Shop Talk
AT&T to Cingular
I don't know how true it is, but according to a lot of former AT&T customers, ever since Cingular aquired AT&T they have been slowly phasing out AT&T's cell phones (True) and torturing, tricking, and being rude to customers in hopes of getting them to switch to Cingular (What the customers claim) Anyone know if Cingular actually has any sort of bullying program to get people to switch or if it's just more bs from stupid customers who are annoyed AT&T got bought out?
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While I'm not sure about bullying so-to-speak, I recently read that Cingular is now charging an additional $5 charge to anyone on the TDMA network. We've had a lot of port-ins because of this.
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True true... my father is one who is soon to be getting that charge. But he is staying anyways. All the new phones Cingular/VZW/or any other carrier for that matter are too small for him. He likes his old Nokia 6340i and it's one of the few that has actually worked for him. Buttons are big enough, and he can read the screen, and the battery has shown no sign of wear. The extra $5 a month is worth it to him to keep what works for him...the phone that is...service not so much..but it gets the job done in a pinch.
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Tell pops he should change over and use a Nokia 3595 or a 6010 both large phones. Have had a lot of success selling to the senior demographic.
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according to an email we got last week... GAIT phones (T62u and 6340i) will not be charged the 4.99 at this time. 😉
HTH
k
HTH
k
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If they're provisioned as GSM in the system they shouldn't get it anyway.
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Either way he'd pay it. He's on the old Nation GAIT plan from about 3 years ago (when I was selling it) and I don't remember exactly what they called it or what his rate is, I just remembered that the rate was a little higher but he had a little more coverage.
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Just the older Nationwide one. Not the kick butt nationwide from like 5 or 6 + years ago, it was the GAIT plans right along shortly after Cingular came out with Rollover...December '03 if I remember right.
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That would be it... brings back memories! If they ever do try to stick him with the $5 TDMA charge just tell him he can still use that phone on a new plan. I'm sure he'd be happy to know that if it could save him any money.
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The reps at the store acrossed from me (store I used to work for 🤣 ) told me that he couldn't keep that phone on the GSM plans. It would absolutely HAVE to be switched off because it has the TDMA in it. And if he took it off his plan, he wouldn't be able to use that phone on any other line.....
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Well I hestitate to say they're lying, but they are stupid. A GAIT phone can be provisioned as a GSM phone with no problems. You can even provision is at GSM/GAIT and it wont bug out on you. I think it's been that way for at least two years.
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I work for T-Mobile so I don't know any real information, but I did read an article about a lawsuit filed against Cingular by AT&T customers claiming the things that you wrote about. The article also mentioned that Cingular was deactivating AT&T towers so those who were still on AT&T service were experiencing more dropped calls and a smaller service area.
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I was at a cingular store here not too long ago with a friend of mine who has ATT. He made everything sound so increadibly great, awesome, and fan-friggin-tastic, on why she should get this phone, and this plan and yada yada yada. He even went as far as to completely make a bash against my company...not VZW, my indirect agent location...said we don't know what we're talking about (he didn't know that me, the manager was standing right in front of him as well until my friend pointed it out and then he started choking back his words). I didn't have a problem going over there with her because where she lives she needs to have ATT/Cingular, not Verizon. But to go as far as bashing the store across the street....please! 🙄
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ATT had some great programs, and customers are wanting new phones and can't use the new GSM phones on their old plans. If they want new phones, they have to change to Cingular plans.
Wait to see what hits the fan when Cingy changes the name on the door to ATT this Winter.
Wait to see what hits the fan when Cingy changes the name on the door to ATT this Winter.
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