Cell Phone and the freakin providers

[Instrument 41]

I have been a customer with Cingular/ATT for about 16 years. Had an issue today with a stolen phone. Get this BS about the contract on that phone is not due till September..but we can put you a pre paid phone till then!!! My *((*&& cell phone bill is now right at $210 monthly. That bill is now is second to my mortgage.
Do you think you live/operate without a cell phone today?? I'm about to try it.

[Zeke]

I've heard of that procedure. Supposedly it's to help you. That is if a phone company can help you.

[GH85Carrera]

Call the home office and tell them you are unhappy and will be closing your account and moving to a different carrier. They will connect you to customer retention people and they will make you happy to keep sending them money.

[spuggy]

As far as AT&T go, I kicked them into touch about 7 years ago because they were making unreasonable demands - and telling me that they couldn't follow federally-mandated number-portability legislation (which I happen to know they could and should have done - but Customer Service, including Supervisors - insisted they couldn't).

Good luck with your issue. I can't be bothered to debate it beyond a certain point. You'll get nowhere by deviating from the script. And, as you may have surmised, customer loyalty is increasingly counting for less and less.

I don't understand why you are paying over $200 a month for a cell phone plan - is that a multiple phone/line family plan? (Heck, I was grabbing my ankles trying to hang on to a grandfathered 1500 minute calling plan with another provider - until they told me I could no longer make any additions to the plan without taking out a 2 year contract - so I transferred my number to a contract-free month-to-month plan - and got more service and saved >$40 a month.)

If it isn't, there are "all you can eat" deals from many providers that start at $30 a month (pick either unlimited data/text or unlimited talk/text) - my sweet spot right now is $50 a month for unlimited data/text and 500 minutes talk IIRC (I make almost all my calls via Vonage rather than cell because bluetooth headsets suck rocks in comparison to wired).

I understand your choice of carrier may limited your options - e.g. if no-one else has acceptable coverage in your area; otherwise, I'd shop around.

Need to keep your existing phone # but want to change provider - or see a need for flexibility later? $20 transfers the # to Google Voice. Then register multiple phones behind the GV front-end # - they can all simul-ring, and will even show up as coming from that # for outgoing calls, if you like.

Makes changing number/plan/provider afterwards a breeze; no need to print new cards/stationery, ring/email everyone of your contacts or any of that jive.

[Instrument 41]

So I went into one of the local stores. Actually got what I wanted a .99 cent 3GS phone. The 2 things that sent me into orbit are these. a $36 dollar upgrade fee and get this, when you get a phone that is much less than retail value there is a TAX, not fee, but defined as a TAX. So the tax on a .99 cent phone. $7.50. A 600% tax, did you get that a freakin 600% tax!!!!!!! Mind you its only a few dollars but 600%.

[Zeke]

Come on, you're paying tax on the value of the purchase. When you get a mail in rebate, they don't send you that portion of the tax you paid back.

[slakjaw]

Yep.

Just wait till u boyz get to start paying for "4G"

[scottmandue]

Cell phone providers are like heroin dealers...

Well... that isn't really fair to the heroin dealers...

[Instrument 41]

To the priginal question. Could you do away with your cell phone in todays world?

[flipper35]

Work wouldn't like it since it is my only phone, no land line.

[Rusty Heap]

Over $200 BUCKS a month? Gezus that's $2500 a year!

I am NOT a slave to my cell phone, I only carry it 10% of the time and often forget it at home or leave in it the car for days at a time.


UNLIKE 98% of the population, that seems to have assimilated inter-woven their flesh and phone into their palms. I see it more as a leash to them, instead of a tool of communication, what a concept, talking live to a friend instead of texting.

I love my land line, zero static or dropped calls, always rings even if the power is out, no batteries to worry about charging.

It's a different world today for sure. I wonder if kids would even know how to operate a phone with finger holes and a rotary dial these days, or would they just stare at it dumbfounded?

I know kids who don't know how to read an analog clock with 2 Hands pointing at numbers....sad sad sad.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Rusty Heap

Over $200 BUCKS a month? Gezus that's $2500 a year!

I am NOT a slave to my cell phone, I only carry it 10% of the time and often forget it at home or leave in it the car for days at a time.


UNLIKE 98% of the population, that seems to have assimilated inter-woven their flesh and phone into their palms. I see it more as a leash to them, instead of a tool of communication, what a concept, talking live to a friend instead of texting.

I love my land line, zero static or dropped calls, always rings even if the power is out, no batteries to worry about charging.

It's a different world today for sure. I wonder if kids would even know how to operate a phone with finger holes and a rotary dial these days, or would they just stare at it dumbfounded?

I know kids who don't know how to read an analog clock with 2 Hands pointing at numbers....sad sad sad.

Amen brother!!!

I also love my land line... Oooo look a speaker larger than a quarter of an inch!

I affectionately call my cell phone my "electronic leash" and what is with people calling/texting me between 5 and 6 in the evening, they all know I'm DRIVING HOME FROM WORK!

I do think there will be an anti tech movement someday.

End of rant...