Cell Phone Bill Has Soldier's Wife Reeling

[Gamer03]

Cell Phone Bill Has Soldier's Wife Reeling
By Bridie Isensee, Special to the Daily News
September 5, 2005

Ginnette Cawthon thought she would save money with a Cingular Wireless international plan to talk to her boyfriend, a combat medic in Iraq.

That is, until a recent bill almost made her cry when she saw the nearly $1,000 in roaming charges he racked up while trying to make calls from combat zones.

Cawthon, 38, has relied on the cell phone as her primary means of communicating with her boyfriend, Todd Poteet, 39, a U.S. Army combat medic in the 48th Brigade.

It's been the best and most dependable option, Cawthon said.

Letters trickle home a month after Poteet sends them, she said, and he has no access to e-mail where his unit is stationed outside Baghdad.

The couple has opted for the cheaper option of text messaging in the interim, but the full-time Chick-fil-A employee and part-time nanny worries how she will pay this bill, which totaled $1,122.

"They're going to cut it off, and I won't be able to talk to him," Cawthon said.

Cawthon bought a basic international shared plan in May for about $80 per month, she said. The Naples woman said she explained to the sales consultant that her boyfriend would be using the phone to call home from Iraq, but contends the consultant didn't mention the possibility of high roaming charges.

But a Cingular spokeswoman insists that the store manager did warn Cawthon during the purchase that international roaming charges could rapidly rack up.

"He told her it was going to be pretty costly," said Kelly Starling, the company's public relations manager for Florida.

The manager remembered the Naples woman distinctly because she was in tears about her boyfriend's deployment to Iraq, Starling related.

Before customers buy plans, sales workers research the coverage area where the phone would be used, including the possibility of costly roaming charges, Starling said.

Cawthon also could have done a cost analysis herself on Cingular's Web site, which outlines the $2.49 per minute roaming charge and the coverage area in Iraq, Starling said.

The company's Web site shows its coverage in Iraq is limited to the Baghdad area and the country's northern sector, including Kirkuk and Mosul.

It's the first such complaint from Florida that Starling said she has heard of where a soldier in Iraq racked up almost $1,000 of roaming charges.

The phone carrier and the wireless provider it acquired had the worst combined complaint record in 2004 among providers, according to research by Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports.

The group found through records obtained from the Federal Communications Commission that Cingular and AT&T Wireless, which merged last year, logged the highest combined complaint rate in 2004 among the top eight carriers — a combined 289 per million customers.

Verizon recorded the fewest complaints at 76 per million customers among the national carriers, the group reported.

Billing problems topped the list of complaints for all major cell phone companies, trailed by transferring of phone numbers, service quality, contracts and marketing, the group found.

Janee Briesemeister, a senior policy analyst with Consumers Union, recommended people use prepaid phone cards to talk to military personnel overseas.

Prepaid cards protect international callers from that sinking pit in their stomach when they open their bill and discover a four-figure balance, she said.

"At least in that sense there are no surprises and multi-thousand dollar phone bills," Briesemeister said.

In Florida, an alternative for any consumer who feels he or she has been wronged is to call the citizens service hotline with the Florida Attorney General's office at 1-866-9-NO SCAM, which is 1-866-966-7226, said JoAnn Carrin, a spokeswoman for the Attorney General.

Meanwhile, Cawthon is making a public appeal to help pay her $1,122 phone bill. She also wonders whether other people have faced the same ordeal, with the possibility of losing that secure connection to a loved one fighting overseas.

"I'm going to have to shut if off," Cawthon said. "I can't afford it."

http://naplesnews.com/npdn/news/arti...056005,00.html

[ShoresGuy]

In a way, you certainly can't help but feel sorry for the woman but I find this hard to believe. My brother was stationed out in the desert (Talil near Najaf) in mid-2004 and AT&T set up phones in the camp to ensure soldiers had an option of using $10 calling cards to call back home. They were also able to use DSN lines from time to time if nothing else was available and families could also use a DSN connection at certain bases in the Bay Area if the unit was in an isolated area.

But as efficient as the US military is, they made sure that an internet setup was available once the base was secure so it is a possibility for most established bases in Iraq. One of the things I can't get over is the fact that the military stresses a tough fitness regimen but then set up Burger Kings in combat areas where the soldiers need to be at their fittest. Undoubtedly, they want to make it possible for the soldiers to taste a bit of home .

[Gamer03]

Originally Posted by ShoresGuy

In a way, you certainly can't help but feel sorry for the woman but I find this hard to believe. My brother was stationed out in the desert (Talil near Najaf) in mid-2004 and AT&T set up phones in the camp to ensure soldiers had an option of using $10 calling cards to call back home. They were also able to use DSN lines from time to time if nothing else was available and families could also use a DSN connection at certain bases in the Bay Area if the unit was in an isolated area.

But as efficient as the US military is, they made sure that an internet setup was available once the base was secure so it is a possibility for most established bases in Iraq. One of the things I can't get over is the fact that the military stresses a tough fitness regimen but then set up Burger Kings in combat areas where the soldiers need to be at their fittest. Undoubtedly, they want to make it possible for the soldiers to taste a bit of home .

Interesting information ShoresGuy.

Thanks for sharing it.

[DarrylLeeOHS30]

I do feel sry for her too. I know how it feels to have something that high (not necesarily a cell phone bill) but not have the means to pay it.. but thankfully its not like that anymore.

It kinda makes me aggrivated at cingular for not explaning that having an international plan just lets you use it overseas--- they didn't tell her about the roaming charges.. so it is partially their fault in my opinion... as for having the phone cards, i think he brought the cell phone that way he can talk to her anytime he wants (in spare time) instead of having to wait in line.. or etc.

[Critic]

Originally Posted by DarrylLeeOHS30

I do feel sry for her too. I know how it feels to have something that high (not necesarily a cell phone bill) but not have the means to pay it.. but thankfully its not like that anymore.

It kinda makes me aggrivated at cingular for not explaning that having an international plan just lets you use it overseas--- they didn't tell her about the roaming charges.. so it is partially their fault in my opinion... as for having the phone cards, i think he brought the cell phone that way he can talk to her anytime he wants (in spare time) instead of having to wait in line.. or etc.

Darryl - if you go back and reread the article, the manager of the Cingular store is quoted as remembering the customer and indicates that they DID, in fact, explain the $2.49/minute roaming charge. It's also mentioned on cingular.com. If the customer chooses to ignore the information, that's a different matter.

I've got nothing but sympathy for the spouses and families of soldiers over in Iraq and elsewhere, but like most things in retail, it's buyer beware.

ShoresGuy also raises valid points - the military is very good about providing as many 'like home' conveniences to soldiers as is possible or practical, so you have to believe that e-mail is an option for a lot of troops stationed in the Gulf. Going back to your point, Darryl, about the Cingular customer in the article wanting to talk to her husband anytime she wants...well, you know what? It's the MILITARY, not summer camp.

[WirelessBeachBum]

I took an online class earlier this year and one of the members of my class was serving in Iraq, he would go out on patrols every couple of days, but would usually be online at least once a week.

It was tough but they usually do have some internet access available. She could have paid Globalstar Sat phone and paid for Roaming in Iraq it would have been cheaper.

[Fire14]

My Nephew is in Baghdad and he has been using the calling card center & using Emails to keep in touch with his wife & kids as well as the rest of his family, the military does have some good plans to help the troops keep in touch with family & using a cell phone is going to be expensive, it does sound like she was upset & didn't really listen to what was told to her & I do feel bad and hope they will work out something for her, as long as they stop calling so often via there Cell phones to keep the charges down.

I do find it interesting how they had to add the 04 complaints of all carriers & that Cingular had the highest with AWE combined last year & Verizon had the least, per a quote from Consumers Union.

[WirelessBeachBum]

Originally Posted by Fire14

I do find it interesting how they had to add the 04 complaints of all carriers & that Cingular had the highest with AWE combined last year & Verizon had the least, per a quote from Consumers Union.

I thought that was kind of out of place as well. It's almost like whomever wrote the article had a word target they needed to hit so they added that to the end to hit their quota.

[MOTOhooligan]

Originally Posted by Gamer03

Meanwhile, Cawthon is making a public appeal to help pay her $1,122 phone bill.

Anyone who helps her is stupider than she is. I feel bad that her boyfriend is in Iraq but I don't know where he's serving that he doesn't have access to e-mail. I had a friend who was attached to a combat unit and he could e-mail me occasionally and I actually talked to him on the phone five or six times while he was there for a year... there have got to be other ways of communicating than a cell phone. She was aware of the roaming and she's just making a big deal about it because she has no idea how to pay a $1,122 bill working at Chick-Fil-A. It's her fault, not Cingular, they explained it to her. She, apparently, chose to ignore what they told her.

Also, I've seen much, much higher bills than $1,122 and those didn't include Iraqi roaming so she should be happy it's only $1,122.

[Andy]

I'm not trying to argue that this is not her own fault, BUT my friends and I have been lied to more by Cingular sales reps than by any other reps we can remember. A friend of mine set up a family Share Plan with 4 lines and they were told stories/lies by the Cingular CS rep...they should have research, I later enlightened them... their service is crap and they want out...too bad.
A Cingular rep told me that Verizon would be changing to GSM technology within the coming months and so everybody would have to pay for new phones and service would decrease...some people actually believed that and signed up with Cingular.
It's the people's fault not to research and try themselves, but Cingualr reps are the most desperate reps to make a sale I have ever seen and it's sad.

[bamagirl59]

My son had the same problem with Cingular. I purchased him a pre-paid phone card to use with a cell phone and he ended up with "roaming charges" that totaled over $9,000.00. Now who knows how many years it will take him to pay the $9,000.00 "roaming charges". I even read the back of the pre-paid card and saw nothing about roaming charges at all. I really think something needs to be done to help the soldiers who ended up with these big phone bills. Isn't there something the government or FCA can do to help them?

[Ddeere2]

This is a thread that's over 3 years old, why would you post to it? But there is something setup for the soldiers to call back home. I know for a fact AT&T has setup calling centers at bases in both Baghdad and Kabul. My dad used to call from them all the time when he was stationed in Kabul and now in Iraq he uses a satellite phone his company provided him with. Also, if you read the other posts before posting to this thread, they do setup internet connections for the soldiers. Also, the military has a contract with Iridium I believe to allow the first ten minutes free for soldiers to call home. Many times the soldiers want to talk to their families when they want to instead of waiting in a line or waiting till their camp is finally setup up so they can email. I highly doubt the military will help because the soldier went on their own instead of using what the military was providing for free for them.

[RadioFoneGuy]

The post is old but still a valid topic.

I spent a year in Iraq from 2004 to 2005, Iraq was just building their GSM network there. I did research before hand and took an unlock quad band GSM phone there and was able to buy pre-paid service for $10 bucks for about 30 MINS. A few other guys paid for their Cingular phones to roam and got screwed.

ATT does have calling centers but on the bigger bases. The base I was at didnt get an ATT phone center till the end of my tour which was the 3rd year of the war.

Their are hundreds of little base and dozens of bigger one. Only bigger bases had internet and phones when I was there. It may be different now. I worked with truck drivers when I was there and those guys hop base to base and rarely saw internet until they go back to the base I was on.

For those in Iraq or going to Iraq, take a GSM phone make sure it can use the 800 and 1800 bands and make sure it is unlocked and buy a SIM card when you get there. There are local merchants on the bases where you can get the cards and the minutes.

[bobolito]

Originally Posted by RadioFoneGuy

...For those in Iraq or going to Iraq, take a GSM phone make sure it can use the 800 and 1800 bands and make sure it is unlocked and buy a SIM card when you get there. There are local merchants on the bases where you can get the cards and the minutes.

I was wondering why anyone would consider the roaming choice.

[cheddar]

Originally Posted by bobolito

I was wondering why anyone would consider the roaming choice.

I think that's obvious. AT&T's entire marketing campaign is based on the ability to roam overseas. If someone switches to AT&T based on those commercials than going overseas with their phone would be perfectly reasonable thing to do.

[RadioFoneGuy]

The commercials are gear toward business and people who travel overseas alot.

The convenience being the same phone number and email.

I think they are kinda poking a finger in the eye of CDMA even thou most CDMA carrier will rent or offer dual mode GSM/CDMA handsets.

[mframe]

Originally Posted by RadioFoneGuy

For those in Iraq or going to Iraq, take a GSM phone make sure it can use the 800 and 1800 bands and make sure it is unlocked and buy a SIM card when you get there.

I believe you meant to say the 900 and 1800 Mhz bands. Is that correct?

[RadioFoneGuy]

Originally Posted by mframe

I believe you meant to say the 900 and 1800 Mhz bands. Is that correct?

yes you are correct, typo.

[bobolito]

I don't think its the reasonable thing to do. I think that's the "uneducated-consumer" thing to do. I mean, who hasn't heard of pre-paid options for overseas communications these days? (or even 3 years ago when this was originally posted) Ever heard of grabbing a calculator and compute how many minutes per month you can afford? I can understand if this was my grandma going overseas and she didn't know about pre-paid options, but these are apparently young people.