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  1. #1
    katydid
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    A little background first:
    I've had my account with Cingular for almost 2 years. We have the family plan, my phone and 2 teenagers each have a phone. My husband is in China at the moment and we decided that he'd like a cell phone with him in case of emergencies. We went to the Cingular store to see if he could bring one of our phones (he couldn't because they are older models and they wouldn't work) so we bought him a new Motorola V551 GSM and added another line to my account.

    At the time we purchased the phone they said it would work - It doesn't at all. SO... I went back to the store and she was really surprized so she told me to have my husband change the band to force it to internationally roam or something. Still doesn't work. She called the custumber service line and was told that because the LINE hasn't been in service for 12 months it wasn't going to work. THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY TOLD HER WHEN WE BOUGHT THE PHONE!! Her boss didn't see what the problem was and said that everything was correct and it should work.

    I just got off the phone with another custumber service rep and explained the situation. She agreed that it should work and said that the line nothing about the line not being active for 12 months . Now she thinks there is something wrong with the phone and wants my husband to call so they can trouble shoot with him who has the phone.

    Sorry this is so long but I'm about to cancel the whole thing!! Wonder what I'll be charged for doing that We'd really like to get it working.

    Does anyone have any ideas that I could tell my husband to try to get this phone working??

    Thanks!


    See More: new cell phone won't work in Beijing, China




  2. #2
    BlkBear
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    Howdy katydid,

    Have you or your husband signed up for INTERNATIONAL ROAMING for the phone in question? It's how they do it for their "World Phones" (aka Quad Band phones)

    The other option is to call Cingular and have them send your husband the UNLOCK code, to allow him to put LOCAL (China, Europe, whatever), sim cards in the phone so they will work locally in whatever city he travels to abroad.

    They should have known about the above options in the store, and it's surprising that they didn't understand what he needed to do. You can't automatically use the phone abroad using Cingular, unless International roaming has been turned on for the account. So having International Roaming added to your account is the way for your husband to go. This must be done through Customer Service or one of the Cingular retail stores.

    It does not cost anything to have it turned on for the phone, but it will cost money to use when he is abroad.

    http://www.cingular.com/customer_service/cingular_world

    to see how it works and the costs to use it.

    http://www.cingular.com/customer_service/roaming_gen

    Before leaving the U.S. or Canada, please call 1-866-CINGULAR or visit a retail store to activate international roaming or international long distance.

    Bear adds:
    (I will assume they mean Company store that ONLY sells Cingular plans and phones vs a store that sells more than one cell phone brand/plans for other cells phone as well as Cingular.)

    NOTE: Your payment history and the length of time you've been a Cingular customer will be factors which determine your eligibility for this service.

    (and you having a plan for nearly two years, and paying the bill on time should be fine).

    I was able to get the subsidy code (unlock code), sent to me rather quickly to allow me to use local overseas sim cards in my phone.
    Tony E! and jeaniesing like this.



  3. #3
    katydid
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    Thanks for the infor BlkBear1!

    [QUOTE=BlkBear1]Howdy katydid,

    Have you or your husband signed up for INTERNATIONAL ROAMING for the phone in question? It's how they do it for their "World Phones" (aka Quad Band phones)[QUOTE=BlkBear1]

    Yes, we do have the international roaming... that's why they are puzzled as to why it won't work. When we changed the Band she said that it should pick up the signal when it's set to automatic but we changed it to FORCE it to roam.


    [QUOTE=BlkBear1]The other option is to call Cingular and have them send your husband the UNLOCK code, to allow him to put LOCAL (China, Europe, whatever), sim cards in the phone so they will work locally in whatever city he travels to abroad.[QUOTE=BlkBear1]

    I will tell him this. When he was in Iraq he heard about this and was going to look into it anyway while he was in China.
    [QUOTE=BlkBear1]They should have known about the above options in the store, and it's surprising that they didn't understand what he needed to do. You can't automatically use the phone abroad using Cingular, unless International roaming has been turned on for the account. So having International Roaming added to your account is the way for your husband to go. This must be done through Customer Service or one of the Cingular retail stores.

    It does not cost anything to have it turned on for the phone, but it will cost money to use when he is abroad.

    http://www.cingular.com/customer_service/cingular_world

    to see how it works and the costs to use it.

    http://www.cingular.com/customer_service/roaming_gen

    Before leaving the U.S. or Canada, please call 1-866-CINGULAR or visit a retail store to activate international roaming or international long distance.

    Bear adds:
    (I will assume they mean Company store that ONLY sells Cingular plans and phones vs a store that sells more than one cell phone brand/plans for other cells phone as well as Cingular.)[QUOTE=BlkBear1]

    Yes, we went to a Cingular corporate store. They were clueless at the smaller stores.

    Quote Originally Posted by BlkBear1
    NOTE: Your payment history and the length of time you've been a Cingular customer will be factors which determine your eligibility for this service.

    (and you having a plan for nearly two years, and paying the bill on time should be fine).

    I was able to get the subsidy code (unlock code), sent to me rather quickly to allow me to use local overseas sim cards in my phone.



  4. #4
    BlkBear
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    Howdy katydid,

    Happy to help, and hopefully the info will do the trick for your husband's phone and service while he is abroad.



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