August 15, 2007

The Saga of the Replacement CellPhone

because nothing is as easy as it sounds .......

Hubby lost his cellphone on Saturday. He was in Kmart trying on some shorts and when he arrived home later he couldn't locate his cellphone. Ok, back to Kmart we go. Nope not in the dressing room, front desk hasn't had a cellphone turned in. Hate to say it but low income drug infested housing project a half mile away so I was certain it was being used to arrange drug deals already.

I called AT&T to have the service suspended. Checked on the web and sure enough a dozen calls made in the 70 minutes before the service was turned off. Ok time for a replacement phone. Can't do it on line because the number is suspended. Call AT&T on Monday. He unsuspends the line and I order another phone. 2 day shipping will be here on Wednesday.

So today the new phone arrives. Not what I ordered and no SIM card so can't be activated anyways. I call AT&T again. "Sorry, if you want to keep the phone you can, of course there's no credit or discount being given. You can always mail it back and reorder the correct phone. Oh, and the SIM card? Well, you'll have to drive to one of the corporate stores and they'll give you one for free. Anything else I can help you with today?"

Hang up the phone fuming. Here's my take: You made the mistake and now I can mail the wrong phone back and you'll credit my card for the selling price. Meanwhile I can reorder the phone I wanted and hope you get it right this time. Of course I'll be out about $360.00 until you get around to crediting my card back for the first phone. Then when the new phone comes by Saturday I'll probably have to drive 8 miles to a company store to have the sim card installed.

So I just jumped on ebay, bought the exact phone that was lost for $77.00 including shipping. I'll get a sim card at the local store 2 miles from my house and come out way ahead in the long run.

Here's a question: How come a company will bend over backwards to get you as a customer but give you shitty service once you use them?

8 comments:

Becky in Iowa :O) said...

Cause once they have you signed up, you are SOL. It will cost you a bunch of money to switch service, so you have to put up with them until your contract is up. It's why I have a Tracfone. I just pay as I go. If I lose the phone, I'm just out the $15 I paid for it and whatever minutes I had on it. Plus, I'm to cheap to pay the $40 a month or so it would cost to have a real cell phone. lol

gypsyknits said...

Because they can!
I just had a run around with the cell phone over my DD's phone. The screen didn't work nor did the volume. We had the insurance (yeah I know, I had sucker written on my face when I bought the darn thing). Sent it back. Loaner phone was given to DD. Original phone was sent to us 5 months, 40 phone calls later with a note that said they didn't find anything wrong with it. We turned it on. Same darn problem. I drove to the store and complained. Was told they had to go by the "fix it note" so we were SOL on the phone and the insurance. Had to buy a new phone at the new price of $150.00. I was not a happy customer.aaarrrggghhhh!

Lynn said...

I totally get it!! This is the reason I use a pay as you go cheapo phone from Wal-Mart.

Nana Sadie said...

I guess that's life in the digital age, huh? I'm leaning more and more to the pay-as-you-go phones, myself!

Vivian said...

That's why they make you sign two year contracts. They make plenty of money over the two years while providing minimal service. I let mine run out and now on prepaid plan. The last time I paid $25 for 120 minutes was in February. But then I'm not a chatter box while driving down the freeway, and I don't care for latest fancy gadgets.

Betty Ann said...

Just have to say that I don't know you but I love you!! I come here to cheer up ... and to see the knitting ... and the beautiful children.

Michael said...

Thanks! (re: your comment on my shawl)

Zoanna said...

I'd love to go back to the dark ages of the 90s when there were no cell phones. If you needed to talk that badly, you'd pull into a gas station. Now THERe'S a pay-as-you-go method. Most of the pay phones are in those K-mart districts so the temptation to plunk down fifty cents a call is greatly minimized. I think we were all more efficient and patient and polite when we actually ahd to plan our calls, don't you? My hubby is out now buying me a replacement cell phone. It's been dead for 2 weeks and do I care? Not really, but my fuel gauge is broken and I just might not remember that a 1/2 tank of gas now means I've got 2 miles to empty. And I still drive in Kmart districts regularly, so...