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  1. #1
    pv
    Guest
    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?




  2. #2
    bamp
    Guest

    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






  3. #3
    Todd Allcock
    Guest

    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




  4. #4
    John Navas
    Guest

    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>



  5. #5
    Bucky
    Guest

    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.




  6. #6
    WindsorFox[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



  7. #7
    Ann
    Guest

    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.
    >
    >
    >






  8. #8
    John Navas
    Guest

    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>



  9. #9
    Charlie 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







  10. #10
    John Navas
    Guest

    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>



  11. #11
    jason gross
    Guest

    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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