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Latest Consumer Reports Survey Not Kind To AT&T
Company ranked dead last for wireless satisfaction in 19 of 24 cities

Straight off of AT&T and Verizon's multi-week network quality snark fest, Consumer Reports has issued their latest survey of wireless carriers and phones, and it probably won't make AT&T particularly happy. The survey itself is available to subscribers only, but we can tell you that the findings generally mirror other recent surveys of the wireless sector -- namely putting Verizon at the top in terms of customer satisfaction, while placing AT&T at the bottom.

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The firm polled 50,000 readers across 26 different U.S. cities, and found that AT&T ranked dead last in customer satisfaction in 19 of those cities. AT&T has been receiving considerable grief for a network that was unprepared to handle iPhone traffic in large markets like New York and San Francisco; the findings suggest that AT&T's problems are not isolated to those markets.

Verizon meanwhile took the top spot in the majority of markets surveyed, and has been cleaning up in such surveys for much of 2009. AT&T, on the other hand, has traditionally ranked at the tail end of such surveys. You can take your pick of last place AT&T showings, be the survey from Consumer Reports, JD Power & Associates (see the latest customer care, retail sales and call quality surveys), or the American Consumer Satisfaction Index.

Such findings are at apparent odds with AT&T claims that they offer the best customer "experience", and how CEO Randall Stephenson sees his company's performance. Stephenson consistently crows how AT&T has the lowest customer defection rate in the industry -- citing network performance as the reason (not the allure of the iPhone, long term contracts, or early termination fees). In response to the latest Consumer Reports study, AT&T tells the Wall Street Journal blog the findings are "anecdotal," again citing the company's low customer churn rate.

A handful of complaints can perhaps be called anecdotal. AT&T ranking last in most major customer satisfaction studies throughout 2009 is reasonably more scientific. The use of churn rate as a meaningful customer satisfaction metric should be tested next summer when AT&T is expected to lose their exclusive iPhone distribution agreement with Apple.

In terms of the industry as a whole, the Consumer Reports study found that overall, customers are increasingly satisfied with wireless service. That's not as exciting as it sounds -- wireless carriers have traditionally ranked among the worst across any industry, and now they're closer to the median, says Consumer Reports. High prices are still a complaint among many consumers, but users cite better connectivity and fewer annoyances like stealth extensions of long term contracts after service changes -- a practice the wireless industry stopped out of fear of pending federal regulation.
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Murdoc49
Premium Member
join:2009-02-08
Manitowoc, WI

Murdoc49

Premium Member

Survey says att sucks

Not suprising, considering that guy that sold out to att to chuck them pieces of paper all over for that tv advertisement. Bet no one will hire him for a movie

en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

en102

Member

Re: Survey says att sucks

AT&T has gone even below that of... Sprint
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

xenophon

Member

Re: Survey says att sucks

And Sprint proudly proclaims.... 'We Suck Less!! Finally!'

Actually, I think Sprint sucks less than Verizon now when it comes to pricing/policy. Since Sprint roams on Verizon, coverage seems to be moot as well.

Gbcue
Premium Member
join:2001-09-30
Santa Rosa, CA

Gbcue to Murdoc49

Premium Member

to Murdoc49
said by Murdoc49:

Not suprising, considering that guy that sold out to att to chuck them pieces of paper all over for that tv advertisement. Bet no one will hire him for a movie
Not surprised that AT&T is the last.

thender
Screen tycoon
Premium Member
join:2009-01-01
Brooklyn, NY

thender

Premium Member

Re: Survey says att sucks

I am, considering google maps always works fast and flawlessly on my touchcreen blackberry 9530 storm touch phone on the robust AT&T 3G & EDGE network.

anon2020
@rr.com

anon2020

Anon

Re: Survey says att sucks

considering the Storm is a Verizon exclusive I'm calling BS on your ATT Storm ni EDGE

grydlok
join:2004-01-06
Richmond, VA

grydlok

Member

Re: Survey says att sucks

I second the that

thender
Screen tycoon
Premium Member
join:2009-01-01
Brooklyn, NY

thender to anon2020

Premium Member

to anon2020
said by anon2020 :

considering the Storm is a Verizon exclusive I'm calling BS on your ATT Storm ni EDGE
a) storm can be unlocked

b) anyone who follows gbcue's posts knows why I posted that.

SimbaSeven
I Void Warranties
join:2003-03-24
Billings, MT

1 edit

SimbaSeven

Member

Re: Survey says att sucks

..and you don't know anything about CDMA and GSM Technologies. They are NOT interchangable.

EDIT: Unless you have a "World Phone" that has both CDMA and GSM Radios in it. I haven't seen very many of them lately.

thender
Screen tycoon
Premium Member
join:2009-01-01
Brooklyn, NY

thender

Premium Member

Re: Survey says att sucks

said by SimbaSeven:

..and you don't know anything about CDMA and GSM Technologies. They are NOT interchangable.

EDIT: Unless you have a "World Phone" that has both CDMA and GSM Radios in it. I haven't seen very many of them lately.
You're telling me I don't know anything about CDMA and GSM technologies but you're the one who doesn't know that the storm is a world phone?

GTFO!!!!!!

SimbaSeven
I Void Warranties
join:2003-03-24
Billings, MT
·StarLink

1 edit

SimbaSeven

Member

Re: Survey says att sucks

said by thender:

You're telling me I don't know anything about CDMA and GSM technologies but you're the one who doesn't know that the storm is a world phone?

GTFO!!!!!!
Wow.. Someone actually sells a true World Phone still. That's freakin' amazing.. I thought they quit doing that a few years back. I guess the only exception is certain Blackberries.

Excuse the fsck out of me. I might actually look into getting a Storm2, especially if I can stick *ANY* SIM card in it.

thender
Screen tycoon
Premium Member
join:2009-01-01
Brooklyn, NY

thender

Premium Member

Re: Survey says att sucks

It is a god awful phone. The storm 1 at least. I sincerely doubt from what I read and see that the storm 2 falls far from the failtree.

nixen
Rockin' the Boxen
Premium Member
join:2002-10-04
Alexandria, VA

nixen

Premium Member

Re: Survey says att sucks

said by thender:

It is a god awful phone. The storm 1 at least. I sincerely doubt from what I read and see that the storm 2 falls far from the failtree.
Unfortunately, the Gen 1 Droid is not a "world phone".

Tomek
Premium Member
join:2002-01-30
Valley Stream, NY

Tomek

Premium Member

Re: Survey says att sucks

said by nixen:

said by thender:

It is a god awful phone. The storm 1 at least. I sincerely doubt from what I read and see that the storm 2 falls far from the failtree.
Unfortunately, the Gen 1 Droid is not a "world phone".
Waiting for Moto Milestone to be released with TMO compatible 3G

spewak
R.I.P Dadkins
Premium Member
join:2001-08-07
Elk Grove, CA
·Consolidated Com..

spewak to thender

Premium Member

to thender
said by thender:

It is a god awful phone. The storm 1 at least. I sincerely doubt from what I read and see that the storm 2 falls far from the failtree.
Correction: shouldn't that be EPICFAILTREE!

nixen
Rockin' the Boxen
Premium Member
join:2002-10-04
Alexandria, VA

nixen to SimbaSeven

Premium Member

to SimbaSeven
said by SimbaSeven:

..and you don't know anything about CDMA and GSM Technologies. They are NOT interchangable.

EDIT: Unless you have a "World Phone" that has both CDMA and GSM Radios in it. I haven't seen very many of them lately.
The Storm is a "World Phone". It's the only reason why, as a VZW customer, I bought a Storm in the first place. I had to travel to Europe, for work, but work's wireless agreements were with VZW.

atuarre
Here come the drums
Premium Member
join:2004-02-14
EC/SETX SWLA

3 edits

atuarre

Premium Member

Re: Survey says att sucks

Actually, the storm can be made to work on AT&T's network, but it's a pain in the ass to do. Only EDGE is available on the Storm/Storm2. 3G speeds are not available in the US on GSM but are available internationally on those carriers GSM networks. 3G speeds are available in the US on CDMA. The user might be using the storm/storm2 with ATT's slower EDGE service but he is not getting 3G speeds. The Blackberry Storm/Storm2 has a CDMA and GSM radio.

tim
Premium Member
join:2005-06-07
Conroe, TX

tim to Murdoc49

Premium Member

to Murdoc49
At least AT&T are better than T-Mobile...

... but they still suck.

optemino
join:2009-10-13
Patterson, CA

optemino

Member

Re: Survey says att sucks

you kidding me?! ... T-Mobile EDGE had BETTER SPEED on my old phone than my AT&T iPhone has ever had while on their EDGE network.... t-mo edge is actually A LOT more stable
Turbocpe
Premium Member
join:2001-12-22
IA

Turbocpe

Premium Member

Lame AT&T Commercials

AT&T's latest commercials, which have been in direct response to Verizon's commercials against AT&T, has been weak. The guy "collecting" postcards from places AT&T provides coverage (many cases, just Edge) is boring and just side skirts the issue that AT&T doesn't have the same 3G coverage that Verizon does. Sure, some people with Edge are satisfied, just as some people with 56K dial-up may have been satisfied.

morbo
Complete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000

morbo

Member

Re: Lame AT&T Commercials

Agreed--however, Joe Consumer doesn't know the difference between what AT&T is saying and what Verizon is saying. All they remember is whatever the latest commercial told them.

en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

en102

Member

Re: Lame AT&T Commercials

Baahh...bahhh.
Many consumers are a little sheepish. Follow the herd into iPhone... complaints R us, and believe what the commercials will tell them.

I've got some nice post lower ward property / ocean view to sell in NOLA
Turbocpe
Premium Member
join:2001-12-22
IA

Turbocpe

Premium Member

Based on AT&T trying to stop Verizon from airing their commercials on the basis they felt it was misleading as if it was stating AT&T didn't have any coverage in areas, and now AT&T running commercials to indicate their wide (mostly Edge) coverage, it's clear that is what AT&T sees the average consumer as despite that was clearly not the case with Verizon's ads.

Still, in my opinion, AT&T's commercials completely lack any creativity and are simply boring and lame. I'm no Verizon fanboy, I gave AT&T the chance, and they didn't deliver my world.

Madness
Like a flea circus at a dog show
join:2000-01-05
Lynn, MA

Madness to Turbocpe

Member

to Turbocpe
Luke Wilson tossing the postcards all over the map. I really cracked up on that one. The TRUE AT&T once had a bell on the left!

RARPSL
join:1999-12-08
Suffern, NY

RARPSL to Turbocpe

Member

to Turbocpe
said by Turbocpe:

AT&T's latest commercials, which have been in direct response to Verizon's commercials against AT&T, has been weak. The guy "collecting" postcards from places AT&T provides coverage (many cases, just Edge) is boring and just side skirts the issue that AT&T doesn't have the same 3G coverage that Verizon does. Sure, some people with Edge are satisfied, just as some people with 56K dial-up may have been satisfied.
WHAT type of coverage? They do not say in the Ad. They IMPLY that they are talking about 3G coverage but I get the impression they are using VOICE (or as you suggest EDGE) coverage as their measurement tool. At least the Verizon Ads STATE they are talking about 3G coverage (with the mention in the explanation bar on the maps, that EDGE coverage may be available in areas not covered by 3G).

La Luna
Fly With The Angels My Beloved Son Chris
Premium Member
join:2001-07-12
New Port Richey, FL

La Luna

Premium Member

I don't know.....

..... AT&T gives me the best coverage, including in my home where all other carriers fail. I don't care about "iPhone", I don't use one; I just want my cell to work and it does.

*shrug*
itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Carlisle, PA

itguy05

Member

Re: I don't know.....

said by La Luna:

..... AT&T gives me the best coverage, including in my home where all other carriers fail. I don't care about "iPhone", I don't use one; I just want my cell to work and it does.
Amen! We take a yearly trip to Warwick for apple picking. Wile on the NOTwork (Verizon) I could never get decent service at the orchard or many places along the way. With AT&T it's great service all around there.

I've compared both and both have their strengths and weaknesses and from my experience AT&T works better than Verizon where I am.

TamaraB
Question The Current Paradigm
Premium Member
join:2000-11-08
Da Bronx
·Verizon FiOS
Ubiquiti NSM5
Synology RT2600ac
Apple AirPort Extreme (2013)

TamaraB

Premium Member

Re: I don't know.....

said by itguy05:

We take a yearly trip to Warwick for apple picking. Wile on the NOTwork (Verizon) I could never get decent service at the orchard or many places along the way. With AT&T it's great service all around there.
That's interesting. Is that Warwick NY? I visit a friend there, and have "No Service" from AT&T. My friend's cell, VZ has 5 bars. I have to switch to her WIFI to use my iPhone there. I have driven around the area, and sometimes get 1 shaky bar.

Bob
itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Carlisle, PA

itguy05

Member

Re: I don't know.....

Yes it is. We go to Maskers, up off the Thruway, through Tuxedo and over to Warwick. The phone works fine.

Xioden
Premium Member
join:2008-06-10
Monticello, NY

Xioden to La Luna

Premium Member

to La Luna
That's from them taking over Cellularone in the area a couple years ago, Cellone had *gasp* built new towers in Florida and Warwick to actually give their customers better coverage. Still real shoddy coverage between Goshen and Florida, it's pretty much a guarenteed dropped call.
MRCUR
join:2007-03-09
Lancaster, PA

MRCUR

Member

Is anyone surprised?

I'm certainly not. Like I've said before, my issue with AT&T isn't their low 3G coverage - there's 3G where I need it. My issue is the 3G network is just crap. I just got a Bold 9700 (coming from a 3GS) and it jumps around like crazy. Five bars of 3G one second, five bars of EDGE the next. Top that off with calls ALWAYS dropping down to the slowest of slow: GPRS.

I continue to complain on AT&T and one of their reps always calls to discuss my concerns with the network. Every time I'm left with "well, the 3G coverage just isn't that strong in your area." What do I say to that? Gee, thanks. Maybe your coverage map should represent that???

••••••••••••

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium Member
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK

KrK

Premium Member

AT&T Prepares to Sue Consumer Reports...

... for telling the truth.

"It's not fair." says CEO Randall Stephenson. "They are just publishing Verizon propaganda."


•••••••••

sykocus
Watashi Wa Shashin O Toru Ga Suki Desu
Premium Member
join:2002-11-21
Hawaii

sykocus

Premium Member

typical

Evidently ATT's claim of a "better 3g 'exerperiance'" doesn't include customer service.
33358088 (banned)
join:2008-09-23

33358088 (banned)

Member

dont worry new Verizon ToS is tryng to catch ATnT

dont worry new Verizon ToS is tryng to catch ATnT

Matt3
All noise, no signal.
Premium Member
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC

Matt3

Premium Member

Kudos to Verizon

I loved being able to take my usual trip to Tennessee and have 3G the whole way. Slacker radio steamed on the entire 7 hour trip without a single hiccup and having Google Navigation on my Droid was killer. It was totally worth paying AT&T's ETF to be rid of them.
Rob2647
join:2008-08-12
Rochester, MI

Rob2647

Member

Commercials

AT&T's commercials only talk about the area they cover with voice service. Verizon was talking about their lack of 3G coverage. So someone missed the point over at AT&T. And with these 2 companies bickering like a married couple, why bother with either of them.

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium Member
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
Netgear WNDR3700v2
Zoom 5341J

KrK

Premium Member

AT&T Deathstar

»www.youtube.com/watch?v= ··· d93aCvd0

Gbcue
Premium Member
join:2001-09-30
Santa Rosa, CA

Gbcue

Premium Member

T-Mobile

Gotta' love them! Light years ahead of AT&T.

•••

Selenia
Gentoo Convert
Premium Member
join:2006-09-22
Fort Smith, AR

Selenia

Premium Member

Satisfied as with any carrier

The reason I have not defected from AT&T is despite some periods of data network issues, no other carrier has near their coverage in my area. Not even Verizon Wireless(2nd place). T-Mobile, oddly enough has the best coverage within my city, but are terrible in other parts of the county, but they probably are 3rd here. I never did test Sprint due to horror stories locally from people I know and the closing of so many sprint stores around here. Virgin mobile is dead last. They hardly have 2 bars half the time in my city, and can't even be used in most of the smaller towns outside my city, even worse than T-Mobile in that regard.

Lesson learned? You have to choose a carrier for how it performs in your area. Not a satisfaction survey. I am, however, considering going to Verizon Wireless as it seems possible for me to get decent EVDO service with a mobile antenna and possibly a repeater in my home. I may make that investment to fill in the low areas of VZW's signal so I can move on to 3G from home =)
QLR
join:2009-06-23
Tallahassee, FL

QLR

Member

Use what works best for you...

... and for me, it is Verizon Wireless. Despite AT&T having a cellular band and VZW only a PCS band (at the time), VZW has a better call quality at my home and in the rural places I travel. AT&T has so so quality varying from good to lousy all within minutes. Most of the AT&T users I know live in a neighboring county or are smartphone users.

I am just glad I have a decent service despite the high prices... glad I have a small discount.
Heated Man
join:2009-06-18
Cleveland, OH

Heated Man

Member

HAHAHAHA

Glad to see these losers get what they deserve. I hate them! ATT sucks. Eat crap!

FastiBook
join:2003-01-08
Newtown, PA

FastiBook

Member

You know it's funny....

I have had zero issues till about a week ago, now my calls are dropping, i get 5 bars of 3G but no service, but overall i am quite satisfied & these issues only happen on the train.

- A
MyDogHsFleas
Premium Member
join:2007-08-15
Austin, TX

MyDogHsFleas

Premium Member

The difference isn't that great

to warrant the "not kind", "dead last", "tail end", etc. verbiage.

The difference between Verizon and AT&T is in the 10% range. Not twice as good. Not 50% better. 10% better.

All wireless services suck to some extent in some ways. National surveys aren't very helpful.

People should choose based on what works for them where they want to use it. I was a diehard Sprint customer until I moved across town and there was zero bars in my new house. Went with AT&T and didn't look back. Excellent coverage here in Austin.

And when traveling through West Texas, there's always coverage, even when there's no gas stations for 100 miles on the way to El Paso on I-10 ... not 3G but you don't need that to make a call now do you?

Mike_
join:2003-06-24
Philadelphia, PA

Mike_

Member

Re: The difference isn't that great

I agree "mydoghsfleas". Here in South Florida, at&t is the top choice with 3g coverage. Never had issues with calls, texts, or internet. Sprint and VZ are also very good. It truly depends on where you live and the routes you take to determine the best choice.

Consumer reports has always been dead wrong on their so called "reviews" on just about everything. Vehicle after vehicle I've had and family members have had were always ranked terrible on consumer reports yet no one has ever had issues other than the normal battery replacement or routine maintenance. Even printers, computers, and tvs. People who live by/follow consumer reports really need to reconsider how they value life and the things in it. Make your own judgments and come to your own conclusions - stop letting a crooked magazine that magically surveys random people who aren't necessarily telling the truth do it for you.

Selenia
Gentoo Convert
Premium Member
join:2006-09-22
Fort Smith, AR

Selenia

Premium Member

Re: The difference isn't that great

I agree. CR is almost always wrong. The majority of vehicles I had with reliability rated excellent from them were the biggest crap cans I owned. Yet, many rated poor have gone 200k+ for me without a hitch. Audio components are rated on features and whether they are one of CR's favorite brands, not sound quality as it should be. Tell me how a Denon or Marantz reciever/amplifier(with transistor or tube amps instead of lousy chip-based amps) ranks below a bottom-of-the-line Sony or Technics. Blah! I can certainly hear the difference. Must be deaf people on their testing board. Do not even get me started on them always top-ranking HP, Dell, and Gateway, even over some expensive Alienware models in the past =( As a computer repair tech before I got into engineering, I can literally say that Dell(and Gateway for that matter) are the biggest pieces of practically made-in-China OEM dookie on the planet(or close to it). Even emachine used to be much better built than Dell, though they seem to have declined in recent years.

Anyways, my point I think has been proven. Did I mention CR sucks?

Flibbetigobb
@lmco.com

Flibbetigobb

Anon

To be fair...

Although I can't stand the Death Star, to be fair, I've found their coverage in Atlanta to be reliable (that's to be expected since Atlanta is the former home of both Cingular and BellSouth).

Their customer "service," on the other hand, is just abysmal, and it's the reason why I'll drop them like a bad habit when and if I can get an iPhone on a different provider...
underthehood
Premium Member
join:2006-01-04
·T-Mobile

underthehood

Premium Member

at&t and CR

Let's not forget that this is from a magazine that while they say they are non-biased can be ANYTHING further from the truth. Ever wonder why in so many appliance reviews Kenmore always beats the SAME Whirlpool? Because one of the top people at CR is a former Sears head. Lets also not forget this is a mag that endorses a vehicle brand that has had more safety related recalls, crashes and deaths than ANY other brand...................Toyota. That is NOT an opinion btw its a fact. Look it up. But CR thinks they walk on water. Lets not forget how they trashed Audi for a VERY similar issue than the latest Toyota issue. Did Audi deserve the criticism? You BET. Does Toyota? You BET! Does Toyota get trashed by CR? No!
CR SUCKS and the people are ANYTHING but non-biased.

Waldothe3rd
Premium Member
join:2009-02-16
Sun N Sand

Waldothe3rd

Premium Member

Re: Survey says att sucks

Consumer Reports FTW. They stated what we all knew...

Morac
Cat god
join:2001-08-30
Riverside, NJ

Morac

Member

Depends on the area

AT&T works great at my home and my office, yet if I go to my parents house less than an hour away I barely get a signal.

Also AT&T's signals seem to have a hard time penetrating buildings with a lot of metal in them. There's a metal building that I go to that's a dead zone for AT&T, but Verizon works fine there.

Selenia
Gentoo Convert
Premium Member
join:2006-09-22
Fort Smith, AR

Selenia

Premium Member

Re: Depends on the area

said by Morac:

AT&T works great at my home and my office, yet if I go to my parents house less than an hour away I barely get a signal.

Also AT&T's signals seem to have a hard time penetrating buildings with a lot of metal in them. There's a metal building that I go to that's a dead zone for AT&T, but Verizon works fine there.
1 of 2 things...either the VZW tower is very close to that metal building, making the building's attenuation less than the signal strength. Other possibility is VZW is using the 850 MHz CDMA band while ATT is using 1900 MHz GSM or 2100 MHz(which they sometimes use for UMTS, which you didn't happen to mention whether it was a UMTS area). That would greatly depend on area which bands are used by which carrier. In another area, VZW may be using the 1850 MHz CDMA band while AT&T is using the 850 MHz GSM band. Sometimes, it's all on the terrain and where there is available spectrum for another provider. I mention this because in some areas, you'll probably observe the opposite, as to building penetration. AT&T uses alot of 1900MHz here in the small city of Pittsfield, with some 850 in outlying areas of the county. They seem to have enough towers here though to get away with 1900.

Morac
Cat god
join:2001-08-30
Riverside, NJ

Morac

Member

Re: Depends on the area

said by Selenia:

said by Morac:

AT&T works great at my home and my office, yet if I go to my parents house less than an hour away I barely get a signal.

Also AT&T's signals seem to have a hard time penetrating buildings with a lot of metal in them. There's a metal building that I go to that's a dead zone for AT&T, but Verizon works fine there.
1 of 2 things...either the VZW tower is very close to that metal building, making the building's attenuation less than the signal strength. Other possibility is VZW is using the 850 MHz CDMA band while ATT is using 1900 MHz GSM or 2100 MHz(which they sometimes use for UMTS, which you didn't happen to mention whether it was a UMTS area). That would greatly depend on area which bands are used by which carrier. In another area, VZW may be using the 1850 MHz CDMA band while AT&T is using the 850 MHz GSM band. Sometimes, it's all on the terrain and where there is available spectrum for another provider. I mention this because in some areas, you'll probably observe the opposite, as to building penetration. AT&T uses alot of 1900MHz here in the small city of Pittsfield, with some 850 in outlying areas of the county. They seem to have enough towers here though to get away with 1900.
I don't know the frequency (not sure how I could figure that out), but I can't get either a 3G or Edge signal.

According to this map both 850 and 1900 are in my area. My phone supports either so I don't know which one it would pick.
axiomatic
join:2006-08-23
Tomball, TX

axiomatic

Member

Ducks that suck

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it must suck AT&T. Better duck?!?!
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