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June 21, 2004
Mobile Phones
For the last week or so my cell phone has displayed the unwelcome message of NO SERVICE. As I'd been pondering the idea of terminating my AT&T Wireless account, this helped me make that decision. Not only did I decide to cancel the service, but I also chose not to have the cell phone number ported over to another provider. To me, the number isn't all that vital; those I want to have the new number will get it. I had received a few calls some weeks ago from AT&T Wireless reps; however, their focus was more on getting me to sign up for an extensive contract along with a new phone and not on what the customer (me) wanted. The rep even went so far as to tell me that I was considered a "high risk" to them -- that since I've been a long-standing customer that there was a good chance of me going elsewhere. You'd think that my status as a customer would have them doing back-flips to keep me. Instead, AT&T managed to lose another customer, not only through their ignorance of doing what they could to keep me as one, but also with the recent service problems. In place of AT&T, I headed for a nearby T-Mobile store, and am set not only with a less expensive plan but also a new phone and number. It took all of 15 minutes at the most.
When travelling around Europe, I found a decent way to avoid the high cost of using a U.S.-based mobile service there. Years ago I made the mistake of obtaining a rental GSM phone from AT&T, only to return to the states to a phone bill of $1,000. The calls I'd made within Europe to another European location would jump across the ocean back to the U.S. and then return to its ultimate destination. There had to be a better way.
Prior to a trip abroad, a friend of mine in Germany purchased a mobile for me (a permanent address was required for service) and each time I'm there I buy phone cards for it. This way, there's no surprise $1,000 phone bill upon returning to the U.S. It's worked out quite well and the good thing about it is at least I'm controlling the cost and not the service provider. In addition to the cost savings, on my last trip, my friend suggested I switch the chips from the German mobile (a cumbersome, old model mobile) to my smaller U.S. mobile. All worked splendidly.
Cindy
Comments
I'm currently using AT&T too. I haven't had any problems with their service, really, but I did receive a text message from them - some sales pitch. Text messages cost ME money. What a stupid concept: Advertise to an uninterested customer while costing them.
I'm going to be switching over to someone else myself. My husband got some sort of cheaper plan.
Brain matter deposited by: Kat on June 21, 2004 1:16 PM
I have a brilliant plan. I will carry my mobile and let people ring me :-) Much, much cheaper (for me). If I want to talk to someone I will have to send them an email (or maybe think very hard about them - that works when it comes to iChatting....)
Brain matter deposited by: Ozguru on June 22, 2004 12:51 AM