Cingular Rhode Island
Written: Oct 08 '04 (Updated Oct 08 '04)
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Pros: Price comparable to competitors. Number transferable to Verizon when you get fed up.
Cons: Poor customer service, dropped calls, non-innovative, "take it or leave it" attitude.
The Bottom Line: I do not know anyone that has been happy with Cingular. Almost all of them went to Verizon and love it.
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| TOMRYN's Full Review: Cingular Mobile Phone Service in Providence |
I obtained cellular service in 1991 and was passed over the years without incident through Bell Atlantic, Cellular One, and finally was passed to Cingular. Of course, each company claimed how they would be "better" then their predecessor, when in fact nothing really changed each time besides the name.
When Cingular took over, the problems were both numerous, and immediate. They launched a security program that would authenticate each call. Anyone who did not purchase a new phone was forced to enter a pin code for each call. This only worked about 30% of the time, and normally required a call to customer service and a hold time of about ten minutes to reach a representative to complete the call. It also required talking to a representative first to place a call if you were outside of your home calling area.
After a couple months, typing a pin before each call got old. About this time, Cingular declared that they now had "Caller ID" (which displays the number of the incoming caller before you answer the call). Since my phone did not have the automatic authentication feature, and was not compatible with Caller ID, I decided to upgrade my phone. Naturally, this required signing a two-year contract. I selected a phone that the representative stated had Caller ID and Authentication.
Soon I learned that the authentication was not working, and it required several calls (and extended hold times) to customer service to complete each call. Also, the Caller ID feature did not work. After each call to customer service, I was assured that the problems would be fixed. Their responses sounded canned, and it was difficult to talk to anyone who even had the most remote knowledge of the product. Nearly two weeks later, customer service confessed that neither feature would work with my phone number. I was also told that since both features were "new" that they were still "working out the kinks". At this point, I returned the phone and had my old one reactivated. About six months later, they apparently worked out the "kinks".
I later found that any modification to my calling plan or any feature would reset my contract back to twelve months. At no time would they state this. Their pricing was extremely vague and confusing. They had almost no knowledge of where roaming areas began and what prices would be in roaming areas. Any call to customer service would receive a different answer to the same question depending on whom you were talking to.
I became increasingly irritated by their 411 information. Not only did they charge approximately $1.50 for each call to 411, they were NEVER able to find any number I would ask for. They would take several minutes to answer the call, and another several minutes to tell me they could not find the number. They became consistent in this pattern. Each time, I was able to find a phone book and find the number myself. Upon inquiring, I found that there was no way to get 411 to call any other information system; only Cingular's 411 system.
The final straw was even my most basic customer service requests being met with a "if you don't like it, cancel your service" attitude. The voicemail system said "to leave a numeric page press pound" and would allow the caller to send a numeric page. Since my phone did not have this feature, it was misleading to the caller and could result in me not receiving call information. It seemed like a simple oversight on the part of Cingular that they should be able to fix easily. I called numerous times and each time was told that it would be taken care of. Finally I was told "that's just the way it works, we don't change things like that."
And after having the same number for twelve years, I cancelled my service with Cingular. They didn't ask why, they didn't ask me if there was anything they could do. It was the only thing they ever did for me- they cancelled my account. I sent a final letter describing what lead up to my dissatisfaction. Nobody replied.
In contrast, I have had Verizon for the last two years, and I have been no less than thrilled. It is almost the direct opposite of Cingular. I have never had a dropped call, their customer service is prompt, knowledgeable, and has gone out of their way to treat me well. Everything works like it is supposed to. I feel valued as a customer. Many people I know have had the same negative experiences with Cingular, and switched to Verizon and love it.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): Approx $50/m
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Epinions.com ID:
TOMRYN
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Location: Rhode Island
Reviews written: 12
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
"As soon as you're born you start dieing." - Cake
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