chuckles67

sorry this is a bit of a rant... but what a pain AT&T is...

We needed a second SIM card for my wife. using my home SIM I tried roaming on AT&T and T-Mobile in California bay area. quickly I realized AT&T had better coverage (but still not very good).

1. back in December I called AT&T sales and talked through the plans. as I don't have credit history they suggested I use a prepaid SIM called Go! I checked they offer unlimited data - Yes sir! was the reply and will be included with the SIM. So I ordered it. When I received, the plan price was higher than what the sales guy said, and there was no unlimited data. I tried complaining but it was futile. Even though they knew the sales guy's name, they would not connect me back to him to talk about it. They gave me no choice but to abandon this SIM card. I probably spent over two hours total in ordering and following up.

2. in January, I made a further three calls to AT&T sales to order a post-paid SIM, which offers the unlimited plans and data services we need. With no credit history, they required 500 USD deposit, refundable after one year. Fair enough - so I ordered that. The sales guy confirmed as it was a SIM only card, a) it would be transferable between any GSM phone I had, b) it would be a zero year contract.

3. after one week I had received no correspondence and no SIM card, yet I had been billed for 500USD. I called "customer service", who said the computer had rejected my application ("computer says no"). No-one had called me. My credit card had still been billed 500 USD. I fumed and ranted. She promised to call me back. She never did.

4. I tried one more time and called customer service, and now it was in the post. Joy of joy, it arrived yesterday.

5. I spend 38 minutes on the phone with some poor AT&T chap trying to activate the new SIM card. I spent roughly the same amount of time on their internet web site configuring the plan, with international text messaging etc. Finally it works

6. what's especially weird is they have put my mailing address as some address I have never heard of... they advise me not to try and change the address for 30 days, as that might be "suspicious activity" for a new account. Not wanting to be labelled a militant terrorist, and risk homeland security paying a visit, I decided not to fight this one. So my first bill will go to an unknown address!!!

7. today I log in again, and they have put me on a 2-year plan, not a 0-year plan that was offered by the sales guy... It's sunday and the relevant department is closed, so aother winge job for monday morning.

Again, sorry for this rant. I am a patient person. I understand computer systems go down and have glitches. But this is ridiculous. Everyone I have met says AT&T wireless coverage and service is poor. And my monthly bill will be a minimum of 95usd - for this?! Shocking.

scrubbedexpat099

Are you talking about the usb dongle you stck into your computer.

When we were in the UK over Christmas we ended up with 2 of these, a '3' and a T Mobile. The '3' was $50 including 3 months usage PAYG, we then got a T Mobile as the missus was complaining about me not sharing, $30 offer for 3 months. Gave it to a friend who just went and visited as it still had some credit.

Nothing similar here, much much more expensive.

chuckles67

it's a voice and data and text sim for a regular mobile phone.

agree - they are thieves in comparison to Singapore and UK mobile plan rates.

scrubbedexpat099

When I came over we had Cingular, as in Cingular sucks. So they changed their name but by the sound of it not much else.

Verizon is the best where we are, but pricey.

Patrick Hasler

We used to have Cingular untill after about 2 years they vastly overchaged us so we switched to Verizon and it's a far better service.

emailrob

you can't really compare the UK to US for 3G costs. The country is much bigger and to provide coverage across that many states is pretty expensive.
Saying that, if my wife's 3G iPhone worked HALF the time at our house I would be happy...

Hiro11

I have discovered over the past two years that, in this area, AT&T is simutaneously the least reliable, slowest and most expensive carrier with the least responsive customer service and worst website. Contract's up in May. Moving back to Verizon.

chuckles67

Another 28 minute call today to AT&T. Candice from customer service managed to change the SIM only contract time from a two year back to the agreed zero year contract So at least we can cancel if something better turns up.

Kar98

Am I just talking to you guys to because I like to hear my pretty voice?

Said it before, will say it again:

Patrick Hasler

Cell phone service in the UK, Europe and almost every other country in the world is far better than here, having driven from John O'Groats to lands End, to Russia and down to Greece, across to Pourtugal and even Morocco and never lost a signal....... my cell phone only works in my house if I stand against the patio doors
I parts of Vermont and New Hampshire I get no signal at all.
In the UK there is also no charge for recieving a incomming call, I believe its call gross profitering

Kar98

So...that's about the same as driving once all the way around Texas?

In the US there are no add-on charges for calling a mobile phone from a land line or a mobile phone on a different network, and no roaming or long distance charges even if you're based in Vermont and make a call in, or to San Francisco.

Bob

That one does depend on the network...not all payg do that...

veryfunny

Yes Verizon rules, Yes I have a map for that, because it is true.

veryfunny

I have this conversation with another Brit every week about the state of the mobile carriers over here. And why on Earth Americans settle for such poor mobile service over here.

veryfunny

Anyone here receive an email about a pending class lawsuit again AT&T?