Results 1 to 11 of 11
- 08-13-2006, 04:24 PM #1pvGuest
We have two Nokia 5165 phones that we've had for years and we're looking to
get new phones. We've been out of our contract for a couple of years and
we're on a family plan with nationwide roaming. We're planning to stay with
Cingular and I was wondering what's the best way to get new phones. Do we
have to go back to our original dealer, whom we haven't had any dealings
with for years, or are there advantages to shopping around or upgrading thru
the Cingular web site? Or,does it pay to shop around? Or can we even shop
around or are we limited to our original dealer? We live in a rural area
and we travel to rural areas so our choices of phones may be limited that
way but I don't know. Any help you all can give me would be appreciated.
TIA!
--
Gary Vocks
To Help Support Our Troops In Iraq Visit:
http://www.under-1-roof.com/supportourtroops.html
Click on the link at the bottom of the page to see the clothing distribution
pictures.
› See More: Best way to upgrade phones?
- 08-13-2006, 07:02 PM #2bampGuest
Re: Best way to upgrade phones?
"Elmo P. Shagnasty" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> "pv" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> We're planning to stay with
>> Cingular and I was wondering what's the best way to get new phones. Do
>> we
>> have to go back to our original dealer
>
> Screw dealers. Never go through a dealer. They're ripoffs.
>
> Just go to a Cingular store, or hit the cingular web site, or just call
> Cingular directly.
>
>
Or go to eBay, just be sure you get either a phone locked to Cingular or an
unlocked phone. If your phone is GSM, just pop your sim into the new phone
and you're in business. If your phone is TDMA, call Cingular and get a new
plan.
...
bamp
- 08-13-2006, 09:10 PM #3Todd AllcockGuest
Re: Best way to upgrade phones?
At 13 Aug 2006 19:34:21 -0400 Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote:
> Screw dealers. Never go through a dealer. They're ripoffs.
As a former Cingular dealer, let me say there are good ones and bad ones.
IMHO, I was one of the good ones; we sold well below Cingular list
price, never added supplementary contracts on top of Cingular's, and
acted as advocates for our customers when they has customer service or
billing issues.
When economics (meaning commissions paid by Cingular to dealers)
prevented me from offe ing a better deal to my customers than they could
get from Cingular directly, I got out of the business. I had no desire
to give my customers a bad deal.
>
> Just go to a Cingular store, or hit the cingular web site, or just call
> Cingular directly.
In my experience, a _good_ dealer can be more knowledgeable, offer better
deals, and provide better post-sale support. Sorry you obviously had a
bad experience, Elmo, but don't paint all dealers with the same brush!
--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
- 08-13-2006, 10:54 PM #4John NavasGuest
Re: Best way to upgrade phones?
On Sun, 13 Aug 2006 17:24:51 -0500, "pv" <[email protected]> wrote
in <[email protected]>:
>We have two Nokia 5165 phones that we've had for years and we're looking to
>get new phones. We've been out of our contract for a couple of years and
>we're on a family plan with nationwide roaming. We're planning to stay with
>Cingular and I was wondering what's the best way to get new phones. Do we
>have to go back to our original dealer, whom we haven't had any dealings
>with for years, or are there advantages to shopping around or upgrading thru
>the Cingular web site? Or,does it pay to shop around? Or can we even shop
>around or are we limited to our original dealer? We live in a rural area
>and we travel to rural areas so our choices of phones may be limited that
>way but I don't know. Any help you all can give me would be appreciated.
>TIA!
You're best bet is to threaten to leave, and ask to be transferred to
"retention." If that doesn't work the first time, hang up and call back
(at least two more times).
--
Best regards, FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS:
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>
- 08-14-2006, 04:37 PM #5BuckyGuest
Re: Best way to upgrade phones?
Todd Allcock wrote:
> In my experience, a _good_ dealer can be more knowledgeable, offer better
> deals, and provide better post-sale support. Sorry you obviously had a
> bad experience, Elmo, but don't paint all dealers with the same brush!
I agree. I've had bad experiences with official Cingular stores as
well. Often they don't offer the discounts that are online. Often, the
dealers will throw in more bonus items like car charger, headset, etc.
- 08-14-2006, 05:40 PM #6WindsorFox[SS]Guest
Re: Best way to upgrade phones?
Bucky wrote:
> Todd Allcock wrote:
>> In my experience, a _good_ dealer can be more knowledgeable, offer better
>> deals, and provide better post-sale support. Sorry you obviously had a
>> bad experience, Elmo, but don't paint all dealers with the same brush!
>
> I agree. I've had bad experiences with official Cingular stores as
> well. Often they don't offer the discounts that are online. Often, the
> dealers will throw in more bonus items like car charger, headset, etc.
>
And when you goto the local store for a new SIM or something, they
will talk about the "online/toll free # people" like a red headed
stepchild.
--
I used to have abs. Now, I've just got ab.
One big ol' Ab. - BigSkiff www.titanspot.com
Pyongyang sounds more like the sound effect an ACME catapult makes
as it goes off at precisely the wrong moment for Wile E. Coyote. -
Cadbury Moose
- 08-15-2006, 02:29 PM #7AnnGuest
Re: Best way to upgrade phones?
I have been recently comparing prices online (cingular.com) to the local
stores and the online prices are much lower than the stores. If you are
willing to give up your number you can probably get a new contract and
number for less than upgrading.
"pv" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> We have two Nokia 5165 phones that we've had for years and we're looking
> to get new phones. We've been out of our contract for a couple of years
> and we're on a family plan with nationwide roaming. We're planning to
> stay with Cingular and I was wondering what's the best way to get new
> phones. Do we have to go back to our original dealer, whom we haven't had
> any dealings with for years, or are there advantages to shopping around or
> upgrading thru the Cingular web site? Or,does it pay to shop around? Or
> can we even shop around or are we limited to our original dealer? We live
> in a rural area and we travel to rural areas so our choices of phones may
> be limited that way but I don't know. Any help you all can give me would
> be appreciated. TIA!
>
>
> --
> Gary Vocks
> To Help Support Our Troops In Iraq Visit:
> http://www.under-1-roof.com/supportourtroops.html
> Click on the link at the bottom of the page to see the clothing
> distribution pictures.
>
>
>
- 08-15-2006, 03:16 PM #8John NavasGuest
Re: Best way to upgrade phones?
You should be able to keep your number with online stores.
On Tue, 15 Aug 2006 16:29:53 -0400, "Ann" <[email protected]> wrote
in <[email protected]>:
>I have been recently comparing prices online (cingular.com) to the local
>stores and the online prices are much lower than the stores. If you are
>willing to give up your number you can probably get a new contract and
>number for less than upgrading.
>
>"pv" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> We have two Nokia 5165 phones that we've had for years and we're looking
>> to get new phones. We've been out of our contract for a couple of years
>> and we're on a family plan with nationwide roaming. We're planning to
>> stay with Cingular and I was wondering what's the best way to get new
>> phones. Do we have to go back to our original dealer, whom we haven't had
>> any dealings with for years, or are there advantages to shopping around or
>> upgrading thru the Cingular web site? Or,does it pay to shop around? Or
>> can we even shop around or are we limited to our original dealer? We live
>> in a rural area and we travel to rural areas so our choices of phones may
>> be limited that way but I don't know. Any help you all can give me would
>> be appreciated. TIA!
--
Best regards, FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS:
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>
- 08-16-2006, 01:20 PM #9Charlie R.Guest
Re: Best way to upgrade phones?
"John Navas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Sun, 13 Aug 2006 17:24:51 -0500, "pv" <[email protected]> wrote
> in <[email protected]>:
>
> You're best bet is to threaten to leave, and ask to be transferred to
> "retention." If that doesn't work the first time, hang up and call back
> (at least two more times).
>
> --
> Best regards, FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS:
> John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>
I recently switched from my old Nokia 5165 (former AT&T TDMA Customer) to a
new phone (Moto RAZR V3) on a Cingular Plan.
I shopped around at a local Cingular store, some local Cingular Dealers and
the Cingular web site before calling the
Cingular 800# for AT&T TDMA customers. It turned out that the Cingular 800#
made me an offer I could not refuse which beat all other
offerings made by the stores or web site.
When I called the Cingular 800# I asked very nicely if there was anything
they could do for me in regards to additional minutes, etc.
I did this to see their reaction to the question. After they said they could
not, I mentioned that two months earlier I had
been offered bonus minutes if I would upgrade from my old TDMA service and
asked ever-so-nicely if they could not possibly honor that now-expired
offer.
Anyway, that offer was noted in my account and Cingular agreed to honor the
offer even though the promotion had ended.
They also waived the activation fee (standard practice for upgrading
customers I am told) and gave me a new RAZR V3 for $100 off the current
offering
price (2yr commitment). They said something about me being a good customer
for 12+ years (most of those with AT&T). They also recognized that I was
not the type of customer that wanted a new phone every 2 years (3 phones in
12 years). I do use my cell phone on a daily basis but for me it is more of
an
appliance than a gotta-have tech toy. Apparently I am a low-maintenance,
profitable customer that they wanted to retain which may be the reason why
they made me the offer they did.
Be advised there was an "upgrade fee" of $18 that I was billed but given
everything else they gave me, I could live with that.
There is also a $50 rebate on the phone (and a bunch of others until Sept)
which means they proably gave me a free RAZR
and a few dollars to upgrade from my old TDMA plan (even after paying for
the upgrade fee and the phone).
So far the RAZR has been top notch as far as performance. Every place where
my old TDMA phone performed poorly the RAZR has been great.
Every place where TDMA worked fine the RAZR has work just as well or in most
cases better. The real/final performance test will be when I visit
friends in rural Maryland. TDMA service out there was spotty in places at
best and even roaming on AMPS did little to help.
The only thing I did notice with my Cingular account is that the minutes
appear to be updated only once per day but there is
call detail with that. My old TDMA account had the minutes updated almost
always within 30-60 minutes of the call ending but
had no call detail. I can live with this.
As of now, Cingular has done everything they have agreed to do (discounted
phone, bonus minutes, the price point I needed, etc.).
So far, I am a satisfied Cingular customer how long it remains that way is
entirely up to Cingular.
Charlie
- 08-16-2006, 03:57 PM #10John NavasGuest
Re: Best way to upgrade phones?
On Wed, 16 Aug 2006 15:20:39 -0400, "Charlie R." <none> wrote in
<[email protected]>:
>[SNIP]
>
>As of now, Cingular has done everything they have agreed to do (discounted
>phone, bonus minutes, the price point I needed, etc.).
>So far, I am a satisfied Cingular customer how long it remains that way is
>entirely up to Cingular.
Much of that is due to your approaching Cingular in a positive and
constructive manner. Many (most?) of the problems ranted about here are
due to being angry and abusive. It's still true that "you catch more
flies with honey..."
--
Best regards, FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS:
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>
- 08-21-2006, 10:41 PM #11jason grossGuest
Re: Best way to upgrade phones?
online usually delivers the best price not always but usually because it is
considered a self service not involving man hours other than the wharehouse
shipping the item.
"Bucky" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Todd Allcock wrote:
>> In my experience, a _good_ dealer can be more knowledgeable, offer better
>> deals, and provide better post-sale support. Sorry you obviously had a
>> bad experience, Elmo, but don't paint all dealers with the same brush!
>
> I agree. I've had bad experiences with official Cingular stores as
> well. Often they don't offer the discounts that are online. Often, the
> dealers will throw in more bonus items like car charger, headset, etc.
>
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