What do you think? Cingular CAN win

On Tue, 2 Dec 2003 21:58:48 -0500, "Bob the Printer" <[email protected]>
chose to add this to the great equation of life, the universe, and
everything:

>"some retard" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>
>> Maybe you can speak English, or even American, but you sure as hell
>> can't type it.
>
>AMEN! He can't even ***** 'their' for instance!

Or "they're."

And then there's NOT capitalizing the pronoun "I"...

--
David Streeter, "an internet god" -- Dave Barry
http://home.att.net/~dwstreeter
Expect a train on ANY track at ANY time.
"I'm tired, I'm cranky, and my wife's in Argentina." - President Jed
Bartlet

---

› See More: What do you think? Cingular CAN win

| >"some retard" <[email protected]> wrote in message
| >news:[email protected]...
| >
| >> Maybe you can speak English, or even American, but you sure as hell
| >> can't type it.
| >
| >AMEN! He can't even ***** 'their' for instance!
|
| Or "they're."
|
| And then there's NOT capitalizing the pronoun "I"...

Why focus on the media and not the message? Some folk (like me) have had by
pass surgery and have problems with typing or even pronouncing words. It
does not make the information less useful just a bit harder to convey. If
iit were not for ***** and grammar check I could not use the internet. Even
so mush of what I type has to be redone several times.

[email protected] (Matapalo) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I was reading a litany of complaints about Verizon. But if you ask
> me, Verizon and AT&T both treat their customers poorly. Cingular is
> in a good position to move in and shake up the market.
>
> VERIZON has excellent coverage on the West Coast of Florida in the old
> GTE Mobilenet coverage area, however, where they acquired PrimeCo
> networks the coverage SUCKS!

This is true. The PrimeCo network is 1900 Mhz, and hence provides
poorer coverage. Avoid Verizon in these areas.

> What kind of crap is that? The contract is valid and enforceable in
> Florida but service is not?

Yes. South Florida has Verizon coverage, just poorer coverage than in
othe areas. It's not Verizon's problem that you moved, except that if
you moved to an area with NO service at all, then they'd be more
likely to do something for you.

>
> So I am stuck with a $170 early termination for two lines.
>
> It's not like I am living in the middle of Iowa. I am in MIAMI - a
> major U.S. city and the service simply doesn't work on my street and I
> am 1 block off a major artery.
>
> Verizon's response and treatment of a ten year customer was and is
> UNCONSCIONABLE! I will most likely go to small claims court and try
> to get a judgment equal to the amount of the early termination fees.
> At that time I will pay for the balance of my airtime that I owe on my
> last bill!

No chance. First of all, you agreed to arbitration when you signed a
contract. Second, the contract is perfectly clear.

> AT&T's GSM network leaves a lot to be desired too, but time should
> ameliorate that problem.

I hope so. In California's urban areas the two 800 Mhz carriers are
Verizon and AT&T. When it was TDMA versus CDMA, they were about equal.
Now AT&T is worsening their TDMA network, but the GSM network is not
yet up to par (though better than Cingular/T-Mobile).

> I tell you what, when my contract with AT&T expires I am going to
> Cingular and go for ROLLOVER.

Wait, I thought you said you had Verizon!
Rollover is great. Cingular is good in South Florida, at least it was
in the TDMA daya (as was AT&T).

> I will NEVER, EVER buy a phone with a contract again. Why? Because
> they screw you coming and going. Do the math. You save nothing by
> getting the phone at a bargain rate.

If you don't need an unlocked phone, don't move, and choose your
carrier wisely, then the free or discounted phone does save you money.

> Is it true Cingular doesn't require a contract? If so, SIGN ME UP!

You can get Cingular or Sprint without a contract. Sprint charges
extra. Not sure about Verizon.

> And those ROLLOVER minutes from CINGULAR are sounding better by the
> minute.
>
> On a rate plan with Verizon and AT&T you lose EVERY WAY. Didn't use
> your minutes? You're not getting what you paid for. Used more than
> your rate plan allowance? You're paying an EXORBITANT premium for
> going over your plan. NO MATTER WHAT - YOU ALWAYS LOSE UNLESS YOU USE
> EXACTLY THE NUMBER OF MINUTES YOUR PLAN ALLOWS!

And when you don't eat all the food on your plate at a restaurant you
lose because you pay the same amount no matter how much of the food
you consumed.

> When a cellular company gets smart and starts offering flat rate plans
> for power users whose usage fluctuates, and NO CONTRACTS, expect a
> following of customers and minimum churn.

This would be a good plan, and would encourage more network usage and
higher monthly fees. As it is now, most people are so terrified of the
high per minute charges that they are very careful in their usage.

> In my experience, cell customers will tolerate reception and coverage
> inadequacies, however, they will not tolerate POOR customer service
> and being treated with callous indifference!

This is untrue. In a study of reasons for churn, customer service
ranked last as a reason. The two top reasons were handset problems and
coverage, and it is very likely that the handset problems were
actually related to coverage issues as well.

> I am a future CINGULAR customer!

An excellent choice in South Florida. A terrible choice in California.

> Also, maybe one of the geniuses in the marketing department will
> figure out the best way to get customers in the wake of Number
> Portability will be to offer to PAY FOR YOUR EARLY TERMINATION fees if
> you switch to their carrier.

That's a precedent that no carrier wants to set.

> The game has changed and all the major carriers are in collusion on
> pricing and policies. And all this is done to minimize churn.

It's gentle collusion, as practiced by the airlines. They'll try
raising rates or worsening terms, and if the other carriers follow
then it sticks. If the other carriers don't follow then they retract
it. I've seen this with Verizon out west. Or they'll offer an
outstanding plan, such as Cingular did at one time with no roaming
charges on their standard nationwide plan, and then they'll realize
that this was not a good idea.

> Sooner or later one of the major carriers is going to get weak and
> they are either going to be acquired by one of the other majors, or
> they will make a calculated gamble to grab market share using a
> product mix that consists of novel rate plans and policies that will
> engender loyalty.

Sprint is weak, but I think the other carriers are waiting for an
asset sale rather than paying a high price for the whole carrier.

> Take the lid off Cingular! Sell unlocked phones! Be honest with your
> customers and they will reward you with loyalty. You're heading in
> the right direction with ROLLOVER and NO CONTRACTS. Go the remaining
> mile and break away from the dirty tricks of AT&T and Verizon.

What trick did Verizon play? You signed up for service and signed a
contract. How does you moving obligate Verizon to take a loss?

I had the same idea on the automatic tier pricing, but apparently
carriers don't think that this will be more profitable or they would
have tried it.

Steven Scharf wrote on [9 Dec 2003 07:57:29 -0800]:
> [email protected] (Matapalo) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
>> On a rate plan with Verizon and AT&T you lose EVERY WAY. Didn't use
>> your minutes? You're not getting what you paid for. Used more than
>> your rate plan allowance? You're paying an EXORBITANT premium for
>> going over your plan. NO MATTER WHAT - YOU ALWAYS LOSE UNLESS YOU USE
>> EXACTLY THE NUMBER OF MINUTES YOUR PLAN ALLOWS!
>
> And when you don't eat all the food on your plate at a restaurant you
> lose because you pay the same amount no matter how much of the food
> you consumed.

Never heard of a doggy bag?

Pretty thoughtful responses with the notable exception of the
food-restaurant analogy.

When I eat my entire meal I am getting what I paid for. With my cellular
plans I am, without exception, not getting what I paid for or I am paying
exorbitant rates.

This is like being charged $1.00 for a cup of coffee and God forbid,
circumstances arise and you spill half of it and if you want a refill the
cost is $5.00.




"Steven Scharf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> [email protected] (Matapalo) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > I was reading a litany of complaints about Verizon. But if you ask
> > me, Verizon and AT&T both treat their customers poorly. Cingular is
> > in a good position to move in and shake up the market.
> >
> > VERIZON has excellent coverage on the West Coast of Florida in the old
> > GTE Mobilenet coverage area, however, where they acquired PrimeCo
> > networks the coverage SUCKS!
>
> This is true. The PrimeCo network is 1900 Mhz, and hence provides
> poorer coverage. Avoid Verizon in these areas.
>
> > What kind of crap is that? The contract is valid and enforceable in
> > Florida but service is not?
>
> Yes. South Florida has Verizon coverage, just poorer coverage than in
> othe areas. It's not Verizon's problem that you moved, except that if
> you moved to an area with NO service at all, then they'd be more
> likely to do something for you.
>
> >
> > So I am stuck with a $170 early termination for two lines.
> >
> > It's not like I am living in the middle of Iowa. I am in MIAMI - a
> > major U.S. city and the service simply doesn't work on my street and I
> > am 1 block off a major artery.
> >
> > Verizon's response and treatment of a ten year customer was and is
> > UNCONSCIONABLE! I will most likely go to small claims court and try
> > to get a judgment equal to the amount of the early termination fees.
> > At that time I will pay for the balance of my airtime that I owe on my
> > last bill!
>
> No chance. First of all, you agreed to arbitration when you signed a
> contract. Second, the contract is perfectly clear.
>
> > AT&T's GSM network leaves a lot to be desired too, but time should
> > ameliorate that problem.
>
> I hope so. In California's urban areas the two 800 Mhz carriers are
> Verizon and AT&T. When it was TDMA versus CDMA, they were about equal.
> Now AT&T is worsening their TDMA network, but the GSM network is not
> yet up to par (though better than Cingular/T-Mobile).
>
> > I tell you what, when my contract with AT&T expires I am going to
> > Cingular and go for ROLLOVER.
>
> Wait, I thought you said you had Verizon!
> Rollover is great. Cingular is good in South Florida, at least it was
> in the TDMA daya (as was AT&T).
>
> > I will NEVER, EVER buy a phone with a contract again. Why? Because
> > they screw you coming and going. Do the math. You save nothing by
> > getting the phone at a bargain rate.
>
> If you don't need an unlocked phone, don't move, and choose your
> carrier wisely, then the free or discounted phone does save you money.
>
> > Is it true Cingular doesn't require a contract? If so, SIGN ME UP!
>
> You can get Cingular or Sprint without a contract. Sprint charges
> extra. Not sure about Verizon.
>
> > And those ROLLOVER minutes from CINGULAR are sounding better by the
> > minute.
> >
> > On a rate plan with Verizon and AT&T you lose EVERY WAY. Didn't use
> > your minutes? You're not getting what you paid for. Used more than
> > your rate plan allowance? You're paying an EXORBITANT premium for
> > going over your plan. NO MATTER WHAT - YOU ALWAYS LOSE UNLESS YOU USE
> > EXACTLY THE NUMBER OF MINUTES YOUR PLAN ALLOWS!
>
> And when you don't eat all the food on your plate at a restaurant you
> lose because you pay the same amount no matter how much of the food
> you consumed.
>
> > When a cellular company gets smart and starts offering flat rate plans
> > for power users whose usage fluctuates, and NO CONTRACTS, expect a
> > following of customers and minimum churn.
>
> This would be a good plan, and would encourage more network usage and
> higher monthly fees. As it is now, most people are so terrified of the
> high per minute charges that they are very careful in their usage.
>
> > In my experience, cell customers will tolerate reception and coverage
> > inadequacies, however, they will not tolerate POOR customer service
> > and being treated with callous indifference!
>
> This is untrue. In a study of reasons for churn, customer service
> ranked last as a reason. The two top reasons were handset problems and
> coverage, and it is very likely that the handset problems were
> actually related to coverage issues as well.
>
> > I am a future CINGULAR customer!
>
> An excellent choice in South Florida. A terrible choice in California.
>
> > Also, maybe one of the geniuses in the marketing department will
> > figure out the best way to get customers in the wake of Number
> > Portability will be to offer to PAY FOR YOUR EARLY TERMINATION fees if
> > you switch to their carrier.
>
> That's a precedent that no carrier wants to set.
>
> > The game has changed and all the major carriers are in collusion on
> > pricing and policies. And all this is done to minimize churn.
>
> It's gentle collusion, as practiced by the airlines. They'll try
> raising rates or worsening terms, and if the other carriers follow
> then it sticks. If the other carriers don't follow then they retract
> it. I've seen this with Verizon out west. Or they'll offer an
> outstanding plan, such as Cingular did at one time with no roaming
> charges on their standard nationwide plan, and then they'll realize
> that this was not a good idea.
>
> > Sooner or later one of the major carriers is going to get weak and
> > they are either going to be acquired by one of the other majors, or
> > they will make a calculated gamble to grab market share using a
> > product mix that consists of novel rate plans and policies that will
> > engender loyalty.
>
> Sprint is weak, but I think the other carriers are waiting for an
> asset sale rather than paying a high price for the whole carrier.
>
> > Take the lid off Cingular! Sell unlocked phones! Be honest with your
> > customers and they will reward you with loyalty. You're heading in
> > the right direction with ROLLOVER and NO CONTRACTS. Go the remaining
> > mile and break away from the dirty tricks of AT&T and Verizon.
>
> What trick did Verizon play? You signed up for service and signed a
> contract. How does you moving obligate Verizon to take a loss?
>
> I had the same idea on the automatic tier pricing, but apparently
> carriers don't think that this will be more profitable or they would
> have tried it.

"Shizz In It" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> When I eat my entire meal I am getting what I paid for. With my cellular
> plans I am, without exception, not getting what I paid for or I am paying
> exorbitant rates.

Um, you could use up all of your minutes just as you eat all of your food.


---
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Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.548 / Virus Database: 341 - Release Date: 12/5/2003

"Shizz In It" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Pretty thoughtful responses with the notable exception of the
> food-restaurant analogy.
>
> When I eat my entire meal I am getting what I paid for.

And when you use all your minutes you are getting everything you paid for.

> With my cellular
> plans I am, without exception, not getting what I paid for or I am paying
> exorbitant rates.

The monthly fee is a sunk cost. You pay it for service and a limited number
of minutes. It makes no sense to go back each month and say gee, this month
each minute cost $0.29, last month I used more of my minutes so each minute
cost $0.28.

> This is like being charged $1.00 for a cup of coffee and God forbid,
> circumstances arise and you spill half of it and if you want a refill the
> cost is $5.00.

No, look at it this way. An 8 ounce cup of coffee is $1.50, a 12 ounce cup
of coffee is $1.70, a 16 ounce cup of coffee is $1.90. If you buy an 8 ounce
cup and decide that you really want 16 ounces, you can't go back and say
"gee, can you just give me 8 more ounces for 40 cents. You don't pay 40
cents, you pay another $1.50. You get a better deal per ounce on the bigger
size. If you only drink 8 ounces of a 16 ounce cup then you would have been
better off with the 8 ounce cup to begin with. Now the coffee place could
tell you, I'll sell you additional ounces at 30 cents per ounce or you can
buy a whole another eight ounce cup for $1.50. It'd be nice if you could
call your carrier, tell them that you need more minutes that month, and buy
them in blocks of 100 for $20 or so. It'd be even better if the carrier did
this for you automatically.

You're free with wireless to change to a higher monthly plan. With the
wireless carrier, they're nice enough to sell you one minute at a time,
albeit at a very high rate.

Verizon once sent me a letter which stated "your plan is too big for you." I
was not using even the number of minutes on the next tier down, for several
months in a row. They suggested that I change to a cheaper plan.

When I went to change my plan with AT&T, they automatically STRIPPED all my
promotional extras (unlimited nights, weekends, mobile-mobile, etc.).

Let's face it, your reasoning is logical but this board is literally
inundated with angry, unhappy wireless users.

I have been a power user at each of the carriers with the exception of
Cingular.

As consumers we are stuck with a six company monopoly. Yes "monopoly." If
you want to fly from Salt Lake City to Atlanta you can choose any airline
you want as long as it is Delta. Delta is the dominant player in those hub
cities and they offer the best routes and schedules, not necessarily the
best service or prices.

Same with cell carriers.

And which cellular carrier you choose is governed by similar market specific
constraints. For example, is your Verizon city really a PrimeCo merger
network using the fabled 1900 Mhz band?

Sprint PCS - cute phones, slick TV commercials with that smug, laconic,
unctuous, middle-aged white guy in the trench coat - but their coverage
sucks.

Nextel - for construction workers only no matter how many TV ads they put
out showing Wall Street execs using the "walkie talkie" feature.

Talk about bad phone etiquette! Even as an innocent bystander I can never
get accustomed to the CRACK, BEEP, STATIC, "Alpha Tango Bravo this is
whiskey zulu eight-niner. Do you read me? OVER!" CRACK, BEEP, STATIC.

CRACK, BEEP, STATIC, "Whiskey zulu eight-niner this is alpha tango bravo. We
read you. OVER." CRACK, BEEP, STATIC.

CRACK, BEEP, STATIC, "Alpha Tango Bravo this is whiskey zulu eight-niner.
CHECK YOUR FIRE! ADJUST FIRE RIGHT FIVE ZERO ZERO CLICKS, FIRE FOR EFFECT!
Over and OUT!" CRACK, BEEP, STATIC.

Jesus, it's a telephone conversation and not a night-time forward
reconnaissance patrol in Quang Tri calling in an artillery strike.

Verizon - arguably the best network and coverage (CDMA) in the U.S. albeit a
"quilt" or "tapestry" of seemingly mismatched fabrics (PrimeCo). Although
I've had good response times on the phone with their Customer Service, it's
like throwing darts concerning results. If you miss on the first shot, hang
up and call again. You might get someone who doesn't suffer from some
debilitating, congenital neurological defect.

AT&T - Without a doubt the most abhorrent, unconscionable customer service
in the industry. I called them one day and asked what my usage was in order
to see if my rate plan was appropriate. Suddenly that information is no
longer available on their CS software and they referred me to their web site
and said, "You can only get it on the site now." Well, I tried the site for
over a month and the data wasn't accessible and I kept getting error
messages. The authorized and official AT&T Retail store couldn't tell me my
usage either. Well, surprise! My usage was suddenly viewable on the web
site the day after my billing statement.

Their GSM network "will be" vastly superior to their once much vaunted
"digital" (TDMA) bomb (remember that one! LOL!) once they get their GSM
network built out. But like their much fabled cable television and
broadband division that tanked and was sold off, I see a similar fate
because some ****ing genius in their strategic marketing division seems to
believe you can monopolize and force customers to accept an inferior or
inadequate product as well as dubious business practices.

Case law:

I watched AT&T's undergound fiber optic installers get within 100 feet of my
house where it abruptly STOPPED and didn't get an inch closer for the next
four years until COMCAST bought them out. Then it was a matter of months
before my house got broadband and digital cable (of course I sold my house
that month and moved out of state)! Why? Acquisition debt! Greedy and
stupid AT&T wanted to own and control (monopolize) that industry too. Their
plan? Acquisitions and debt financing! Buy up all the competition, heap
the debt on the shareholders, run out of cash, stop building the network or
infrastructure, stop spending, layoff thousands of workers, cut back on
customer service, etc. STOP SPENDING because you know you are going to sell
the business. Sell the business. You know the story.

And AT&T's web site in an ABOMINATION. Who in God's name authorized that
abortion? It's slow. Navigation? It's like trying to track electrical
neural impulses in the basal ganglia using only the naked eye.

But what, there's more! I got stuck with the Sony t68 for $249 when it
first came out. It's been replaced three times and AT&T quietly pulled it
from their line. The phone is infamous for its defects. AT&T won't back up
the phone and Sony will only keep replacing it with other defective t68
phones.

T-Mobile - How do you say "Deutsche Telekom" in English? How do you say
"Voice Stream Sucks?" Catherine Zeta Jones, hot as she is, isn't enough to
carry the day. This carrier is a pig with lipstick.

Cingular - I like their plans and "no contract" attitude. Cute logo too.

I give up! They all suck.

As far as I am concerned, they've been doing all the screwing with predatory
marketing practices and non-existent customer service. Like all
short-sighted sellers, once they have you under contract they don't see any
need to spend any money to keep you happy.

By the way, I'm not giving them one cent for ringtones anymore. Instead,
I'll send them myself at http://www.itsmycellphone.com





"Steven M. Scharf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Shizz In It" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
> > Pretty thoughtful responses with the notable exception of the
> > food-restaurant analogy.
> >
> > When I eat my entire meal I am getting what I paid for.
>
> And when you use all your minutes you are getting everything you paid for.
>
> > With my cellular
> > plans I am, without exception, not getting what I paid for or I am
paying
> > exorbitant rates.
>
> The monthly fee is a sunk cost. You pay it for service and a limited
number
> of minutes. It makes no sense to go back each month and say gee, this
month
> each minute cost $0.29, last month I used more of my minutes so each
minute
> cost $0.28.
>
> > This is like being charged $1.00 for a cup of coffee and God forbid,
> > circumstances arise and you spill half of it and if you want a refill
the
> > cost is $5.00.
>
> No, look at it this way. An 8 ounce cup of coffee is $1.50, a 12 ounce cup
> of coffee is $1.70, a 16 ounce cup of coffee is $1.90. If you buy an 8
ounce
> cup and decide that you really want 16 ounces, you can't go back and say
> "gee, can you just give me 8 more ounces for 40 cents. You don't pay 40
> cents, you pay another $1.50. You get a better deal per ounce on the
bigger
> size. If you only drink 8 ounces of a 16 ounce cup then you would have
been
> better off with the 8 ounce cup to begin with. Now the coffee place could
> tell you, I'll sell you additional ounces at 30 cents per ounce or you can
> buy a whole another eight ounce cup for $1.50. It'd be nice if you could
> call your carrier, tell them that you need more minutes that month, and
buy
> them in blocks of 100 for $20 or so. It'd be even better if the carrier
did
> this for you automatically.
>
> You're free with wireless to change to a higher monthly plan. With the
> wireless carrier, they're nice enough to sell you one minute at a time,
> albeit at a very high rate.
>
> Verizon once sent me a letter which stated "your plan is too big for you."
I
> was not using even the number of minutes on the next tier down, for
several
> months in a row. They suggested that I change to a cheaper plan.
>
>

In alt.cellular.verizon Shizz In It <[email protected]> wrote:
> When I went to change my plan with AT&T, they automatically STRIPPED all my
> promotional extras (unlimited nights, weekends, mobile-mobile, etc.).
>
> Let's face it, your reasoning is logical but this board is literally
> inundated with angry, unhappy wireless users.

Well, those people should switch. The Verizon newsgroup has its share of
people who aren't happy, but I think most of the regulars here are pretty
satisfied with their service. Can't speak for AT&T. I never personally used
AT&T. And I won't give money to SBC so there is not a chance in hell I will
ever carry a Cingular phone.

> As consumers we are stuck with a six company monopoly. Yes "monopoly."

Not. Look up the definition of the term "monopoly."

> I watched AT&T's undergound fiber optic installers get within 100 feet of my
> house where it abruptly STOPPED and didn't get an inch closer for the next
> four years until COMCAST bought them out.

OK, ATTBI/Comcast/Mediaone/etc. are incompetent. They're cable companies;
what do you expect? I don't know what your point is here, as cable has nothing
to do with cellular.

> infrastructure, stop spending, layoff thousands of workers, cut back on
> customer service, etc. STOP SPENDING because you know you are going to sell
> the business. Sell the business. You know the story.

Yeah, Cablevision did the same thing in Cleveland before selling to Adelphia.
It sucks. Again, what do you expect to prove by citing this? That AT&T sucks?
Ok, are you still with AT&T? If so, why?

--
JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services
22674 Motnocab Road * Apple Valley, CA 92307-1950
Steve Sobol, Proprietor
888.480.4NET (4638) * 248.724.4NET * [email protected]

Sobol:

RULE OF HOLES
"When you find yourself in one, stop digging."


"Steven J Sobol" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In alt.cellular.verizon Shizz In It <[email protected]> wrote:
> > When I went to change my plan with AT&T, they automatically STRIPPED all
my
> > promotional extras (unlimited nights, weekends, mobile-mobile, etc.).
> >
> > Let's face it, your reasoning is logical but this board is literally
> > inundated with angry, unhappy wireless users.
>
> Well, those people should switch. The Verizon newsgroup has its share of
> people who aren't happy, but I think most of the regulars here are pretty
> satisfied with their service. Can't speak for AT&T. I never personally
used
> AT&T. And I won't give money to SBC so there is not a chance in hell I
will
> ever carry a Cingular phone.
>
> > As consumers we are stuck with a six company monopoly. Yes "monopoly."
>
> Not. Look up the definition of the term "monopoly."
>
> > I watched AT&T's undergound fiber optic installers get within 100 feet
of my
> > house where it abruptly STOPPED and didn't get an inch closer for the
next
> > four years until COMCAST bought them out.
>
> OK, ATTBI/Comcast/Mediaone/etc. are incompetent. They're cable companies;
> what do you expect? I don't know what your point is here, as cable has
nothing
> to do with cellular.
>
> > infrastructure, stop spending, layoff thousands of workers, cut back on
> > customer service, etc. STOP SPENDING because you know you are going to
sell
> > the business. Sell the business. You know the story.
>
> Yeah, Cablevision did the same thing in Cleveland before selling to
Adelphia.
> It sucks. Again, what do you expect to prove by citing this? That AT&T
sucks?
> Ok, are you still with AT&T? If so, why?
>
> --
> JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services
> 22674 Motnocab Road * Apple Valley, CA 92307-1950
> Steve Sobol, Proprietor
> 888.480.4NET (4638) * 248.724.4NET * [email protected]

"Steven M. Scharf" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
<snip>
> You're free with wireless to change to a higher monthly plan.
> With the wireless carrier, they're nice enough to sell you one
> minute at a time, albeit at a very high rate.
>
I think that's his point: The per-minute overage charges are
*insanely* high. I can use a calling card and make one call
per month for one minute each and pay 3.5 cents per minute.
Is 40 cents or more really the best that wireless carriers can
do and still make a profit? Where are they buying their long
distance service? Are they that inefficient? Or are they just
trying to force people to upgrade to higher-priced plans that
they don't need 99 percent of the time.

EXACTLY!

"L David Matheny" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Steven M. Scharf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> <snip>
> > You're free with wireless to change to a higher monthly plan.
> > With the wireless carrier, they're nice enough to sell you one
> > minute at a time, albeit at a very high rate.
> >
> I think that's his point: The per-minute overage charges are
> *insanely* high. I can use a calling card and make one call
> per month for one minute each and pay 3.5 cents per minute.
> Is 40 cents or more really the best that wireless carriers can
> do and still make a profit? Where are they buying their long
> distance service? Are they that inefficient? Or are they just
> trying to force people to upgrade to higher-priced plans that
> they don't need 99 percent of the time.
>
>

In alt.cellular.verizon FIGMO <[email protected]> wrote:
> Sobol:
>
> RULE OF HOLES
> "When you find yourself in one, stop digging."

Whatever.

I still want to know what cable has to do with cellular. Oh! Wait! It doesn't!

If AT&T sucks, AT&T sucks. I'm not arguing that. I'm just saying Shizz-for-
brains isn't doing a good job arguing his case. But after seeing some of his
posts in other newsgroups, I can't say I'm surprised.

--
JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services
22674 Motnocab Road * Apple Valley, CA 92307-1950
Steve Sobol, Proprietor
888.480.4NET (4638) * 248.724.4NET * [email protected]

Steven J Sobol wrote on [Wed, 10 Dec 2003 11:32:35 -0600]:
> In alt.cellular.verizon FIGMO <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Sobol:
>>
>> RULE OF HOLES
>> "When you find yourself in one, stop digging."
>
> Whatever.
>
> I still want to know what cable has to do with cellular. Oh! Wait! It doesn't!

It's simple, he wasn't talking about cable and cellular being related.
He was saying that it's SOP for AT&T companies to buy, build up as much
as they can afford and then sell off at a profit. Not caring what sort
of service they provide.

In article <[email protected]>,
Justin <[email protected]> wrote:

> It's simple, he wasn't talking about cable and cellular being related.

The management at both cut corners on customer service and think of
users as merely a piece of cash-flow. If you require support, that costs
too much, and they'd just as soon lose you.