Hello Cingular! A First Aid Kit to the New Users
The purpose of this post is not to draw pity rather it is a recount of my still going torture quest of “just activating my “fricking” phone”. No, no… do not take me wrong there were no complicated issues such as transferring my old phone number to Cingular or anything of this kind. No! I was starting anew. Like no cell phones before. Ever. Cingular was my first experience with cell companies… EVER. So you can perhaps understand the following predicament that I was faced with: (keep a close watch of the dates, it gets funnier as it goes... Oh… and I will give a courtesy of Cingular Customer Service employees and will change their names):
10 Feb - I order my super sweet Family Plan and my equally sweet Nokia phones (It is a Valentine’s gift...
(continues)
10 Feb - I order my super sweet Family Plan and my equally sweet Nokia phones (It is a Valentine’s gift...
(continues)
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😳
I can hear the reps now, "It's the merger!" 🤣
or "They are just following protocol (or policy)!"
Too bad protocol and policy doesn't allow them to solve problems by using critical thinking skills.
It didn't work last time, surely the third time will be the charm. If not, you can always repeat the process over and over.
Have you checked your bill? They most likely will be charging you even though you can not use your phone and have not even activated it.
Hope you get it worked out.
I can hear the reps now, "It's the merger!" 🤣
or "They are just following protocol (or policy)!"
Too bad protocol and policy doesn't allow them to solve problems by using critical thinking skills.
It didn't work last time, surely the third time will be the charm. If not, you can always repeat the process over and over.
Have you checked your bill? They most likely will be charging you even though you can not use your phone and have not even activated it.
Hope you get it worked out.
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Call them back (once again) and drop the whole plan with "Buyer's Remorse". Then, head to a local Cingular store, Sam's Club, Wal-Mart (oh to see the repercussion from those suggestions) and start over. You will lose your current numbers, however since you haven't had a phone number that was useable to this point, who cares.
Best of luck. I would agree with captainplooky that you should at least seek credit for the days of unuseable service due to their IT research and "repair".
Best of luck. I would agree with captainplooky that you should at least seek credit for the days of unuseable service due to their IT research and "repair".
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Or, go to your local Cingular store, they can activate a sim for you and make sure you leave the store happy. I don't know what's going on with your account since I can't look at it, but I know the store can fix it... make sure it is a corporate store... email me if you are in the south east.
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That makes me sad ...after I got through laughing.
I wonder, why didn't they just send you to a corporate store for a free SIM replacement? Strangely enough, stores DO have SIM cards. ;)It's quick (assuming you don't have to wait in line for an hour) and easy. Just have them put a note in your account if there is any reason to believe there might be a problem at the store.
As was mentioned before, I would also demand credit for the days you've been without a phone. Luckily, it's your primary line (right?), so you'll actually get more credit off.
I wonder, why didn't they just send you to a corporate store for a free SIM replacement? Strangely enough, stores DO have SIM cards. ;)It's quick (assuming you don't have to wait in line for an hour) and easy. Just have them put a note in your account if there is any reason to believe there might be a problem at the store.
As was mentioned before, I would also demand credit for the days you've been without a phone. Luckily, it's your primary line (right?), so you'll actually get more credit off.
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Can I ask why you didn't buy from a store in the first place?
Just curious.
Anyways, a store should be able to help you now. Or better yet, cancel and just go to a store. You'll walk out with working phones rather than waiting for anything.
Just curious.
Anyways, a store should be able to help you now. Or better yet, cancel and just go to a store. You'll walk out with working phones rather than waiting for anything.
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When will customer learn to just go to the company owned retail store and get service? 😕
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When will customer learn to just go to the company owned retail store and get service?
Yeah, how foolish of them to think they can call the company owned sales line and get proper service 🤣
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Anything through the mail and over the phone is going to be more complicated then going to a store where you are RIGHT there with all the instruments to get your phones in working order. I would think this is common sense.
After working in the industry for a while, I have realized how unorganized the whole call center situation can be. Granted, you must understand how many things they have to deal with though. The SIM IS IN USE error pops up a lot with sim cards sent out by Cingular Online... it must come from reps ringing them out but never registering them to the account or something.
It's worth any drive to get to a store where they can set up everything for you.
After working in the industry for a while, I have realized how unorganized the whole call center situation can be. Granted, you must understand how many things they have to deal with though. The SIM IS IN USE error pops up a lot with sim cards sent out by Cingular Online... it must come from reps ringing them out but never registering them to the account or something.
It's worth any drive to get to a store where they can set up everything for you.
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I really suspect the error happens when they get cards mixed up. One mix-up = two incorrect ICCIDs. Just a thought.
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It seems as if she ordered & activated through an 800# for Cingular, not a third party. So the customer service experience 'theoretically' should be as good as a corporate store, or in my opinion, even better. There is no excuse here, the reps are not providing a level of service worth the customer even bothering to continue. Simply issue a NEW number, NEW SIM and move on, problem solved.
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RUN WHILE YOU CAN! or you'll be stuck in a contract like the rest of us. Good thing you didn't buy it from Texaswireless or it would have been even more screwed up.
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I honestly would say if you are havnig problems...go into a Corp Owned Cinuglar Wireless store. They have tons of SIM Chips that they can get it right then and there.
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