Simple Freedom "Roaming" showing on phone ???

The "Digital Roaming"/flashing 'R' displays whenever the phone is outside the SID (a small region). I just changed my phone number to a nonlocal one and indicator is flashing permanently, although the physical location of the phone hasnt changed (the phone is on the Alltel network).

Another possibility is that the phone has picked up a Sprint or Verizon Signal... whenever the phone picks up another carrier's signal, the banner changes and the indicator turns on.

As long as the R is flashing or off, there will be no extra fees.

 

Perhaps, with SimpleFreedom's conversion to Alltel U, a new PRL was sent to your son's phone. Just an FYI: If he can dial a number without being asked to dial it again, a second time, he is still on native Alltel. If you/he can afford 75 cents per day (about $22/mo), he can get unlimited texting, plus either free nights and weekends, or free unlimited calling to one number. For details see Simple Freedom Wireless which will direct you to Alltel U .

 

I also started having this roaming issue yesterday. I have a 4 year old (yes I know, time to upgrade) Nokia 5185i with simple freedom. Yesterday when I turned it on it said "Roaming" and had the little triangle icon solid in the upper left corner.

I spent 3 hours on the phone last night talking to 7 different people, getting transfered, pressing numbers though menus, getting disconnected, waiting on hold, etc, etc. Talking to Alltel CS, Simple Freedom CS, and tech departments for both.

No one could seem to tell me what was going on. One of the tech people told me my phone was too old (funny, it wasn't too old a week ago) and that I needed to upgrade. And that I should switch plans. They didn't offer the plan I am on anymore.

Then after getting disconnected again, I called back and talked to someone else. He said my phone was indeed roaming (he could see it on his computer), but he thought it was a system problem and that it would probably work fine in the morning (ya right). It still said roaming this morning.

Why does stuff like this always happen after I just put $100 on my account? What should/can I do now? Do I need to get a new phone or is it something with the service? Anybody have any ideas? I really don't want to waste another night getting the run around from alltel. (Also, it can't be just a problem with my phone, because my mother has the exact same phone/service started at the same time, and her's does the same thing.)

Thanks.

 

I don't think technology is the problem. I think it is the people who are installing the technology not communicating with those of us who have to adapt to it.

How long did it take before it stopped saying roaming?

Guess I just wasted 3 hours of my life. Oh well.

 

Cool. Not too long then. Guess I will wait and see if mine goes back to normal. Thanks for the info.

 

U can get him an alltel U prepaid plan...I pay $70.00 get 700 minutes unlim night and weekends unlimited M2M abd unlimited texting...if he's a texting freak like I am...lol just pay it like you would a normal bill but no contract or credit checks

 

I finally got this figured out. I called alltel a couple more times and they told me I could get an alltel prepaid phone and transfer my balance and phone number to it. So I called the sales people to get a phone, and they told me the phone I wanted, which said on the internet was 19.99 was actually 149.99, because I wasn't signing up for a new service. He told me in order to get the discounted price I would have to start a new service, but that I could keep my balance. I would get a different phone number though. I argued with him for a few minutes about alltel's lousey customer service, and then hung up.

We have several alltel stores where I live, so I thought I'd just call one of them. When I call the numbers listed in the phone book I get the alltel recording. The customer service lady told me that was because the store was very busy and their calls overflowed to the call center. She said I should order my new phone over the telephone as the wait at the stores was over an hour.(Lie, I think she just wanted the comission.)

I went to the alltel store yesterday, with my SF phone, and the guy got into the programming on it and changed some setting and the roaming is gone now. I also asked them about the phone numbers for the store. They said the numbers all ring through the call center, and there is no way to call the stores directly. Probably to keep them from getting bombarded with questions, since it would be simpler to get ahold of them then to go through all of the number pushing.

So anyhow, if anybody else is having problems with an alltel phone, I would recommend not calling them. Just go to a store and talk to a real person. Had I done this to begin with, it would have saved me several hours and much frustration.

 

The numbers that are listed for the retail locations do ring the store first...but if no one answers the phone, it will roll to the call center.

 

OK, then why does my phone book have the same phone number for two different stores that are on totally different sides of town?

The lady at the alltel store said all of the calls go to the call center, and that there was no way to call a store direct. I have called all 5 of the stores in my phone book at 3 or 4 different times of day and I always get the recording. When I push the buttons to get to talk to customer service the lady tried to tell me that they were all busy and that is why it went to the call center. That's funny too because when I went to the store there was almost no customers there. And it was at the same time as one of the times I tried calling them.

That still doesn't explain how two stores can have the same phone number. How would I know where I called if I was going to go there later and talk to them? I might go to the wrong store.

 

1. Stores can be called direct. I talk to customers all the time who call their local stores all the time. IF the staff can't get to the phone, THEN it rolls over into CS. The "lady at the Alltel store" is wrong.

2. Just because there was nobody at the store the day you were there doesn't mean there wasn't people there at the same time some other day. That's like saying there is no rush hour because when you drive through that area on Saturday there was no traffic.

3. CS doesn't get one thin red cent of a commission on a phone sale. NONE. She was trying to help you save time, as most folks complain of long wait times when they go to a store.

 

What explains the same phone number for two stores on opposite ends of the city? How do I know which store is going to answer when I call?

 

Hell, I don't know. Maybe the phone book is WRONG?

I deal with looking up local store numbers all the time. When I see mulitple numbers in one city I've never seen them with the same number. I would suspect your source.

 

A agree totally. The source is WRONG. Unfortunately in this instance Alltel is the source. Go to Store Locator and type in Lincoln, NE

You will see that the store at 4920 North 26th Street and the store at 4815 Old Cheney Road both show their phone numbers as (402) 436-5050. These stores are on opposite side of Lincoln. You can mapquest it to verify that I am correct. It says they are 8.15 miles apart.

I just noticed that they also list the same phone number for the store at 5745 O Street. I guess 3 stores are incorrectly listed. Wonder how that happened?? I wonder which store that phone number is actually for. I know, it isn't for any of them... It rings somewhere in Timbuktu.

 

I don't really like the alltel store lookup because it does have a lot of errors I've found. It's also so inconsistent with Authorized Retail Locations. Some are listed, some aren't, and I'm a person that tends to support local businesses so its frustrating trying to find a local authorized retailer sometimes to add-a-line or buy a phone. And google is no help because it labels all kinds of stores as alltels if you search alltel + (city, state) and only about half of them are right. I really think it includes alltel-owned towers now and then as well as some authorized retailers but it still labels them as alltel. But really, you'd think a company the size of alltel, trying to get customers into their stores would take the time to make sure the Store Locator was accurate and included all possible retail locations and 3rd party locations. I mean, if nTelos can do it ... But in any case, maybe you should try the local phone book! lol

None of the local stores I've ever called have answered the phone, but I hear the same thing about every provider. I'm sure they're more busy with retail customers in the store, but I really don't think it's something they're concerned about even if the store's empty. But google actually shows the phone number for 5745 O St, Lincoln, NE as (402) 436-5202.

 

I have tried the phone book (which by the way is alltel) and it lists 2 of the stores with the same number. I think the O street one has the number you mentioned.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who can't seem to get the store when I call their number. I guess the stores in our areas must be hooked up differently than everywhere else, that they ring to a call center right away. BikeBryan's city must have the phone's connected directly throught the stores as they should be.

I think it is a matter of it costing more to have you talk to an english speaking person in America, than it does to have you talk to someone overseas that is hard/impossible to understand and may or may not even know what a cell phone is. I think they just read what the computer tells them to say.

 

Alltel call centers are NOT overseas. They are all in the US. And no, we don't "read what the computers tells us to say."

 

This actually is one thing I've always given credit to alltel for so that I can understand the rep.

But I also heard that starting last year, Sykes started helping out with alltel U pre-paid Customer service. Then they started completely handling Alltel U. And now they're starting to help out with Post-Paid calls in 'an effort to give the customer the shortest wait time on the phone.'

I hope this isn't a trend that continues.

 

The numbers in the phone book here go to the stores. But it is very likely there is an error in the listing or your market was setup differently then others.

 

Assuming by now that you work at the alltel call center...Your center must not be the one I called, because the semi-english speaking individuals I got about half of the time sound like they are reading something to me.

Why would they set up phone numbers differently for different areas? My area isn't what I would call a large city like say LA or NYC. Wouldn't it seem more likely for one of those areas to have numbers that go to somewhere else?

I think I would believe the alltel lady that was talking face to face with me more than I would believe someone who doesn't work at the store that I went to about my being able to call the number and get the store. Or not as the case is.

Another thing, while we have an insider here. What's with the getting disconnected while talking to a rep? I had this happen to me at least 3 or 4 times. Is it an equipment issue or is the rep hanging up on me because they don't want to help me or is there some sort of time limit that they can be on the line with a person?

I guess there isn't much point in trying to understand their ways. They will do what they will do and we will deal with it. That's the way it goes. If I don't like it I should switch carriers. Unfortunately there isn't another one that I have found that has the same sort of coverage area that alltel does. Guess that's why they can do what they want.

 

You're a pre-paid customer so you were probably routed to one of the Sykes call centers not located in the US. It's post-paid customers that get the "English is their first language reps"... lol

 

I forgot they puty Sykes into the mix - but the percentage of calls that get routed to them are actually very low, below 5% (on the order of 1-2% IIRC).

 

the prepaid cust. service sucks

 

I have to say that the prepaid CS is something that can be improved upon. I had to call in twice to turn off the Voicemail since the codes offered online didnt work for my exchange. At least they refunded my charges when I calle in the second time.

My only real complaint is the Sprint roaming! I get busy signals all the time. I have to dial the number 5 or 6 times. CS suggested that I dil 1 plus the 10 digit number and then the # but that doesnt always work either. Everything is perfect if I force a Verizon signal, though.

I have to say that I have had prepaid service with Virgin Mobile, AT&T, TMobile, Verizon and Alltel. I have to say that Alltel's CS is so so, but AT&T's prepaid CS a lot worse! Long hold times and unprofessional reps take the cake. Virgin and TMobile are the best for prepaid CS, Imho.

 

Until a couple weeks ago. Now even postpaid calls are being routed to sykes. Maybe soon postpaid CS will be 100% skyes (like prepaid is).

 

Again, an extremely low (less than 5%) percentage of regular (non prepaid) accounts get routed to Sykes. Those calls are only routed through them if their volume is low enough, which more often that not, is not the case.

It's doubtful Alltel will move to offshore CS for 100% of the CS calls anytime in the forseeable future - given they just opended a brand new TS call center and are always brining in new CS reps to their 19 existing call centers in the US.