Cingular pre-paid is USELESS
#1
Original Poster
FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Sep 2000
Programs: BA, AA, DL, KLM, UA
Posts: 37,489
Cingular pre-paid is USELESS
I bought a Cingular prepaid sim yesterday to prevent my $4 roaming charges on my dutch sim, after a load of calls I was ready to reload the credit:
Their "automated customer service line" was down
Their alternative credit card system didn't recognize my number
Their "live customer service" line's rep couldn't recharge the number because it would take 48 hours for it to appear in their system
Their myprepaidrefill site didn't allow numbers from my area code to get refilled
So... I now need to go to a cingular store and get a topup card, I think not... They can take the whole card back, what a useless service, I hope Voicetreams prepaid sim is a bit better...
Their "automated customer service line" was down
Their alternative credit card system didn't recognize my number
Their "live customer service" line's rep couldn't recharge the number because it would take 48 hours for it to appear in their system
Their myprepaidrefill site didn't allow numbers from my area code to get refilled
So... I now need to go to a cingular store and get a topup card, I think not... They can take the whole card back, what a useless service, I hope Voicetreams prepaid sim is a bit better...
#2
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: controlling the internets from an underground bunker
Programs: So l33t that I don't need a wallet full of cards to prove it. Black is the new Gold.
Posts: 3,041
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Sounds like their service hasn't improved since one weekend in February, 2001:
Their "automatic billing" system was broken for the 4th month in a row.
Their phone payment system was down.
Their website was down.
A customer service rep could not take payment.
A billing rep could not take payment.
The cingular store would not process my payment for 2-3 business days (since all they do is mail the payments into HQ).
I did the next best thing; drove down the street to AT&T and signed up. Best decision I ever made.
Sounds like their service hasn't improved since one weekend in February, 2001:
Their "automatic billing" system was broken for the 4th month in a row.
Their phone payment system was down.
Their website was down.
A customer service rep could not take payment.
A billing rep could not take payment.
The cingular store would not process my payment for 2-3 business days (since all they do is mail the payments into HQ).
I did the next best thing; drove down the street to AT&T and signed up. Best decision I ever made.
#3




Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: SoCal to the rest of the world...
Programs: AA 1MM EXP. UA 2MM Lifetime Plat
Posts: 6,742
Sad as hell that T-Mobile can get their online stuff working without any problems when they launched CA/NV EVEN after merging the non CA/NV customers (voicestream) into their web front end.
From the last time I looked at my Cingular account online, I couldn't make a payment online nor were the rates listed matching anything close to what in-store locations were selling.
From the last time I looked at my Cingular account online, I couldn't make a payment online nor were the rates listed matching anything close to what in-store locations were selling.
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Posts: 12,375
FWIW pre-paid mobile services in the U.S. are all pretty much useless. I do not think that T-mobile will be any better, although they do have one of the higher pre-paid subscriber bases, as a percentage of their total number of sunscribers. The percentage of pre-paid subscribers is much lower here in the U.S., and the services have been targeted mostly at high credit risk customers. In most of the rest of the GSM world pre-paid services are fantastic.
#5
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Sugar Land,Texas USA
Posts: 4,889
Just noticed this Virgin Prepaid Mobile thing...is this suppose to be good?
My friend needs a cell phone but she won't be here for the whole year.
I looked into their website...though they did not say who they are owned by...i think Virgin records?
My friend needs a cell phone but she won't be here for the whole year.
I looked into their website...though they did not say who they are owned by...i think Virgin records?
#6
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: A Southern locale that ain't the South.
Programs: Bah, HUMBUG!
Posts: 8,014
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by afang:
Just noticed this Virgin Prepaid Mobile thing...is this suppose to be good?
My friend needs a cell phone but she won't be here for the whole year.
I looked into their website...though they did not say who they are owned by...i think Virgin records?</font>
Just noticed this Virgin Prepaid Mobile thing...is this suppose to be good?
My friend needs a cell phone but she won't be here for the whole year.
I looked into their website...though they did not say who they are owned by...i think Virgin records?</font>
Oh, and Scottsea... CINGULAR here in Texas and in the Southeast is very good... Cingular on the West and East coasts SUCCCCCCCCKS! T-mobile is fair, but they're at least consistent.
#7
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Sugar Land,Texas USA
Posts: 4,889
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by kanebear:
It operates on Sprint's PCS network. 'Nuff said??
</font>
It operates on Sprint's PCS network. 'Nuff said??
</font>
haha, sounds like you are not a fan of SprintPCS!. I use SprintPCS...eventhough they suck bad at times...but there is value... compared with ATTwireless, i go with Sprint anyday.
#8
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Boston Ma. USA
Posts: 5,088
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by kanebear:
Cingular on the West and East coasts SUCCCCCCCCKS
</font>
Cingular on the West and East coasts SUCCCCCCCCKS
</font>
I used to work for Cingular and I would hear this all day long.

