Results 1 to 9 of 9
  1. #1
    DoctorZ
    Guest
    Well the problem happen several times. I requested a replacement phone.
    Cingular warranty exchange transfered me to customer service. They
    claim there is nothing they can do to keep a Nokia 6349I from tracking
    on a stronger tdma tower. I did not post I can call and get a "welecome
    to american roaming $2 for the 1st minute" which indicates the phone is
    working.


    I have to conclude Cingular is going pure GSM which means its worthless
    for someone that needs nonmetro coverage.




    See More: Cingular unauthorized change of GAIT plan to NATP




  2. #2
    DoctorZ
    Guest

    Re: Cingular unauthorized change of GAIT plan to NATP

    Lawyers on retainer (i.e real ones) could handle the case and win, but
    for my $20K+ in fees, it would take 3-6 yrs to get my money back.
    Given Cingular idiot policies I have the risk they would go chapter 7
    before collecting. Then I am left holding the bag.

    Its possible a class action will pop up, but once again is it worth my
    time (i.e. money). My losses so far are $7K plus and unless something
    turns up, hardly worth the significant effort a lawsuit will involve.

    Before someone advises "complain to the federal state x agency" I can
    assure you Cingular has not done anything to offset their poltical and
    legal connections.
    Time will tell if Cingular is being a World Comm or if for whatever
    reason I am in a subclass of customer they want rid of.




  3. #3
    Jack Zwick
    Guest

    Re: Cingular unauthorized change of GAIT plan to NATP

    In article <[email protected]>,
    "DoctorZ" <[email protected]> wrote:

    > Well the problem happen several times. I requested a replacement phone.
    > Cingular warranty exchange transfered me to customer service. They
    > claim there is nothing they can do to keep a Nokia 6349I from tracking
    > on a stronger tdma tower. I did not post I can call and get a "welecome
    > to american roaming $2 for the 1st minute" which indicates the phone is
    > working.
    >
    >
    > I have to conclude Cingular is going pure GSM which means its worthless
    > for someone that needs nonmetro coverage.


    In its April 20, 2004 Press Release Cingular bragged about it, in fact.



  4. #4
    John Navas
    Guest

    Re: Cingular unauthorized change of GAIT plan to NATP

    [POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

    In <[email protected]> on 6 Jan 2005
    18:08:39 -0800, "DoctorZ" <[email protected]> wrote:

    >I have to conclude Cingular is going pure GSM


    True.

    >which means its worthless
    >for someone that needs nonmetro coverage.


    False.

    --
    Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
    John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>



  5. #5
    John Navas
    Guest

    Re: Cingular unauthorized change of GAIT plan to NATP

    [POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

    In <[email protected]> on 6 Jan 2005
    18:17:13 -0800, "DoctorZ" <[email protected]> wrote:

    >Lawyers on retainer (i.e real ones) could handle the case and win, but
    >for my $20K+ in fees, it would take 3-6 yrs to get my money back.
    >Given Cingular idiot policies I have the risk they would go chapter 7
    >before collecting. Then I am left holding the bag.
    >
    >Its possible a class action will pop up, but once again is it worth my
    >time (i.e. money). My losses so far are $7K plus and unless something
    >turns up, hardly worth the significant effort a lawsuit will involve.
    >
    >Before someone advises "complain to the federal state x agency" I can
    >assure you Cingular has not done anything to offset their poltical and
    >legal connections.
    >Time will tell if Cingular is being a World Comm or if for whatever
    >reason I am in a subclass of customer they want rid of.


    That's a good laugh -- thanks.

    --
    Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
    John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>



  6. #6
    DoctorZ
    Guest

    Re: Cingular unauthorized change of GAIT plan to NATP

    I travel coast to coast and often had the only working phone in my
    group. I have called Cingular tech support from several of these AMPS
    mode areas. They confirm they have no GSM coverage in these zip codes
    nor do they plan to.

    Likewise there are areas where there is no CDMA, however, Verizon still
    sells tri-mode phones so these phones will work anywhere in the USA.

    Are you saying Cingular does not know where they have GSM coverage and
    a GSM would work in these areas my 6340I goes into AMPS mode?


    John Navas wrote:
    > [POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
    >
    > In <[email protected]> on 6 Jan

    2005
    > 18:08:39 -0800, "DoctorZ" <[email protected]> wrote:
    >
    > >I have to conclude Cingular is going pure GSM

    >
    > True.
    >
    > >which means its worthless
    > >for someone that needs nonmetro coverage.

    >
    > False.
    >
    > --
    > Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
    > John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>





  7. #7
    John Navas
    Guest

    Re: Cingular unauthorized change of GAIT plan to NATP

    [POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

    In <[email protected]> on 7 Jan 2005
    07:39:55 -0800, "DoctorZ" <[email protected]> wrote:

    >John Navas wrote:
    >>
    >> In <[email protected]> on 6 Jan

    >2005
    >> 18:08:39 -0800, "DoctorZ" <[email protected]> wrote:
    >>
    >> >I have to conclude Cingular is going pure GSM

    >>
    >> True.
    >>
    >> >which means its worthless
    >> >for someone that needs nonmetro coverage.

    >>
    >> False.


    >I travel coast to coast and often had the only working phone in my
    >group. I have called Cingular tech support from several of these AMPS
    >mode areas. They confirm they have no GSM coverage in these zip codes
    >nor do they plan to.
    >
    >Likewise there are areas where there is no CDMA, however, Verizon still
    >sells tri-mode phones so these phones will work anywhere in the USA.
    >
    >Are you saying Cingular does not know where they have GSM coverage and
    >a GSM would work in these areas my 6340I goes into AMPS mode?


    No, I'm saying that GSM is far from "worthless" for "nonmetro coverage" even
    though it doesn't have the same coverage as AMPS.

    p.s. Please don't switch posting styles (top vs bottom) in mid-thread -- it's
    confusing, and considered a bit rude. Thanks.

    --
    Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
    John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>



  8. #8
    Barry Horowitz
    Guest

    Re: Cingular unauthorized change of GAIT plan to NATP

    Cingular Take Charge lies without shame in their promos and brochures,
    and they have trained their personnel to repeat the lies, that late
    evenings and weekends are "free minutes". No wonder all you others are
    angered by your relations with Cingular customer service.

    Without the lies, Take Charge would be a little better than most
    prepaid plans in that one pays on average about 13 cents a minute
    rather than 25 cents a minute, which is what most companies charge for
    prepaid unless you have a very special deal.

    Why Cingular [have they outsourced Take Charge to a subcontractor who
    has no qualms about ethics?] makes these preposterous claims and offers
    is simply surprising, but it is in essence ILLEGAL, and deserves a
    class action lawsuit.

    What you get when you pay for Take Charge is a debit on your checking
    account monthly, for $29.99 or $39.99 or $49.99 [plus about 12 percent
    federally mandated taxes], which is easier than inserting a prepaid
    chip into your cell phone, you can purchase online with your debit card
    for Take Charge.

    But in effect it is no more than a $50 or $40 or $30 prepaid card, that
    debits your card amount around $13 to $15 cents per minute, and then
    you are out of funds and service.

    There are no free night and weekend minutes, Cingular is pathologically
    insincere in offering this to foolish consumers, and they did it to
    outcompete the other prepaid suppliers who have not yet resorted to
    such institutional lies, even though they too might have a few gimmicks
    up their sleeves also.

    AT&T is no longer the "friend" of the consumer, like long ago.
    Cingular is ATT and they brag about it while you are put on hold
    waiting endlessly for customer service.

    Amen.

    barry

    >>
    >>


    CORRECTION: I meant "crammed" not "slammed".

    http://www.ehow.com/how_15888_protec...f-slammed.html

    Most problems with cell phone companies are either a matter of 1) not
    getting what you paid for in the agreement, and then 2) paying way too
    much on top of it as a big surprise.

    This means you were lied to at many levels, especially when you are
    condemned to 10 to 30 hours of dealing with a customer service which is
    unhelpful and lubricious for fear of losing their job[s] with so many
    supervisors listening in to their calls and monitoring them, a form of
    facism and the heart of outsourcing.

    Class action lawsuits and letters to fed reps and fed agencies is the
    one true path to reform and to your swift rebate for your unsolicited
    troubles.

    We are the NEW AMERICAN REVOLUTION. Stand up tall and be a Paul Revere
    or a Dolly Madison. Don't be a putz.

    barry
    >>



    what the **** is this guy going on about? If you have a problem
    With Cingular (or any phone company), write a hand-addressed letter to
    the President of Cingular, and make sure that you clearly c.c. the NY
    Attorney General, the US Attorney General, and the Federal Trade
    Commission. If necessary, say that you were "slammed" or lied to about
    your service. You will get a call back from the president's admin
    within two days apologising profusely and dropping all money charges.
    \
    Cingular are the worst, and have just paid out millions in a class
    action suit in California. We also had a nightmare with them two years
    ago, until in desperation Helen resorted to the above strategy. Just
    recently, we had a similar problem with AT&T, who had offered to lower
    our long distance then charged us 3.00/minute to call UK, when we had
    been paying 0.10/minute!!!.

    PAcBell was going to cut us off for non-payment of an erroneous $487
    bill for one month's worth of international calls. AT&T service reps
    refused to listen, kept denying all or any previous conversations until
    Helen did the above again and immediately got the same reaction-
    grovelling profuse apologies from Corporate HQ, plus all money charges
    dropped. The phone companies really do NOT want any more flack--the
    heat is on them big time from various Fed consumer agencies.

    Barry



    Bryan Adrian wrote:


    I was ****ed over by Cingular after I purchased their Take Charge
    services. And more "evidence" can easily be supplied.

    And i am not mincing my words by saying "****ed over". "Screwed" is
    not descriptive enough.

    If you care to stop posturing and lend a helping hand rather than being
    a blow hard, email me and stop me from closing the account on Tuesday
    morning.

    Cingular in no way is 'honoring its terms of service'.

    Where do you get such words, from MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE?

    Most people who use prepaid cards or chips in their cell phone do not
    have time to joke around on the internet usenet groups like you do all
    day ... this does not indicate a "revolt" is not brewing -- that few
    are posting, as you implied.

    A class action lawsuit is soon underway. I will post the name of the
    aggressive law firm very soon so you can digest the meaning of this and
    so that the few prepaid customers who bother with Usenet can be
    informed of where to seek comfort re: Cingular Take Charge skull
    duggery.

    Yes, you are very welcome.

    John Navas wrote:
    Snipped to the nubes....

    ....

    Pick up the Take Charge brochure, they are plastered all over Cingular
    outlets, and read it. Cingular states that it provides 400 free
    minutes from 7am to 9pm, absolute free usage from 9pm to 7am, and the
    entire weekend to enjoy the free minutes. This is their deal. This is
    their measure of honesty at Cingular, they set their own bar. Those
    are Cingular's terms upon purchase.

    In actual practice, there are never any free minutes with TAKE CHARGE
    and one uses up the $49.99 much quicker than with a simple prepaid
    chip...

    The Cingular Take Charge customer service computers do NOT register the
    monies deducted for each minute of each call [12.5 cents per minute],
    although the money is deducted from your account on another database
    system they are not privy to, so the CS reps do not have a clue what
    you are talking about when you call in to complain for corrected
    services regarding this error. They see only the TOTAL AMOUNT date for
    each itemized call [which is nearly always a $0.00 charge to them from
    their viewpoint]. It looks like you have scads of free minutes to
    them, but in practice you never even get one lousey free minute ever
    with this Cingular Take Charge account, which is raking in money for
    Cingular like a new kind of underhanded prepaid scam.

    Each minute used receiving or making a Take Charge call, is billed at
    12.5 cents per minute, be it after 9pm weekdays or weekends too, the
    alleged FREE MINUTES hours.

    Also, if you do a *777# to see how many minutes are left of your
    alleged 400 FREE HOURS DURING DAYLIGHT WEEKDAYS, you get only a balance
    of how much of your $49.99 is left after all the minutes associated
    with your cell number are deducted at 12.5 cents [this is called your
    MAIN ACCOUNT BALANCE]. Lord help the person who calls after 9pm or on
    weekends to a family member or spouse or relative and chats away for an
    hour or longer. Busted!

    This will all be deducted from your $49.99 rather than ignored as free
    minute time. It really adds up !

    Also, you can see what kind of chicanery is going on in the corporate
    heights when you do a *646# or a *MIN# to see how many of your free 400
    daytime weekday minutes are remaining. You get a text message back.
    that says your TAKE CHARGE account is not allowed this service, even
    though there is a recording while you are on hold that encourages you
    to do just this with your Cingular account.

    The customer care reps never get a view of your MAIN ACCOUNT BALANCE
    [totally different from your TOTAL AMOUNT, which in itself is very
    Orwellian in its suggestion] which you can see as a paying customer
    online on the web at www.selfincharge.com --but the CS reps cannot
    locate on their screens nor database this MAIN ACCOUNT BALANCE for each
    itemized call, unless you give them your pin number and they go online
    themselves on the internet to look at your account history, but they
    have been trained not to do this, i.e, accept your pin number.

    So it is a Catch-22 and the customer is the big time loser, and
    Cingular prospers!

    Have a prosperous New Year !!

    >>>


    Please BEWARE !!

    Cingular-ATT has been offering to people with no credit card a new cell
    phone account TAKE CHARGE, which promises for $49.99 per month 400 free
    minutes during non-free times, and free calls after 9pm and all
    weekend.

    They can debit your checking account or your debit card once per month.

    Well, here's the rub.

    The database for Cingular for the TAKE CHARGE account is divided into
    two dissociated databases, one which shows to Customer Care for
    Cingular a ZERO charge for all calls made during so called free minute
    times of day, and this is called the TOTAL AMOUNT column. This is ALL
    Customer Care can see on their screens.

    Yet, on the customer online CALLS LIST a Take Charge user/customer can
    go to the full detail history list of all calls and on the extreme
    right hand column of the complete calls list, there is a blue ball with
    a white carat in it that is called CALL DETAIL for each individual
    call. If you click on this, you get many more details than are given
    to the Customer Care call center rep.

    You must scroll down in this pull down box past the ZERO amount and
    just below is the MAIN ACCOUNT AMOUNT which charges your debit card
    and/or account balance for your Cingular service at 12.5 cents per
    minute DURING the free minutes times of the week!! Your calls from 0
    to 399 of the free 400 minutes are billed at 12.5 cents per minute
    also!!

    So, if you made an hour call on your cell phone account on the weekend
    it will be deducted about $5 ASAP and your phone service will be
    discontinued quickly due to this ploy unless you address the issue
    brought up by voice and text mail to you that YOU MUST CHARGE ON YOUR
    DEBIT CARD as soon as possible either $15 for 100 minutes or $25 for
    150.

    This is a reprehensible business practice that should blemish the
    reputation of ATT also, and not just Cingular cell phone company.

    Dec. 24th, today, Christmas Eve, is a day off for most of the 'Take
    Charge' Cingular call center helpers, so the bulk of the complaints
    about this criminal billing procedure practice at Take Charge are going
    to the main general Cingular help center workers, who are much more
    helpful than the usual Take Charge specialist call center workers [have
    the Take Charge customer care center workers been trained to be
    uncooperative and play dumb about this horrible glitch and thieving
    tactic of the Cingular management?].

    Each time [about 15 times i have called and had to spend over an hour
    trying to resolve this snafu to no avail and to suffer the damage of
    severe microwave headaches from the cell phone radio waves after so
    much exposure], the Take Charge staffers are very rude in putting the
    fault of the service charges and billing during free minutes on the
    stupidity of the customer/client. It is a crime up there with Enron,
    Halliburton, and Global Crossing scams. Cingular is blaming the
    consumer for a rip off product.

    Nothing else could promote WORSE customer relations on the globe !!!
    Would anyone disagree?

    Please call your Better Business Bureau and your local 'CONSUMER
    COMPLAINT, SHAME ON YOU' local TV network to look into this,
    investigate it, and report it.


    DoctorZ wrote:
    > Lawyers on retainer (i.e real ones) could handle the case and win,

    but
    > for my $20K+ in fees, it would take 3-6 yrs to get my money back.
    > Given Cingular idiot policies I have the risk they would go chapter 7
    > before collecting. Then I am left holding the bag.
    >
    > Its possible a class action will pop up, but once again is it worth

    my
    > time (i.e. money). My losses so far are $7K plus and unless something
    > turns up, hardly worth the significant effort a lawsuit will involve.
    >
    > Before someone advises "complain to the federal state x agency" I

    can
    > assure you Cingular has not done anything to offset their poltical

    and
    > legal connections.
    > Time will tell if Cingular is being a World Comm or if for whatever
    > reason I am in a subclass of customer they want rid of.





  9. #9
    BruceR
    Guest

    Re: Cingular unauthorized change of GAIT plan to NATP

    Do you have any proof of this, like a bill showing charges for the Night
    calls? According to their website at:
    http://onlinestoree.cingular.com/web...&svcAreaId=SBC
    You get NO N/W minutes on the $30 plan, 1000 on the $40 plan and
    Unlimited on the $50, $60 and $80 plan. Note that nights are from 9pm to
    7am.
    If indeed you can prove this and it's happening systemwide then you do
    indeed have a juicy class action claim.

    From:Barry Horowitz
    [email protected]

    > Cingular Take Charge lies without shame in their promos and brochures,
    > and they have trained their personnel to repeat the lies, that late
    > evenings and weekends are "free minutes". No wonder all you others
    > are angered by your relations with Cingular customer service.
    >
    > Without the lies, Take Charge would be a little better than most
    > prepaid plans in that one pays on average about 13 cents a minute
    > rather than 25 cents a minute, which is what most companies charge for
    > prepaid unless you have a very special deal.
    >
    > Why Cingular [have they outsourced Take Charge to a subcontractor who
    > has no qualms about ethics?] makes these preposterous claims and
    > offers is simply surprising, but it is in essence ILLEGAL, and
    > deserves a class action lawsuit.
    >
    > What you get when you pay for Take Charge is a debit on your checking
    > account monthly, for $29.99 or $39.99 or $49.99 [plus about 12 percent
    > federally mandated taxes], which is easier than inserting a prepaid
    > chip into your cell phone, you can purchase online with your debit
    > card for Take Charge.
    >
    > But in effect it is no more than a $50 or $40 or $30 prepaid card,
    > that debits your card amount around $13 to $15 cents per minute, and
    > then you are out of funds and service.
    >
    > There are no free night and weekend minutes, Cingular is
    > pathologically insincere in offering this to foolish consumers, and
    > they did it to outcompete the other prepaid suppliers who have not
    > yet resorted to such institutional lies, even though they too might
    > have a few gimmicks up their sleeves also.
    >
    > AT&T is no longer the "friend" of the consumer, like long ago.
    > Cingular is ATT and they brag about it while you are put on hold
    > waiting endlessly for customer service.
    >
    > Amen.
    >
    > barry
    >
    >>>
    >>>

    >
    > CORRECTION: I meant "crammed" not "slammed".
    >
    > http://www.ehow.com/how_15888_protec...f-slammed.html
    >
    > Most problems with cell phone companies are either a matter of 1) not
    > getting what you paid for in the agreement, and then 2) paying way too
    > much on top of it as a big surprise.
    >
    > This means you were lied to at many levels, especially when you are
    > condemned to 10 to 30 hours of dealing with a customer service which
    > is unhelpful and lubricious for fear of losing their job[s] with so
    > many supervisors listening in to their calls and monitoring them, a
    > form of facism and the heart of outsourcing.
    >
    > Class action lawsuits and letters to fed reps and fed agencies is the
    > one true path to reform and to your swift rebate for your unsolicited
    > troubles.
    >
    > We are the NEW AMERICAN REVOLUTION. Stand up tall and be a Paul Revere
    > or a Dolly Madison. Don't be a putz.
    >
    > barry
    >>>

    >
    >
    > what the **** is this guy going on about? If you have a problem
    > With Cingular (or any phone company), write a hand-addressed letter to
    > the President of Cingular, and make sure that you clearly c.c. the NY
    > Attorney General, the US Attorney General, and the Federal Trade
    > Commission. If necessary, say that you were "slammed" or lied to about
    > your service. You will get a call back from the president's admin
    > within two days apologising profusely and dropping all money charges.
    > \
    > Cingular are the worst, and have just paid out millions in a class
    > action suit in California. We also had a nightmare with them two years
    > ago, until in desperation Helen resorted to the above strategy. Just
    > recently, we had a similar problem with AT&T, who had offered to lower
    > our long distance then charged us 3.00/minute to call UK, when we had
    > been paying 0.10/minute!!!.
    >
    > PAcBell was going to cut us off for non-payment of an erroneous $487
    > bill for one month's worth of international calls. AT&T service
    > reps refused to listen, kept denying all or any previous
    > conversations until Helen did the above again and immediately got the
    > same reaction- grovelling profuse apologies from Corporate HQ, plus
    > all money charges dropped. The phone companies really do NOT want any
    > more flack--the heat is on them big time from various Fed consumer
    > agencies.
    >
    > Barry
    >
    >
    >
    > Bryan Adrian wrote:
    >
    >
    > I was ****ed over by Cingular after I purchased their Take Charge
    > services. And more "evidence" can easily be supplied.
    >
    > And i am not mincing my words by saying "****ed over". "Screwed" is
    > not descriptive enough.
    >
    > If you care to stop posturing and lend a helping hand rather than
    > being a blow hard, email me and stop me from closing the account on
    > Tuesday morning.
    >
    > Cingular in no way is 'honoring its terms of service'.
    >
    > Where do you get such words, from MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE?
    >
    > Most people who use prepaid cards or chips in their cell phone do not
    > have time to joke around on the internet usenet groups like you do all
    > day ... this does not indicate a "revolt" is not brewing -- that few
    > are posting, as you implied.
    >
    > A class action lawsuit is soon underway. I will post the name of the
    > aggressive law firm very soon so you can digest the meaning of this
    > and so that the few prepaid customers who bother with Usenet can be
    > informed of where to seek comfort re: Cingular Take Charge skull
    > duggery.
    >
    > Yes, you are very welcome.
    >
    > John Navas wrote:
    > Snipped to the nubes....
    >
    > ...
    >
    > Pick up the Take Charge brochure, they are plastered all over Cingular
    > outlets, and read it. Cingular states that it provides 400 free
    > minutes from 7am to 9pm, absolute free usage from 9pm to 7am, and the
    > entire weekend to enjoy the free minutes. This is their deal. This is
    > their measure of honesty at Cingular, they set their own bar. Those
    > are Cingular's terms upon purchase.
    >
    > In actual practice, there are never any free minutes with TAKE CHARGE
    > and one uses up the $49.99 much quicker than with a simple prepaid
    > chip...
    >
    > The Cingular Take Charge customer service computers do NOT register
    > the monies deducted for each minute of each call [12.5 cents per
    > minute], although the money is deducted from your account on another
    > database system they are not privy to, so the CS reps do not have a
    > clue what you are talking about when you call in to complain for
    > corrected services regarding this error. They see only the TOTAL
    > AMOUNT date for each itemized call [which is nearly always a $0.00
    > charge to them from their viewpoint]. It looks like you have scads of
    > free minutes to them, but in practice you never even get one lousey
    > free minute ever with this Cingular Take Charge account, which is
    > raking in money for Cingular like a new kind of underhanded prepaid
    > scam.
    >
    > Each minute used receiving or making a Take Charge call, is billed at
    > 12.5 cents per minute, be it after 9pm weekdays or weekends too, the
    > alleged FREE MINUTES hours.
    >
    > Also, if you do a *777# to see how many minutes are left of your
    > alleged 400 FREE HOURS DURING DAYLIGHT WEEKDAYS, you get only a
    > balance of how much of your $49.99 is left after all the minutes
    > associated with your cell number are deducted at 12.5 cents [this is
    > called your MAIN ACCOUNT BALANCE]. Lord help the person who calls
    > after 9pm or on weekends to a family member or spouse or relative and
    > chats away for an hour or longer. Busted!
    >
    > This will all be deducted from your $49.99 rather than ignored as free
    > minute time. It really adds up !
    >
    > Also, you can see what kind of chicanery is going on in the corporate
    > heights when you do a *646# or a *MIN# to see how many of your free
    > 400 daytime weekday minutes are remaining. You get a text message
    > back. that says your TAKE CHARGE account is not allowed this service,
    > even though there is a recording while you are on hold that
    > encourages you to do just this with your Cingular account.
    >
    > The customer care reps never get a view of your MAIN ACCOUNT BALANCE
    > [totally different from your TOTAL AMOUNT, which in itself is very
    > Orwellian in its suggestion] which you can see as a paying customer
    > online on the web at www.selfincharge.com --but the CS reps cannot
    > locate on their screens nor database this MAIN ACCOUNT BALANCE for
    > each itemized call, unless you give them your pin number and they go
    > online themselves on the internet to look at your account history,
    > but they have been trained not to do this, i.e, accept your pin
    > number.
    >
    > So it is a Catch-22 and the customer is the big time loser, and
    > Cingular prospers!
    >
    > Have a prosperous New Year !!
    >
    >>>>

    >
    > Please BEWARE !!
    >
    > Cingular-ATT has been offering to people with no credit card a new
    > cell phone account TAKE CHARGE, which promises for $49.99 per month
    > 400 free minutes during non-free times, and free calls after 9pm and
    > all weekend.
    >
    > They can debit your checking account or your debit card once per
    > month.
    >
    > Well, here's the rub.
    >
    > The database for Cingular for the TAKE CHARGE account is divided into
    > two dissociated databases, one which shows to Customer Care for
    > Cingular a ZERO charge for all calls made during so called free minute
    > times of day, and this is called the TOTAL AMOUNT column. This is ALL
    > Customer Care can see on their screens.
    >
    > Yet, on the customer online CALLS LIST a Take Charge user/customer can
    > go to the full detail history list of all calls and on the extreme
    > right hand column of the complete calls list, there is a blue ball
    > with a white carat in it that is called CALL DETAIL for each
    > individual call. If you click on this, you get many more details than
    > are given to the Customer Care call center rep.
    >
    > You must scroll down in this pull down box past the ZERO amount and
    > just below is the MAIN ACCOUNT AMOUNT which charges your debit card
    > and/or account balance for your Cingular service at 12.5 cents per
    > minute DURING the free minutes times of the week!! Your calls from 0
    > to 399 of the free 400 minutes are billed at 12.5 cents per minute
    > also!!
    >
    > So, if you made an hour call on your cell phone account on the weekend
    > it will be deducted about $5 ASAP and your phone service will be
    > discontinued quickly due to this ploy unless you address the issue
    > brought up by voice and text mail to you that YOU MUST CHARGE ON YOUR
    > DEBIT CARD as soon as possible either $15 for 100 minutes or $25 for
    > 150.
    >
    > This is a reprehensible business practice that should blemish the
    > reputation of ATT also, and not just Cingular cell phone company.
    >
    > Dec. 24th, today, Christmas Eve, is a day off for most of the 'Take
    > Charge' Cingular call center helpers, so the bulk of the complaints
    > about this criminal billing procedure practice at Take Charge are
    > going to the main general Cingular help center workers, who are much
    > more helpful than the usual Take Charge specialist call center
    > workers [have the Take Charge customer care center workers been
    > trained to be uncooperative and play dumb about this horrible glitch
    > and thieving tactic of the Cingular management?].
    >
    > Each time [about 15 times i have called and had to spend over an hour
    > trying to resolve this snafu to no avail and to suffer the damage of
    > severe microwave headaches from the cell phone radio waves after so
    > much exposure], the Take Charge staffers are very rude in putting the
    > fault of the service charges and billing during free minutes on the
    > stupidity of the customer/client. It is a crime up there with Enron,
    > Halliburton, and Global Crossing scams. Cingular is blaming the
    > consumer for a rip off product.
    >
    > Nothing else could promote WORSE customer relations on the globe !!!
    > Would anyone disagree?
    >
    > Please call your Better Business Bureau and your local 'CONSUMER
    > COMPLAINT, SHAME ON YOU' local TV network to look into this,
    > investigate it, and report it.
    >
    >
    > DoctorZ wrote:
    >> Lawyers on retainer (i.e real ones) could handle the case and win,
    >> but for my $20K+ in fees, it would take 3-6 yrs to get my money
    >> back. Given Cingular idiot policies I have the risk they would go
    >> chapter 7 before collecting. Then I am left holding the bag.
    >>
    >> Its possible a class action will pop up, but once again is it worth
    >> my time (i.e. money). My losses so far are $7K plus and unless
    >> something turns up, hardly worth the significant effort a lawsuit
    >> will involve.
    >>
    >> Before someone advises "complain to the federal state x agency" I
    >> can assure you Cingular has not done anything to offset their
    >> poltical and legal connections.
    >> Time will tell if Cingular is being a World Comm or if for whatever
    >> reason I am in a subclass of customer they want rid of.






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