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  1. #1
    jeff3
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    Has anyone else had problems getting a new phone for an AT&T service plan since Cingular bought them out?

    Cingular is telling me that I cant use any new phones with my current plan. Anyone know if this is true or are they just trying to get me to purchase a more expensive sevice plan? If so could I unlock a new phone to work?

    My 2-year contract is about to expire but I would prefer to keep my AT&T plan since it has more minutes than a Cingular plan for the same price and free evenings starting at 7pm. Cingular wants me to move to a more expensive plan so they are telling me that the new phones are "incompatible" with my AT&T plan and the only phone they will give me is a Nokia 6010 (not at all what I want).


    See More: Old At&T Wireless service plans...Will new Cingular phones work with them?
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  2. #2
    mascara
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    Jeff, I feel your pain. Cingular is treating the old ATT customers like cr@p. I had my service with ATT for TEN YEARS. I just discovered that if I choose to change devices, I have to start over completely with Cingular, including a credit check. AFTER TEN YEARS OF PAYMENT HISTORY!!!!! Also, the service plans they offer me cost more and I lose my unlimited night/weekend minutes. What I've decided to do is buy an UNLOCKED phone, use my current SIM card and old ATT plan, and shop for a new provider. I have talked to several other people, including people who work for Cingular, and apparently the ATT customers are all being treated this way.



  3. #3
    Tony E!
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    Jeff, Cingular can provide handsets for their ATT customers but they won't because their mission is to switch their ATT customers to Cingular.
    It does stink how they're going about this and of course i don't think it's right but that's how business goes so yes their just trying to get you to switch over.

    You can also beat them at their game and purchase an unlocked phone like you have plan and keep the calling plan you are now enjoying just keep in mind that eventually ATT will completely shut down and by then you will have no other choice but to switch to Cingular or move on to another carrier, if Cingular was smart they would let their current ATT customers keep their current plans and keep them happy instead of taking the chance on losing customers that way.

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  4. #4
    BlkBear
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    Quote Originally Posted by jeff3
    Has anyone else had problems getting a new phone for an AT&T service plan since Cingular bought them out?

    Cingular is telling me that I cant use any new phones with my current plan. Anyone know if this is true or are they just trying to get me to purchase a more expensive sevice plan? If so could I unlock a new phone to work?

    My 2-year contract is about to expire but I would prefer to keep my AT&T plan since it has more minutes than a Cingular plan for the same price and free evenings starting at 7pm. Cingular wants me to move to a more expensive plan so they are telling me that the new phones are "incompatible" with my AT&T plan and the only phone they will give me is a Nokia 6010 (not at all what I want).
    Jeff if your AT&T phone that you are using now is GSM, then you won't have any problems using your current plan with any of the newer Cinuglar phones, as long as the phone you buy is UNLOCKED. Which means you'd have to buy the phone some someone other than Cingular or buy it from Cingular full price and have one of the unlocking services unlock your phone. Then all you would need to do is take your current SIM and place it in the new unlocked phone.

    So it's true you will not be getting anything Free out of Cingular as far as new equipment. Now if your phone and current plan is NOT GSM, you will not be able to use any of the new GSM phones on your current account, no matter who makes or sells them.

    So unless the old phone just does not work, there should be no real reason to change or switch. And buying a phone outright, more than makes up for the fact that you can't upgrade through Cingular at this time.

    The hassle factor of course needs to be weighed, as do you want to have to deal with a third party if you have problems with your phone, dealing with configuring the phone for AT&T services and features. And if you don't buy it from Cingular, will Cingular be much help if you do buy it from them, but still have your old AT&T plan, and have the phone unlocked? They will be able to help you with the basic function of the phone, but getting it to work with AT&T features, that will be hit and miss at best.



  5. #5
    BlkBear
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    Tony E!

    if Cingular was smart they would let their current ATT customers keep their current plans and keep them happy instead of taking the chance on losing customers that way.
    Problem is that is what Cingular feels it is doing now Tony, by allowing people
    to keep their plans.

    They know that most people that are under contract are not going to want to pay the ETF to switch, and the month to month people will be forced in most cases to sign up for contracts no matter where there go. And of course they won't find anything close to what they have now on their AT&T plans at the price their paying, no matter where they go.

    They just say "Sure keep your old AT&T plan, but don't look at us when you want a new phone". Becuase they know that due to human nature people are going to want new phones, but are not going to be willing to pay for them full price, unless forced to.

    I have a feeling that what's going to happen, is they will wait until the last few holdouts, hanging on to their really great rate plans, to offer them anything worth getting them to budge. Or, will wait until it's down to the wire, and the option is, after X date, you have to be moved over to Cingular or have no service period, and after X date, you will become Joe Average and have to signup for new service as if you never had service before.

    Just my gut feeling.



  6. #6
    Tony E!
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    Quote Originally Posted by BlkBear1
    Tony E!



    Problem is that is what Cingular feels it is doing now Tony, by allowing people
    to keep their plans.

    They know that most people that are under contract are not going to want to pay the ETF to switch, and the month to month people will be forced in most cases to sign up for contracts no matter where there go. And of course they won't find anything close to what they have now on their AT&T plans at the price their paying, no matter where they go.

    They just say "Sure keep your old AT&T plan, but don't look at us when you want a new phone". Becuase they know that due to human nature people are going to want new phones, but are not going to be willing to pay for them full price, unless forced to.

    I have a feeling that what's going to happen, is they will wait until the last few holdouts, hanging on to their really great rate plans, to offer them anything worth getting them to budge. Or, will wait until it's down to the wire, and the option is, after X date, you have to be moved over to Cingular or have no service period, and after X date, you will become Joe Average and have to signup for new service as if you never had service before.

    Just my gut feeling.
    Sorry Bear, but i lost you there...

    and there's not ETF to switch to Cingular if that's whom you're referring to.

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    Any mis*****ings or grammatical errors in the above statement are intentional;
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