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Hi all-
Well, you all may remember my taleo f woe about my wireless bill after returning form last year's USVI trip ($2,500). I took great care to ensure that we were set for this trip. Of course, true to Cingular style, I'm screwed again. Here is the complaint I filed with the FCC on Monday.
Complaint Against:
Cingular Wireless
PO BOX 68056
Anaheim Hills, CA 92817
Summary of Complaint:
Need any roaming and any long distance charges adjusted from 2004 trip to the USVI June and July 2004 bills) and 2005 trip to the USVI (July 2005 bill).
Complaint:
On June 29, 2005 I traveled from Philadelphia to the Island of St. Thomas, which is in the United States Virgin Islands. Prior to my departure, I contacted Cingular by phone to ensure that my plan would cover roaming and long-distance charges for the duration of my stay on St. Thomas. I planned to stay for two weeks (returning on July 14). I was assured that, in fact, my plan would cover me while in the USVI and any calls would be billed just as they would if I had made them from Philadelphia.
I asked the Cingular rep to note my account of such because after last year's USVI trip, I was told the same thing and returned to a $2,500 wireless bill after spending 2 weeks in the USVI. AT&T Wireless/Cingular eventually adjusted the long-distance on that bill because I had, in fact, called prior to that trip to get the requisite coverage plan. But, they refused to adjust the roaming. I was left with a bill in excess of $1,800. Thus, on this recent trip, I took extra care to ensure that I was covered and get it in writing. The rep I spoke with prior to my departure said the USVI coverage was documented in all of Singular's literature and if I had any problems, I could just call and they would handle it.
While I was on St. Thomas, I stayed at XXXX, which is on the North side of the island above Megan's bay. The house I was staying in faced North and I had to go out onto the balcony to get a signal to make calls when I was at the house, and was able to make sporadic calls from other places on the island. During my stay, my phone display either read "Suncom" or it had a series of numbers going across the top. This didn't concern me because I figured the island system is different, and I knew my plan would cover me. I stayed on St. Thomas, with the exception of traveling to the other USVI island of St. John for the night of July 3. Other than that, neither I, nor my phones left the US territory.
Upon returning from the trip, I checked my Cingular bill online today. My bill contains more than $600 in roaming charges from calls made from the USVI. I called Cingular and was told, by a rep named Josh, that he could not see the bill, but that if my calls from the USVI happened to have been picked up by other island chains in the British Islands, I would be charged for roaming and the charges would be valid. I questioned why the Cingular literature would state that calls made from the USVI would be covered when he was stating that calls "might" be picked up by another system and incur roaming. He told me to call back in a few days when my bill would be available in the Cingular billing system, which seemed odd since I could see it online. I called right back and reached Cingular rep Laurie, who said she could see my bill in the system. After a discussion about my roaming charges and where I had placed the calls from, she put me on hold to check a map. She came back and told me that, according to her map, there was no way another tower could have picked up the calls I allegedly made from St. Thomas, and that I must have been in the British Islands when I made those calls. I explained that I had not been, and that a trip outside of the US could be easily validated. She then asked me if I flew into the British Islands and then connected to the USVI. I explained that you don't get the US Islands by connecting through British Islands...and that the British islands don't have airports anyway. She laughed and told me they do...and said she sees airports on the map that are larger than the US Airports. This is incorrect, but she refused to believe me. I then asked her if it was Cingular's position that they would not adjust the roaming charges, and she said yes. I advised that I would file a FCC complaint and a suit against Cingular, because these calls were definitely made from STT. She told me to do what I wanted, but she wasn't adjusting the calls. I then asked her to repeat her stance in the presence of a supervisor. She brought Deborah (supervisor) onto the call and I, again, explained the problem. Deborah agreed to look at the map and call me back. I have yet to hear back.
In addition, anyone can look at the bill and see that calls were made on certain dates, at certain times, which reflected roaming charges (allegedly British island calls). In many cases, those calls were immediately preceded by or followed by non-roaming calls on the US National Plan (USVI territory). How could the phone calls be made form two separate countries, at once? Obviously, whomever was using the phone was not able to get from the British islands to the US islands in the space of 1 minute. And, obviously , Cingular must be able to understand this by reading the bill, but they still refuse to adjust the roaming charges.
Again, Cingular is fraudulently adding roaming charges to my bill. I am sure that someone would be able to duplicate the "Suncom" roaming if they went to St. Thomas and used my phone. I wonder how many other unsuspecting travelers have been charged these erroneous fees.
I would like credit for not only this year's roaming charges, but last year's roaming charges for my VI trip (June 2004). I gave Cingular the benefit of the doubt last year....thinking the representatives were just poorly trained on the products and didn't have me on the right plan, even though I called them before my trip and requested the appropriate coverage. Now I know that there is more involved and Cingular is purposely defrauding the public in the USVI territory. To add insult to injury, I even called Cingular customer service while on my trip and told them that I was unable to reach them from my cell phone. I explained that I kept reaching a Spanish recording and was having lots of problems with my phone. This should have clued them in that there was a problem. They didn't offer a solution. The calls to their customer service number are visible on my bill - and I am charged roaming on them, too! I have been an AT&T Wireless/Cingular client for 8 years, with the same phone numbers. I am disheartened that they are accusing me of lying about from where I placed these calls when the problem clearly lies with Cingular. Perhaps the fact that I am a former AT&T Wireless customer with an AT&T Wireless phone is a problem. However, Cingular should not make me liable because they failed to convert the AT&T Wireless system fully.
Strange problem you have there. I am on the Cingular Nationwide plan. I have made a few calls from St. Thomas but most of my calls while staying in the V.I. have been made from St. John - which is closer to the B.V.I.
I will say there have been a few times I've tried to make a call while in St. John only to have a B.V.I. operator pick up and explain to me why the call won't go through. Then, just this past April, I was actually on Tortola but could not get a call through despite having 4 bars showing on my phone. Finally, while sitting at the Jolly Roger on the West End of Tortola waiting for the ferry to St. John, I was able to pick up the V.I. tower and successfully make a call.
In any event, none of this was reflected on my bill and the charges were normal for my plan.
Richard N. Kurpiers
Bluwater:
We have travelled to STT & STJ several times in the past 18 months. We too have Cingular as our wireless provider. During our last trip to STJ I noticed that a BVI company had picked up my call and re-programmed my phone to their system. Even on STT we would have been using their service. I quickly reprogrammed my phone back to Cingular.
Note: With Cingular we do not incur roaming charges when calling from & to STT or STJ. The calls are part of our available monthly minutes or free after 9 PM and on weekends.
F.I.
I, too, have a Nationwide plan ($79.99 mo)
I wonder if either of you were former AT&T Wireless customers. It seems, after speaking with telecom folks in the VI, that this might be the issue.
I was an AT&T Wireless customer, who was transferred to Cingular after Cingular acquired AT&T. I still use the AT&T Wireless phones. The networks are not fully integrated because when I called Cingular to get onto one of their newer plans, they told me that I would have to buy one of thier phones to do that. So, I never switched over. I still have my AT&T Wireless phone.
My contacts in the USVI asked me what my phone read when I was down, and when I told them it read "Suncom" most of the time, they explained that Suncom is out of Puerto Rico. It seems that Suncom picked up some of AT&T Wireless' network assets after Cingular acquired AT&T and there was redundancy. This would explain why the operator/recording that would come on my phone was always in spanish. Somehow, when I arrived in the VI, I got picked up by Suncom. The puzzling piece is why Cingular is claiming I was on a BVI tower, unless Suncom is in the BVI...I don't know. I never did reach a BVI operator or a boat phone. I do know that my cell service hardly worked while I was there and people who called me usually got a recording that my number was not in service.
What angers me is that it's simple to look at my bill and see the calls coming from the BVI tower and other calls coming from the USVI tower...all within 5 minutes....like I was bounding back and forth. Obviously, there is a problem....and obviously, I couldn't have been in the BVI and the USVI in the space of a couple of minutes every day....several times a day. What also angers me is that Cingular agreed to call me back by the end of the day on Monday and has yet to call me.
I filed FTC and BBB complaints today.
The next letter goes to Prosser's office (Innovative). He'll love it and, since he owns the newspaper, he can send it to press.
had the same problem on my last trip, but called Cingular and insisted that STT and STJ were in my plan, until the agent looked it up. Then she removed the ld and roaming charges.
My guess is that we got our signal from a company outside of Cingular - perhaps because their signal is stronger.
We're former AT&T customers....now switched over to Cingular.
While in STT we had very few problems getting connected. STJ - we had problems on the north east side.
We were billed for a couple of BVI calls (made while on STJ)....before I realized what had happened. They were short calls and amounted to less than $25.
F.I.
has anyone had trouble using sprint pcs down there? i hear they are one of the main towers. but has anyone had the bvi towers take over on sprint? and how do you reprogram your phone back if they do take it over? i've never heard of that. thanks, scooby
Yikes - if ever had to use the phone that much while on vacation, please just take me outside and shoot me.
Hello Scooby,
I have Sprint and have used it on St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix and Water Island, I have never had any issues. There are drop zones though.
I asked a cellular sales rep. and they said they'd heard of Cingular sometimes picking up boat signal and BVI signal but didn't know of Sprint doing the same.
--Islander
thanks islander, i normally bring a calling card but thought this time i would bring my phone because it would only cost me 4 dollars more to add it for a month rather then buying a calling card for 20. it all helps i guess. normally i like to check in with people at least once in the week to let them know all is well, and also to see if my house and animals, and family are ok back home to. otherwise i agreee with the last person forget the phone and every other problem back home,i'm on vacation! lol, thanks again islander, scooby
hi again one more question, do you ever have to worry about roaming down there? thanks, scooby
At $3 and change per minute it adds up.
F.I.
Scooby:
To change your network (reprogramming),,,go to your phone "Settings" and then "Network".....then "Available Networks".
If some network takes you over you can get back to your original network using this sequence (that is if your network is available in the area that you are currently located). While in STT I noticed 3 Available Networks on my Cingular phone.
F.I.
Hello Scooby,
I have made changes to my Sprint account mid-cycle before and when I get my bill its messed up in terms of $$ and requires me calling to get it fixed and being told if you change mid-cycle bla bla bla. So be sure to ask how far before actually going on the trip you need to make that add on for it to be in effect while on your trip.
As for roaming, yes it happens. I just don't use it when it indicates that its roaming; and it hasn't been very often that I have noticed. And usually its just a matter of moving or in most cases driving a short distance and then getting signal.
--Islander
Bluwater: I have friends on a boat who have BVI Boatphone and Cingular- and they keep getting roaming charges with BOTH!!
One small bit of info- there ARE airports in the BVI- Tortola, Virgin Gorda and Anegada!
Most of the cell phone companies (as well as banks and other businesses) here are connected with Puerto Rico in some way or another. I agree- it is very frustrating to have trouble with service and when you call you get Spanish messages.
I took my Cingular phone with me on our annual St. Thomas vacation last year. I had no problems with my bill but, I have always had the Cingular phone and nation-wide plan. I only used the phone a couple times. We called home to check on our elderly parents who had some health concerns. We wanted to be sure we could be reached in case of emergency. Isn't part of being on vacation being able to get away from daily pressures such as the phone? We go to St. Thomas each year for 15 days-have done this for the past 7 years. In all that time, we've only called home 3 times. All these people who walk around an island, on vacation, with a phone glued to your ear-you don't look important-you look like a fool thinking you look important. I agree, shoot me if I ever use a phone that much on vacation.
I know it sounds like we used the phones a lot, but we didn't really.
I have an online villa business that I just started in May....www.villavantage.com, so I had 2 meetings related to that and used the phone to make related to those arrangements (people don't really sit in their offices in the VI, they're always out and about, and you have to find them)
We also used our phones to reach each other while on the island. I was there with my 18 yr old son and one of the phones is his - the other is mine. So, we communicate via cell quite a bit for pick ups, drop, offs, etc. Actually, the phone wasn't used that much because we could never get a good signal.
I had one longer call (to my very sad BF who was left at home in Philly) that was $150 in roaming fees - so, yes, at $3 a minute it adds up fast!. I also know lots of people on the island, so there was lots of calling to make plans or chat, whatever. When I'm there, it's not like I'm on vacation, really...it's like I'm just living somewhere else for a while....but real-life things go on. There is a difference in the way islanders plan socially, I think. It's all very spontaneous. People would call and say "where are you?" and I would say "I'm at Megans" (or wherever) and they would come to swim with me or have a drink. People seem to spend less time at home and more time out socializing with each other. I like that so much! WHen I'm at home in Philly, it's rare for someone to call and ask me where I am and just come to meet me. Perhaps it's because the island is small and it's easy to get to where someone is for a "drop in" visit.
It's also really different being a married couple and traveling to somewhere together (where you are chatting with each other and not other people so much) than being me, a single woman traveling without another adult. Thus, my phone is needed more as I am interacting with multiple people and don't have a steady companion.
So, shoot me if I DON'T have my phone.
I got the Cingular issue resolved late yesterday. I called the office of the President and knew they would have some executive complaint person to handle it. At first she gave me some nonsense about the origination of my calls, but I instructed her to look at the bill and see the calls coming from the US towers, immediately followed by the calls from the British towers...and she agreed that I couldn't have been in two places at once, so she adjusted the calls. This isn't rocket science and any rep should have been able to look at the bill detail and see that the call pattern proved that there was a problem. But, if Cingular wants to pay 4 people to figure this one out (and they didn't figure it out, I still had to show them how to audit the bill), that's on them. Amazing.
I think it's outrageous the way they are treating you. That's way way too much for a cell phone bill, especially since you already checked with the company and had been told that you wouldn't be charged roaming. Too bad that companies cannot represent themselves adequately by the phone reps. How about buying a calling card next year and using the hotel/resort phone? Probably cheaper. And aren't you supposed to by AWAY from all those business calls when in paradise? I know it's hard to get away. Hope you get reimbursed!!!
Bluwater,
I am glad you have found some resolution with Cingular. Since Cingular is one of the few cell phone service providers in the USVI it is fortunate that the Cingular users who have responded to your post have not experienced the difficulties that you relate. Since you had this problem on a previous visit as well as on this vist and believe that the problem stems from a lack of network integration after Cingular acquired AT&T, perhaps replacing your AT&T Wireless phones with Cingular phones will save you from experiencing the same difficulties on your next visit!
I have the Cingular "NATION WIDE" PLAN. I spent some time asking the right questions and making sure I had the right equipment.
I signed on to the "nation wide" plan because it was the only one that guaranteed that I would not have roaming or long distance charges in the USVI. We spend our time on St Croix and also wanted to have a dependable signal.
I am able to make calls to the states as well as local calls on St Croix without any additional charge.
I think Cingular should honor their employees guarantees to you. However you would have avoided a lot of headaches by having the right plan and equipment.
