Cingular Says I Need A New "GSM" Phone?

I got a letter from Cingular the other day and it said that
they will no longer be supporting my (4+ year old Motorola
V60) TDMA/analog cell phone (whatever that is) and I have
to get a new GSM cell phone (whatever that is).

Now Cingular is offering a "free" Nokia 6030 phone, but the
rebate deal states that I have sign-up for a new 2-year contract
with them and I have to get a Cingular VISA Rewards Card
and I'm not interested in going thru all that BS.

So since it appears I have to get a new cell phone and I'm not
hip to the cell phone provider market, I figured I'd head down
to the local Cingular store and buy a new phone I like and have
them transfer my existing Cingular service (which works fine,
more or less) to the new phone.

I know it can't be _that_ easy....

So what kinda problems and additional costs might I end-up
facing with Cingular by going this route, and what do I need to
know and say to the (no doubt punk-ass teenage) service rep
at their store, to avoid all kinda hassles over this?

---

› See More: Cingular Says I Need A New "GSM" Phone?

Per Ed Stasiak:
>I know it can't be _that_ easy....
>
>So what kinda problems and additional costs might I end-up
>facing with Cingular by going this route, and what do I need to
>know and say to the (no doubt punk-ass teenage) service rep
>at their store, to avoid all kinda hassles over this?

I went through the same exercise - albeit preemptively on my part (I decided on
my own that TDMA was going away sometime in the foreseeable future).

What I found was that moving from TDMA to GSM within Cingular and keeping a
phone for myself, my wife, and one daughter was going to add $20 per month to my
phone bill - over and above what I was paying on my existing TDMA plan.

I wound up going over to tMobile. About $42 actual per month for 1,000 minutes
and call-anywhere-any-time. For the two other phones, I got tMobile prepaid
plans at $100 for 1,000 minutes to start, with the minutes rolling over from
year-to-year. Bottom line for the prepaid phones (which get used almost never)
is that they are practically no-cost after the initial $100.

In my area, tMobile's coverage is definitely *not* as good as Cingular's... but
it's good enough for what I do with it.
--
PeteCresswell

Go to an independent Cingular agent -- not a company owned store -- and try
to find a knowledgeable salesperson. I had purchased an unlocked GSM phone
elsewhere and was able to keep my existing $29/mo plan and didn't have to
pay the "normal" $18 rip-off fee.

The company owned store told me I'd have to get on the $39/mo (their
cheapest advertised) plan.

You do have to pay for the Sim card. Around $30 is normal for that.

jy

"Ed Stasiak" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I got a letter from Cingular the other day and it said that
> they will no longer be supporting my (4+ year old Motorola
> V60) TDMA/analog cell phone (whatever that is) and I have
> to get a new GSM cell phone (whatever that is).
>
> Now Cingular is offering a "free" Nokia 6030 phone, but the
> rebate deal states that I have sign-up for a new 2-year contract
> with them and I have to get a Cingular VISA Rewards Card
> and I'm not interested in going thru all that BS.
>
> So since it appears I have to get a new cell phone and I'm not
> hip to the cell phone provider market, I figured I'd head down
> to the local Cingular store and buy a new phone I like and have
> them transfer my existing Cingular service (which works fine,
> more or less) to the new phone.
>
> I know it can't be _that_ easy....
>
> So what kinda problems and additional costs might I end-up
> facing with Cingular by going this route, and what do I need to
> know and say to the (no doubt punk-ass teenage) service rep
> at their store, to avoid all kinda hassles over this?
>

GSM has one striking advantage, which is that you can activate any GSM phone
yourself (if it's "unlocked" or if it's "locked" to Cingular rather than
another carrier) by just inserting your SIM card into it. A SIM card is a
tiny "smart card" used in your GSM phone.

You can buy a used Cingular-compatible (unlocked or Cingular-locked) GSM
phone from anyone and make it yours by putting your SIM card into it. Then
it has your number and your dialing directory.

"Ed Stasiak" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I got a letter from Cingular the other day and it said that
> they will no longer be supporting my (4+ year old Motorola
> V60) TDMA/analog cell phone (whatever that is) and I have
> to get a new GSM cell phone (whatever that is).
>
> Now Cingular is offering a "free" Nokia 6030 phone, but the
> rebate deal states that I have sign-up for a new 2-year contract
> with them and I have to get a Cingular VISA Rewards Card
> and I'm not interested in going thru all that BS.
>
> So since it appears I have to get a new cell phone and I'm not
> hip to the cell phone provider market, I figured I'd head down
> to the local Cingular store and buy a new phone I like and have
> them transfer my existing Cingular service (which works fine,
> more or less) to the new phone.
>
> I know it can't be _that_ easy....
>
> So what kinda problems and additional costs might I end-up
> facing with Cingular by going this route, and what do I need to
> know and say to the (no doubt punk-ass teenage) service rep
> at their store, to avoid all kinda hassles over this?

They like to throw on extra costs. It could cost you one or more hundred
dollars to buy a phone without the 2 years.

You can buy a GSM phone on Ebay, Amazon, Newegg, or any number of dealers.
Do a little research first, so you can make sure your buying the right one.
You may need a SIM card. Cingular can help you with that.

However, if your phone is still working, and your happy with it, keep it
until it doesn't work anymore. It'll probably work for years, if your
lucky.

CS

Ed,
you have several options, some already discussed. You have about a year
before the old phone stops working. You may have to pay to "upgrade", so
this is a good time to explore other carriers who may provide better prices.
This Cingular "upgrade" attitude is making them a lot of enemies, and their
merger proposal allocated a certain amount of acceptable customer
losses...so they really don't care about you. Another carrier will, and you
can take your phone number with you.

The credit card is total BS. I've never heard of that before. The Nokia
6030 is a very basic phone. It's good, but you can get a much better phone
for free from another carrier. If you insist on staying with Cingular, you
can deal with their customer service on the phone after visiting their phone
selection online.

I strongly recommend you shop for competing deals. An independent retailer
offering several choices would be very helpful.


Bill Radio
Click for Wireless Reviews at:
http://www.mountainwireless.com


"Ed Stasiak" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I got a letter from Cingular the other day and it said that
> they will no longer be supporting my (4+ year old Motorola
> V60) TDMA/analog cell phone (whatever that is) and I have
> to get a new GSM cell phone (whatever that is).
>
> Now Cingular is offering a "free" Nokia 6030 phone, but the
> rebate deal states that I have sign-up for a new 2-year contract
> with them and I have to get a Cingular VISA Rewards Card
> and I'm not interested in going thru all that BS.
>
> So since it appears I have to get a new cell phone and I'm not
> hip to the cell phone provider market, I figured I'd head down
> to the local Cingular store and buy a new phone I like and have
> them transfer my existing Cingular service (which works fine,
> more or less) to the new phone.
>
> I know it can't be _that_ easy....
>
> So what kinda problems and additional costs might I end-up
> facing with Cingular by going this route, and what do I need to
> know and say to the (no doubt punk-ass teenage) service rep
> at their store, to avoid all kinda hassles over this?
>

Bill Radio wrote:
> Ed,
> you have several options, some already discussed. You have about a year
> before the old phone stops working.
That's nice to know. I have prepaid from BeyondWireless, and they are
sending me text messages and E-Mails to get a new GSM phone because my
network is going away. Unfortunately, unless Dobson gets some new
antennas up it won't help. So I have a year to use up my minutes and
go to something else that would work at our cabin, which is probably
Verizon analog roaming, if they allow it.

yats <[email protected]> wrote:
> You do have to pay for the Sim card. Around $30 is normal for that.

The only SIM you can buy is a Cingular SIM.
Cingular won't activate a new SIM on an AT&T plan.

--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley Lake, CA, USA GPS: 38.8,-122.5

mc <[email protected]> wrote:
> You can buy a used Cingular-compatible (unlocked or Cingular-locked) GSM
> phone from anyone and make it yours by putting your SIM card into it. Then
> it has your number and your dialing directory.

His Motorola V60 TDMA phone doesn't have a SIM.

--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley Lake, CA, USA GPS: 38.8,-122.5

Per yats:
> I had purchased an unlocked GSM phone
>elsewhere and was able to keep my existing $29/mo plan and didn't have to
>pay the "normal" $18 rip-off fee.

Heck, I've had people *give* me old phones (thanks again John...).

A significant plus of GSM over TDMA is portability/fungibility: your SIM card is
what identifies you. It can be put in any phone that supports your carrier's
band and it will work.

I find Nokia phones the most straightforward to unlock. I also like the idea
that their power supplies seem tb all the same and there is a high degree if
battery interchangeability among their candy bar phones.
--
PeteCresswell

>I got a letter from Cingular the other day and it said that
> they will no longer be supporting my (4+ year old Motorola
> V60) TDMA/analog cell phone (whatever that is) and I have
> to get a new GSM cell phone (whatever that is).
>
> Now Cingular is offering a "free" Nokia 6030 phone, but the
> rebate deal states that I have sign-up for a new 2-year contract
> with them and I have to get a Cingular VISA Rewards Card
> and I'm not interested in going thru all that BS.

I too got a letter from Cingular in September.
I had a Nokia 6340i Gait phone (worked both TDMA and GSM). My plan was the
Home-50 (50 any time minutes) at $19.99 plus taxes etc. I was informed that
I would
begin paying an extra $5.00 a month because I had a TDMA plan. I'm a retiree
and
I don't use a cell phone a lot but I don't want a pre-paid one either.
I Just want a reasonable plan.

The letter said that I could get a Nation 200 plan (200 anytime minutes and
1000 Night/weekend) if I signed up for a 2 year contract. This offer
included either a free
Nokia 6030 or a 6102i for $29.99. There wasn't a 'Credit Card' stipulation.
Thanks for that.

A visit to the Cingular store they said they had no information regarding
the offer and the plan was non-existent. They suggested I call customer
service. I did that 4 times. The first two times I got no real help. The
Service Rep.s (SR's)
could not verify the Cingular offer and left me no where.

The next two SR's each had me fax a copy of the offer. Finally someone
called me back
but still didn't offer me what the letter stated. They tried to get me to
sign up for $39.99 a
month and would allow me to purchase the Nokia 6102i for $29.99 and waive
the $18.00 upgrade
fee. I stated my displeasure. Then he said I can credit you $10.00 a month
for the life of the contract.
I said NO DEAL. I'll pay higher taxes and get stuck for sure at the end of
the contract for $39.99.
I complained as this wasn't what the offer stated and that I would escalate
the situation.
The SR said I'll transfer you to a department that handles special
promotions.
I said really, what's taken so long for that to happen?

Not surprisingly that department knew of the offer and I agreed to the 2
year contract and got the Nation 200 plan and the Nokia 6102i for $29.99
(with new Sim and free
shipping) and the $18.00 upgrade fee was waived.

I believe that Cingular offers different upgrade incentives depending upon
the old TDMA plan.
Factors could be 'You were previously an AT&T customer', 'your monthly usage
reflects a
good fit to the $39.99 plan', 'your location' or your old Cingular plan was
like mine and had
very little monthly calling. That is, we hardly ever exceeded 50 minutes a
month.

By the way the old Sim (32kb) from my Nokia 6340i wasn't totally compatible
with the new 6102i.
The 6102i uses a 64kb Sim. After checking with a Cingular Tech I inserted
the 32kb Sim and transfered
my calling list but got an alert message that said the Sim wasn't correct.
Didn't need it anyway. I was just happy to
be able to transfer the calling list. I wouldn't go so far as to say you can
always put an older Sim
in a newer phone. It would be best to check with the Provider or someone
knowledgeable. I did
read where the wrong Sim could disable the phone temporarily or permanently.

> The letter said that I could get a Nation 200 plan (200 anytime minutes
> and
> 1000 Night/weekend) if I signed up for a 2 year contract. This offer
> included either a free Nokia 6030 or a 6102i for $29.99. There wasn't a
> 'Credit Card' stipulation.

Interesting forum comments regarding TDMA changeover $29.99 offer.
http://forums.mobiledia.com/topic50494.html

Existing TDMA customers are all getting letters. These letter are from
Cingular, not some marketing company. They are given two options as a
minimum; 1)Keep things like they are, knowing that sometime within a year,
TDMA/AMPS service will be going the way of the dinosaur. You will pay 5
bucks extra per month for this privelage. or 2)Get new phone and service,
via upgrade process (new contract term of 1 or 2 years, price of phone
determined by contract length). With this option there is one thing that is
different than a normal upgrade: The 18.00 Upgrade Fee is waived (this is
for ALL TDMA/AMPS customers switching to GSM).

In addition, some customers are being offered the Nokia 6030 for free after
rebate. The Visa Rewards Card mentioned is this rebate. It is a 20.00 gift
card that you get in the mail, as is the standard practice for all rebates
at Cingular at this time. Any other phone can be had for the usual price
offer.

The one issue invovled is that you must change to a current rate plan, which
means minimum of 39.99 per month. Multiple lines can go on Family Talk,
beginning at 59.99 per month for two phones with 550 shared minutes w/
unlimited M2M and 5K NW.Additional lines are 9.99/month w/ up to 4 total on
the account.

Mark

> The one issue invovled is that you must change to a current rate plan,
> which means minimum of 39.99 per month

Not if your upgrade offer states $29.99 for the Nation 200 plan as mine did.
In order to talk to a Service Rep. in the know call Cingular Customer Care
at 866-650-1836.

Cavity Search wrote:
> "Ed Stasiak" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> I got a letter from Cingular the other day and it said that
>> they will no longer be supporting my (4+ year old Motorola
>> V60) TDMA/analog cell phone (whatever that is) and I have
>> to get a new GSM cell phone (whatever that is).
>>
>> Now Cingular is offering a "free" Nokia 6030 phone, but the
>> rebate deal states that I have sign-up for a new 2-year contract
>> with them and I have to get a Cingular VISA Rewards Card
>> and I'm not interested in going thru all that BS.
>>
>> So since it appears I have to get a new cell phone and I'm not
>> hip to the cell phone provider market, I figured I'd head down
>> to the local Cingular store and buy a new phone I like and have
>> them transfer my existing Cingular service (which works fine,
>> more or less) to the new phone.
>>
>> I know it can't be _that_ easy....
>>
>> So what kinda problems and additional costs might I end-up
>> facing with Cingular by going this route, and what do I need to
>> know and say to the (no doubt punk-ass teenage) service rep
>> at their store, to avoid all kinda hassles over this?
>
> They like to throw on extra costs. It could cost you one or more hundred
> dollars to buy a phone without the 2 years.
>
> You can buy a GSM phone on Ebay, Amazon, Newegg, or any number of dealers.
> Do a little research first, so you can make sure your buying the right one.
> You may need a SIM card. Cingular can help you with that.
>
> However, if your phone is still working, and your happy with it, keep it
> until it doesn't work anymore. It'll probably work for years, if your
> lucky.
>
> CS
>
>


Yes, that old Moto V60 may keep working for years, and if it does it'll
become a roamer off the Cingular network after 1Q08, assuming Cingular's
roaming partners in his area still offer TDMA - Cingular sure won't be.

--
jer
email reply - I am not a 'ten'