Going from ATTWS to Cingular

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Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2004 20:30:08 GMT
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In article <[email protected]>,
John Navas <[email protected]> wrote:

> [POSTED TO alt.cellular.attws - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>
> In <[email protected]> on Fri, 29 Oct
> 2004 16:14:27 GMT, Jack Zwick <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >In article <[email protected]>,
> > John Navas <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >> In other words, you're just blowing smoke.
> >
> >I don't bet. You're blowing smoke that Verizon's growth rate (double
> >that of Cingular) will somehow slow down, and ATTWS with its flatline,
> >will somehow balloon. EVERY INDUSTRY ANALYST predicts Verizon will
> >overtake the new Cingular as largest carrier in 1 to 2 years.
>
> Back up that last sentence if you can -- but of course you can't -- it's just
> more smoke.
>
> >> Cingular must stop using the brand, but nothing in the purchase agreement
> >> (or
> >> anyplace else) confirms that "ATTWS will be back in business in 6 months."
> >
> >Nothing? Navas you are so out of it! Just press releases by ATT
> >
> >http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2004May18.html
>
> Wrong again:
>
> 1. That's not the purchase agreement.
>
> 2. It actually states:
>
> The company hasn't decided whether to use AT&T Wireless as a separate
> brand
> or market the new wireless service under the general AT&T brand.
>
> Oops!
>
> >The high churn rates at ATTWS and SprintPCS say otherwise.
>
> Bodes ill for AT&T. From your article:
>
> Bob Egan, president of industry consultancy Mobile Competency Inc.,
> noted AT&T itself has had a mixed record in delivering wireless
> services. "Before, they had the right vision, and they had bad
> execution," so the question is whether the company can deliver better
> service this time, he said. ...
>
> You'll have to do much better than that to be taken seriously.

Sorry you again refuse to face reality. This all happened in March.

http://www.rednova.com/news/stories/.../story001.html

---

› See More: Going from ATTWS to Cingular

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

In <[email protected]> on Thu, 28 Oct 2004
21:24:18 -0400, "Elmo P. Shagnasty" <[email protected]> wrote:

>In article <[email protected]>,
> John Navas <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Since the transaction has now closed, you're actually a Cingular customer now,
>> and it may already be too late to be a "new" customer.
>
>Wait a minute, Mr. Navas. Aren't you the one pointing out how
>*legally,* it's not over yet?

It isn't over. It is closed. Two different things.

--
Best regards,
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/>

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

In <[email protected]> on Thu, 28 Oct 2004 19:56:57 -0400,
"jim" <[email protected]> wrote:

>at the risk of getting flamed here, maybe I can shed a little light.
>
>yes, tuesday was the day the deal was done (maybe not legally but none the
>less).
>the two companies are still operating seperately. the powers that be need
>some time to compare notes (they couldn't have before tuesday AM).

Actually they could compare notes -- that's called Due Diligence. What they
couldn't do was implement.

>You will
>see less or no ATTWS advertising and some Cingular advertising noting the
>(merger, buyout etc).
>espect about 2 weeks before the new cingular is in business. until then, if
>you arrive at a Cingular store looking for a deal you will be considered
>coming from another company.

I doubt it.

>after the "first day" of operation, you will
>see Cingular start to assimilate non contracted ATTWS customers into
>Cingular plans and contracted ATTWS customers will stay as is until their
>contracts run out.
>
>
>"Jack Zwick" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> In article <[email protected]>,
>> [email protected] (Sam Williams) wrote:
>>
>> > currently i have attws plan. my contract is over. Can i port my number
>> > to Cingular? I am asking this because attws and cingular are one
>> > company.. would i have any problem if i do that??
>> >
>> > Thanks
>> >
>> > Sam
>>
>> One company in name only. All the AT&TWS computer systems are still
>> flailing away. So yes, port away.
>>
>> After 4 years Cingular has yet to integrate all the pieces that make up
>> Cingular before ATTWS. It'll likely be years before the last AT&T
>> computer can be shut off.
>

--
Best regards,
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/>

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

>
> "Jack Zwick" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > In article <[email protected]>,
> > "jim" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> > > you will
> > > see Cingular start to assimilate non contracted ATTWS customers into
> > > Cingular plans and contracted ATTWS customers will stay as is until
> their
> > > contracts run out.
> > >
> >
> > That's not what Cingular has said. ATTWS customers remain under their
> > current plan as long as they want to.
> >
> > " Now that you are part of the Cingular family, rest assured you can
> > continue to enjoy your existing benefits uninterrupted and without
> > changes to your plan or its features. In addition, this union will
> > provide you with many new benefits from Cingular in the near future. "
> >
> > http://www.newcingular.com/a_overview.html
> >
> >
> > Notice Cingular used the word "plan" not "contract". If however a
> > customer wants a new phone, or some feature of a Cingular contract, then
> > they'd be put under a Cingular contract.
>
> What is yet to be known is the percentage of ATTWS customers that, for
> whatever reason, want no part of Cingular and will bail out.
>
> ATTWS aggressively pushed 2-year contracts right up to their last day, so
> that will dampen any big loss of customers. But many of us have either
> fulfilled our term commitment to ATTWS or have contracts whose terms will
> shortly expire. This group may be disloyal to Cingular. In my case, I left
> Cellular One five years ago to go to AT&T, and I feel no obligation to
> Cingular. My contract runs out next July. By then, I hope that AT&T will
> have reentered the wireless marketplace, and will again offer incentives to
> bring on new customers. If so, it's "Adios, Cingular!"
>
> I've always been an AT&T customer, and have brand loyalty. Cingular will be
> able to prosper without having me as a customer.

The loss of AT&TWS customers that are there cause they already left
Cingular once, or don't want to stay with the "NewCingular" can be
argued about, but it will be far greater than zero. ATTWS already had
the industries WORST churn rate and all this can only increase it.
Whatever the numbers, it will contribute to Verizon overtaking the New
Cingular as largest carrier. My prediction of it happening in 2 years
may be beaten by a large margin.

ATTWS will be back in business in 6 months when Cingular MUST give back
the ATTWS logo and brand to ATT. ATT has signed a 5 year deal with
Sprint to sell cellular service using the SprintPCS Network, like Virgin
does now. Same name, different Network, zero reason for loyalty.

In article <[email protected]>,
John Navas <[email protected]> wrote:

> >> Since the transaction has now closed, you're actually a Cingular customer
> >> now,
> >> and it may already be too late to be a "new" customer.
> >
> >Wait a minute, Mr. Navas. Aren't you the one pointing out how
> >*legally,* it's not over yet?
>
> It isn't over. It is closed. Two different things.

You're now talking out of both sides of your mouth.

Thanks everyone for your responses.. But looks like everyone is
off-topic here. My question is till unanswered. Can someone say YES or
NO to this question...

Can i go to cingular store and port my number to Cingular today?
(currently i have ATTWS with contract expired).

Are they(cingular store) going to allow me to port my number from ATTWS
to cingular and get good deal on new phones?

Thank you
Sam

ps: i am not simply going to quit.. I WILL PORT MY NUMBER..

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

> Thanks everyone for your responses.. But looks like everyone is
> off-topic here. My question is till unanswered. Can someone say YES or
> NO to this question...
>
> Can i go to cingular store and port my number to Cingular today?
> (currently i have ATTWS with contract expired).
>
> Are they(cingular store) going to allow me to port my number from ATTWS
> to cingular and get good deal on new phones?
>
> Thank you
> Sam
>
> ps: i am not simply going to quit.. I WILL PORT MY NUMBER..

Yes, yes, yes. Whether its a good deal or not is up to you to decide.
It will be the same deal anyone coming in off the street could get.

Thanks Jack,

That's what i wanted to here.. I will give it a shot and see what
happens..

I HATE ATTWS.

Thanks again,

Sam

"Jack Zwick" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:jzwick3-
>
> ATTWS will be back in business in 6 months when Cingular MUST give back
> the ATTWS logo and brand to ATT. ATT has signed a 5 year deal with
> Sprint to sell cellular service using the SprintPCS Network, like Virgin
> does now. Same name, different Network, zero reason for loyalty.

AT&T has already stated that they do expect a significant number of new
customers to come on board, from the former ATTWS. You may be
underestimating the effect of brand loyalty. I have zero reason to be loyal
to Cingular. I chose AT&T. I will probably choose AT&T again.

Sam wrote:
> Can someone say YES or NO to this question...
>
> Can i go to cingular store and port my number to Cingular today?
> (currently i have ATTWS with contract expired).
>
> Are they(cingular store) going to allow me to port my number from ATTWS
> to cingular....?

Probably not. You can find out for sure by simply going into a Cingular
store and asking them. Now that ATTWS is part of Cingular, it would be
a meaningless activity as far as Cingular is concerned - they have no
incentive to do it and no obligation to do it. So I would expect that
they've informed their sales associates that ports from ATTWS are no
longer to be accepted.

But I haven't actually gone to a store and asked. Sometimes it takes a
while to change the systems and to educate the workforce.

Let us know what you learn when you get there.

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

In <[email protected]> on Fri, 29 Oct
2004 10:17:25 GMT, Jack Zwick <[email protected]> wrote:

>The loss of AT&TWS customers that are there cause they already left
>Cingular once, or don't want to stay with the "NewCingular" can be
>argued about, but it will be far greater than zero. ATTWS already had
>the industries WORST churn rate and all this can only increase it.

It may actually decrease churn, in part because customers leaving ATTWS for
Cingular will no longer be churn.

>Whatever the numbers, it will contribute to Verizon overtaking the New
>Cingular as largest carrier.

Not necessarily.

>My prediction of it happening in 2 years
>may be beaten by a large margin.

I'd be happy to take that bet.

>ATTWS will be back in business in 6 months when Cingular MUST give back
>the ATTWS logo and brand to ATT.

Perhaps. Time will tell.

>ATT has signed a 5 year deal with
>Sprint to sell cellular service using the SprintPCS Network, like Virgin
>does now. Same name, different Network, zero reason for loyalty.

Reason for loyalty: AT&T did a better job of customer service than ATTWS, and
was an innovator in cellular rate plans.

--
Best regards,
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/>

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

In <B%[email protected]> on Fri, 29 Oct 2004
13:57:53 GMT, "Jeremy" <[email protected]> wrote:

>"Jack Zwick" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:jzwick3-
>>
>> ATTWS will be back in business in 6 months when Cingular MUST give back
>> the ATTWS logo and brand to ATT. ATT has signed a 5 year deal with
>> Sprint to sell cellular service using the SprintPCS Network, like Virgin
>> does now. Same name, different Network, zero reason for loyalty.
>
>AT&T has already stated that they do expect a significant number of new
>customers to come on board, from the former ATTWS. ...

Really? Where and when? Link?

--
Best regards,
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/>

In article <[email protected]>,
John Navas <[email protected]> wrote:

> [POSTED TO alt.cellular.attws - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>
> In <[email protected]> on Fri, 29 Oct
> 2004 10:17:25 GMT, Jack Zwick <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >The loss of AT&TWS customers that are there cause they already left
> >Cingular once, or don't want to stay with the "NewCingular" can be
> >argued about, but it will be far greater than zero. ATTWS already had
> >the industries WORST churn rate and all this can only increase it.
>
> It may actually decrease churn, in part because customers leaving ATTWS for
> Cingular will no longer be churn.

But customers leaving zCingular will no longer go to ATTWS/

>
> >Whatever the numbers, it will contribute to Verizon overtaking the New
> >Cingular as largest carrier.
>
> Not necessarily.

When customers leave ATTWS/Cingular for Verizon that doesn't speed up
the day Verizon overtakes Cingular as largest carrier?
Only in your fantasy world Navas.
>
> >My prediction of it happening in 2 years
> >may be beaten by a large margin.
>
> I'd be happy to take that bet.

I don't bet. The last time I bet, the fellow was positive Dole would
beat Clinton in 1996.

I will save this post for the day (sooner than you'll ever admit) when
you can eat crow as Verizon again becomes number 1.

>
> >ATTWS will be back in business in 6 months when Cingular MUST give back
> >the ATTWS logo and brand to ATT.
>
> Perhaps. Time will tell.

Not perhaps, its in the purchase agreement.

>
> >ATT has signed a 5 year deal with
> >Sprint to sell cellular service using the SprintPCS Network, like Virgin
> >does now. Same name, different Network, zero reason for loyalty.
>
> Reason for loyalty: AT&T did a better job of customer service than ATTWS, and
> was an innovator in cellular rate plans.

Reason for disloyalty - dropped called, poor coverage, Network issues.
New Network for the new ATTWS.

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

In <[email protected]> on Fri, 29 Oct
2004 15:33:39 GMT, Jack Zwick <[email protected]> wrote:

>In article <[email protected]>,
> Jim Gilliland <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> But I haven't actually gone to a store and asked. Sometimes it takes a
>> while to change the systems and to educate the workforce.
>
>It will take years when you're dealing with 20,000,000 + Users.
>
>Cingular still hasnt integrated the pieces/parts that were combined to
>form Cingular 4 years ago.

The number of users (subscribers) is largely irrelevant -- what matters is the
number (one) and type of (compatible) back office systems. This integration
actually looks to be easier than prior integrations.

--
Best regards,
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/>

Jack Zwick wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> Jim Gilliland <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>But I haven't actually gone to a store and asked. Sometimes it takes a
>>while to change the systems and to educate the workforce.
>
> It will take years when you're dealing with 20,000,000 + Users.

But that's not at all what we're talking about. We're talking about
turning off one particular option - the porting of ATTWS numbers to
Cingular. I see no reason for Cingular to have much trouble doing that.