Post by Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe on May 30, 2005 0:57:51 GMT -6
I Hate Cell Phones...
I'm in my last few months of my contract with At&T, (now cellular)...and not too soon either either! I am totally displeased with the provider in all aspects.
At first I was fine with the service, good amount of minutes for $29.00 per month, which comes to about $37.00 after all the taxes and fees. Thieving bastards!
Then I started getting an inordinate amount of dropped calls about a year into my mandatory two year contract. I mean the calls would drop within the first minute of conversation, regardless where I would be. And then it would go from roaming to no service and back to normal mode all within a two minute period.
Calling the company was useless. They would re-set the phone, (A motorola flip), and it would be ok for awhile, but then it would start the nonsense all over again. They told me that this particular type of phone, (Digital), is obsolete and that I would have to upgrade to the next generation of phone, a Gmode or something like that. I said, ok...when will you send me a replacement? They balked at that and told me that I would have to re-contract with them, of course at a higher price rate, but get a free phone! I balked...
I told them, why am I penalized for your crappy phone with poor signal service, but yet forced to pay the monthly fees and get hit with a $200.00 fine if I drop the service before the contract expires. Hell, I can't even carry on a normal conversation without it dropping the call. They offered me more minutes to compensate, and offered to reset my phone when it acted up again.
So, for the past six months, I have been resetting the phone via tech service phone call at least once a month. One guy said that perhaps the antenna is not getting the signal out to the towers. So, I open up the phone and examine the antenna contacts. I crimp them tighter and solder a wire from the antenna to the contacts. It does help it a lot, but it does not totally solve the problem.
My first cell phone was a thief as well, MCI WorldCom. Even before I received the phone in the mail, I got a $40.00 for service I did not use. I refused to pay, and kept the $40.00 perpetually off my payments.
My contract expires in August 2005, and I am searching around for a better provider. They all blow, but perhaps you have a better company you would recommend that I would despise less.