The Mobile Phone Service Bitch Thread

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FUCK SPRINT PCS
I cancelled my service in APRIL and I got a bill TODAY for $51 telling me I'd best pay up quicklike or I'll be DISCONNECTED, ooh, like I still have a phone with them or some such. Fuck that. America needs to be smaller so we can have more decent and competitive service providers - the fact that Sprint PCS and Verizon are the only nationwide carriers with decent coverage says a lot. Sprint shouldn't even be in business IMO. Ridiculous. I had to talk to three people to find out that my last request, that my final invoice be added to my credit card, was not followed through. So here I am in JUNE paying for services rendered in MARCH because Sprint has the worst customer service I've ever encountered barring certain cable companies. Your stories please.

― Millar (Millar), Thursday, 12 June 2003 18:57 (twenty-two years ago)

two weeks pass...

Revive!!!

You think the way that they treat customers is shitty? You should see the way that they treat each other! Paying in June for services rendered in March would be AHEAD OF SCHEDULE!!! Woooo!

Go ahead. Send some international text messages! (Hang on, Sprint isn't even ON my freaking PMN list...)

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 10:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Though nothing compares to how shit Vodafone are! Oh, how I hate them! Tell me what mobile phone company you all use, and I will bitch about them!

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 11:00 (twenty-two years ago)

02. prices are ok, service non-existent

― gareth (gareth), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 11:02 (twenty-two years ago)

dont get me started on cable&clueless business

― gareth (gareth), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 11:02 (twenty-two years ago)

02 - service? For freaks sake. I signed up for their "international calling plan" when I bought my phone, OVER A YEAR AGO. Not only have they never actually implemented it, but every now and then they send me these advertisement texts saying "why don't you sign up for our international calling plan?" I want to text back and say I ALREADY HAVE!!! TWICE!!! AND BEEN CHARGED TWICE, AND I STILL DON'T HAVE IT!! but it's not worth the 10p to text them.

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 11:06 (twenty-two years ago)

The Orange tent staff at Glastonbury were amazingly polite and on the ball and helpful. I must write to thank them.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 11:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Orange are one of mine. Mwah hah hah. I don't hate them. Yet.

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 11:11 (twenty-two years ago)

One of your what?

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 11:12 (twenty-two years ago)

One of my - oops, I should say OUR - clients.

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 11:14 (twenty-two years ago)

yea, people seem to like Orange. perhaps i should be with them

― gareth (gareth), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 11:54 (twenty-two years ago)

I want to move to Germany so I can have my mobile on MobilFunk. Because you all know how I hate Funk!

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 13:03 (twenty-two years ago)

I wanted to look into getting my cell plan switched for a few days so it will work while I'm in New York. I call AT&T's 1-800 number and the voice asks me to input my cell number. So I do and it says, sorry that number is not correct try again. But it is correct! And it even says AT&T on my phone! And I can't get through to talk to anyone unless I put in the number. *sigh*

― Sarah McLUsky (coco), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 13:21 (twenty-two years ago)

A-ha!

After calling verizon and some other number, I eventually come to the realization that I use SUNCOM which is 'a member of the AT&T Wireless community.' So, AT&T didn't have my number, but SUNCOM did. HURRAH! And it turns out I CAN use my cell out of state, I just get roaming charges. DOUBLE HURRAH!*

*Yes, this shows I know absolutely nothing about cell phones even though I own one. I'll admit that.

― Sarah McLUsky (coco), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 14:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Roaming charges. ::shudders::

SunCom? No such operator!

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 14:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Yep, SunCom. There are ads for it everywhere here. Roaming charges will/do suck, but I just wanted to make sure I'd have a number iLX people could contact me at when I'm up in New York for the 4th. I don't wanna miss out on all the action, you know. And switching my service would be $35 a pop.

― Sarah McLUsky (coco), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 14:35 (twenty-two years ago)

O2 voicemail service is vulnerable.

It lets ANYONE change your personal message, listen to your messages etc...

Phone up and get to prompt for pin number.

Try a number

its wromg

try another number

its wrong

try another number,

It lets you in !!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy hacking

― wil, Wednesday, 2 July 2003 15:22 (twenty-two years ago)

O2 won't even let me USE my voicemail, so I don't care if anyone hacks it. Go and listen to my mum wondering where I am, maybe you can ring her back and inform her that not only do I STILL not have long distance, but that I STILL cannot get my messages. (Though she is still welcome to call HSA and harrange him for "absconding with her daughter")

SunCom obv. don't have international roaming, unless they are a subsidiary of a bigger parent company - duh- probably AT&T (USAAT) in which case, please don't ring abroad, you will make my life hell. But not as much hell as T-Mobile USA do.

I am the only person here, apparently, that understands the American roaming invoices, because I am the only person that seems to understand that different states have different sales tax rates! And they laugh at me for not being able to figure out the British postal system.

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 15:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Sprint sucks big green weenies. < /my friend Maria>

― luna (luna.c), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 15:30 (twenty-two years ago)

For a second I thought Donut Bitch had changed his name again.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 17:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Neither my cellphone -- T-Mobile -- nor the girlfriend's -- Sprint -- works a) anywhere in the apartment (negating the original point of mine, which was to eliminate ground lines and use the cell for all calls local and long-distance) nor b) in any campus building (in other words any other time we would use it). I'm at a loss for what to do about this, and haven't cancelled service yet cause I just bought the damn thing a few months back. I hate to pay a switching fee to try Verizon, only to find out my phone is still unusable in 90% of the instances I'd use it.

― Tep (ktepi), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 20:14 (twenty-two years ago)

This is how much I use(d) my cell phone: my plan ran out, and I didn't notice for a month.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 20:58 (twenty-two years ago)

It's shocking how little mobile phone coverage there is in the States. I look at the maps, and Europe is this giant red blob, the Far East is a thinnish red strip, and America just looks like it has spots.

― kate (kate), Thursday, 3 July 2003 09:21 (twenty-two years ago)

About what percentage of US phones have SMS? I'm a little shocked to find it's below 100, but I want to find out how shocked I am.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Thursday, 3 July 2003 09:27 (twenty-two years ago)

The thing with SMS in the States is that you are only allowed to send SMS to phones ON THE SAME NETWORK AS YOU. How stupid is that? They have *NO* SMS roaming. Not even cross-network within the country!

― kate (kate), Thursday, 3 July 2003 09:29 (twenty-two years ago)

! ohshitohshitohshit!

Eh, I'll just ring them from a payphone.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Thursday, 3 July 2003 09:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm with Virgin. They're pretty good.

― Andrew (enneff), Thursday, 3 July 2003 09:40 (twenty-two years ago)

No complaints with orange. I with they'd give me a new snazzy phone.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 3 July 2003 09:45 (twenty-two years ago)

orange just gave me a snazy new one. I must sit on the tube later and go through all my new ringtones.

― j0e (j0e), Thursday, 3 July 2003 10:01 (twenty-two years ago)

I kill you, with guns and stuff.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 3 July 2003 10:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Specifically I want one which is compatiple with iSync and that means giving orange money. I don't want to go that far.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 3 July 2003 10:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I take it back. TikiPhone is an even better name than MobilFunk.

― kate (kate), Thursday, 3 July 2003 12:28 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

T-mobile have allowed someone apparently using my SIM card to download games and ringtones using WAP from their own site, and have charged me £22 for the privilege. Their Customer Services helpline people have basically told me to go screw myself in Welsh accents (including telling me I must have deleted these games etc. in my sleep, more or less), so I'm currently writing a snotty letter to their HQ. I am not a happy bunny.

Anyone else experienced this kind of thing? Obv. no-one else has access to my 'phone, and there's no WAP itemised on my bill for the dodgy download times.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Monday, 27 September 2004 11:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Say you are going to cancel the contract & speak to watchdog.

― PinXorchiXoR (Pinkpanther), Monday, 27 September 2004 11:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Or, just pretend to be a journalist and phone up their press office asking if they'd like to "comment on the story".

― caitlin (caitlin), Monday, 27 September 2004 11:11 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't want to speak to Watchdog, I want them to pull their fingers out and work out how this happened.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Monday, 27 September 2004 11:11 (twenty-one years ago)

You just have to say you are going to speak to watchdog. Oh I wouldn't accept what they have said & would stay on the phone til I got a response I was happy with.

― PinXorchiXoR (Pinkpanther), Monday, 27 September 2004 11:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Their front-line people are mindless drones being paid £5/hour: no point arguing with them. One of them even said 'I hope you don't think you're going to get that refunded'. What a fantastic attitude.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Monday, 27 September 2004 11:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Well exactly, was there not a supervisor/mamager you could speak to?

― PinXorchiXoR (Pinkpanther), Monday, 27 September 2004 11:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Yep. She told me that I could go fish.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Monday, 27 September 2004 11:16 (twenty-one years ago)

I regret changing from O2 to Orange, if only because of the conversation I had with them when I tried to activate the ability to dial international numbers so that I could text my sister. I rang up customer services and was told that I had to dial the premium rate customer servcies instead; but when I tried that I discovered that I was also blocked from dialing premium rate numbers. I rang up customer services again and they said that the only way to lift the premium rate block was to dial the premium rate number from another phone. Idiots.

― toby (tsg20), Monday, 27 September 2004 11:22 (twenty-one years ago)

What???!!! That ridiculous Liz, phone them back.

― PinXorchiXoR (Pinkpanther), Monday, 27 September 2004 11:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes. By the end of the conversation and them refusing to accept that there was any kind of issue, I was so frustrated that I cried for a good 10 minutes. And then all over Rob when he got in. Yeesh.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Monday, 27 September 2004 11:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Wankers. Some ppl have no idea about customer services. I currently am waiting for an NTL manager to phone me back. Hm, I'm sure they wont bother though.

― PinXorchiXoR (Pinkpanther), Monday, 27 September 2004 11:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Hi Liz. I just mailed you some info.

― robster (robster), Monday, 27 September 2004 12:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Thank you dear.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Monday, 27 September 2004 12:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Virgin keep spamming me with text messages and landmail about the benefits that will be mine if I only register my phone, which I already did on the first day I got it.

― Archel (Archel), Monday, 27 September 2004 12:43 (twenty-one years ago)

I switched to Verizon from Sprint and it was EVEN WORSE.

I switched to T-Mobile from Verizon and it's been A BEAUTIFUL WONDERFUL THING though though admittedly it is kind of like the end of The Duel where dude has sacrificed his own car in the middle of the desert just to be rid of that ugly, horrible truck that won't leave him alone.

― TOMBOT, Monday, 27 September 2004 14:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Eh.

― Spinktor, Monday, 27 September 2004 20:29 (twenty-one years ago)

three months pass...

I'm getting a mobile in New York, for the first time in my life. So exciting!! So what's it to be - Cingular or T-Mobile? Cingular has a nice Sony Ericsson that I like, but T-Mobile's coverage seems to get good reviews.

Also, is it really necessary to sign a TWO YEAR contract??

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 13 January 2005 21:25 (twenty years ago)

What's kind of bizarre is that I have a British Virgin Mobile phone with me, courtesy of 3w1ng's secret drawer, that I figured would just pick up Virgin's new US phone service once I arrived.. but my phone says "Voicestream." What the hell is that??

Anyway I don't want a two-year contract, and I'd rather just keep on using my old phone. Customer service at T-Mobile has told me that they give me a free phone anyway, even if I just keep using my old one. Which seems like an extraordinary decadence.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 13 January 2005 21:33 (twenty years ago)

Fuck T-Mobile!

I use their Sidekick II, which I like, but their service is atrocious. They recently hit me with $380 in retroactive charges because they'd apparently never charged me the $20/month (!) that I was supposed to pay for data access for the last 19 months. Also, their service is super-spotty, and I live in a large city.

― Daniel Cohen (dayan), Thursday, 13 January 2005 22:03 (twenty years ago)

I got Cingular a few months ago, Tracer; I've had no problems with it. There is no place that I haven't had coverage. I wanted to go with T-Mobile bc they had a cutie phone that I liked, but Cingular offered a better econo-plan.

You don't have to get a 2-year plan--it just costs more if you don't get it.

Also, welome back!

― Mary (Mary), Thursday, 13 January 2005 23:23 (twenty years ago)

Thanks Mary! It feels kind of weird to be here in a way. I'm supposed to be writing something, but I'm not. It's more or less done, but I'm just saying that. I should get on it. Last post for awhile probably.

Anyhow I got a T-Mobile plan, 1 year, 1000 minutes + free nights and weekends, I got to keep my old phone, and I get a $75 rebate for not taking one of the free ones! Yay me! I was also told that texting works fine across all networks! Get ready for sm srios txtng!!!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 14 January 2005 00:35 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

I have to revive this thread. After a year and a half of struggling with Sprint PCS, I finally just paid the early disconnect fee and killed my phone. The biggest reason I hated my Sprint service was that I couldn't pay my bills electronically. I once sat in their shop for two hours on the phone with one of their tech support people on the east coast, and that still didn't fix the problem. This had nothing to do with my credit rating or anything. Hell, I used the same card to pay in the store that I would have used online. They openly admitted to a "glitch" with my account, but said I would have to re-up for two more years in order to create a new one. Can I get a 'Fuck Sprint PCS'? I laughed that they were the company who inspired this thread.

While I was in there paying off the remainder of my bill last night, I was watching the exchange between a woman whose phone was broken. She had insurance, but they didn't have her (popular) model in stock, so she had to wait "three or four business days" for another phone. She was distraught, but calm, and asked if it would be possible for them to loan her a crappy phone until hers was ready. Without even looking up from what he was doing on the 386 computer he was touch typing on, the customer service dude just shakes his head slightly. Gotta love it.

Anyway, I'm curious about other horror stories and recommendations. A friend of mine had a major problem with Cingular/AT&T recently, so I'm hesitant to go with them. My girlfriend uses them, so our conversations wouldn't count as minutes. That's a plus. Are people happy with Verizon? I am extremely hesitant to sign another two year contract, and putting up the $150 deposit right now is going to be tough. Halfway considering going with Metro PCS for a few months, but then I'd have to buy a phone.

― josh in sf (stfu kthx), Wednesday, 22 March 2006 18:07 (nineteen years ago)

one year passes...

Hey, honey-voiced O2 lady, could you giving me long-winded descriptions of quite rubbish sounding offers when I'm in the middle of topping up my credit? I'm already giving you too much money and I don't appreciate my time being wasted with explanations of ways I can give you more. Thank you.

― chap, Thursday, 20 March 2008 18:18 (seventeen years ago)

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