Why I will never EVER use Cingular/AT&T EVER again

A few days ago, I posted a comment to Yod's blog regarding the iPhone and why I don't want one anywhere near me. 

...and 5) I hate Cingular/AT&T so much that I would require a full frontal lobotomy before going back to them.

I'm going to try to find my post detailing exactly why Cingular/AT&T can kiss my big white arse...

So the following letter was sent to Cingular detailing why I was cancelling service and refusing to pay any buyout amount on my contract (which they broke).  I ask, gentle reader, why Yod would want me to go through something similar with the "new" AT&T...

December 21, 2006

Cingular Wireless
PO BOX 60017
Los Angeles, CA 90060

RE: Account # X

Dear Cingular Wireless:

Let me preface this letter by stating that I was a customer of SBC, Cingular Wireless, and AT&T for many, many years.  I was a customer when SBC became Cingular Wireless in 2001.  During those years, I have had good service and not-so-good service... until recently, when Cingular Wireless failed to deliver on their promised services. 

First off, my name is not “Judy”.  Even though I signed up as “Jody” and everything I was given in the retail store was typed and printed as “Jody”, there are still references to a mysterious “Judy” on my account to this day.  My name is not “Judy”.  It has taken 3 trips to the store and 2 hours with customer service to get *most* references removed from my account, yet there is still a reference to “Judy” on my account.  If for no other reason, billing the incorrect name voided the contract I had with Cingular Wireless.  If you would like to go after “Judy” then you are welcome to since that is who you seem to think you entered into a contract with.  However, that problem is just the tip of the iceberg.

I added a second line to my account in November of 2004, through AT&T.  This was an area code 972 (Dallas, TX) number.  For simplicity, I will refer to this line as the “TX” line, or “old TX” line, while the (916) xxx-xxxx number will be the “CA” line, or main line, or the (916) line.  Now, when Cingular bought AT&T and offered to roll my account from AT&T just a month and a half later (for a nominal fee, mind you), I accepted the inevitable.  However, my account was unable to migrate due to being a family plan and the second line being in TX.  I was told that I could split the account and migrate each individually, then re-join the accounts.  This sounded fine to me, and we initiated the split.  After my main phone number was split and migrated to Cingular, I was informed that Dallas was not yet approved for migration from the FCC.  I would have to keep two accounts until FCC approval allowed the migration, paying nearly 50% more to have two lines since I couldn't un-roll the migration.

In March, 2005, I was in Dallas and went to a Cingular Wireless store to see what could be done in TX (versus CA).  I was told – nothing.  I spent another 2 hours on the phone while sitting in the TX Cingular Wireless store, while the employees did not offer to help.  Matter of fact, I started to explain my situation to the store employee and she rolled her eyes at me and just pointed to the Customer Service "white" phone.  After sitting on the phone for nearly two hours, I found out that the old TX line could be migrated and merged, and approved that action.  Once the second line was migrated, I was told that I still could not merge it because it was a TX number and my account was a CA number.  Since that phone was coming back to CA with me, I no longer needed the TX number.  I changed the number to a CA number, and then re-merged the accounts. 

I continue to be billed for service on the disconnected old TX number.  I continue to get email reminders and statements on this account.  Each time I call, I am told that the account is not active, and the representative is not sure why I am being billed.  I have spoken to no less than 5 agents on different occasions to get this billing issue fixed, to no avail.  Why would I continue to be billed for a line that is not active and was migrated nearly a year ago?! 

Another issue happened when I was in Texas in March 2005.  With the newly migrated Cingular Wireless account, I was able to purchase a new phone.  I chose an upgrade from the base model, added MEdia Net upgraded service on the old TX line, and put insurance on both phone lines.  However, my main (916) number mysteriously lost the ability to send text or picture messages at all.  When I called to correct this, I found out that my phone had been put on text and media block.  I asked to have my phone put back on a per-use charge, but instead, both phones went to pay-per-use – even though the old TX phone was still being charged for MEdia Net.  So, I was getting billed for pay-per-use AND MEdia Net on the TX line.  I called again to get it corrected and my bill credited.  The (916) phone was able to send pay-per-use, but the old TX line was not able to send anything at all.  I called again, removed MEdia Net, and put both phones to pay-per-use since it was obvious that Cingular Wireless was unable to set up the phones or bill them correctly.  Then, when I lost my phone in August of 2005, I was informed that the insurance I purchased was never applied to my account, and thus had to purchase a new phone completely out of pocket.  At this point, I was extremely unhappy with Cingular Wireless.  I wanted out of my contract since it was obvious that Cingular Wireless was unable to provide the service I paid for and bill me correctly for that service.  However, I wanted to keep my number and would have had to wait out the contract to do so.  I somehow convinced myself that it wasn’t “that bad”.

But the final straw was December, when my payment was applied to my account 3 days late and my service was interrupted.  I was current before December 16^th, 2005 (the due date for December), and my service was interrupted on December 19^th, 2005.  On December 20^th, 2005, I received a letter stating that if I did not pay $108.00 within 10 days, my service would be interrupted.  It had already been interrupted! 

My time with Cingular Wireless has ended up being unbearable.  Not only has the service degraded significantly since Cingular Wireless was formed from SBC, and then when Cingular Wireless and AT&T merged, but the billing department has rarely had a correct billing month in the nearly three years of me being a customer.  I have enclosed check #1179 for $108 to zero out the balance due on my account, at which time you will close my account and I will be done with Cingular Wireless.  Cingular Wireless has had ample opportunity to show me good service and good customer service.  Keeping a phone number I’ve had for 3 years is not worth staying with your company.  It is time to take my business elsewhere - for multiple contract violations, incorrect billing, the wrong name on my bill, and interrupting my service 13 days before the deadline you set.  I will dispute any disconnection or early termination charges that you try to charge to me.  Cingular Wireless broke my contract a long time ago when they couldn’t get even my name – let alone my bill – correct for months on end.  Since Cingular Wireless is already in non-compliance with their part of the contractual obligations, I have no reason to adhere to the terms of this now-defunct contract.  I do not owe you, Cingular Wireless, or anyone any money whatsoever.

Thank you and goodbye,

Jody X

Account #X