[Cody Dawg]

I went into AT&T Wireless store tonight on Okeechobee Boulevard in West Palm Beach to look at new cell phones because mine isn't working correctly.

I know that AT&T Wireless merged with Cingular (Cingular bought AT&T). I realize that.

I also know that I have a contract with AT&T for service through July.

I also know that my cell phone is not working correctly and I need a new one.

So guess what?

A LARGE gal ( ) working there by the name of "Tamika" proceeds to tell me that I can no longer buy a cell phone because they no longer carry AT&T cell phones because they are now Cingular.

I ask her what I am supposed to do now?

She shrugs and says, "I guess try to get a phone off of a neighbor, family, or friend or maybe eBay. I don't know what else to tell you."

I said, "Well, what if I want a new cell phone?"

She says, "Then you'll have to get a Cingular cell phone but to get a Cingular cell phone you're going to have to sign a new contract." I said, "What if I don't want to sign a new contract? You're telling me that I will still have to pay for my monthly service and minutes even if I don't have a telephone?"

She said, "Yes."



So, in other words, all AT&T Wireless customers are SCREWED OVER if we need a new telephone is what she's telling me.

I'm am REALLY pissed off.

I got the name of the regional manager and called him and left numerous messages and I'm calling AT&T Wireless as soon as I am able (when they open).

Any ideas, anyone?

[Apple Pro Underwear]

she's wrong. you can do various things.

you need to go to a better store. i had a minor issue with my phone and they had many ways of resolving the issue.

i just think tamika was a untrained monkey

[TheBadgerHunter]

Are you really surprised at this? I wouldn't expect anything different and to be honest I probably would do the same thing in their place.

[sugar_coated]

Have patience and everything will work out for you favorably.

[lavar78]

Originally posted by Cody Dawg:
A big African American gal working there by the name of "Tamika"

What exactly is the relevance of her size and race? Why is her name in quotation marks? I guess you're trying to color the story (no pun intended), but it seems a little odd.

[phantomdragonz]

Originally posted by lavar78:
What exactly is the relevance of her size and race? Why is her name in quotation marks? I guess you're trying to color the story (no pun intended), but it seems a little odd.

well for me it adds detail to his story... to me it would be the same thing as saying "the tall skinny as a stick brunett, named jennie"


I dont think it's all that odd.

but yeah, she is dead WRONG, call AT&T directly and have them deal with it, also mention how tamika helped you, if i were to work with her I would really want some more complaints if i had a co-worker treat customers that way.


BTW I have AT&T, and I like the service.

Zach

[Sarc]

Originally posted by lavar78:
What exactly is the relevance of her size and race? Why is her name in quotation marks? I guess you're trying to color the story (no pun intended), but it seems a little odd.

It might as well have benn a caucasian teenager with his face filled with pimples.

[ghporter]

Go to AT&T Wireless' Web Site and order a replacement phone. They should still be able to get you what you want. And DO NOT go back to that Cingular store-it's gone to the other side. Actually, the Cingular sales folks are by now very tired of having to clean up the mess that the suits at Cingular HQ have made for them. While the big wigs made the deal, it's the minimum wage folks that have to make it work. Let me tell you, when my contract is up, I'll be very interested in Sprint or Verizon...

The real issue is that, while Cingular had the cash to buy AT&T Wireless, they DO NOT have the calling plans to compete-I think it's why they did the merger in the first place. Fortunately we still have about 18 months on our AT&T contract, so we still get our really good calling plan.

[KeriVit]

Originally posted by lavar78:
What exactly is the relevance of her size and race? Why is her name in quotation marks? I guess you're trying to color the story (no pun intended), but it seems a little odd.

Yeah, I kinda lost interest in the thread when I read that. Not sure what Tamika has to do with anything...

Not happy with the service- go to a different store. Relax.

[sugar_coated]

Everyone, time to reflect on your respective individual thoughts.

"The invalid assumption that correlation implies cause is probably among the two or three most serious and common errors of human reasoning" - S.J. Gould

[Truepop]

try calling AT&T Wireless. I was on wait for 7 hours at a time for two days (speaker phone) and still never got my account fully functional. I get a bill every month from AT&T saying a owe $0.00.

I haven't brought it to there attention (mainly because I can't get past the automated service thing were you have to speak your number I and don't have one from them) but also because my plan is to bring them down 37 cents at a time.

[Sherwin]

To me, this story isn't really about AT&T - it's indicative about western culture in general: "It's not broke but let's fix it anyways".

The rate of "progress" is such that you can no longer really get replacements for stuff you've already got without changing "systems". Obviously this is most noticeable in computer systems - in this instance it's not necessarily a problem..

But it's other areas where it's a problem.

I can no longer get my favourite boots 'coz they discontinued them in favour of "better" ones. I don't like the "better" ones.

I can no longer get my favourite jeans 'coz they discontinued them in favour of "hipper" ones. I don't like the "hipper" ones.

I can no longer get my favourite drum machine module 'coz they discontinued them in favour of "better sounding" ones. I don't like the sound of the "better sounding" ones.

I can no longer get a replacement tap set for my #2 bath 'coz they discontinued them in favour of "more modern, fashionable" ones. I don't like the "more modern, fashionable" ones.

I can no longer get a replacement battery for my portable house phone 'coz they discontinued that phone model in favour of "more silvery" ones. I don't like the "more silvery" ones and don't need a new phone system - just a new battery.



Thus I'm convinced that the only way of doing things is: once you've bought something you like, go back to the store next week and buy loads more - keep them boxed in your spare room for when the current one gives out.

[Sarc]

that goes both ways you know ... by that standard we would still be on human powered vessels and using mules to plow the land ...

[Sherwin]

Originally posted by Sarc:
that goes both ways you know ... by that standard we would still be on human powered vessels and using mules to plow the land ...

I know - but the time frame has gotten ridiculous.

Example: My mother wants a new phone, asked me to pick one out for her. So I reached for the trusty Argos catalogue (Argos is a weird concept to anyone who's not see it - it's like mail order but without the delivery).
Picked her a couple of different models based on her needs out of the current catalogue. Next day she went down to the local Argos. Both models gone - not in stock and the manufacturers no longer make them. This is from the current catalogue, not last year's.

And newer isn't always better - Apple Pro Keyboard vs Apple Keyboard?

[Axo1ot1]

Originally posted by lavar78:
What exactly is the relevance of her size and race? Why is her name in quotation marks? I guess you're trying to color the story (no pun intended), but it seems a little odd.

Yeah where I come from we call that "racism".

[Cody Dawg]

Okay, I did call Cingular - you cannot call AT&T any longer did you know that? It's Cingular, period, even when you call the AT&T number.

This is the deal: There are no more AT&T cell phones, period. Nokia, Motorola, all of the companies stopped making them.

The only thing that they can advise people to do is to call LockLine Warranty Repair Service and buy a refurbished telephone.

Otherwise, you MUST "migrate" over to Cingular (or another company) because only current and active cell phone companies sell current and active equipment.

As far as Tamika, I'll go back and edit out her race and size but I was telling people who she was and what she looked like so that anyone visiting that store would know who to watch out for. Let me tell you what she did: She IS very large and at 6:50 Tamika decided that no one else was coming into the AT&T store because they were closing at 7:00 so she actually stood at the doorway and told customers that they were closing and could she answer a quick question or two...AT THE DOOR ENTRANCE...but she would not let people past her.

I repeat, she would not let people into the store even though they did not close until 7:00 PM

She was large (like 250lbs minimum) and she was blocking anyone from going into the store - while sucking on a lime green big lollipop.

Again, I just got off of the telephone with Cingular "loyalty" team and they are going to try to send out an AT&T Motorola Razor to me and I was very impressed with how nice they were (the customer advocate team) and the young man I spoke to said that this is a very serious problem and they are still trying to figure out a solution but that Cingular is telling them that they must convince the AT&T customers to move over to Cingular if they need new equipment, period. There simply are no more AT&T cell phones (with AT&T sim cards) anymore. They are all gone. He said that they have about 1000 units left, period, and after they are gone they are gone.

The only other option will be to buy used from their warranty repair service or use from another person or company.

It's for real

[spiky_dog]

Originally posted by Axo1ot1:
Yeah where I come from we call that "racism".

you must live in a neighborhood of stupid people then. it was a description, and insinuation of racism belies the insinuators' own racist thoughts.

[Axo1ot1]

Originally posted by spiky_dog:
you must live in a neighborhood of stupid people then. it was a description, and insinuation of racism belies the insinuators' own racist thoughts.

Wow you opened my mind! I was under the impression that making fun of ethnic names was racist. Thanks for the tip!

[Sarc]

Originally posted by Axo1ot1:
Yeah where I come from we call that "racism".

Over here we don't have that problem, so I wouldn't know how Americans take it. Having said that, we do describe people how they are, and there's no problem with it, ie. if someone's skin is black, he/she is black, end of story, same goes for white, blonde or red hair, tall, short, etc.
I think what's different over here is that black, in no way could be taken as something negative.

Now, having said that, referring to the original post, maybe the guy who posted it felt intimidated by the size of Tamika, and well, if she's black, she is black, what is he sopposed to do, lie about her skin color ?

[spiky_dog]

Originally posted by Axo1ot1:
Wow you opened my mind! I was under the impression that making fun of ethnic names was racist. Thanks for the tip!

please explain how mentioning the name is equivalent to making fun of it.

[phantomdragonz]

you know whats annoying.... PEOPLE WHO TRY AND MAKE EVERYTHING POLITICALLY CORRECT!


Jeez people, not everything needs to be "P.C." DEAL WITH IT!

Zach

[Axo1ot1]

I guarantee you if it had been a white woman at the counter he wouldn't have mentioned her race or her size, and if he'd mentioned her name it wouldn't have been put in ironic little quotation marks.

[Sherwin]

Originally posted by Axo1ot1:
I guarantee you if it had been a white woman at the counter he wouldn't have mentioned her race or her size, and if he'd mentioned her name it wouldn't have been put in ironic little quotation marks.

...and if she was a huge goth chick named "Rainbow" she'd have got a mention for sure.

[Sarc]

true, but if she was white, he could have said "she was a huge whale about 7 ft. tall" and no one would move.
now try that with a black woman (ie. add the word black between 'huge' and 'whale') and see hell break loose.

[lavar78]

Originally posted by spiky_dog:
please explain how mentioning the name is equivalent to making fun of it.

I thought the same thing. Why? She used unnecessary quotation marks. IMO, it's akin to people using air quotes to make fun of something. Truthfully, calling her large and then using the quotes made me wonder if she was making fun of Tamika. I didn't want to jump to conclusions (see my sig ), so I asked.

Apparently, everyone hasn't gotten the memo yet. Cody Dawg is a girl.

[Sherwin]

BTW guys, I find it most amusing that you're discussing the possibility of a racist statement from Cody Dawg while being sexist yourselves.
Cody's a woman.

[Xeo]

Originally posted by Axo1ot1:
Wow you opened my mind! I was under the impression that making fun of ethnic names was racist. Thanks for the tip!

Honestly, stating someone's race and weight is just a description. If her name is Tamika, her name is Tamika. When did she make fun of it?

It is common of people of any race to include the race when describing someone of a different race. For example, white people mention that a person is black when describing, but not for other whites. Similarly, black people do it for whites.

People identify with the people they hang around. It's not a problem to see a difference. It's a problem to hold that difference against the person.

[Cody Dawg]

I used the name "Tamika" because that is how she spelled it, that's all.

It could have been "Tamicka" or "Tammaka" or any other number of spellings.

It was "Tamika."

Not a big deal folks.

Sherwin, you make me laugh every time.

(That's "Sherwin" by the way.)

[lavar78]

For future reference, the quotation marks are completely unnecessary in that instance. "By the name of Tamika" is both correct and clear. What you wrote suggests (A) you're making fun of her name, (B) you don't know how to use quotation marks, and/or (C) you like to use unnecessary quotation marks.

[Sherwin]

Originally posted by lavar78:
For future reference, the quotation marks are completely unnecessary in that instance. "By the name of Tamika" is both correct and clear. What you wrote suggests (A) you're making fun of her name, (B) you don't know how to use quotation marks, and/or (C) you like to use unnecessary quotation marks.

Incorrect. When relaying information sourced from a third party (including a name badge), the use of quotation marks is legitimate. In fact, that's their sole purpose.

[Captain Obvious]

Originally posted by Axo1ot1:
I guarantee you if it had been a white woman at the counter he wouldn't have mentioned her race or her size, and if he'd mentioned her name it wouldn't have been put in ironic little quotation marks.

Oh I would have. I call a cow a cow no matter the color of the hide.

And can you really consider "Tamika" an ethnic name? It is made up as far as I can tell. Just because this practice of naming has caught on with some regularity within the black community doesn't make it a genuinely ethnic name since there is probably very little history behind it. Naeema, Carlos, Keiko all completely valid ethnic names with a tradition behind them.

"Kayesha" is something someone came up with when they were drunk

[lavar78]

Originally posted by Sherwin:
Incorrect. When relaying information sourced from a third party (including a name badge), the use of quotation marks is legitimate. In fact, that's their sole purpose.

You're incorrect. Quotation marks can be used for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons is using a word sarcastically. Keep in mind I never said it was incorrect to use them; I said that not using them is both correct and clear. Using them may be correct, but it isn't clear.

[eep]

Originally posted by Sherwin:
Incorrect. When relaying information sourced from a third party (including a name badge), the use of quotation marks is legitimate. In fact, that's their sole purpose.

God I love it when the thread goes completly off the rails to crazy train town. Good reading.

I have a Cingular phone. Their customer service have been good, although the phone I bought isn't great. I wish they would let you test drive a model for a week or so, because looking at non-working display phones suck. Although Best Buy now has working phones.

[Sherwin]

Originally posted by lavar78:
You're incorrect. Quotation marks can be used for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons is using a word sarcastically.

No. If you were being sarcastic not in a response to a third party source you'd use a single quote: '.
They're called "quotation marks" for a reason.

Originally posted by eep:
God I love it when the thread goes completly off the rails to crazy train town. Good reading.

We aim to please.

[Daemon2]

I work for AWS. Here's the way it works. If you want a new phone you have to migrate to cingular period (and get on one of the new cingular rateplans). At least that's what they'll tell you. Cingular actually does allow blue to blue upgrades (that's what buying a new AWS phone is called). However, it requires supervisor approval for a rep to perform a blue to blue upgrade. The supe can approve the upgrade if 3 conditions are met:

• You are within 2 months of your contract end date
• You are threatening to cancel
• The rep has to discuss a cingular migration with you

The key thing is that you can't just threaten to cancel, you have to request to cancel. May I ask what kind of phone you currently have? Are you a TDMA customer or a GSM customer? If you're a TDMA customer, you might as well go to cingular because to go to GSM, you're going to have to change your rateplan anyway due to the fact that TDMA and GSM are two totally seperate systems and even have different billing systems and customer care departments.

God I love it when the thread goes completly off the rails to crazy train town. Good reading.

I have a Cingular phone. Their customer service have been good, although the phone I bought isn't great. I wish they would let you test drive a model for a week or so, because looking at non-working display phones suck. Although Best Buy now has working phones.

Cingular actually does allow a 30 day "buyers' remorse" period. If your phone is less than 30 days old and in perfect condition, you can go back to where you bought it from and exchange it.

PS. Who really gives a **** if the girl was black or not, get over it.

[lavar78]

Originally posted by Sherwin:
No. If you were being sarcastic not in a response to a third party source you'd use a single quote: '.

That's not true here in America. Obviously, there are different rules in other countries.

[IceEnclosure]

I just got a new cellphone, thru my Sprint service. read about it in peripherals.

Oh, and I went to grade school with all kinds. Tyrone was cool as hell, he always won the talent show, and he had awesome jerry curls and had like 3 diff Michael Jackson jackets.

that was around '85.. I saw him a few years ago, he's a talented singer now. Tyrone was cool.

[eep]

Originally posted by D�mon:
I work for AWS. Here's the way it works. If you want a new phone you have to migrate to cingular period (and get on one of the new cingular rateplans). At least that's what they'll tell you. Cingular actually does allow blue to blue upgrades (that's what buying a new AWS phone is called). However, it requires supervisor approval for a rep to perform a blue to blue upgrade. The supe can approve the upgrade if 3 conditions are met:

• You are within 2 months of your contract end date
• You are threatening to cancel
• The rep has to discuss a cingular migration with you

The key thing is that you can't just threaten to cancel, you have to request to cancel. May I ask what kind of phone you currently have? Are you a TDMA customer or a GSM customer? If you're a TDMA customer, you might as well go to cingular because to go to GSM, you're going to have to change your rateplan anyway due to the fact that TDMA and GSM are two totally seperate systems and even have different billing systems and customer care departments.



Cingular actually does allow a 30 day "buyers' remorse" period. If your phone is less than 30 days old and in perfect condition, you can go back to where you bought it from and exchange it.

PS. Who really gives a **** if the girl was black or not, get over it.

My wife and I found that out but the first thirty days were absolutely great. After that we started having problems with dropped call and bad phones etc. Overall I don't blame Cingular but the phone maker LG.

[eep]

Originally posted by Sherwin:
No. If you were being sarcastic not in a response to a third party source you'd use a single quote: '.
They're called "quotation marks" for a reason.



We aim to please.

Well stop being the voice of reason then, god, the crazies amuse me.

[lavar78]

Originally posted by Sherwin:
No. If you were being sarcastic not in a response to a third party source you'd use a single quote: '.
They're called "quotation marks" for a reason.

AFAIK, single quotation marks are only used for quotations inside other quotations. If you're still confused, here are a few links:

http://www.nipissingu.ca/department/...K/quotatio.htm
http://www.jhsph.edu/PublicHealthNew..._manual/q.html
http://www.bristol.mass.edu/Departme...tion_marks.htm
http://isu.indstate.edu/writing/hand.../SETIV15P.html

[Daemon2]

Originally posted by IceEnclosure:
I just got a new cellphone, thru my Sprint service. read about it in peripherals.

Oh, and I went to grade school with all kinds. Tyrone was cool as hell, he always won the talent show, and he had awesome jerry curls and had like 3 diff Michael Jackson jackets.

that was around '85.. I saw him a few years ago, he's a talented singer now. Tyrone was cool.

[Sherwin]

Originally posted by lavar78:
AFAIK, single quotation marks are only used for quotations inside other quotations. If you're still confused

Confused? No, I just happen to speak English, not American.

http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/d.../d0082674.html

Quotation marks may also be used to indicate that the writer is using the word in an unusual, often ironic, way: He is one of these 'modern' young men � appalling manners and terrifying appearance. In British English, single quotes are now more commonly used than double ones, and double quotes within single; in American English normal practice is the other way round.

http://www.christis.org.uk/quotation_marks.php

Slang and defining terms should be enclosed in single quotations marks. This is also the case when people would, when speaking, use a different tone of voice, or use their fingers to indicate double quotation marks. For example:

This new �rococo� style was very popular with the aristocracy.

Many so called �religious� groups do not in fact believe anything at all.

[lavar78]

Originally posted by Sherwin:
Confused? No, I just happen to speak English, not American.

http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/d.../d0082674.html

Well, I already mentioned that it would be different outside of America. Interestingly, this link still partly contradicts you. It says single quotes should be used in all instances unless it's a quote inside a quote. As I understand it, that's the standard English way. The second link seems to be what you follow, but it's a house style created specifically for Christis. FWIW, it advocates quoting passages the American way while using ironic quotes the British way.

Anyway, it's sleepy time. Good discussion

[Sherwin]

Originally posted by lavar78:
Well, I already mentioned that it would be different outside of America. Interestingly, this link still partly contradicts you. It says single quotes should be used in all instances unless it's a quote inside a quote. As I understand it, that's the standard English way. The second link seems to be what you follow, but it's a house style created specifically for Christis. FWIW, it advocates quoting passages the American way while using ironic quotes the British way.

The general way (i.e. used by most of the English population and taught in English schools) of doing things is to use doubles when you're quoting something and use singles when taking the mick - basically the same as that Christis site suggests.

Originally posted by lavar78:
Anyway, it's sleepy time. Good discussion

Night night.

[Cody Dawg]

Okay, to get back on track of being off-track, using quotation marks to spell someone's name IS the correct use of quotations. I am spelling it the way SHE spells it - in essence I am quoting or paraphrasing her (or her name) - and that is correct usage.

Second of all, I saw this:

I work for AWS. Here's the way it works. If you want a new phone you have to migrate to cingular period (and get on one of the new cingular rateplans). At least that's what they'll tell you. Cingular actually does allow blue to blue upgrades (that's what buying a new AWS phone is called). However, it requires supervisor approval for a rep to perform a blue to blue upgrade. The supe can approve the upgrade if 3 conditions are met:


* You are within 2 months of your contract end date
* You are threatening to cancel
* The rep has to discuss a cingular migration with you



The key thing is that you can't just threaten to cancel, you have to request to cancel. May I ask what kind of phone you currently have? Are you a TDMA customer or a GSM customer? If you're a TDMA customer, you might as well go to cingular because to go to GSM, you're going to have to change your rateplan anyway due to the fact that TDMA and GSM are two totally seperate systems and even have different billing systems and customer care departments.

I still smell a class action lawsuit.

AT&T and Cingular are:

1. Not providing equipment for AT&T customers through the ends of their contracts

2. Coercing or forcing current AT&T customers to move over to Cingular if they want to continue using their plan and contract because, hey, there will be no telephone for them if they do not and thus they will be paying for nothing (if they need a new telephone)

3. I shouldn't have to threaten to cancel my plan and yes, that's exactly what I did last night: Told him to cancel the plan.

In fact, I am probably going to do that anyway.

But, tomorrow I am calling the state attorney's office in Tallahassee and making a formal complaint and then I am calling the local television news station and telling them also. They can put it on the air - along with the entire AT&T crew down on Okeechobee Boulevard.

I'd LOVE to see the AT&T people tell a camera crew, "No, if you're an AT&T customer and you need another or a new telephone you can't buy one unless you move over to Cingular and sign a new contract. Yes, you are still responsible for paying until the end of your contract, also."

C'mon. The entire thing is a huge scam.

I find it very convenient that Cingular can use the lack of telephones as leverage to coerce people.

I'm going to call Nokia tomorrow, if at all possible, and see if it's true or if it's BS that they do not have AT&T phones any longer. I have a feeling that it's a big fat lie. Maybe it's the truth and there are no telephones, but that is something that AT&T and Cingular should have arranged for.

I'm also emailing Drudge about it. (We know him from a long way back.) Let's see what he can find out about it.

Oh, and yes, I'm canceling AT&T or Cingular and moving over to Metro PCS. I'm not going to part of a company that extorts people.

[ChrisF]

nevermind.

[Daemon2]

Originally posted by Cody Dawg:
Okay, to get back on track of being off-track, using quotation marks to spell someone's name IS the correct use of quotations. I am spelling it the way SHE spells it - in essence I am quoting or paraphrasing her (or her name) - and that is correct usage.

Second of all, I saw this:



I still smell a class action lawsuit.

AT&T and Cingular are:

1. Not providing equipment for AT&T customers through the ends of their contracts

2. Coercing or forcing current AT&T customers to move over to Cingular if they want to continue using their plan and contract because, hey, there will be no telephone for them if they do not and thus they will be paying for nothing (if they need a new telephone)

3. I shouldn't have to threaten to cancel my plan and yes, that's exactly what I did last night: Told him to cancel the plan.

In fact, I am probably going to do that anyway.

But, tomorrow I am calling the state attorney's office in Tallahassee and making a formal complaint and then I am calling the local television news station and telling them also. They can put it on the air - along with the entire AT&T crew down on Okeechobee Boulevard.

I'd LOVE to see the AT&T people tell a camera crew, "No, if you're an AT&T customer and you need another or a new telephone you can't buy one unless you move over to Cingular and sign a new contract. Yes, you are still responsible for paying until the end of your contract, also."

C'mon. The entire thing is a huge scam.

I find it very convenient that Cingular can use the lack of telephones as leverage to coerce people.

I'm going to call Nokia tomorrow, if at all possible, and see if it's true or if it's BS that they do not have AT&T phones any longer. I have a feeling that it's a big fat lie. Maybe it's the truth and there are no telephones, but that is something that AT&T and Cingular should have arranged for.

I'm also emailing Drudge about it. (We know him from a long way back.) Let's see what he can find out about it.

Oh, and yes, I'm canceling AT&T or Cingular and moving over to Metro PCS. I'm not going to part of a company that extorts people.

1) Great, but the Terms and Conditions don't stipulate that they have to provide you with a contract. AWS is a service provider, not an equipment manufacturer. If you get cable service and your TV breaks, does the cable company buy you a new one?

2) What's illegal about that?

3) You don't have to threaten to cancel. Might I ask why you don't want to go to cingular anyway?

Not that I don't think that what cingular's doing isn't evil, but you really don't have a leg to stand on in court. Plus, I doubt the local news will really care about the issue.

[Cody Dawg]

If you get cable service and your TV breaks, does the cable company buy you a new one?

Your analogy is not quite right.

The analogy would be if I buy Adelphia cable service, SIGN A CONTRACT, Adelphia agrees to give me a digital converter box, then they sell to Comcast, Comcast takes over, I call Comcast and say, "Hey, I'm paying you every month but my digital converter box no longer works so I need a new one or I need to buy one because I'm paying all of this money each month and I can't see any of the channels."

Comcast then comes back and says, "Well, if you want to get the channels then you must sign a new contract for two years (yeah, they tried to extort me for a new 2-year contract last night) and then, and ONLY then, will we provide a digital converter box. If you don't agree to the new contract then you don't get a digital converter box and you'll also have to keep on paying monthly until your first contract is up."

THAT is the correct analogy.

How would YOU like that?

And as far as why I don't want Cingular?

1. I think they're crooks after this fiasco

2. Metro PCS will give me unlimited long distance and local service for $49.95 a month, PERIOD.

3. No offense, by the way, with all of this.

I'm just telling you what the common consumer is experiencing: Screwed over if they won't agree to sign up with Cingular if they need new equipment.

[Person Man]

Originally posted by D�mon:
1) Great, but the Terms and Conditions don't stipulate that they have to provide you with a contract. AWS is a service provider, not an equipment manufacturer. If you get cable service and your TV breaks, does the cable company buy you a new one?

What country do you live in?

Here in the United States, cell phones are tied to the company you got them from. Even in the case of GSM phones... they are locked to a specific company's SIM cards. If you buy a T-Mobile branded phone and ask them to unlock it so you can use Cingular service (via a SIM card) on it they will laugh in your face. Hence the grey market where people hack or crack phones so they are unlocked and usable on any network. (Yes, she still has to buy the phone, but how can she buy one if the phones aren't available for purchase???)

In Europe, you (generally) buy a phone that can be used with any provider for whom you have a SIM card.

So yes, if she wants to finish out her AT&T plan without paying the ludicrous early termination fee, she has to get an AT&T phone.

2) What's illegal about that?

It's not illegal, but don't you think it's a little messed up to allow her to sign up for a new two year contract with Cingular but still have to pay for AT&T service--a service she can't use because she can't get an AT&T phone without jumping through hoops to do so. You're telling me that you see no problem with her having to pay twice for phone service... the new contract and the old contract.

3) You don't have to threaten to cancel. Might I ask why you don't want to go to cingular anyway?

Yes, she apparently did have to threaten to cancel. She probably doesn't want to sign another two year contract with a company that just pissed her off. I don't blame her. Sprint has pissed me off because I moved into an area where I can't get phone service. The CS reps have absolutely NO idea what I'm talking about when I try to explain it to them... they keep offering to give me a new phone number in the new area code saying that will fix the problem, when the real problem is no cell phone tower in range. I still have 4 months in my contract. I'll be damned if I'm going to pay $150 to terminate my contract early to go to a new phone company. And I still have to throw away a perfectly good phone to do so anyway. The way the whole cell phone industry works in the US is unfair.

[Cody Dawg]

It's not illegal, but don't you think it's a little messed up to allow her to sign up for a new two year contract with Cingular but still have to pay for AT&T service--a service she can't use because she can't get an AT&T phone without jumping through hoops to do so. You're telling me that you see no problem with her having to pay twice for phone service... the new contract and the old contract.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Thank you, Person Man.

YOU get a big plate of freshly baked cookies!