ALL i want is a phone...

OY

:mad: Two things first...
1. Not sure where this thread belongs so feel free to move it.
2. I am in the US and this is a rant that will more than likely make no difference to you guys whatsoever. But i do want your opinion...

So Cingular wireless bought AT&T in the last few months and all of the AT&T stores are now Cingular stores. I have been with AT&T now for about 15 months and had an awesome deal. I paid $75 a month for two phones, 2500 free minutes, 400 free text messages, free talking between the two phones and some other features i cannot quite remember right now.
When i went over the 2500 minutes (which is always!) i pay a little extra and typically my phone bill has been around the $100 mark. So that is ok for two people, i can live with that!
Last week my phone stopped working. I can make calls but nobody can hear me at the other end. I go to Cingular and they cannot replace the phone because they only have Cingular phones and not AT&T phones. In order to get a phone i will have to get a new service with them, and buy two new phones for that service. OK, so i ask to see the service offers... for 2000 minutes and no text messages... $160 a month! WTF?
That is nowhere near as good as the deal i have and is a lot more money. That is before i go over, which i will so i image that the bill will be way over $200!!!
So i asked if there is anywhere I can buy a phone that i can switch the SIM card with and just stick with the plan that i have? Answer: Yeah, you can get an unlocked phone. I think that they sell them in X downstairs. Other than that you can shop online.
So i go to X (a stall in the middle of the mall), see a phone that is marked $49 and i think great! Then i am told that that is with Cingular, to buy the phone unlocked it will cost me $200... ! And get this... that is the cheapest unlocked phone they have!

My wife tells me that i have every right to be mad but that Cingular grandfathered in the AT&T accounts, in other words, they left them all as they are with the knowledge that when the phones break or an upgrade is wanted the people will not have too much of a choice to move to their rates.
I know that it is a business and that they need to make money but i feel kinda screwed. The phone broke and all i want is a replacement and the cheapest i can buy one for is $200, even though it is marked $40 with Cingular.
If i went to Cingular, then i need to replace my wifes phone also, and will pay the increased rates of $160 a month (to get a deal which is nowhere near as good as the one i have for 75!)
It is madness and i am annoyed and all i want is to go back to O2 and get the pay as you go cards... life was so much easier back then.

In the end i will have no choice to pay the $200. Or i will see what i can find online but i was so angry!

Frustrated in America
OY

halenger

Should be lots you can find online that'll sort you out. Places like expansys.com and many others. e-Bay can be good if you're careful.

If I was in your situation I'd definately be buying online. I'm sure there must be places, like there are over here, that will unlock the phone for you for a lot less than the $151 in the difference there. Depends on how the lock their phones I guess. Sim-free and unlocked are never really all that cheap. Depending on what phone it was the 200 could actually be cheap.

Shop around, read posts on here, read reviews and get a phone you're happy with. If you really wanted you could get a European phone that is tri/quad-band. Can't remember which you need for AT&T. I think tri-band is enough.

Sparky

when i was in the US a week ago Sprint seemed to have a good offer, i think it was buy one phone get 3 free.

I know the thing with cingular buying over AT&T is Sh1t, when i was in the cingular shop in times square there was a queue of people frustrated with the whole "you will need to get a plan with us, we only have your account info from AT&T".

Larianne

Be careful with Sprint. I was living in the US for 6 months and got a sprint phone and ya think 'oh this is great, nice and cheap...' Then the bills comes and there's taxes they never told you about, all these little fees and added on things that you never signed up for but want you to pay??!!

I had to go back to the Sprint store 3 flippin times and even then I was still paying for things I didn't want or couldn't even use with my home. Their customer service is shiit. In my opinion, all those cell phone companies will rob ya for all they can. Bastards!! :mad:

kasintahan

Am I right in thinking that 2/2.5G CDMA phones (as used in the States and pretty much nowhere else) do not use SIM cards? and that in order to change your phone you have to buy one off the company you're tied to? (not like in Europe/Rest of World where we just slip out the SIM card and put it in a new phone, any new phone).

JTMan

OY, Why not just port your number to T-Mobile ?? Mate got an excellent deal with T-Mobile in the states recently that was comparable with your original minutes package.

BrianD

"you will need to get a plan with us, we only have your account info from AT&T".

Typical American corporate cop-out. We want the customer numbers but we do not want to service them. Surely if they bought the company AT&T customers automatically become cingular customers?

Can the phone be repaired or are you due an upgrade? What happens if your phone was fine? I suppose its like Vodafone buying Eircell where all the plans remainded in place until you changed. At least they were willing to give some service!

I'm sure there are plenty of places you could get the $49 phone unlocked.

stereo_steve

Long shot here... but if by any chance your in Chicago I will bring you over two unlocked pay as you go phones in two weeks.

I can just get a pay as you go over here and unlock it for you. Just pick what you want from the Meteor/o2 website etc. If your in Chicago of course!

Sparky

Make sure its Tri/Quad band of course

Is it just me or are Motorola the only ones making quad band phones?

OY

Hey guys,
Some good advice there. I found quite a few phones online for about $100 unlocked, which is nice cause then i get to keep the AT&T deal that i have. My wife as joking and saying that we should keep buying unlocked phones for the rest of our lives... still be using our AT&T account in 10 years time!

OY, Why not just port your number to T-Mobile ?? Mate got an excellent deal with T-Mobile in the states recently that was comparable with your original minutes package.

Will also shop around and see what other companies are offering for sure. Will call tomorrow and see.

Long shot here... but if by any chance your in Chicago I will bring you over two unlocked pay as you go phones in two weeks.

Thanks for the offer but i do not think that that is an option. Nice of you to offer though.

Be careful with Sprint. I was living in the US for 6 months and got a sprint phone and ya think 'oh this is great, nice and cheap...' Then the bills comes and there's taxes they never told you about, all these little fees and added on things that you never signed up for but want you to pay??!!

I have heard similar things... will stay well away.

Typical American corporate cop-out. We want the customer numbers but we do not want to service them. Surely if they bought the company AT&T customers automatically become cingular customers?

I totally agree... this is why i was p***ed yesterday to begin with and pretty much the reaction i was getting in the store. I was just ranting here but i fell much better today. Like halenger says, i have a lot of options.

Thanks for letting me vent people.