Flagged account due to "excessive"off network usage

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

If you are roaming "Cingular Extend" should display on your phone. That's what I used to get when my phone roamed on the old Suncom network.

-Jay

Cingular phones don't show Cingular Extend anymore...at least no Cingular phones I've been around. They all display CINGULAR, whether you are on native service or not.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by strunke

Oh ok...yeah I know that VZW users can use Alltel's data services, and vice versa already. Not sure about other carriers.

I still haven't been able to get an answer to this....If I have Alltel 1xrtt and Sprint evdo in the same area, am I going on the 1x no matter what after this thing goes into place? Or will it let me roam on the Sprint EVDO?

I think the Press release talked about using each other's High Speed Data networks, so yeah you would roam on their EVDO network.

[racindave99]

First of all I want to thank everyone for your responses. You have been a big help and informative. I have told everyone I know about my situation and now
they all know about the Wireless Advisor. As it turns out, I walked into my local Cingular office in Kingston, NY. which is about 15 miles south of my home in Saugerties, NY. the other night. Within minutes of walking in and explaining my situation to the lady sitting at the desk in front of the computer and monitor... I was "de-flagged!". I asked how she was able to do that so quickly and roughly this was her response.
"The Cingular store just opened up in the last year. Cingular is behind and or slow in their tower developement. They do in fact have an agreement with Dobson. Cingular corporate is supposed to be aware that no one in the Hudson Valley geographic area can be flagged for that"50%" rule until Cingular catches up on the towers."
I then asked her "What happens in 3 months when I go over the 50% rule again?. She gave me a look and said ..."Don't worry about it!! If they have any problems they will speak to my manager." I was home a half hour later and I had service at my house.
This is good since the tower we use from my house is definately not a Cingular tower. Interesting additional note to this story. Two days later the display on my Moto V551 stopped working. I called about a repair or replacement and I was 7 days away from my 1 year warranty expiering.So they are sending me my replacement free of charge within days. WHAT LUCK!
Also does everyone know about the white "hole punch" dot under the battery in the back of the phone rule? Moisture makes it turn pink and or red and voids the warranty.I did not know that. But then again... I don't know alot!
Thanks again guys. I'll stay in touch. By the way who is responsible for the funny little knickname and comments under racindave99?

[Andy]

I'm glad everything worked out well for you. I'm surprised that the lady at the Cingular store was able to de-flag your account. That's good news and surely good for you since you don't have to switch carriers and get new phones, etc. I hope that the same thing doesn't happen to you again within the next 3 months.

Andy

[racindave99]

Yes I am glad as well. It was quite a surprise. I was expecting alot worse. I had already eyeballed the Verizon store around the corner before I went into the Cingular store. I mentioned to them that it would have been nice to be able to see when I am roaming. It would be nice to be able to monitor my percentages so I can control them like I control my anytime minutes without going over. I also told her it would have been nice to have received a warning via any and all modes of communicating, especially a message on my cell instead of Cingular ringtone solicitations. I have a feeling one day all this will be a moot point.

[viewfly]

racindave99,

A great outcome! Good to hear that Cingular unflagged your account so easily.

A good indication that Cingular C/S and in particular the local store acted so reasonably and helpful in regard to the 50% rule. I think that you are right that in the future it will be a mute point.

Did you spend any time looking at the Cingular in store computer coverage maps?

Regarding the V551, my wife's hole punch dot is bright red. It went through the complete wash/spin cycle in our machine and survived. It looks like new. I do have insurance on the phone, but it wasn't necessary to make use of it.

Happy Cingular roaming!

[EdwardP]

Originally Posted by bobolito

I agree with Andy. A violation is not necessarily the mere act of forcing your phone to a roaming carrier unless the usage on the roaming network reaches above 50% over three consecutive months.

Seeing as how competitive the wireless carriers are, it amazes me that things like this are happening.

So what if a customer is roaming off-network more than half the time? As long the customer pays the carrier on time for the calls, what's the problem? If they say it's too expensive to provide roaming coverage, then the carrier should have the brains to renegotiate the roaming agreement with the roaming partner.

If that happened to me, I would simply take my business elsewhere. If they're willing to let him out without the ETF, get out of it and try another carrier. If travelling in rural areas, as the poster appears to be, then Verizon may be his best bet, especially in Vermont.

[cryogenic]

I'm still dumbfounded as to how and why Cingular has yet to offer any sort of meaningful coverage map. T-mobile's "compass" coverage locator is simply awesome and probably the best one out there right now. Verizon's is ok but could use an extra level or two of zoom and more detail on route numbers. Sprint's isn't half bad but could use some tighter zoom as well.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by cryogenic

I'm still dumbfounded as to how and why Cingular has yet to offer any sort of meaningful coverage map. T-mobile's "compass" coverage locator is simply awesome and probably the best one out there right now. Verizon's is ok but could use an extra level or two of zoom and more detail on route numbers. Sprint's isn't half bad but could use some tighter zoom as well.

I agree. You can't just have the entire country organge on the maps and have you phone show CINGULAR whether you are roaming in Alaska or roaming on Dobson in the East and then suddenly flag your account and prevent roaming or even cancel your service.

[walkguru]

im really glad that this worked out the way it did, im really dumbfounded as to how this happened.

[Fire14]

Originally Posted by Andy84094

I agree. You can't just have the entire country organge on the maps and have you phone show CINGULAR whether you are roaming in Alaska or roaming on Dobson in the East and then suddenly flag your account and prevent roaming or even cancel your service.

At a very minimum, they should allow the roaming indicator to come back on the phone when you are roaming, to prevent confusion and problems like this. I guess there thoughts are, you don't pay for roaming and the amount of people that do stay roaming for 3+ Months is low, that they don't care if the customer gets told they have to change carriers.
Not that it is right, I would prefer to know I am roaming, and this way if there was a problem with my connection, I would know it was/wasn't Cingular's fault as well as if I had to take an extended leave in a roaming area, I would know what to expect.

[racindave99]

Originally Posted by viewfly

racindave99,

A great outcome! Good to hear that Cingular unflagged your account so easily.

A good indication that Cingular C/S and in particular the local store acted so reasonably and helpful in regard to the 50% rule. I think that you are right that in the future it will be a mute point.

Did you spend any time looking at the Cingular in store computer coverage maps?

Regarding the V551, my wife's hole punch dot is bright red. It went through the complete wash/spin cycle in our machine and survived. It looks like new. I do have insurance on the phone, but it wasn't necessary to make use of it.

Happy Cingular roaming!

I actually asked about it and I don't remember the CS's exact response, but it was something along the lines of..." I can show you the computer but it won't show you what you need to see...".
Now before we go thread thrashing on that comment, remember I said it was something along the lines of...not exactly what she said. I was extremely exhausted at the time of day I went(about 7:30PM), my son(9 yrs old and not excited to be in the Cingular store) was with me, and she was already in the process of deflagging me.
But I am curious to see whatever it is I can see. I find myself now checking out every tower I see along the road as I travel about 400 to 500 miles a day. I am surprised every tower is not labled loud and clear as to who owns it and who uses it. I wonder if there is a signage rule about these things. Wouldn't it be great to drive by towers and see the CINGULAR, Verizon or Nextel signs on it? I checked out the Tower Hunters club pics and I found it interesting.
...Boy , there is a club for everyone huh?
It is amazing about your wife's phone going through the wash and spin cycle, and still working. I am sure it looks like new, but does it smell fresh and is it soft?

[Fire14]

Originally Posted by racindave99

IBut I am curious to see whatever it is I can see. I find myself now checking out every tower I see along the road as I travel about 400 to 500 miles a day. I am surprised every tower is not labled loud and clear as to who owns it and who uses it. I wonder if there is a signage rule about these things. Wouldn't it be great to drive by towers and see the CINGULAR, Verizon or Nextel signs on it?

A lot of these towers are propritary as who owns what or where & I think it would look bad if they all had large signs on them, plus it's bad enough with the NIMBY'ers fighting towers let alone the carriers advertising on them.

And yes there seems to be clubs for everything, especially with the internet.

[viewfly]

Originally Posted by racindave99

I actually asked about it and I don't remember the CS's exact response, but it was something along the lines of..." I can show you the computer but it won't show you what you need to see...".
Now before we go thread thrashing on that comment, remember I said it was something along the lines of...not exactly what she said. I was extremely exhausted at the time of day I went(about 7:30PM), my son(9 yrs old and not excited to be in the Cingular store) was with me, and she was already in the process of deflagging me.
But I am curious to see whatever it is I can see. I find myself now checking out every tower I see along the road as I travel about 400 to 500 miles a day. I am surprised every tower is not labled loud and clear as to who owns it and who uses it. I wonder if there is a signage rule about these things. Wouldn't it be great to drive by towers and see the CINGULAR, Verizon or Nextel signs on it? I checked out the Tower Hunters club pics and I found it interesting.
...Boy , there is a club for everyone huh?
It is amazing about your wife's phone going through the wash and spin cycle, and still working. I am sure it looks like new, but does it smell fresh and is it soft?

Yep, it has sort of a floral smell to it. Good thing we didn't use any bleach! Except for the battery, the phone is good as new.

[bobolito]

Originally Posted by viewfly

Yep, it has sort of a floral smell to it. Good thing we didn't use any bleach! Except for the battery, the phone is good as new.

LOL! So is it soft and fluffy? Did you use Downy? Did it make it to the dryer also?

Originally Posted by racindave99

..... who is responsible for the funny little knickname and comments under racindave99?

Those are pre-programmed to change depending on the number of posts you have.

[WTEX]

Interesting note to discussion. I have family North of Amarillo, TX who has heard that residents in the area, on the major route North out of Texas to Colorado, have started receiving notices that Cingular is pulling out of the area. Talked with a friend that works for Cingular and the CEO has made the decision to end service/agreements in areas with Excessive Off Network Service (EONS). Including this area in Texas and the Abilene area. People in the transportation industry that travel through Texas will be losing service from Cingular in the Abilene area (I-20) and US 287 North of Amarillo. These are just 2 areas that I am aware of, my friend wouldn't specify more

[SmArTeStChIlD421]

well for anyone who may be monitoring this post......sprint i think has a similar roaming rule......since sprint relies so much on their roaming they must have really good agreements to keep the lines going.....verizon does have very good agreements with alltel.......and cingular could be losing money to roamers because they may set aside a certain amount of money in your plan rate that covers the roaming of an average consumer.....if you roam more than an average consumer......it will begin sucking money out of them.....so i can totally understand why cingular would cut roamers off......and i definitely agree that they need to begin using roaming icons.......it wouldnt be half bed if tmobile started using the data availability and roaming icons as welll.....but back to the topic......when cingular charges you......they charge it like a public school tax.....averyone gets charged no matter how much you use it and....unlike public school......if someone uses it "more than guesstimated" than it can be a problem and cingular just may not be able to afford that kind of problem


but there is a company wide program that companies can use.....funnel more money into roaming agreements....or offer a plan addition that can give you more roaming cpabilities or extend the amount of roaming calls you can make.....definitely not by minute but maybe increase the percentage???

maybe someone else can make like DaVinci and com up with another novel idea

[rirwin1983]

Originally Posted by racindave99

Actually it is not 50% of the "calls made". It says 50% of my "usage". I guess I can make fewer calls that last longer. Or is it all under interpretation. Is usage the amount of calls made or the minutes used in a cycle. In this case a three month cycle. I think usage is minutes used. At the end of the day I don't think they care how many calls I made. I think they care how long I was on the phone for. Thank you viewfly for your suggestion for that other thread.
I may be in Dobson territory alot but I am all over the Northeast all the time. I may be in VT a few days in a row, or Mass.,CT.,PA.,NJ or in NY. It is not predictable.
If Cingular had given me the opportunity to view my usage % I would have been able to control my off network usage, Just like I control my anytime minutes and keep it way under 450 shared and save the rollover minutes. There is and never was any notification of what network I am in and no mention of any sort that I was headed in the wrong direction.When I signed on and bought my V551 GSM I told the CS that I am a truck driver and the areas that I drive in. All I got was a smile, a "no problem", and refer to the coverage map and you will be fine. According to the coverage map I should be fine. Well now I guess I gotta make a decision where to go. Alot of guys tell me at my job that Verizon is the deal. But what if I talk more than they do.
What if my "usage" is greater than theirs? Do you think if I ask, Verizon will be honest with me? Do most companies give a decent trial period.Can I get Verizon or Cellularone...aka Dobson 2 weeks or 30 days for a free trial?
Thanks for your help so far folks. keep it coming and I hope to resolve this soon.
Sorry for the epic posts...

Have your phone setup not to roam, yes it will be a pain in the ____ not having service in those areas, but then you wont have this sissue with cingular. also i find it funny that 50% of your usage/minutes are in roaming, perhaps the dobbson tower isent transfering your call to the cingular tower properly and even though your in cingular tower coverage your phone is still hanging on to the dobbson signal. i have had that happen back in 2003 when i was with them, i was clearly in a cingular tower's area, had a guy next to me is phone read "Cingular" While mines read " Cingular Enhanced/Extended" dont rember the exact wording, but it ment i was roaming.