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  1. #1
    John Navas
    Guest
    [POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

    In <[email protected]> on 5 Jan 2005
    10:09:22 -0800, [email protected] wrote:

    >[SNIP]


    Enough is enough. You've made your point, now move on. Posting the same crap
    over and over just annoys your audience and weakens your case.

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



    See More: Venting.....Tens of CONSUMER REPORTS on CINGULAR billing DISPUTES




  2. #2
    helpster
    Guest

    Re: Venting.....Tens of CONSUMER REPORTS on CINGULAR billing DISPUTES

    Whats this got to do with NEXTEL , VERIZON Motorola or Ericsson?. We dislike
    excessive cross posting more then you dislike Cingular. It is pointless and
    wasteful And if I wanted to read the reports from Consumeraffairs, I can
    certainly go there myself without wasting valuable bandwith on here.


    <[email protected]> wrote in message
    news:[email protected]...
    > Tens of CONSUMER REPORTS ON CINGULAR BILLING DISPUTES
    >
    > http://www.consumeraffairs.com/cell_...r_billing.html
    >
    > Carolyn of Mullins SC (1/28/03):
    > We purchased a nationwide plan knowing we were going on an extended
    > vacation to California and needed to keep in touch with family here. We
    > were told we had nights and weekends free up to 3500 minutes. We
    > received no written proof of this transaction, and called twice to be
    > sure we had the free minutes and were told we did. We didn't have it in
    > writing, so when our bill came when we returned, we were furuous when
    > told we were charged for roaming charges to the amount of $2000. I
    > think the employees of this company should be trained to know what they
    > are selling. We also had a friend that traveled to alaska and believing
    > they had free minutes were charged for the calls. they got half of
    > their money back, we got none.
    >
    >
    > We were out a lot of money, all they said was sorry, your minutes only
    > count when in S.C. Now the phone is worthless, but will keep it until
    > our contract is up as they charged us $150 to turn in the other phone.
    > i am afraid to use the phone long distance at all now, and plan to turn
    > it in when the contract is up and not get another one.
    >
    >
    > Tamie of Wilsonville AL (10/3/02):
    > I have been overcharged every month since February, and paid the bills,
    > averaging $220+ for one phone. I even upped my minutes to 1000/mo for
    > $69.99 and just got my bill -- $188.65 for under 600 minutes! I cannot
    > afford these bills. Every month I think it will be straightened out.
    > Everyone I talk to has similar problems.
    >
    >
    > Paige of Noblesville IN writes (7/23/01):
    > I was not told about roaming charges at all when I signed up for free
    > long distance..the company finally agreed to eliminate the roaming
    > charges but now want to charge me for any overage ... taking away one
    > charge but adding another!
    >
    > I am extremely upset with their desceptive practices, I cannot trust
    > them...the rep would not send me their new terms in writing until I
    > agreed to them first! I was duped and tricked!
    >
    >
    >
    > Angela of Jacksonville FL (1/14/03):
    > I signed up for a 250 anytime minute plan plus 3,500 nights/weekends
    > with no roaming or long distance. I have been using Cingular since
    > 1996, not always on this plan. The last time I changed my plan, it was
    > to cost me $29.99 per month for a gross bill of $38.00. My monthly
    > bills have ranged anywhere from $45 to $198 with Cingular, which is a
    > far cry from the $38.00 per month that I always anticipate.
    >
    >
    > Since June 2001, I have only paid the minimum $38.00 7 times. I became
    > concerned at the amount of the monthly bills. Therefore, I began
    > attempting to track my usage. However, as usual, the total minutes
    > billed did not match my estimates. I was reading on the Internet some
    > fine print about being charged airtime for checking your voicemail. In
    > addition, when I requested the National plan, I did not sign a
    > contract, therefore I was not aware of the $.40 per minute peak
    > overlimit charge. I thought I was supposed to be paying around $.19 per
    > minute or less. I have asked for detailed billing, but it still does
    > not clarify all of the charges. I am concerned that Cingular is
    > engaging in illegal billing activity. As a consumer, I would hope that
    > someone is reviewing the billing practices of cell phone companies.
    >
    >
    > Colleen of Syracuse NY (1/4/03):
    > I signed up for a cell phone for my daughter for X-Mas in 2001. I
    > signed up for the $19.99 a month plan with free nights and weekends. I
    > was told that if I needed to up the plan to more minutes I could and I
    > could also go back to the $19.99 plan anytime. I was planning a trip
    > and knew I would need more minutes so changed the plan for one month.
    > After the one month I called and changed the plan back to the original
    > $19.99 a month plan. Each plan had free nights and weekends. After
    > switching back to the $19.99 a month plan I received a bill for $600
    > for like 2000 airtime minutes!
    >
    >
    > I immediately called the company and was told that yes I owed this
    > amount because when I changed plans my free nights and weekends were no
    > longer included. Well, I tried to talk to a manager but was put on hold
    > for 20 minutes or more at a time. Each time I would talk to someone
    > their story would change. I would ask to speak to the person I had
    > already spoken to and would be told that person had gone home even
    > though I had spoken with them 20 minutes earlier! It was very
    > frustrating and I finally told them to shut the damn phone off and I
    > would not pay anything! I lost my temper because I could not speak to
    > anyone with any authority nor could I get a straight answer from
    > anyone! Very frustrating!
    >
    >
    > The account has been turned over to a collection agency and every bill
    > that comes is of course higher than the last. I think the last bill I
    > received was for $800. I don't know what to do. I can not afford an
    > attorney nor will I pay $800. I feel totally ripped off! The
    > consequences are that my credit is being jepordized by a company that
    > is taking advantage of people! I really want my daughter to have a cell
    > phone in case of an emergency but I refuse to be taken advantage of and
    > pay a bogus $800 bill.
    >
    >
    > Colleen is making a big mistake. She should pay the bill, then sue the
    > company in Small Claims Court to recover her payments and costs. Her
    > present course leads only to more trouble.
    >
    >
    > Lisa of Gravette AR (9/12/02):
    > I had 4 phones with Cingular Wireless. We all lived in the state of
    > Arkansas and could talk unlimited to each other. This was great for
    > about 12 months into my contract. My first bill they sent me that was
    > incorrect was for $2600. I was very upset. I called, was on hold for at
    > least one hour. I then was told they would have to send it to a
    > auditing department. They told me it would take 10 days to resolve the
    > problem. The next phone bill was only $1600.00. I normally have $100.00
    > phone bills. This continues for 5 months. I was overcharged in the end
    > $280.00. I knew I had to pay it because they would send it to
    > collections. I didn't feel I could go to an attorney and that cost me
    > more. I found this web site and decided to least warn people of this
    > company. They were rude and not caring at all with my situation.
    >
    >
    > Hours on the phone was the most upsetting. I now know what they mean
    > about going "postal" I threw my phone across my yard after being on
    > hold for one hour and finally getting someone, telling them my problem
    > and then I lost the signal. The feeling that I had no control over the
    > situation that I was just waiting for them to tell me how much I owed
    > them. I was able to get out of my contract without paying a penalty.
    >
    >
    > Deborah of Nashua NJ (6/14/01):
    > I have a nationwide calling plan with Cingular Wireless (Digital Edge
    > USA) with 550 prepaid minutes/month at a flat rate of $70, no roaming
    > or long distance anytime, and the calls can be placed from anywhere to
    > anywhere in the US.
    >
    > Cingular applies minutes that I incur outside of their "local" coverage
    > area (i.e., roamer minutes) to the following month's bill, on the
    > premise that these calls don't show up in their system right away, as
    > they are from other carriers. Cingular does not adjust the current
    > month for any unused minutes in the month in which the calls were
    > ACTUALLY MADE. As such, I get double-billed for these minutes; once in
    > the unused pre-paid minutes for the month in which the calls were
    > placed, and then again when the calls show up in the following month.
    >
    >
    > This practice causes my airtime for the next period to exceed my limit
    > of 550 minutes, resulting in additional fees and taxes over and above
    > the pre-paid charge. This practice also leaves the consumer completely
    > in the dark regarding how many minutes to expect on their monthly bill
    > ... my cellular telephone only tracks calls in real-time, when they are
    > actually made, not when they might show up on my Cingular bill.
    >
    >
    > It seems to me that Cingular should be going back and retroactively
    > applying roamer minutes to any unused time from the month in which the
    > calls were ACTUALLY PLACED, rather than billing them against a period
    > in which they did not occur, and do not pertain to. I have complained
    > about this practice to Cingular's customer service department with no
    > satisfaction (I was treated rudely and laughed at by their
    > representative, Ms. Kara Hannah, for making the suggestion).
    >
    >
    > It has been pointed out to me that this was disclosed in the agreement
    > that I signed when I entered into the contract with Cingular, and as
    > such, it is legal for them to perpetrate this billing practice on their
    > customers. However, in my opinion, even though it may be legal, that
    > doesn't make it ethical or right. Is there any logical reason why a
    > reasonable comsumer should have to accept this type of billing
    > practice?
    >
    >
    > My cell phone bills for the last two months, and on one other, prior
    > occasion, have been between $100-140, when they should have been about
    > $75.
    >
    >
    > Jasmine of Los Angeles (6/4/01):
    > My Supervisor and I went to Cingular to inquire about opening a new
    > account. We had two problems with the process. First, we inquired about
    > a business account. We explained that we had very specific needs, as we
    > travel a lot and conduct a great deal of business on the phone from all
    > over the country. The representative shared that Cingular had the
    > perfect phone to fit our needs. It was not and we had to battle with
    > them to exchange the phone without charging although the representative
    > lied about the functions this phone had.
    >
    > In addition, when we initially made the purchase, the Associate
    > explained that Cingular offered flexible plans to fit our specific
    > needs. He went on to advise us that we should select the Local plan for
    > home and switch to a national plan when we travelled. We decided to do
    > this as he emphasized repeatedly the fact that this was a simple and
    > cost effective process. Moreover he assured us that there were no
    > hidden fees if we chose to switch the plan.
    >
    >
    > Two months later after trying to switch the plans the way we'd been
    > told we could do, we were advised against this action because of the
    > fees that would accrue for roaming charges if the cycle had not been
    > completed. I tried to inquire regarding the matter to see if another
    > plan may fit our needs but to no avail. I explained that we wished to
    > cancel the service as the terms of the contract had been totally
    > misrepresented and falsified. Cingular Wireless agreed to cancel the
    > contract but insists on us paying the $150.00 fee, which we feel is
    > completely unfair.
    >
    >
    > We refuse to pay the fee as the Sales Associate who sold us the
    > contract was new on the job (only a few days with the company) which I
    > was told by the Manager early on after an earlier descrepincy with the
    > phone. We have had the service for two months and have had nothing but
    > problems from PacBell.
    >
    >
    > Kelly of California MO (2/8/01):
    > Once again I've spent nearly TWO HOURS on the phone trying to
    > straighten out my cell phone bill. We purchased this phone in St.
    > Joseph Missouri for use by our son in St. Joseph, in our hometown
    > (California Missouri), and all points in between. We purchased the
    > phone and service with Southwestern Bell Wireless (now Cingular) after
    > careful research. We were assured time and time again during the
    > purchasing process that use of this phone in St. Joseph, in our
    > hometown, and all points in between WOULD NOT result in roaming charges
    > or toll charges.
    >
    > However, each and every month since purchasing this phone we have
    > either had to call the Cingular office or go to the retail store to
    > straighten out billing problems. We have been and continue to be billed
    > roaming and toll charges even though we were ASSURED usage in the areas
    > described WOULD NOT result in these charges. Granted, each month the
    > charges have been removed and the customer service rep has promised the
    > problem has been fixed (after I spent hours on the phone), but we
    > continue to have problems.
    >
    >
    > When I have to spend TWO HOURS on the phone trying to fix a problem
    > that has been ongoing since July 2000, something is seriously wrong. I
    > called the customer service office at 4 pm CST on Jan. 25, 2001, and
    > spoke with Frank. After he checked things over and over again for over
    > 45 minutes, I grew tired of waiting and finally asked to speak with a
    > supervisor. Frank flatly refused to allow me speak with a supervisor! I
    > was forced to hang up and call back immediately. I then finally spoke
    > with a supervisor named Gary who saw the problem and promised to fix it
    > and call me back with the correct billing amount. I waited over an hour
    > to hear from him (after he promised to call back in 5 or 10 minutes)
    > and finally had to leave for a meeting that I was already late for. He
    > finally called an hour and a half later and left a message on my
    > answering machine that he would call the next day (1/26) but he never
    > called back.
    >
    >
    > To say that I find this type of treatment unacceptable would be an
    > understatement! The time and effort I have been forced to put into
    > trying to correct something I'm not even at fault for is ridiculous! I
    > have contacted Cingular through their website (email) at least six
    > times and called their office several times, only to be put on hold.
    > Nothing I have done has helped! They WILL NOT contact me regarding this
    > billing dispute!
    >
    >
    > Jim P wrote:
    > > Well, I got my new phones that I ordered on-line from Cingular on the

    > 27th
    > > of Dec.
    > > Everything seemed ok until my phone would not accept the sim card.
    > > (Unauthorized sim) That one had one of my old numbers from Sprint

    > that was
    > > being ported over to my new phone. It took 4 days to finally fix the

    > problem
    > > and after several hours of talking to tech support. I look online

    > today at
    > > my account and there is my first bill for $266.00
    > > After a very unsatisfying conversation with a rude rep, I find that

    > they
    > > have charged me for numerous things that were
    > > not explained to me in any way, shape or form. I purchased the family

    >
    > > plan1250 with 4 free phones, so I was thinking my first bill was

    > going to be
    > > about $150'ish. Boy was I wrong.
    > > Is this going to be typical from Cingular? I was a long-time Sprint
    > > customer, and in a way, I am regretting leaving.

    >






  3. #3
    Guest

    Re: Venting.....Tens of CONSUMER REPORTS on CINGULAR billing DISPUTES

    Then don't read or even respond. If you don't like a post, why even waste
    the energy or time to even respond?

    "helpster" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    news:[email protected]...
    > Whats this got to do with NEXTEL , VERIZON Motorola or Ericsson?. We

    dislike
    > excessive cross posting more then you dislike Cingular. It is pointless

    and
    > wasteful And if I wanted to read the reports from Consumeraffairs, I can
    > certainly go there myself without wasting valuable bandwith on here.
    >
    >
    > <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    > > Tens of CONSUMER REPORTS ON CINGULAR BILLING DISPUTES
    > >
    > > http://www.consumeraffairs.com/cell_...r_billing.html
    > >
    > > Carolyn of Mullins SC (1/28/03):
    > > We purchased a nationwide plan knowing we were going on an extended
    > > vacation to California and needed to keep in touch with family here. We
    > > were told we had nights and weekends free up to 3500 minutes. We
    > > received no written proof of this transaction, and called twice to be
    > > sure we had the free minutes and were told we did. We didn't have it in
    > > writing, so when our bill came when we returned, we were furuous when
    > > told we were charged for roaming charges to the amount of $2000. I
    > > think the employees of this company should be trained to know what they
    > > are selling. We also had a friend that traveled to alaska and believing
    > > they had free minutes were charged for the calls. they got half of
    > > their money back, we got none.
    > >
    > >
    > > We were out a lot of money, all they said was sorry, your minutes only
    > > count when in S.C. Now the phone is worthless, but will keep it until
    > > our contract is up as they charged us $150 to turn in the other phone.
    > > i am afraid to use the phone long distance at all now, and plan to turn
    > > it in when the contract is up and not get another one.
    > >
    > >
    > > Tamie of Wilsonville AL (10/3/02):
    > > I have been overcharged every month since February, and paid the bills,
    > > averaging $220+ for one phone. I even upped my minutes to 1000/mo for
    > > $69.99 and just got my bill -- $188.65 for under 600 minutes! I cannot
    > > afford these bills. Every month I think it will be straightened out.
    > > Everyone I talk to has similar problems.
    > >
    > >
    > > Paige of Noblesville IN writes (7/23/01):
    > > I was not told about roaming charges at all when I signed up for free
    > > long distance..the company finally agreed to eliminate the roaming
    > > charges but now want to charge me for any overage ... taking away one
    > > charge but adding another!
    > >
    > > I am extremely upset with their desceptive practices, I cannot trust
    > > them...the rep would not send me their new terms in writing until I
    > > agreed to them first! I was duped and tricked!
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > > Angela of Jacksonville FL (1/14/03):
    > > I signed up for a 250 anytime minute plan plus 3,500 nights/weekends
    > > with no roaming or long distance. I have been using Cingular since
    > > 1996, not always on this plan. The last time I changed my plan, it was
    > > to cost me $29.99 per month for a gross bill of $38.00. My monthly
    > > bills have ranged anywhere from $45 to $198 with Cingular, which is a
    > > far cry from the $38.00 per month that I always anticipate.
    > >
    > >
    > > Since June 2001, I have only paid the minimum $38.00 7 times. I became
    > > concerned at the amount of the monthly bills. Therefore, I began
    > > attempting to track my usage. However, as usual, the total minutes
    > > billed did not match my estimates. I was reading on the Internet some
    > > fine print about being charged airtime for checking your voicemail. In
    > > addition, when I requested the National plan, I did not sign a
    > > contract, therefore I was not aware of the $.40 per minute peak
    > > overlimit charge. I thought I was supposed to be paying around $.19 per
    > > minute or less. I have asked for detailed billing, but it still does
    > > not clarify all of the charges. I am concerned that Cingular is
    > > engaging in illegal billing activity. As a consumer, I would hope that
    > > someone is reviewing the billing practices of cell phone companies.
    > >
    > >
    > > Colleen of Syracuse NY (1/4/03):
    > > I signed up for a cell phone for my daughter for X-Mas in 2001. I
    > > signed up for the $19.99 a month plan with free nights and weekends. I
    > > was told that if I needed to up the plan to more minutes I could and I
    > > could also go back to the $19.99 plan anytime. I was planning a trip
    > > and knew I would need more minutes so changed the plan for one month.
    > > After the one month I called and changed the plan back to the original
    > > $19.99 a month plan. Each plan had free nights and weekends. After
    > > switching back to the $19.99 a month plan I received a bill for $600
    > > for like 2000 airtime minutes!
    > >
    > >
    > > I immediately called the company and was told that yes I owed this
    > > amount because when I changed plans my free nights and weekends were no
    > > longer included. Well, I tried to talk to a manager but was put on hold
    > > for 20 minutes or more at a time. Each time I would talk to someone
    > > their story would change. I would ask to speak to the person I had
    > > already spoken to and would be told that person had gone home even
    > > though I had spoken with them 20 minutes earlier! It was very
    > > frustrating and I finally told them to shut the damn phone off and I
    > > would not pay anything! I lost my temper because I could not speak to
    > > anyone with any authority nor could I get a straight answer from
    > > anyone! Very frustrating!
    > >
    > >
    > > The account has been turned over to a collection agency and every bill
    > > that comes is of course higher than the last. I think the last bill I
    > > received was for $800. I don't know what to do. I can not afford an
    > > attorney nor will I pay $800. I feel totally ripped off! The
    > > consequences are that my credit is being jepordized by a company that
    > > is taking advantage of people! I really want my daughter to have a cell
    > > phone in case of an emergency but I refuse to be taken advantage of and
    > > pay a bogus $800 bill.
    > >
    > >
    > > Colleen is making a big mistake. She should pay the bill, then sue the
    > > company in Small Claims Court to recover her payments and costs. Her
    > > present course leads only to more trouble.
    > >
    > >
    > > Lisa of Gravette AR (9/12/02):
    > > I had 4 phones with Cingular Wireless. We all lived in the state of
    > > Arkansas and could talk unlimited to each other. This was great for
    > > about 12 months into my contract. My first bill they sent me that was
    > > incorrect was for $2600. I was very upset. I called, was on hold for at
    > > least one hour. I then was told they would have to send it to a
    > > auditing department. They told me it would take 10 days to resolve the
    > > problem. The next phone bill was only $1600.00. I normally have $100.00
    > > phone bills. This continues for 5 months. I was overcharged in the end
    > > $280.00. I knew I had to pay it because they would send it to
    > > collections. I didn't feel I could go to an attorney and that cost me
    > > more. I found this web site and decided to least warn people of this
    > > company. They were rude and not caring at all with my situation.
    > >
    > >
    > > Hours on the phone was the most upsetting. I now know what they mean
    > > about going "postal" I threw my phone across my yard after being on
    > > hold for one hour and finally getting someone, telling them my problem
    > > and then I lost the signal. The feeling that I had no control over the
    > > situation that I was just waiting for them to tell me how much I owed
    > > them. I was able to get out of my contract without paying a penalty.
    > >
    > >
    > > Deborah of Nashua NJ (6/14/01):
    > > I have a nationwide calling plan with Cingular Wireless (Digital Edge
    > > USA) with 550 prepaid minutes/month at a flat rate of $70, no roaming
    > > or long distance anytime, and the calls can be placed from anywhere to
    > > anywhere in the US.
    > >
    > > Cingular applies minutes that I incur outside of their "local" coverage
    > > area (i.e., roamer minutes) to the following month's bill, on the
    > > premise that these calls don't show up in their system right away, as
    > > they are from other carriers. Cingular does not adjust the current
    > > month for any unused minutes in the month in which the calls were
    > > ACTUALLY MADE. As such, I get double-billed for these minutes; once in
    > > the unused pre-paid minutes for the month in which the calls were
    > > placed, and then again when the calls show up in the following month.
    > >
    > >
    > > This practice causes my airtime for the next period to exceed my limit
    > > of 550 minutes, resulting in additional fees and taxes over and above
    > > the pre-paid charge. This practice also leaves the consumer completely
    > > in the dark regarding how many minutes to expect on their monthly bill
    > > ... my cellular telephone only tracks calls in real-time, when they are
    > > actually made, not when they might show up on my Cingular bill.
    > >
    > >
    > > It seems to me that Cingular should be going back and retroactively
    > > applying roamer minutes to any unused time from the month in which the
    > > calls were ACTUALLY PLACED, rather than billing them against a period
    > > in which they did not occur, and do not pertain to. I have complained
    > > about this practice to Cingular's customer service department with no
    > > satisfaction (I was treated rudely and laughed at by their
    > > representative, Ms. Kara Hannah, for making the suggestion).
    > >
    > >
    > > It has been pointed out to me that this was disclosed in the agreement
    > > that I signed when I entered into the contract with Cingular, and as
    > > such, it is legal for them to perpetrate this billing practice on their
    > > customers. However, in my opinion, even though it may be legal, that
    > > doesn't make it ethical or right. Is there any logical reason why a
    > > reasonable comsumer should have to accept this type of billing
    > > practice?
    > >
    > >
    > > My cell phone bills for the last two months, and on one other, prior
    > > occasion, have been between $100-140, when they should have been about
    > > $75.
    > >
    > >
    > > Jasmine of Los Angeles (6/4/01):
    > > My Supervisor and I went to Cingular to inquire about opening a new
    > > account. We had two problems with the process. First, we inquired about
    > > a business account. We explained that we had very specific needs, as we
    > > travel a lot and conduct a great deal of business on the phone from all
    > > over the country. The representative shared that Cingular had the
    > > perfect phone to fit our needs. It was not and we had to battle with
    > > them to exchange the phone without charging although the representative
    > > lied about the functions this phone had.
    > >
    > > In addition, when we initially made the purchase, the Associate
    > > explained that Cingular offered flexible plans to fit our specific
    > > needs. He went on to advise us that we should select the Local plan for
    > > home and switch to a national plan when we travelled. We decided to do
    > > this as he emphasized repeatedly the fact that this was a simple and
    > > cost effective process. Moreover he assured us that there were no
    > > hidden fees if we chose to switch the plan.
    > >
    > >
    > > Two months later after trying to switch the plans the way we'd been
    > > told we could do, we were advised against this action because of the
    > > fees that would accrue for roaming charges if the cycle had not been
    > > completed. I tried to inquire regarding the matter to see if another
    > > plan may fit our needs but to no avail. I explained that we wished to
    > > cancel the service as the terms of the contract had been totally
    > > misrepresented and falsified. Cingular Wireless agreed to cancel the
    > > contract but insists on us paying the $150.00 fee, which we feel is
    > > completely unfair.
    > >
    > >
    > > We refuse to pay the fee as the Sales Associate who sold us the
    > > contract was new on the job (only a few days with the company) which I
    > > was told by the Manager early on after an earlier descrepincy with the
    > > phone. We have had the service for two months and have had nothing but
    > > problems from PacBell.
    > >
    > >
    > > Kelly of California MO (2/8/01):
    > > Once again I've spent nearly TWO HOURS on the phone trying to
    > > straighten out my cell phone bill. We purchased this phone in St.
    > > Joseph Missouri for use by our son in St. Joseph, in our hometown
    > > (California Missouri), and all points in between. We purchased the
    > > phone and service with Southwestern Bell Wireless (now Cingular) after
    > > careful research. We were assured time and time again during the
    > > purchasing process that use of this phone in St. Joseph, in our
    > > hometown, and all points in between WOULD NOT result in roaming charges
    > > or toll charges.
    > >
    > > However, each and every month since purchasing this phone we have
    > > either had to call the Cingular office or go to the retail store to
    > > straighten out billing problems. We have been and continue to be billed
    > > roaming and toll charges even though we were ASSURED usage in the areas
    > > described WOULD NOT result in these charges. Granted, each month the
    > > charges have been removed and the customer service rep has promised the
    > > problem has been fixed (after I spent hours on the phone), but we
    > > continue to have problems.
    > >
    > >
    > > When I have to spend TWO HOURS on the phone trying to fix a problem
    > > that has been ongoing since July 2000, something is seriously wrong. I
    > > called the customer service office at 4 pm CST on Jan. 25, 2001, and
    > > spoke with Frank. After he checked things over and over again for over
    > > 45 minutes, I grew tired of waiting and finally asked to speak with a
    > > supervisor. Frank flatly refused to allow me speak with a supervisor! I
    > > was forced to hang up and call back immediately. I then finally spoke
    > > with a supervisor named Gary who saw the problem and promised to fix it
    > > and call me back with the correct billing amount. I waited over an hour
    > > to hear from him (after he promised to call back in 5 or 10 minutes)
    > > and finally had to leave for a meeting that I was already late for. He
    > > finally called an hour and a half later and left a message on my
    > > answering machine that he would call the next day (1/26) but he never
    > > called back.
    > >
    > >
    > > To say that I find this type of treatment unacceptable would be an
    > > understatement! The time and effort I have been forced to put into
    > > trying to correct something I'm not even at fault for is ridiculous! I
    > > have contacted Cingular through their website (email) at least six
    > > times and called their office several times, only to be put on hold.
    > > Nothing I have done has helped! They WILL NOT contact me regarding this
    > > billing dispute!
    > >
    > >
    > > Jim P wrote:
    > > > Well, I got my new phones that I ordered on-line from Cingular on the

    > > 27th
    > > > of Dec.
    > > > Everything seemed ok until my phone would not accept the sim card.
    > > > (Unauthorized sim) That one had one of my old numbers from Sprint

    > > that was
    > > > being ported over to my new phone. It took 4 days to finally fix the

    > > problem
    > > > and after several hours of talking to tech support. I look online

    > > today at
    > > > my account and there is my first bill for $266.00
    > > > After a very unsatisfying conversation with a rude rep, I find that

    > > they
    > > > have charged me for numerous things that were
    > > > not explained to me in any way, shape or form. I purchased the family

    > >
    > > > plan1250 with 4 free phones, so I was thinking my first bill was

    > > going to be
    > > > about $150'ish. Boy was I wrong.
    > > > Is this going to be typical from Cingular? I was a long-time Sprint
    > > > customer, and in a way, I am regretting leaving.

    > >

    >
    >






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