Disappointed with Cingular

Depending on when you got the cell but Has it changed its return policy from 30 days ? http://www.cingular.com/customer_service/common_phone_return/0,,,00.html

 

Chanjet,

I am assuming you got a 64k SIM card. Check under your battery to verify. The first thing you need to make sure is if your phone is using the blue network or the T-Mobile network. I remember your case when you initially posted it. We all know T-Mobile doesn't have coverage in your house. I had recommended you dial #121 from your phone. If you get the VoiceInfo greeting, then you are using blue (AT&T) towers. If you hear "Your call cannot be completed as dialed", then you are still using T-Mobile.

Call Cingular, tell them you want your phone to prefer "the blue towers". You need to tell them "blue" towers because that's how the former AT&T Wireless is known nowadays. I checked the coverage for your street and it seems good according to the coverage map for the blue network.

If this doesn't work, you might have to get another phone. The 64K SIM cards have an enhancement called ENS that allows Cingular to choose which towers your phone prefers. I am not sure if your V400 supports ENS but the earlier ones before the merger did not support it. Every phone released after the merger supports ENS. You need to check on that too. Maybe you can convince them to give you a warranty replacement.

 

Back when he got the contract, Cingular only had a 15-day policy. He had to go away overseas before he had a chance to check service at his house. When he came back from overseas, it was past the 15 days and he discovered there was no service at his house. This has back when we could only use T-Mobile's network.

 

Try removing/Installing Battery,
then Power On.
After which try making phone Calls.

 

So, were you home at that time? Can you describe exactly how was signal strength and call quality when you heard the greeting?

As I said, if you get the "welcome to voiceinfo" greeting, then you are using the blue towers so that will tell you exactly how service is from the blue towers in your house.

 

Did you get the manager's name or even better have them fax/email your discussion?
Just incase.

 

What phone are you currently using? You can get an unlocked Nokia, say a 3595 or 6800 series for a good price on Ebay, just make sure it's Cingular Branded/Locked or an Unlocked one, this way you can pop the SIM into it, these are some Nokia's with very good Rf & if it doesn't work, then you won't need to extend your contract & can resell the phone on Ebay when you port to another carrier.
As bobollito & jones suggested, remove the battery & SIM for 2+ mins, if there is no change, call CS and request an OTA update for the SIM to prefer the Blue towers, this has helped alot of people with problems like yours.

 

Chanjet, are you sure you are following me? I was talking about dialing #121, not 611. Once again, how was the signal strength when you got the #121 VoiceInfo greeting?

Fire14, I am starting to believe that blue towers don't have good enough coverage in his area even though the map says otherwise.

I have to go to that area of Long Island in the next couple of weeks. If I get a chance, I will stop by his address to test the blue network over there.

 

That's why I suggested getting a phone on Ebay instead of thru Cingular, it does sound like the coverage may be poor in that area & instead of extending a contract if the coverage is poor, he can hopefully ride out the contract that's left & port to another carrier.
It will be interesting to see what you come up with.

 

Then I would say just take any opportunity you get to leave without paying a termination fee if the Nokia doesn't work. However, your not getting the manager's name was a very unfortunate failure. Hopefully, it is noted in your account. Next time you talk to them check to see the notes they put in your account.

 

What if this is a Dead Zone for all Carriers,
like the one in Glen Rock, NJ.
According to T-Mobile compass this
is a No Coverage Area.

According to the Sprint Tower Map;
their Tower is located the same Location
as what the T-Mobile Compass Map Shows.

You may try driving around a 1 Mile Radius
see who has a Tower or Roof Top Panels
and this will be your Cell Carrier.
If there ain't any
You can Thank the NIMBYs.

 

Not in My Backyard.
Those who Oppose Building Cell Towers.
Or you can ask your Town's Building Dep't
if there's a Cell Tower in your Town
and if there's on in the Works.

 

Jones, I advised you a long time ago to avoid posting bits of information in so many posts. You know there's an EDIT button you can use.

Your post count goes back down once I delete the excess posts anyway because I consolidated all your posts into one.

 

I use the Edit Button just like here
but it no longer appears after awhile.

 

The 64K SIM cards have an enhancement called ENS that allows Cingular to choose which towers your phone prefers. I am not sure if your V400 supports ENS but the earlier ones before the merger did not support it. Every phone released after the merger supports ENS. You need to check on that too. Maybe you can convince them to give you a warranty replacement.[/QUOTE]


is there a way of checking whether my v600 supports ENS? i ihave cingular with a 64K sim and got it after the merger but the phone could have been manufactured before.

 

Cingular discontinued the V600 long before the merger, so I highly doubt yours supports ENS even though you bought it after the merger.

 

so what does this mean to me, is the 64K sim in my phone less effective in my v600 than if it were in a newer, cingular supported phone? on my current phone, can i manually choose the towers? i don't know if this is the same but under network setup it has the categories band and type, both are set to auto, if i change the type to manual, would this be the equivalent of searching for the better towers at my location? thanks

 

If you're dissappointed with Cingular, you're in excellent company.

I switched from Cingular to T-Mobile last year because Cingular's customer service and one of their local company-owned stores, could not agree on a rate plan.

Customer Service said I could have it, the store said I could not, so I left the store and bought a T-Mobile prepay phone (since converted to a monthly plan).

When the last remaining Cingular phone (no longer used) comes off the agreement at the end of 2005 and I call Cingular to have the line disconnected, I intend to tell them the story above. I am curious to know what they might try to offer, in order to retain my business - even though no offer they could make would convince me to stay with Cingular after that debacle.

I had been a Cingular customer for 10 (ten) years. One would think they would treat a long-term customer better than that.

 

To use a 64K sim card properly you must have an ENS phone. Im not sure what an M400 phone is but if it is not cinuglar then it definately doesnt have ENS. does the M400 also have an 800/850 band on it? If you dont want to have anything to do with a contract extension go on ebay and get a 6010 or 3120 that has ENS and try it out. Worse comes to worse you can sell the phone on ebay. If you are still under contract and you renew to get another phone, you have to complete your previous contract still.