Prevent yourself from getting a migraine--DO NOT GET CINGULAR! (especially in Berkeley, CA)
Written: Feb 09 '03 (Updated Feb 19 '03)
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Pros: cheap calling plans, gsm service
Cons: very poor reception, dropped calls, constant "system busy" errors
The Bottom Line: If you enjoy dropped calls, system busy messages and poor reception, this is the service for you!
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| calband36's Full Review: Cingular Mobile Phone Service in San Francisco/San... |
*note* this review is more for Berkeley, CA and some parts of the Bay Area (i.e. Daly City)
Phone: Nokia 3390, switched to Nokia 8290 when my Nokia 3390 broke
Monthly payment: $29.99 (includes 300 anytime minutues, 3000 nights and weekends, voice mail, call waiting, free long distance))
additional payment: $2.99 for txt messaging, $9.99 for 1000 mobile-to-mobile minutes)
Why did you choose this service?
I chose this service because of the extremely cheap service. They offered a good (seemingly good) deal for the money.
Describe you experience w/ this service.
It was not too bad at first. A few dropped calls here and there. The reception was not too bad either. However, as more people signed up Cingular, it seemed that the reception got worst. Not to mention the fact that T-Mobile now shares the same network as Cingular in the West Coast (specifically the Bay Area).
In the University of California, Berkeley campus, the reception was horrible! I would get dropped calls in the middle of the field (i.e. Memorial Glade)! And of course, I did not get any reception from the inside of any building. The reception was also extremely horrible near Piedmont and Warring (in front of Clark Kerr) and in Memorial Stadium.
*update* The reception isn't as horrible in San Francisco. This is because most GSM carriers like Cingular are focusing their services in Metropolitan areas. However, in places like Daly City, Pinole, Pacifica and Union City, the reception is quite horrible. You'll get reception once in a while. But usually, reception is not consistant. Sometimes you'll get reception in your kitchen, sometimes you won't. Also, there are certain locations on highway 280 or 101 where the service drops suddenly. Service drops seem to occur in random places and more frequently than none. I am assuming this is due to the amount of traffic the network gets. For example, I seem to get decent reception in Pinole around 2am. Or in Daly City around 11pm, in my basement like room. But who would you want to call at 2am? Someone in Hawaii?
What do you love about this service?
Nothing. (Except maybe for the fact that I can txt message my mom in the Philippines). Other than that, absolutely nothing. During the first few months of service, Cingular "accidently" billed me over $100 on my monthly bill. Instead of taking minutes away from my mobile-to-mobile minutes when I talked to another Cingular customer, Cingular decided to take away my anytime minutes first. Cingular's customer service "fixed" the problem temporarily. For the next 5 months, I had to call them every month to "fix" the same problem.
What do you hate?
Lack of reception anywhere in the Bay Area. If you go near Daly City or Pacifica, reception is horrid. The Pinole/Hercules area in the East Bay is also really bad. You can stand in the middle of the street and get nothing!
Who should choose this service?
No one. Unless you do not care for reception quality. Or if you live in San Franciso and don't plan to call anyone using your cell phone when you're not in San Francisco.
What other options should people consider?
Now that At&t has started a GSM network of their own, I highly recommend them. They are actually working on building more towers or cell sites (this will help with reception and the increasing demand of its customers). Also, with the GSM service, At&t customers can now send text messages around the world! *update* During my first week with At&t, I was able to send a txt message to the Philippines, and vice-versa. Now, I can only send txt messages to the Philippines, but not back. At&t have also dropped their prices so it would become more competitive with Cingular.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 51.00
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Epinions.com ID:
calband36
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Location: berkeley, ca
Reviews written: 8
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
My opinions are MY opinions, NOT that of the Cal Band!
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