Customer Service, part 1 –

We had to purchase the latest phone that we received. The cost was $41.00. The phone was shipped to us. It didn’t work.. I called Customer Service (CS) and asked for a new phone and a return authorization for the phone that didn’t work. Within a few days, I received a phone. It worked. This was easy, I thought.

Within a few more days, I received another phone. I didn’t care if this one worked because I didn’t want another phone. I had already received the replacement. My kids told me to just keep it because it would be free. I told them that I must not have raised them well because nothing is free. I’m sure that as soon as the phone went out the door an invoice was generated.

I called Customer Service and told them that I sent back the defective phone. I also told them that I received two phones in its place. They said that couldn’t happen. I thought to myself “Why would I make this up?”

Once I was able to convince CS that I had one too many phones, I was allowed to return it. I sent it back..

This scenario was painful because: a) the first phone didn’t work, b) two phones had to be packaged and brought to the post office and shipped back to Cingular at my expense and c) lots of calls had to be made to CS – mostly leaving voice mails that were seldom returned. I also emailed CS but no reply at all.

Customer Service, part two –

I thought I was all set until I received my credit card bill for the phones. I noticed that I was charged $41.00 for each of the three phones but was credited only $35.00 for each of the two returned. Why are they worth more when shipped by Cingular to me than when shipped by me to Cingular?

So I’m losing $6.00 per phone plus shipping costs and my time in dealing with all of this. I’m getting aggravated now.

I called CS repeatedly but no return calls were forthcoming. I think the local office packed up and moved to Canada to get away from me.

The President’s Office –

Finally, I composed a letter detailing my woes and mailed it off to Cingular, attention the President’s office. Within a few days, I received a phone call at home (and it wasn’t even dinner time). The young man was very apologetic and promised to refund all of my extra costs. All I had to do was send copies of my credit card bills. I did so.

On my next Cingular bill, the credits appeared. This part was so easy that I started kicking myself for not asking for a gift certificate to Olive Garden or something.

But all in all, it was a painful, time consuming experience.

Calling plans –

There are three cell phones in the family and three different calling plans. We didn’t want three different plans; we would have preferred some consistency but as we added phones, the plans changed. This makes it hard to keep track of who in the family has what plan. These are the plans we have:

$9.00 per month
500 free off peak minutes per month
$.25 per minute otherwise

$14.00 per month
Free off peak
$.25 per minute otherwise

$10.99 per month
500 free off peak minutes per month
$.25 per minute otherwise

Each of these plans required a two year commitment. The latest plan received was the last in the list. That was in February, ’01.

Summary –

I am pleased with the package costs which are competitive to Verizon Wireless.

I am happy with the signal coverage. I drive 40 miles each way to work and do a fair amount of traveling within New England. I have not found any areas where the signal is weak.

I am also pleased with the phones themselves.

I do hope though that I do not need to deal with Cingular Customer Service any time soon.

Thank you for reading.


Recommended: No

Amount Paid (US$): 10.99