Is Cingular ripping me off?

I got a new phone after checking with Cingular who said it would be fine and
there would be NO change in my services or fees. I got the Nokia 3595 phone
from them. Now when I make a local call, e.g. from the cell phone to my
standard phone in the same house, it's a TOLL call !!!!!! Cingular
customer "service" told me there was nothing they could do about it, it was
"new technology" and my old cell phone plan didn't cover it.

I have a receipt for a new two year commitment that says "SAME" for the type
of coverage.

It sounds like a bait and switch to me. Anyone have any similar experience
or advice?

Thanks.

Chet

---

› See More: Is Cingular ripping me off?

What market are you in? Kinda hard to answer your ? if you don't
include that little bit of info...

"Chet" <[email protected]> wrote in article
<f7mjb.568389$cF.244122@rwcrnsc53>:
> I got a new phone after checking with Cingular who said it would be fine and
> there would be NO change in my services or fees. I got the Nokia 3595 phone
> from them. Now when I make a local call, e.g. from the cell phone to my
> standard phone in the same house, it's a TOLL call !!!!!! Cingular
> customer "service" told me there was nothing they could do about it, it was
> "new technology" and my old cell phone plan didn't cover it.
>
> I have a receipt for a new two year commitment that says "SAME" for the type
> of coverage.
>
> It sounds like a bait and switch to me. Anyone have any similar experience
> or advice?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Chet
>
>

[posted via phonescoop.com]

I don't know what you mean by "what market are you in." This phone service
is for a personal cell phone, i.e. not business or commercial use. It is
located in Massachusetts USA.

Chet

"Derek Smits" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> What market are you in? Kinda hard to answer your ? if you don't
> include that little bit of info...
>
> "Chet" <[email protected]> wrote in article
> <f7mjb.568389$cF.244122@rwcrnsc53>:
> > I got a new phone after checking with Cingular who said it would be fine
and
> > there would be NO change in my services or fees. I got the Nokia 3595
phone
> > from them. Now when I make a local call, e.g. from the cell phone to my
> > standard phone in the same house, it's a TOLL call !!!!!! Cingular
> > customer "service" told me there was nothing they could do about it, it
was
> > "new technology" and my old cell phone plan didn't cover it.
> >
> > I have a receipt for a new two year commitment that says "SAME" for the
type
> > of coverage.
> >
> > It sounds like a bait and switch to me. Anyone have any similar
experience
> > or advice?
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> > Chet
> >
> >
>
> [posted via phonescoop.com]

Was your old phone TDMA?

[posted via phonescoop.com]

It must have been. It was 2 plus years old and they said the new phone was
much better because it is newer technology.

Chet

"Alex Mikey" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Was your old phone TDMA?
>
> [posted via phonescoop.com]

> Now when I make a local call, e.g. from the cell phone to my
> standard phone in the same house, it's a TOLL call !!!!!!

What do you mean by a toll call?
Just charged normal air time.
or
Charged normal air time plus something else?
or
??????????????????

Charged long-distance charges, as if calling across the country, for the
call itself, in addition to air time.

"N9WOS" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> > Now when I make a local call, e.g. from the cell phone to my
> > standard phone in the same house, it's a TOLL call !!!!!!
>
> What do you mean by a toll call?
> Just charged normal air time.
> or
> Charged normal air time plus something else?
> or
> ??????????????????
>
>

"Chet" <[email protected]> wrote in message
newsFpjb.569648$cF.245597@rwcrnsc53...
> Charged long-distance charges, as if calling across the country, for the
> call itself, in addition to air time.

Doesn't your plan have free long distance?
If you are on a really old plan, long distance may not be included.
And the newer GSM cell systems may not rout your call through a local
switch.
So you would be charged long distance for a local call.

All new plans have free long distance, and calls are routed with that in
mind.
If you don't have free long distance, then that could be a problem.

N9WOS wrote:
> "Chet" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> newsFpjb.569648$cF.245597@rwcrnsc53...
>
>>Charged long-distance charges, as if calling across the country, for the
>>call itself, in addition to air time.
>
>
> Doesn't your plan have free long distance?
> If you are on a really old plan, long distance may not be included.
> And the newer GSM cell systems may not rout your call through a local
> switch.
> So you would be charged long distance for a local call.
>
> All new plans have free long distance, and calls are routed with that in
> mind.
> If you don't have free long distance, then that could be a problem.
>
>
you're billing is obviously set up wrong. Call customer service and ask
them to set you up with service that suits your needs better. It may
have been a mistake and maybe you can get a refund.

On Thu, 16 Oct 2003 01:03:08 GMT, "Chet" <[email protected]> wrote:

>I got a new phone after checking with Cingular who said it would be fine and
>there would be NO change in my services or fees. I got the Nokia 3595 phone
>from them. Now when I make a local call, e.g. from the cell phone to my
>standard phone in the same house, it's a TOLL call !!!!!! Cingular
>customer "service" told me there was nothing they could do about it, it was
>"new technology" and my old cell phone plan didn't cover it.
>
>I have a receipt for a new two year commitment that says "SAME" for the type
>of coverage.
>
>It sounds like a bait and switch to me. Anyone have any similar experience
>or advice?

guess what....welcome to cingular, can you hear me now?

is it out of the question cingular didnt explain plans to you in order
to get money from you for local calls? in an effort to make a buck? a
corporation with such high ethics and integrity such as cingular? naaa
couldnt be.

what cingular rep would purposely not tell the customer they will have
to pay for local calls on their cell phone, and purposely not tell
them about other plans that offer this for free? maybe one on
commission?

u didn't happen to sign that little piece of paper that says 2 year
contract by chance?

On Thu, 16 Oct 2003 02:16:37 GMT, "Chet" <[email protected]> wrote:

>I don't know what you mean by "what market are you in." This phone service
>is for a personal cell phone, i.e. not business or commercial use. It is
>located in Massachusetts USA.

Where?!
>
>Chet
>
>"Derek Smits" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> What market are you in? Kinda hard to answer your ? if you don't
>> include that little bit of info...
>>
>> "Chet" <[email protected]> wrote in article
>> <f7mjb.568389$cF.244122@rwcrnsc53>:
>> > I got a new phone after checking with Cingular who said it would be fine
>and
>> > there would be NO change in my services or fees. I got the Nokia 3595
>phone
>> > from them. Now when I make a local call, e.g. from the cell phone to my
>> > standard phone in the same house, it's a TOLL call !!!!!! Cingular
>> > customer "service" told me there was nothing they could do about it, it
>was
>> > "new technology" and my old cell phone plan didn't cover it.
>> >
>> > I have a receipt for a new two year commitment that says "SAME" for the
>type
>> > of coverage.
>> >
>> > It sounds like a bait and switch to me. Anyone have any similar
>experience
>> > or advice?
>> >
>> > Thanks.
>> >
>> > Chet
>> >
>> >
>>
>> [posted via phonescoop.com]
>

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To send an email reply send to
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How is it a toll call.
If your phone number did not change then how all of a sudden does the
telco start charging you.
ALL of cingular plans include LD so you WONT pay for charges, UNLESS
you are roaming. Does you new GSM phone (which required the monthly
plan to change) say CINGULAR on the screen in your home?

Goto a store and see a real live person.

On Thu, 16 Oct 2003 01:03:08 GMT, "Chet" <[email protected]> wrote:

>I got a new phone after checking with Cingular who said it would be fine and
>there would be NO change in my services or fees. I got the Nokia 3595 phone
>from them. Now when I make a local call, e.g. from the cell phone to my
>standard phone in the same house, it's a TOLL call !!!!!! Cingular
>customer "service" told me there was nothing they could do about it, it was
>"new technology" and my old cell phone plan didn't cover it.
>
>I have a receipt for a new two year commitment that says "SAME" for the type
>of coverage.
>
>It sounds like a bait and switch to me. Anyone have any similar experience
>or advice?
>
>Thanks.
>
>Chet
>

Okay. To review:

You had a 2+ yr old TDMA phone with a 2+ yr old plan, in Massachusetts.

You upgraded to a 3595 GSM phone, keeping your old plan.

Cingular now charges you a long-distance surcharge for calling your home
(landline) phone from your cell phone, when we never did before.

Questions:

Are your cell phone and your home phone in the same area code?

Does your cell plan include "Free Long Distance"?

If it does not, do you have a compelling reason not to change plans?
New Superhome plans have more minutes and more coverage than older
plans. If you need a Nation plan, GSM phones on an old Nation plan will
have coverage equivalent to the GSM Nation plan, because those are the
places we have GSM service. An older plan will not generate coverage if
the infrastructure does not support it.


Recommendation:

Go to a live Cingular rep and discuss your plan and your problem.
Consider updating your plan, if that will help. (If you are near the
Northborough Wal-Mart, I would be happy to help you.)


Warning:

If the long-distance charges are by your LANDLINE phone company,
Cingular, and your new phone, have nothing to do with it. It is
probably a change in the phone company's billing process in preparation
for WLNP.

If that is the case, all Cingular can do for you is get you a new
number, one your landline phone company considers local.

Alternatively, you could change your plan with the landline company, to
include the area they say your cell phone "belongs" in.


Good luck!

"Chet" <[email protected]> wrote in article
<[email protected]>:
> It must have been. It was 2 plus years old and they said the new phone was
> much better because it is newer technology.
>
> Chet
>
> "Alex Mikey" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Was your old phone TDMA?
> >
> > [posted via phonescoop.com]
>
>

[posted via phonescoop.com]

On Thu, 16 Oct 2003 16:18:23 -0500, News Reader
<[email protected]> wrote:

>> guess what....welcome to cingular, can you hear me now?
>
>Don't you mean Verizone Wireless, who doesn't listen to 45% stakeholder
>Vodafone?
>
>> is it out of the question cingular didnt explain plans to you in order
>> to get money from you for local calls? in an effort to make a buck? a
>> corporation with such high ethics and integrity such as cingular? naaa
>> couldnt be.
>
>When you find a company that makes absolutely *no* mistakes, please let
>me know. I would like to invest in them. Most likely, it is a billing
>issue. I mean if we want to get technical, many contracts do not allow
>another human being other than the one agreeing to the contract, to
>actually use the wireless handset.
>
>> what cingular rep would purposely not tell the customer they will have
>> to pay for local calls on their cell phone, and purposely not tell
>> them about other plans that offer this for free? maybe one on
>> commission?
>
>Well, it would be nice to make commission on a customer for life.
>However, I highly doubt any dealer does that. Usually dealers only make
>commission for the life of the contract.
>
>> u didn't happen to sign that little piece of paper that says 2 year
>> contract by chance?
>
>I hope you didn't make a photocopy of that contract. It is a felony to
>copy items without the prior written consent of the author.

never sign it

> guess what....welcome to cingular, can you hear me now?

Don't you mean Verizone Wireless, who doesn't listen to 45% stakeholder
Vodafone?

> is it out of the question cingular didnt explain plans to you in order
> to get money from you for local calls? in an effort to make a buck? a
> corporation with such high ethics and integrity such as cingular? naaa
> couldnt be.

When you find a company that makes absolutely *no* mistakes, please let
me know. I would like to invest in them. Most likely, it is a billing
issue. I mean if we want to get technical, many contracts do not allow
another human being other than the one agreeing to the contract, to
actually use the wireless handset.

> what cingular rep would purposely not tell the customer they will have
> to pay for local calls on their cell phone, and purposely not tell
> them about other plans that offer this for free? maybe one on
> commission?

Well, it would be nice to make commission on a customer for life.
However, I highly doubt any dealer does that. Usually dealers only make
commission for the life of the contract.

> u didn't happen to sign that little piece of paper that says 2 year
> contract by chance?

I hope you didn't make a photocopy of that contract. It is a felony to
copy items without the prior written consent of the author.