PC Help Request

When starting this blog, I had every intention of keeping it to 100% technical content. I’ve decided, to change that to about 80-90%. This, in light, due to my recent dealings with Cingular Wireless and their shady business practices. Cingular relies on strong-arm tactics to maintain customer base. The most obvious evidence of this is the Early Termination Fee. The other day, I was given free drinks and a free appetizer at one of my favorite restaurants. It wasn’t because they knew my name. It wasn’t because I asked for them. It was because they felt I was inconvenienced by waiting 15 minutes for a table. This was the best customer service experience I’ve ever had and they will remain in my favorite restaurant list. Unfortunately, Cingular Wireless doesn’t believe in keeping customers by making them happy. Instead, they indenture their customers, providing freedom only after a minimum time frame which can be changed as they see fit, and without warning. When I first signed up with Cingular, I was happy with the coverage. I had some billing issues at first, but after a few phone calls they were resolved and I was credited some amount off my bill for my troubles. We had a complicated contract and it had confused some people setting it up. Two phones (phones 1 and 2) on two year contracts, one phone (phone 3) on a one year contract. About three months later, phone 2 died. I had it replaced under warranty. Another two months go by and phone 1’s microphone stops working and I have it replaced under warranty. Then, days after the one year anniversary with Cingular, phones 1 and 2, already replaced once, stop working. And this is where it gets dicey.

The phones could not be replaced under warranty because we had them for longer than the 365 day mark. I think it was fourteen or so days past. One of the phones could not be upgraded because it had been replaced in February and wasn’t eligible for an upgrade until February 2007. I called up Cingular and spoke with a CSR in the warranty department. She explained the above but told me that I could upgrade phones 1 and 3 to solve the problem. She said I could do it online and that if I had any problems to call the warranty department back and they would help me out. She also let me know that my original contract would not be affected and that phone 3, now on a month to month basis, would not be signed up for a new contract. I had no issues getting the new phones through the online process. I did not indicate that I agreed to a contract renewal, nor was I informed that the upgrade process automatically renewed my contract.
Fast forward to January 2007. By chance, while checking the bill online, I clicked on the link that took me to my contract terms page. Listed were the end dates of my phones, since each phone is considered an independent contract with Cingular.

Phone 1: Your contract end date is 08/16/2008
Phone 2: Your contract end date is 08/03/2006
Phone 3: Your contract end date is 08/16/2008

I immediately contacted Cingular via email. See, I’m a big fan of the Consumerist and have learned that DOCUMENTED EVIDENCE is the best way of trying to right grievances with companies. I’ve also learned about escalation. I will first start with emails. If not fixed, I will move on to recording phone calls using Skype. If still not fixed, I will record phone calls to the CEO. If STILL not fixed, I’ll write my States AG, Congressman, BBB…pretty much anyone that might file my letter in a drawer to pull out as evidence when they finally decide to crack down on these draconian practices. Then I’ll switch to Verizon and save over $40 a month. I’d do that now except that to cancel my account with Cingular right now would cost $525 in early termination fees!

I will be covering how to record calls with Skype using SkypeOut and how to pay for SkypeOut a la carte in a post later today.