ATT/Cingular Merger -- but not really
I've been an ATT Wireless customer for nearly 10 years, and using the family plan, I have phones for my sons. We are eligible for a corporate rate program, from my husband's company.
My older son's phone broke, and he went to the ATT store to get a replacement. However, now you can only buy Cingular phones -- but he wasn't eligible because I don't have a Cingular account. So in order to replace his phone, he had to open a new account with Cingular, and I had to remove him from my account. Of course, he signed a 2-year contract, and now I pay for two accounts and it costs me more.
Now my younger son's phone broke, and I have found:
1. I can no longer access my ATT account on-line -- only Cingular accounts
2. I cannot replace just my younger son's phone -- I have to replace mine also with a Cingular phone, or terminate him from my plan
3. In order to get "free" phones, I have to terminate my ATT account and open a Cingular account, which -- surprise-- costs me more money per month and requires a contract (I'm on month-to-month).
So, this merger -- what actually merged? Was this a marketing ploy for Cingular to take over ATT's accounts?