Comments on: Cingular accused of duping ex-AT&T subscribers

Lawsuit says wireless carrier degraded service, commanded fees after 2004 acquisition. Company disputes those claims.

[lebeau32]

It is so true

I really liked AT&T, but after the merger I got so many dropped call or calls just not going thru. They split the ATT group into the Blue, and I believe Cingular customers were Red. They told me I would have to purchase a new phone and get a new contract with Cingular even though my contract was almost done with ATT and would have just gone to the month to month basis. The customer service was horrible and I stop being able to use my phone many places in Atlanta without dropping. When my contract was up I decided I had had enough and switched to Verizon. When I called to advise them I would be switching once my contract was done, the only response I got was ok. Guess with too MANY customer for their network to handle, they didn't even feel that had to make me think I was important. After a few years with AT&T this type of service completely shocked me.

[lebeau32]

It is so true

I really liked AT&T, but after the merger I got so many dropped call or calls just not going thru. They split the ATT group into the Blue, and I believe Cingular customers were Red. They told me I would have to purchase a new phone and get a new contract with Cingular even though my contract was almost done with ATT and would have just gone to the month to month basis. The customer service was horrible and I stop being able to use my phone many places in Atlanta without dropping. When my contract was up I decided I had had enough and switched to Verizon. When I called to advise them I would be switching once my contract was done, the only response I got was ok. Guess with too MANY customer for their network to handle, they didn't even feel that had to make me think I was important. After a few years with AT&T this type of service completely shocked me.

[Scopip]

include me in!

I had an awsome national plan with at&t for $30.

The tactics were amazing. My text messaging quit working. my voicemail indicator light quit working.

They said the only way to fix it was by getting a new Cingular sim card. Thus needing a new Cingular phone! Thus Changing my contract!

All they had to do was unlock my AT&T phone and give me the sim card if any of the BS was true.

Was unable to transfer my cell # also.

[Scopip]

include me in!

I had an awsome national plan with at&t for $30.

The tactics were amazing. My text messaging quit working. my voicemail indicator light quit working.

They said the only way to fix it was by getting a new Cingular sim card. Thus needing a new Cingular phone! Thus Changing my contract!

All they had to do was unlock my AT&T phone and give me the sim card if any of the BS was true.

Was unable to transfer my cell # also.

[chuck_whealton]

Hope they get nailed...

I got my first, and last, taste of Cingular after my wireless
company (was that Celllar One?) became part of them and next
thing I know, at contract renewal they're trying to charge extra
for voice mail. That was a number of years back now, but as a
consumer I don't forget.

So, at contract renewal, I dropped them.

They strike me as one of those companies that nickle and dime
their customers. With that in mind, hearing them accused of
this doesn't shock me, though I know they're innocent until
proven guilty.

Charles Whealton
Chuck Whealton @ pleasedontspam.com

[chuck_whealton]

Hope they get nailed...

I got my first, and last, taste of Cingular after my wireless
company (was that Celllar One?) became part of them and next
thing I know, at contract renewal they're trying to charge extra
for voice mail. That was a number of years back now, but as a
consumer I don't forget.

So, at contract renewal, I dropped them.

They strike me as one of those companies that nickle and dime
their customers. With that in mind, hearing them accused of
this doesn't shock me, though I know they're innocent until
proven guilty.

Charles Whealton
Chuck Whealton @ pleasedontspam.com

[DarCLew2]

I dropped Cibgula, $5 a minute & no rollover?

These Crooks said for me to get rollover I had to by their phone. Also sent many letters to activate this ATT & T phone I said I won't be shafted over by Cingular. Had service for less than 3 months. So, they have many dropped calls now and callers too. I use Sprintpcs now and they are real while the Cingular people are unreal.

[DarCLew2]

I dropped Cibgula, $5 a minute & no rollover?

These Crooks said for me to get rollover I had to by their phone. Also sent many letters to activate this ATT & T phone I said I won't be shafted over by Cingular. Had service for less than 3 months. So, they have many dropped calls now and callers too. I use Sprintpcs now and they are real while the Cingular people are unreal.

[dboling]

Cingulars a bunch of thieves and crooks

I had ATT for many years and the service was pretty good even after Cingular took it over. The service didn't change much, except for the dropped calls and being harassed by their collection dept when a minute passed due on the bill, which didn't happen with ATT.
My phones batteries started to give out and a co-worker was nice enough to give me his brand new Cingular phone (LGC1500) when he replaced it with a TREO. All I need to do is have the LGC1500 unlocked to use my ATT sim chip. This would have been seamless, however Cingular refused to supply the unlock code. Cingular kept saying the ATT sim chip would not work in a Cingular phone or on their network. My co-worker and placed the ATT sim chip into his unlocked Cingular TREO and made a phone call, it worked great.
Finally after making many calls to Cingular and explaining the chip would work and had been verified to work, Cingular said they would send in an application for the unlock code, this happened about 3 times, each time I was denied without notification. I even looked up their corporate office found at www.sec.gov on their SEC filings. I talked to someone in their headquarters, they told me the same lies, except this time they blamed it on ATT. They said I had to get the unlock code from ATT.
After a dozen+ calls to Cingular and a couple dozen dropped calls in the process I gave up and agreed to switch to Cingular, I was very unhappy, the phone they sent me kept locking up, They sent me another phone, it also locked up. I canceled the service, sent the phones back and they tried to bill me an early termination fee. I explained to them I didn?t sign any contract and they could shove it, finally they agreed to just cancel the account and refund $20.39 I didn?t use. The next billing cycle I found another bill from them using the $20.39 to towards a reconnect fee. I called Cingular to find out what the bill was since I didn?t even have a cell phone anymore. Cingular tried to charge me rental on the phones and $0.02 for internet service I didn?t have.

I believe the FTC should be taking a VERY close look at this company with a fine tooth comb. The fine is about 1/100 of what it should have been.

I also believe a cell phone should NOT have a lock on it. Once you receive a phone it?s yours to use on any compatible network you choose sign up for.

I beg the FTC and any Governmental agency that regulates these companies to look into this much further, including the practice of locking a customer?s personal phone to their own network.

[dboling]

Cingulars a bunch of thieves and crooks

I had ATT for many years and the service was pretty good even after Cingular took it over. The service didn't change much, except for the dropped calls and being harassed by their collection dept when a minute passed due on the bill, which didn't happen with ATT.
My phones batteries started to give out and a co-worker was nice enough to give me his brand new Cingular phone (LGC1500) when he replaced it with a TREO. All I need to do is have the LGC1500 unlocked to use my ATT sim chip. This would have been seamless, however Cingular refused to supply the unlock code. Cingular kept saying the ATT sim chip would not work in a Cingular phone or on their network. My co-worker and placed the ATT sim chip into his unlocked Cingular TREO and made a phone call, it worked great.
Finally after making many calls to Cingular and explaining the chip would work and had been verified to work, Cingular said they would send in an application for the unlock code, this happened about 3 times, each time I was denied without notification. I even looked up their corporate office found at www.sec.gov on their SEC filings. I talked to someone in their headquarters, they told me the same lies, except this time they blamed it on ATT. They said I had to get the unlock code from ATT.
After a dozen+ calls to Cingular and a couple dozen dropped calls in the process I gave up and agreed to switch to Cingular, I was very unhappy, the phone they sent me kept locking up, They sent me another phone, it also locked up. I canceled the service, sent the phones back and they tried to bill me an early termination fee. I explained to them I didn?t sign any contract and they could shove it, finally they agreed to just cancel the account and refund $20.39 I didn?t use. The next billing cycle I found another bill from them using the $20.39 to towards a reconnect fee. I called Cingular to find out what the bill was since I didn?t even have a cell phone anymore. Cingular tried to charge me rental on the phones and $0.02 for internet service I didn?t have.

I believe the FTC should be taking a VERY close look at this company with a fine tooth comb. The fine is about 1/100 of what it should have been.

I also believe a cell phone should NOT have a lock on it. Once you receive a phone it?s yours to use on any compatible network you choose sign up for.

I beg the FTC and any Governmental agency that regulates these companies to look into this much further, including the practice of locking a customer?s personal phone to their own network.

[Xtoo]

Sue the suckers!!!

Although, I am a Cingular customer and have no complaints
about the service, I have close friends who were long time AT&T
clients and after the merge the were slammed with those
ridiculous charges, fees, poor calling service and the buy a new
cingular phone crap.

I felt really bad for them, but since I was signed up with a phone
and a line as a b-day present, I had to stick with it.
Nevertheless, what Cingular did to my friends and others was a
scam to make money and they should pay back.

[Xtoo]

Sue the suckers!!!

Although, I am a Cingular customer and have no complaints
about the service, I have close friends who were long time AT&T
clients and after the merge the were slammed with those
ridiculous charges, fees, poor calling service and the buy a new
cingular phone crap.

I felt really bad for them, but since I was signed up with a phone
and a line as a b-day present, I had to stick with it.
Nevertheless, what Cingular did to my friends and others was a
scam to make money and they should pay back.

[hrdwyrd]

Cingular sux

Before Cingular bought out AT&T we never recieved a "network busy" or "unable to answer call" message and the whole "fewest dropped calls" is complete BS, we never had so many problems when my wife and I were under AT&T. And now, to add to my hatred of Cingular, one of our phones died, I couldn't get a replacement w/o replacing both phones and starting a new contract with Cingular. Can't leave them under our current contract either w/o paying $175 per phone in early contract termination fees. Cingular can suck my big hairy toe! got on ebay picked up a gsm phone and swapped in my sim card (no more internet on the new phone, but I don't give a crap, I completely refuse to give cingular a dime more than i have to). When my contract is finally up, I will never never never ever use Cingular again!! Die Cingular, DIE (and damn AT&T too for sellling out to those bastards!).

[hrdwyrd]

Cingular sux

Before Cingular bought out AT&T we never recieved a "network busy" or "unable to answer call" message and the whole "fewest dropped calls" is complete BS, we never had so many problems when my wife and I were under AT&T. And now, to add to my hatred of Cingular, one of our phones died, I couldn't get a replacement w/o replacing both phones and starting a new contract with Cingular. Can't leave them under our current contract either w/o paying $175 per phone in early contract termination fees. Cingular can suck my big hairy toe! got on ebay picked up a gsm phone and swapped in my sim card (no more internet on the new phone, but I don't give a crap, I completely refuse to give cingular a dime more than i have to). When my contract is finally up, I will never never never ever use Cingular again!! Die Cingular, DIE (and damn AT&T too for sellling out to those bastards!).

[hrdwyrd]

Cingular sux

Before Cingular bought out AT&T we never recieved a "network busy" or "unable to answer call" message and the whole "fewest dropped calls" is complete BS, we never had so many problems when my wife and I were under AT&T. And now, to add to my hatred of Cingular, one of our phones died, I couldn't get a replacement w/o replacing both phones and starting a new contract with Cingular. Can't leave them under our current contract either w/o paying $175 per phone in early contract termination fees. Cingular can suck my big hairy toe! got on ebay picked up a gsm phone and swapped in my sim card (no more internet on the new phone, but I don't give a crap, I completely refuse to give cingular a dime more than i have to). When my contract is finally up, I will never never never ever use Cingular again!! Die Cingular, DIE!

[hrdwyrd]

Cingular sux

Before Cingular bought out AT&T we never recieved a "network busy" or "unable to answer call" message and the whole "fewest dropped calls" is complete BS, we never had so many problems when my wife and I were under AT&T. And now, to add to my hatred of Cingular, one of our phones died, I couldn't get a replacement w/o replacing both phones and starting a new contract with Cingular. Can't leave them under our current contract either w/o paying $175 per phone in early contract termination fees. Cingular can suck my big hairy toe! got on ebay picked up a gsm phone and swapped in my sim card (no more internet on the new phone, but I don't give a crap, I completely refuse to give cingular a dime more than i have to). When my contract is finally up, I will never never never ever use Cingular again!! Die Cingular, DIE!

[CancerMan2]

Cingular Gave Me Sh*t, Glad They Are Being Sued

I had AT&T Wireless service when they prostituted (sold off) themselves to Cingular. Cingular "welcomed me" to the (mafia) family. When I called Cingular and inquired about moving my service over to them, I was told that I would have to pay for a new phone, I would have to start a whole new lock-in contract of 1 year, and submit myself to a credit check. What kind of sh*t is that? I had already completed a year term with AT&T, and passed their stupid credit check. So I said, "scr*w you", and I just kept using AT&T. The AT&T reception at my home is pretty crummy, so when a call comes in I call the party back on Skype, which is a free call. The executives running Cingular don't know sh*t from shineola.

[CancerMan2]

Cingular Gave Me Sh*t, Glad They Are Being Sued

I had AT&T Wireless service when they prostituted (sold off) themselves to Cingular. Cingular "welcomed me" to the (mafia) family. When I called Cingular and inquired about moving my service over to them, I was told that I would have to pay for a new phone, I would have to start a whole new lock-in contract of 1 year, and submit myself to a credit check. What kind of sh*t is that? I had already completed a year term with AT&T, and passed their stupid credit check. So I said, "scr*w you", and I just kept using AT&T. The AT&T reception at my home is pretty crummy, so when a call comes in I call the party back on Skype, which is a free call. The executives running Cingular don't know sh*t from shineola.

[jcgotthardt]

HIGHWAY ROBBERY

CINGULAR INFORMED ME THAT THEY DID NOT OFFER THE SAME CONTRACT THAT AT&T OFFERED, THEREFORE I HAD TO UPGRADE FOR $10.00 MORE A MONTH FOR 2 YRS FOR 2 CONTRACTS. 4 MONTHS PRIOR TO MY EXPIRATION DATE, CINGULAR THEN INFORMED ME THAT THEY WERE CLOSING THEIR LAST CONTRACT AND IT WOULD INCREASE $10.00 MORE FOR BOTH ACCOUNTS. HOUSTON TEXAN.

[jcgotthardt]

HIGHWAY ROBBERY

CINGULAR INFORMED ME THAT THEY DID NOT OFFER THE SAME CONTRACT THAT AT&T OFFERED, THEREFORE I HAD TO UPGRADE FOR $10.00 MORE A MONTH FOR 2 YRS FOR 2 CONTRACTS. 4 MONTHS PRIOR TO MY EXPIRATION DATE, CINGULAR THEN INFORMED ME THAT THEY WERE CLOSING THEIR LAST CONTRACT AND IT WOULD INCREASE $10.00 MORE FOR BOTH ACCOUNTS. HOUSTON TEXAN.