Stay away from Cingular Wireless...please...I'm begging you...

[jstreet]

I have been on the phone now for 2 1/2 hours talking to a circle of technical support, billing, and automated prompts. After knocking my bill down from $450 (incorrectly) charged roaming minutes, I've now been forced to upgrade to a Regional plan in order to avoid seeing those roaming minutes again because I'm in a "fringe" area. Stay away if you can.

[m0j0]

when they were pacbell in my area, i once had to argue with them as to what "1000 hours nights and weekends" means. after arguing forever (cuz i was billed like 700 offpeak hours), they were all "oh, we have a plan like that." so of course i was like "duh, moron, that is the plan i should be under right now." like if that is the promotion, why would i sign up for something different if i am gonna be using at that time? i even had to tell them that i specified that i wanted that plan and made sure by asking "so, i get 1000 weekend and night hours, right?" they were saying that they had me down as agreeing to the inferior plan (uh, ya, since the bozo that made the mistake to begin with took those notes).

[kevs]

Hey guys, I have heard such horror stories here in my area as well about Cingular.

Just wanted to drop a note to you guys that I can hook anyone up here in this forum with a free phone for VoiceStream Wireless service. They use GSM technoogy which means, better data storage, the best air security, and better features!

On a tangent, VoiceStream was just given the green light this past Thursday (see the Wall Street Journal) for the merger with Deutsche Telekom, making VoiceStream the second largest global carrier in the world. This means our coverage is gonna be crazy and our international rates should change shortly (I hope!).

Drop me an email for more info if anyone wants me to get them a free phone.

Thanks.

[verve247]

Hey Kevs, you got a link to Voicestream plans? Do they cover Northern California?

[jstreet]

And now, after paying them $125 and upgrading from a $25 per month to $70 per month plan in order to avoid switching phones *again*, I have lost voicemail. I'm going to an actual retail store on Monday and I'm going to sit down with someone about this, because it's ridiculous.

kevs - I really like Voicestream; they seem like a great company and the AIM features look really promising. However, isn't the GSM coverage area a little spotty now, and don't you have to pay for analog roaming? I'm all for GSM (so that perhaps the US can finally conform to the networks of the rest of the world...), but it seems like right now the cost of paying for roaming would outweigh the benefits.

[kevs]

Sorry, No.Cali isn't covered YET, but we do have roaming agreements for those who travel there. Seriously, email me for good minutes at good prices.

[Chinpoko_Mon]

if the US market is gonna eventually switch to GSM... think of all the different cell phone models we'd have access to...

Ericsson T39http://www.ericsson.com/T39/images/icecapblue_open_front.jpghttp://www.ericsson.com/T39/images/rosewhite_closed_side.jpghttp://www.ericsson.com/T39/images/navyblue_open_back.jpg
This phone uses Bluetooth technology for it's handsfree headset....
http://www.ericsson.com/consumers/images/GPD_2450_27_0_105.jpg

Nokia 8250, which also features the wireless hands-free headset...
http://www.nokia-asia.com/apac/apac_images/8250_phone_top.jpg
http://www.nokia-asia.com/apac/apac_images/8250_phone_bot.jpg

These are my two fav phones out there... but unfortunately I don't know how long it'll be before we can use 'em in the US...

[Dave_7]

"The company that believes in self-expression"

How about believing in good service. Try to make a call or check your voice-mail in the LA area between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Forget about it.

Cingular Cucks... with a capital C.

I liked them better when they were PacBell.




Dave.

[Nanotech9]

wveryone has problems....

My parents and I got cel phones right about the same time when we moved into the new house we had just built... I got SWB (now cingular) and they got Voicestream. The house is on the top of a hill, and supposedly well inside the coverage area of both carriers.

Well, I got good service for the first year. They didn't. They could hardly make a call, or even recieve one. They had all of 1 or maybe 2 points of service, OUTside the house. (remember, on the top of a hill)

Unbelively, they renewed for another year. I did too. They got the same plan, and I talked SWB into giving me a better plan, with the "unlimited" long distance, for $55/month, with a $15 monthly refund/credit/whatever you want to call it.

Well, between November of 2000, and Jan of 2001, I started having problems. I was getting all 4 points of service, but getting no calls through on the tower out by our house. The techs from SWB didn't know/tell me this, but the tower was overloaded (right about the time they were switching everything to Cingular). Well, the problem is better for me now.

My parents had a similar problem with V-stream, and they lady at the store agreed to let them out of their contract for free, since they weren't getting any service in a "covered area". They then got an AT&T phone (same place they got the V-stream) that worked great just about anywhere. Well, it's been 3 months now since they V-stream service was supposed to have been terminated, for free, and it hasn't. They've billed my mom for those three months, and when she tried explaining it to the Cust.Serv. guy from VS, he wanted to charge her like $180 (or whatever the rate is) for "early termination", even though the lady at the VS store was supposed to have terminated it 3 months earlier... My mom is still trying to get refunded.

So, the moral of the story is, All cell providers are created equal, just some ppl have better or worse expierences with one or the other. I've still got cingular. I'm ok with it. AT&T would prolly be ok too, although with cingular's coverage area, I'm pretty happy (i do a little traveling now nd then)

PS, stay away from Voicestream :P

[kevs]

That's good info here about Cingular, Vstream, and AT&T. But, the bottom line is that all cell providers (like you said, Nanotech) are not perfect. ALL cell providers have different dead spots due to the towers, contracts with providers outside of the cell phone company (a.k.a. Omnipoint, PowerTel, etc.). There's this one place in my state where ALL cell phones have no coverage.

Nanotech, I'm sorry to hear about your parents' situation. My feeling on that is that the person who promised to cancel you might not have had the power to do so when they said it. It looks like your parents went to a contracted dealer and not a VStream Store. I suggest going back to that place, finding that person, and finding out what happened. When your parents explained their situation to VStream Customer, the Customer Care Dept. had no knowledge of where the phone was bought and who gave that okay. For all they know, these could be people on the line who just want to get their phone cut off for no legitimate reason (no offense to your parents, of course). Do you follow me? So, I say your best course of action is to follow up at that store. Good luck with that.

But, like Chinpoko_Mon said, the future of wireless telecom is riding on GSM technology. Cingular and AT&T are on their way over to ride the GSM wave that VStream has already begun. Their networks are already flooded and it's limited. It'll take these companies at least 3-5 years to catch up to where VStream is now, and by that time, VStream technology is gonna be way past the competition.

Chinpoko_Mon, the Ericsson T39 w/BlueTooth technology is coming to VStream. VStream already has BlueTooth add-ons to the Ericsson phones available to Vstream. If you guys haven't heard about BlueTooth Technology, I encourage you to check it out. Our data services that will be launched soon will have kpbs speeds at least 3 times faster than any other web based cell phone. Plus, VStream is gonna utilize GPRS technology to help everyone save on their minutes.

Even better, VStream has just received the okay from the FCC for the merger with Deutsche Telekom. Most of us have no idea what this means (no offense to those who do) so I'll tell you. Having an international partner who is already huge in the INTERNATIONAL Telecom industry merge with VStream means only one thing: More Minutes, More Features, and More Service (I know that's three things, but it's one statement).

As I said earlier, I can provide anyone on this forum with a free cell phone for VStream. If you are unsure of coverage, give me your exact address and I can have VStream pinpoint that location with coverage area, so you'll be sure. I'm here to take care of Got|Apex members and will do my utmost best to make sure that you're taken care of and are happy. Email me for more info! :)

Thanks.

[coleslaw]

I've been using Cingular in the Houston area without a single problem. I guess it just depends on your location.

[techhi]

VoiceStream coverage sucks in S.Jersey

I was going to buy from Voice Stream until I seen the
coverage map it's very bad

I wanted to get the 600 anytime minutes for $39.00

ANy help
I may go with Verizon or Cingular better coverage but alot less Minutes

Tom

[psycho-]

I use verizon in the states and J-phone right now. Both are owned by British company Vodafone to some extent. Amazingly, both locations have good service. In the states (Southern California), Verizon is listed as one of the better ones (Formerly Airtouch Comm.) I:ve had to take so much **** from Sprint PCS (90 minute waits, etc.) On the other hand, I:ve only had a max 5 minute wait on Airtouch. Problems were even followed up quickly.

On J-phone, coverage is like the Sprint PCS of Japan, but service is Vodafone quality.

[JPR]

Just so you know Cingular is one of the subsidaries of the SBC Corporation. SBC is the parent company of Southwestern Bell which formed SBC(Southwestern Bell Communications)in order to manage all it takes over of other baby bells ie. Pac Bell, Ameritech, and so forth. Cingular was formed to combine all the cellular service that was offered in areas SBC controls. So now you know.

[ChrisMG187]

Could you get me a free handset even if I am already a VStream subscriber? I would really like a 82xx or a 33xx

[Ice-9]

Originally posted by DarkFury
I'm glad I haven't had any problems with my Sprint PCS...

Huh. Same here. Not the best coverage, but no roaming, free voicemail, free long distance, and only moderately horrible customer service. Works for me.

[Grimm]

Cingular bites the big one. I am with Verizon now, they aren't that great, but they are better than Cingular so far...

[Tse How]

Just got back from almost a half year stay there. Cell phones are so much more powerful there than in the U.S. because they don't have limit laws, or whatever you call them. They can do so so much, like a mini computer. I had AU and that was really really good, and i traveled all over japan too. So, if any of you are going there, hit it up.

[ricks]

hey kevs,

i have voicestream right now, with a nokia 6190. its about a year old now, you think u can hook me up with a phone?

[psycho-]

I used my J-Phone in the middle of a forest last saturday in an Onsen...that was extremely weird....never see that work in the US.