.00 LESS per month now. AND (this is the best part) I negotiated a $60.00 credit to my account.
They let me add the phone to my plan with a $14.99 unlimited text and data plan. Then 2 months into it, they're going to tell me that in order to use my phone in the way it is intended, that I need to pay an additional $50.00 a month. I told him I was not interested in switching back to my old phone and having a $250.00 paperweight.
The manager with whom I spoke with was wonderful. He was sympathetic and understanding. I thanked him at the end of the call for being so willing to listen and work with me. He thanked me for realizing that it wasn't him who was the problem, but the company's poor business practices. He actually told me that he felt as though AT&T is raping their Smart Phone customers
.
I really have loved Cingular. I've recommended them to almost everyone I know. I've defended them as well. Now, I'm not so sure. It think it's so unfair to a customer to have this hidden charge TWO MONTHS after you've purchased your phone. The internet worked just fine for two whole months. But all of a sudden it doesn't work and you have to pay $50 more a month? Seems pretty shady to me.
What do you think?
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