Cingular: Buy New Phone Or Pay Monthly Fee

[matcom]

<snip>

NEW YORK -- Cingular Wireless is trying to prod nearly 5 million subscribers with older phones to get new handsets so it can devote its entire network to one type of signal.

And starting in September, it will charge them $5 extra each month until they do.

Cingular reported that roughly 92 percent of its 57.3 million customers use phones based on the globally-dominant technology known as GSM. The rest have handsets based on one of two older technologies.

Having to carry three different kinds of wireless signals leaves less room for Cingular to connect calls and provide data services to its much larger group of GSM customers.

http://www.wftv.com/technology/9606643/detail.html

[Kixel]

1. Cingular Sucks

I have four phones on my plan, and occasionally the phones go on strike-our referral to the busy signal people get or a message saying that the Cingular user you are trying to reach is currently not receiving phone calls. I tried calling about it and they were totally incapable of understanding what I was saying-I was repeatedly told that I should call when I knew the problem was going on. I said over and over that I didn't know when it was happening because I just assumed I wasn't getting any phone calls as we can still dial out.

I keep meaning to write a letter, but it's so frustrating to deal with people who aren't willing to listen...or even pretend to care. I would have been happy with them saying they'd look into it. Instead, all I got was circular talk that did nothing to solve the problem-and the lady made it sound like I was an unreasonable idiot.

The big joke is that Cingular has the least dropped calls because they won't let you use the phone.

[Callalily]

2. I have Cingular

and this is the first I heard about any extra fee. I've had absolutely no problems with Cingular, I'm happy with them.

[meegbear]

6. I just sent them an email asking about it ...

I was an AT&T customer with an AT&T phone.

I'm sure they'll tell me to change, but I will tell them that since I am being "forced" to change for their benefit, I want a discount on the new phone purchase and no charge to have it activated.

[MissMillie]

3. I don't suppose they're going to give us deals on these new phones

that we're supposed to buy?

[Skittles]

4. my boyfriend got a free one out of them

I'll ask him how

[MissMillie]

5. I know that 18 months into a 2 year contract

they offer you a discount to "upgrade" the phone, but that's only if you promise to give them another 2 years. I've still got 6 months to go before I'm at 18 months