Cingular and AT&T ... yeah, not so cool

So I wanted to get a new phone - shouldn't be too big of a hassle, right? Well, you see, I was with AT&T so now I'm with Cingular since they bought 'em out. Well, they've made it so that I can't get a new phone without migrating my number over to Cingular. The problem is, if I migrate over, I lose my current rate plan (which is excellent because I've had it for 2 years) and I go under yet another 2 year contract AND I have to PAY to migrate. I'm sorry, but that's CRAP. It really doesn't make sense for a company to buy out a company and then make its customers pay fees to even think about moving along with technology and new phones.

Oh yeah, and she said since I'm under the digital network, I'll probably start getting crappy reception because they are slowly tearing down all the digital towers to make way for GSM. WHAT!??!?!

So basically, big bad cingular swoops in, makes our service crappy and puts us in a glass box: we can see all of the new technology coming out but we can't get to it unless we're willing to sign our lives away again.

*sigh* it's all crap. But thanks for listening to me vent. Maybe I'll just hold out until they HAVE to offer me a good deal to get rid of my ancient digital phone. Stupid freaks. Anyone got similar frustrations?

 

different idea, and different outcome....my dsl is with sbc global, which is part of the phone co.....the rate is get is a sale, it's good for one year, and comes with a new modem and software.......once a year, I get a call, and redo it.......if they keep giving me it....I'm not going to whine........nomal is $50. per month, and the sale is $26. per month.......and this is the 2nd year.......wobbles

 

thats odd, a couple friends off mine were with AT&T, and got new phones, better contracts, and didnt have to pay a transfer fee.

it sounds to me like you got the short end of the stick--if they would have done that to me i'd have threatened to get a new provider--especially since you can switch your number over free of charge nowadays.

 

Crappy service depends on where you live. Around here, only complete idiots have AT&T, since they've got towers about every 300 miles. If I had been stuck with them, I'd have gladly paid anything Cingular wanted to get away.

 

That's a pretty subjective statement. Wouldn't it be more prudent to say only the uninformed have AT&T? because in all honesty, I'm sure there are idiots using the same service you do.

 

haha, nice...

 

There are places where verizon's service is not the best...

 

yeah, like my basement..

 

ATT worked best in mine.

 

Sorry, wasn't aware that this was politically correct day.

 

Dude, no one want's a call from you in your basement while you are getting pelted with waterballoons and farting up a storm from eating 55 slices of sausage pizza.

 

Newgroove...just buy a new phone and drop your SIM card into that phone. That way you stay on the same service plan you have. I regularly change between 2 different phones depending on whether I am travelling internationally or not. HTH.

 

One should choose their words with diligence whenever they are to be heard.

 

See, that would work great except for the fact that my phone doesn't have a sim card. It's a Nokia 3560...they said it was going to be a great phone when it first came out and I got it...yeah, it wasn't.

 

NOt trying to be an a$$ but you shoulda opted for a gsm phone in the first place... better technology...

 

yeah, well I've had my phone for quite some time. GSM was fairly new. Gimme a break

 

Digital sevice... sim non-existent... otherwise a great idea.