Startac story

Hello, Guys,

I'm a newbie and just found this site while Googling Startac cell phones.

I see from reading some of the posts here that lots of people liked their old Startacs and wish they could still use them, as the Startacs were the "tanks" of cell phones with their durability, had better voice quality than newer phones and had both analog and digital capabilities.

Sadly, in my area (NYC) in 2008 Verizon announced that they would no longer be supporting Startac phones. They originally said they would not since the phones were analog, but the Startacs also had dual capabilities and could use CDMA as digital.

Since I had LOTS of $$ invested in Startac phones and stuff I kept speaking with higher and higher levels of Verizon Customer Support to try to keep my Startac on the network (as my ST7868W had been working fine for years as a digital phone on their network).

Although I got turned down succesively at every level, I persisted, until finally one Supervisor said "the only way you might get to stay on the network with your Startac would be by filing an "Executive Appeal".

My feeling then was that would be like getting an audience with the Pope and asking for his blessing, but I did it anyway and sent a" Letter of Appeal.".

Didn't hear anything from them and in the meanwhile received two new 'free" digital phones from Verizon to use on the network. However, I did not activate them. Still have those, NITB.

It's a good thing I didn't, because one day maybe a week later, I got a call from, IIRC, the Regional Manager of the Eastern Seaboard Verizon network, he being the assistant to a woman who was, I guess, at the time a High Grand Wizard of the East...

My letter had apparently worked it's way up and they agreed with my thinking and so I received what was like a "special dispensation' from on high.

He said he actually agreed with me..."if it aint broke, don't fix it" ...and he liked the Startac.

They said I would be able to use my Startac on the Verizon network for as long as I liked and when I was ready to upgrade they would have some "good deals" to offer me.

At that time, he put a special note into my account to that effect; that I get to stay on Verizon as long as I wanted. That was at the end of July, 2008 and I've been happily using my Startac on Verizon ever since. No problems. Great phone...gets through when others don't.

At that time, as they were going to become obsolete I got to buy a bunch of phones and Startac accessories that people were selling for whatever they could get (or giving them away). Figured I could aways use them for parts, or as "Emergency 911 spares" (since any cell phone can still reach 911, whether activated or not).

So I lucked out, I guess.

Now perhaps that was possible because the Federal mandate that all cell
phones had to be e911 capable (with a GPS chip so you could be located anywhere as long as your phone was on) might not have yet come into play until all the networks were fully digital.

THAT sure caused a lot of conspiracy theories to pop up, back in the day! Yikes!

I see that they have recently become "retro chic", perhaps a new fad for the laid-back retro-cool hipster crowd?

Anybody else still have a Startac live on the Verizon network?

(I posted this in the "Buy & Sell" Lobby by mistake and didn't see a way to remove it,so I am re-posting it here. Sorry).

 

Thanks,and Happy New Year!