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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.
Thinking-
Yes, replacing my phones (which, would be at my expense) would probably solve the problem. However, I am not in the business of funding the resolution to the challenges pressented to Cingular by their acquisition of ATT Wireless. Us AT&T Wireless customers never asked to be acquired by Cingular, so we should be penalized for the lack of appropriate network integration. I'm not paying to replace my phones. The acquisition should be transparent to the consumer.
This should be a simple thing for Cingular, Obviously, they've decided not to invest in the network integration needed to resolve the problem. Ok, so the solution is to just alert the reps that ATT Wireless folks in the VI *might* encounter this problem and that calls should be adjusted if this issue arises....especially when calls are bouncing back and forth between the US and British towers and the bill reflects proof of the problem. What took me 72 hours and multiple calls to multiple reps to resolve was a 5 minute problem that could have/should have been handled by the rep that answered the first call. It's no wonder my cell bill is so high. They need to earn so much to pay multiple people to perform simple tasks.
"However you would have avoided a lot of headaches by having the right plan and equipment."
OkonSTX, I think you missed the point of the problem. I do have the right plan. I have the most expansive plan available for National calls. This IS the plan that covers the USVI.
The problem IS that Cingular alleged I wasn't in the USVI when I placed the calls. They claimed I was in the BVI, which I wasn't. Somehow, the BVI tower picked up my calls made from the USVI, and THAT is why my plan didn't cover them.
This is a network problem, not a "plan" issue. Sorry if my summary of the problem wasn't clear. It doesn't matter what "plan" you have if your calls are routing internationally, by error.
Okonstx, I just read that you wrote:
"I have the Cingular "NATION WIDE" PLAN. I spent some time asking the right questions and making sure I had the right equipment"
Guess what..that's the plan I have. You might be a new Cingular cusotmer, so you have the newer phones. I have had my number and my account for more than 8 years...but my phone is only 6 months old - and I got it from Cingular - but it's an AT&T Wireless technology phone because I was formerly an AT&T Wireless customer.
The acquisition is more complex than most people know.
As far as I know there are two cellular wireless technologies used by Cingular. One is TDMA, which is being phased out, and the newer GSM.
I've had a TDMA phone for years and still had it when I visited the V.I. this past April. Other than the fact that I couldn't complete a call while in Tortola, and again in Puerto Rico, despite having 4 bars, I've never had problems, billing or otherwise.
I just recently switched to a Cingular GSM phone. I'll be using that when I return to the V.I. in a couple of weeks. It'll be interesting to see if I have similar problems as described by Bluwater.
rkurpiers-
I hope you have wonderful time on your visit. I'm jealous 🙂
I have a GSM phone. I was a beta GSM user in the US back when AT&T Wireless was just starting to roll out GSM. This is when AT&T WS was giving a group of users $99 unlimited calling plans for testing the network. I disconnected my home phone and enjoyed the unlimited calling for 2 yrs. Wireless was more expensive then, so this was a great deal.
If you aren't a legacy AT&T Wireless user, you might not have any problems. I think legacy Cingular users are ok.
I have been through many "billers" since 91 on my phone and now for the last Hmmmmm..... 7years or soooo been with Sprint. Thank God never a worry. Even on StX. I'll stick with them for now. They have done me right and I haven't paid for a cell phone yet!
This keeps getting worse:
I decided to migrate to Cingular and swap phones for the Cingular technology. I called Cingular today to handle this over the phone and was told by the rep that I cannot migrate because I have a contract with AT&T Wireless, which expires in a year.
I explained about the connection problems I am having with the AWS (AT&T WIRELESS) equipment and technology and wanted to get a new phone. How can I do that?
I was then advised that I can only buy another AT&T Wireless phone if I wanted to try different equipment to see if that helps.
OK,so how do I do that? I was connected to a guy who said he was the rep for AT&T Wireless customers, but he works for Cingular. He priced some new phones for me (VERY Expensive when comparing them to the exact same phones sold to Cingular customers). He explained that Cingular isn't giving the same discounts on AWS phones as they are on Cingular phones and that I can get a small discount only by extencing the time on my AWS contract for another 1 or 2 years. Huh? So, now, in order to get a phone that isn't going to cost me an infllated list price, I have dig myself deeper into this hole. He then told me that he didn't think the Cingular Customer was correct in saying that I couldn't get out of my AWS contract, but that Cingular customer care would be the only ones who could authorize such, and suggested that I go to the Cingular Store to speak with someone live and try to get a new contract and a new pphone on the spot.
I then drove to the Cingular store adn you can guess what happened there. They told me the rep was wrong.
So, I drove back home and called Cingular again. This time I reached a rep who told me that she had no idea what department I had been speaking with (there are NO notes on my account), but the only place I an even buy an AT&T phone is on Ebay. These phones are not sold anywhere else anymore.
I gave her the names of the former reps I had spoken with. She said that should would check wiht her supervisor. She came back and said her superivsor WILL do an override to break my contract with AWS and move me to CIngular, but they will not give me a discount on any phones. Hmmmm....
So, I asked if Cingular customers get discounts on phones when they extend contracts....and she said yes, but I won't because I am former AT&T. I explained that former AT&T customers also used to get discounts on phones when we extended agreements. So, now that we're Cingular's newly acquired customer, we get nothing. That's right. Somehow, this seems to be an unfair practice as it relates to the acquisition of AWS by Cingular.
She again told me that I cannot buy any AWS phones, except on Ebay. So, I'm being forced into paying full price on a Cingular phone, which isn't Cingular's practice for Cingular customers, only AWS cusotmers.
Finally, she told me that my only other option is to get yet another AWS phone via warranty exchange (they don't even honor the phone I bought from AWS, they have a crappy replacement they send, which isn't the kind of phone I cought previously and it never works so I have to keep replacing it). I explained that I just got one of those a couple of weeks ago and it arrived with a broken toggle, so it was no good right away). But, as this is my only option to save myself from more Cingular torture, I agreed to try another warranty exchange. She tried connecting me to them and the phone went dead.
I don't have any more energey for Cingular today.
If you have GSM type phones why don't you just unlock them. Then you can put a SIMM card in fron Cingualr and as an added bonus when you go to Europe you can put SIMM cards in from whatever country you are in and use the phone as if it were local. If you have TDSM type phones then you are out of luck.
I unlocked my AT&T phones, one was a Treo 600, the other a Samsung. You can find unlocking services and codes on E-bay.
Once I unlocked my phones and got Cingualr SIMMS for them my phones worked great in the VI. The Cingular store I went to didn't charge me for the SIMMS nor did they charge me an activation fee. Be sure you got to a Cingular store and not a Cingular dealer. Also Cingular doesn't consider it breaking your contraqct when you move from AT&T to Cingular.
I even use my Treo as a wireless modem when I am in the VI and get higher connect speeds than dial up. Since my data plan is unlimited I can leave my computer on line for hours at a time.
Jim
Jim-
Cingular gave you free SIMMS at their store? Hmmm, will have to try that.
You wrote:
"Also Cingular doesn't consider it breaking your contract when you move from AT&T to Cingular. "
They told me something different and they're holding me to my AWS contract, even though I've offered to sign a new 2 yr Cingular deal immediately. It's silly.
Perhaps, you should switch to Sprint and be done with all your problems. I've used Sprint all over the VI and haven't been charged for anything extra. Plus calls to another Sprint user, perhaps your daughter on another part of the island, are unlimited and does not even use your minutes.
I actually have had some of the same issues as you bluwater, with different results. I moved to stt a year ago with my attws phone. After the switch I noticed Suncom on my phone. I was informed they are a provider out of PR that has an agreement with attws to let customers use service at no charge. Never had any issues, other than poor service, even by island standards. I did notice "348 570" appears on my phone occasionally, even while in USVI, which now I know means I have somehow picked up BVI signal.
One month I had over $100 in charges, claiming I made calls from the BVI, knowing this is false b/c I don't take my phone with me to avoid such issues, I called and spoke to a rep. The woman was actually able to do some kind of test that would give my exact location when making the calls. She then credited back my account. So now when I get my bill every month, I just call and explain, and so far they immediately credit my account.
I want to make sure I understand this Cingular thing since that is my carrier. As an owner of three businesses I MUST take calls when I visit the islands even though I am on vacation. To avoid roaming charges I should only use the phone when it says Cingular? I currently have the nationwide plan.
As for switching carriers...you don't even want to hear about my husband's Sprint nightmare. I doubt it helps You feel any better, but every cellular company is run by some clueless people. AT&T was the only company that my husband & I had found that had good reception and somewhat decent customer service. I am also going through the whole Cingular conversion thing. A big pain in the you know what.
Ryan34 wrote:
"I did notice "348 570" appears on my phone occasionally, even while in USVI, which now I know means I have somehow picked up BVI signal. "
Yes! That's what my phone read half of the time I was in the VI...and I've since learned that those numbers represented my phone being on the BVI towers. I'm glad they adjusted your calls without issue. I wasn't as lucky.
Natalie...m yphone never read "Cingular" while in the VI. It either ead "suncom" (ok, - no roaming) or "348-570" (roaming - BVI towers).
i just read this entire thread and it has given me a headache. thank god i dropped all cell phone service when i moved down here 4 years ago. at the time i had voicemail, which is now some other company due to a buy-out. i never had any problems then.
but i've heard about nothing but problems now. especially living down here. almost all my friends have cell phones - both cingular and spring (some even have centennial - hah!!!). everything from mis-charges to the most common problem - dropped calls/dead spots. service down here is terrible, regardless of what company you use.
i think i'll go take an aspirin, drink a cruzan and coke, and head to bed... praising the lord that i no longer have a cell phone.
good luck to you bluewater. may the force be with you. 😉
-adam
Our phone lines are very busy and outdated......I think this is adding to the cellular problem because more people are forced to use cells during peak hours when "all circuits are busy." Any type of holiday is bad for calling also.
Thanks for the info Blu. I will make sure to watch it while in STT so I don't come home to a crazy bill.
Gaston do you have to rub it in 🙂 lol I have a pic of STT taped to my frig to remind me every day what I'm working toward. I can't wait until I don't have to carry my leach (cell phone) around every where I go.
thanks all, scooby
Anyone know if Verizon plans work in STT?
Hello Wendi,
Had a friend that visited with his Verizon last year. It roamed and was $$.
--Islander
Verison does work but there are roaming charges, which I believe are about .70 per minute. So use wisely.
I have Cellular One and used my cell phone on St.John in June. No extra charges. All calls were included in their nationwide plan - thankfully! 🙂
