bokamba
Chengdu Rocks
Premium
join:2002-04-05
Falls Church, VA | What's the big deal?
As longs as Cingular is not violating the contracts they have with their customers, who cares if they lawfully encourage the unprofitable ones to switch? |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD | Find Another Phone Company
This isn't the end of the world.
This person has her phone number and can easily get service from whatever provider best serves her area.
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Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
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morbo
Complete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000
clubs: | legal?
haven't read the article. is it legal for them to boot you out of the contract?
I say, charge them $200 termination fee for breaking the 2 year contract, and it's a deal!
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no sig |
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ropeguru
Premium
join:2001-01-25
Bridgeport, WV
clubs:
 ·VOIPo
| reply to pnh102
Re: Find Another Phone Company
said by pnh102  :This isn't the end of the world. This person has her phone number and can easily get service from whatever provider best serves her area. But where does it stop?? All people can say these days is jsut go to a different provider. That is why we are in the situation we are now where you almost have to sign a 2 year contract just to get service anymore. THe problem is, Cigular is doing this now, then Verizon will do it, the TMobile, and on and on and on.
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FWD#: 223611 |
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ropeguru
Premium
join:2001-01-25
Bridgeport, WV
clubs:
·VOIPo
1 edit | reply to morbo
Re: legal?
said by morbo :haven't read the article. is it legal for them to boot you out of the contract? I say, charge them $200 termination fee for breaking the 2 year contract, and it's a deal! Technically it probably is. All contracts I have seen basically state the provider can boot you whenever they want, but the customer has to pay a hefty early termination fee.
This is getting to the point as being the same as the unlimited internet contreversy. They advertise no roaming fees but as soon as you roam too much they drop you. Maybe they should provide better coverage so there isn't as much roaming. Or change their marketing to truly reflect what their coverage capability is.
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FWD#: 223611 |
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higginator
join:2004-07-19
Durham, NC | reply to bokamba
Re: What's the big deal?
I WISH Cingular would do this with me, I am in a 2-year contract and their service is terrible. |
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te100
join:2004-12-17
Daleville, AL |  reply to pnh102
Unprofitable
If Cingular doesnt need her money then I bet she can find someone who does. I dont see how you are unprofitable as long as your paying your bill. If Cingular has stopped charging for roaming then thats just toooo bad. |
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xrobertcmx
Premium
join:2001-06-18
Sterling, VA
clubs:
 ·Verizon FIOS
 ·Comcast
| reply to morbo
Re: legal?
Yes, the Cingular contract includes a clause that says if more then 50% of your network traffic is generated off network then they can dump you.
The question here is did she sign a new contract with Cingular which I believe she did if she added her daughters phone under Cingular. I know I had to make the switch to add a line to our plan. Or was she still operating under her Suncom/AT&T contract.
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4 More years and we won't have a country. |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| reply to ropeguru
Re: Find Another Phone Company
said by ropeguru :That is why we are in the situation we are now where you almost have to sign a 2 year contract just to get service anymore. Nope. You don't have to sign a 2 year contract to get service with Cingular. Just pay full price for the phone and you are all set. You can even ask for an "unlisted" one year deal, pay a little more (but not full price) for the phone, and go that route as well.
Besides, what is the problem with a contract? If your cell service with any provider is good, then the contract is irrelevant. You would be staying with them anyway. If your provider drops you from your contract, you get to keep your phone number and you don't even need to pay an early termination fee. Aside from a few days (hours?) of inconvenience for changing phone companies, there really isn't much more to the story here.
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Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| reply to te100
Re: Unprofitable
said by te100 :If Cingular doesnt need her money then I bet she can find someone who does. Yes... the company that her phone was roaming with would be an ideal candidate LOL. When I was a victim of AT&T Wireless, my phone would frequently roam on Cingular's network (where I would have good service). As soon as I was able to, I switched to Cingular and have been pretty happy with them ever since. I'm not saying Cingular is good for everyone, but they've worked well for me.
said by te100 :I dont see how you are unprofitable as long as your paying your bill. If Cingular has stopped charging for roaming then thats just toooo bad. I think what happens is that even though they don't charge for roaming, they still have to pay roaming fees. Since they don't charge for roaming, they have to eat the cost. That cost was probably more than she was paying each month, so hence, the unprofitability.
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Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
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qworster
join:2001-11-25
Los Angeles, CA
 ·DSL EXTREME
·Brand X Internet
·RoadRunner Cable
·Vonage
3 edits | So let me get this straight..
Cingular advertises UNLIMITED roaming, yet their contract says thay can boot you if you roam more then 50% of the time....
This is NOTHING like the 'unlimited Internet' debate in that their CONTRACT proves their advertisements are fraudulent!
There is NO 'soft limit' here!
The limit is HARD, is specified in their written contract and proves IN WRITING that their ads are fraudulent.
1000 Cingular customers should get together, DELIBERATELY roam, and then file a CLASS ACTION SUIT against Cingular.
They'd probably win! |
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Steve
I'm a PC, so shut up
Consultant
join:2001-03-10
Yorba Linda, CA
| reply to morbo
Re: legal?
said by morbo :haven't read the article. is it legal for them to boot you out of the contract? Why don't you try reading the article rather than asking somebody else to explain it to you?said by Cingular contract language :Cingular reserves the right to terminate your service if less than 50% of your usage over three consecutive billing cycles is on Cingular-owned systems.
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Stephen J. Friedl • Unix Wizard • Microsoft Security MVP • Tustin, California USA • my web site |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| reply to higginator
Re: What's the big deal?
said by higginator :I WISH Cingular would do this with me, I am in a 2-year contract and their service is terrible. Give this a try:
»roaminghack.blogspot.com/
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Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
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CSU
join:2002-10-21
Lagrange, GA | Games Companies Play
Somehow this seems like a breach of contract case, but there may be a clause in the contract that covers termination at any time without reason. Anyways, it would be interesting to see what a good lawyer could do for her. |
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gametyme at work
@bellsouth.net | The games we play at our company are World of Warcraft, Halo 2. Don't tell the boss |
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tsu9
join:2001-08-17
Wheeling, IL | reply to morbo
Re: legal?
It might be sleazy, and a good reason to not do business with Cingular, but it's in the contract, so yes, it is binding as far as I can tell. |
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ropeguru
Premium
join:2001-01-25
Bridgeport, WV
clubs:
·VOIPo
| reply to pnh102
Re: Find Another Phone Company
said by pnh102 :said by ropeguru :That is why we are in the situation we are now where you almost have to sign a 2 year contract just to get service anymore. Nope. You don't have to sign a 2 year contract to get service with Cingular. Just pay full price for the phone and you are all set. You can even ask for an "unlisted" one year deal, pay a little more (but not full price) for the phone, and go that route as well. Besides, what is the problem with a contract? If your cell service with any provider is good, then the contract is irrelevant. You would be staying with them anyway. If your provider drops you from your contract, you get to keep your phone number and you don't even need to pay an early termination fee. Aside from a few days (hours?) of inconvenience for changing phone companies, there really isn't much more to the story here. And if I find out their service sucks for where I live, I am stuck in a 2 year contract unless I want to pay a hefty fee. And to find out if their service is good, for where I live and my needs, I have to sign the 2 year contract in order to get the best deal. If I go on a month to month, pay full price for the phone and then decide that their service isn;t for me, I am still screwed as in most cases I cannot take that phone to a different provider. ie. Cingular phones will not work with Verizon.
So yes, there are many reason to hate contracts.
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FWD#: 223611 |
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SD6
join:2005-03-26
| reply to pnh102
What is the problem with the contract? I'll tell you.
First, roaming rates between carriers is regulated by the FCC and there is a delicate balance with reciprocity of roaming expected or required. That balance is disrupted when one carrier boots off subscribers merely because they roam too much on another carrier's networks.
Secondly, the 1996 Telecom Act included a nice provision that removed almost all local restrictions on cell towers. The justification for that was roaming - cellular phone is by its nature a mobile technology and the rollout of cellular will be stifled if people can't roam from place to place as they travel because some jurisdiction is a black hole because they block cell towers. Now that the cellular companies have most of their towers built, they now want to deny the roaming benefits that the federal law was to provide. These types of clauses should not be permitted in the contracts of carriers who utilized the 1996 telecom Act to build cell towers, not through voluntary contracts, but by force of a federal mandate. They should wait until the contract is expired and then decline to renew the contract. |
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ropeguru
Premium
join:2001-01-25
Bridgeport, WV
clubs:
·VOIPo
| reply to qworster
Re: So let me get this straight..
said by qworster :1000 Cingular customers should get together, DELIBERATELY roam, and then file a CLASS ACTION SUIT against Cingular. They'd probably win! Nah... ONly the lawyers would win. The customers would just get a $25 off service coupon. 
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FWD#: 223611 |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| reply to ropeguru
Re: Find Another Phone Company
said by ropeguru :And if I find out their service sucks for where I live, I am stuck in a 2 year contract unless I want to pay a hefty fee. Caveat Emptor.
Most cell phone companies allow you to cancel within 15-30 days after purchasing service for just such a reason. However, there is nothing stopping someone who is interested in a particular company from "previewing" said service before committing to it. One could say the easiest way to do this is to have friends come over and try out their cell phones and see whose works best.
said by ropeguru : And to find out if their service is good, for where I live and my needs, I have to sign the 2 year contract in order to get the best deal. But how is that a problem? They're giving you a phone that would otherwise cost you $300 or more for no cost. I say no cost because even though your service plan subsidizes the cost of the phone, you don't get a break on the service if you pay full price for the phone.
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Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
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