Cingular Prince of Wireless: The Provider formerly known as ATT.

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It's my gripe day today, isn't it. The Wireless Provider formerly known as ATT Wireless (and now Cingular) - still refuses to give up its identity.

Case in point:

My Motorola MPX 200 was a 1Gen Smartphone which only ATTWireless had. Now when I wanted to leverage the corporate discounts we have at Microsoft ATT is not an option and I called Cingular.

Sure enough they send me a Cingular phone, but the Cingular Simcard doesnt work on my ATT fone. I called up Cingular and they ask -

"So are you an ATT customer or a Cingular customer."

"Well I was an ATT customer and now am I am a Cingular customer. Either way I am with Cingular - aint I?"

"Yes. But our SIM card wont work on their fones"

"Ok Then how about you send me one their SIMcards?"

"No sir. we cant do that. we dont send out ATT SIMs anymore"

"Ok. Then how about you send me a Cingular phone to replace my ATT phone without charge to me. Since you are forcing me to do this?"

"No Sir. we cant do that"

"Hmmm.. Then atleast give me the unlock codes to my phone, so I can use the cingular SIM on my ATT phone"

"We cant give that either. Infact we dont have that. You should ask your manufacturer for that information. But if you call them they usually ask you to ask us about it"

"ISnt that circular logic? Or lack thereof?"

"Excuse me, Sir?"

"Never mind......"

At the end of the conversation I get into a big billing issue. Cingular gives corporate discounts while checking out the fone but then send me a HUGE bill which is 80$ more than what I should be paying. another 2 hrs of calling later - they figure out it was an ATT-discount-to-MS employees which wasnt on their system.

I ask you how can u blame the "System?". A statement like "The system does not show the discount, sir" is obscenely wrong. Its what the ppl put in it!

Anyways that 2 hrs of fighting later I got my promised 80$ discount and guess what I get in the mail. the same bill devoid of 80$ discount. THe online bill reconciles with my paperbill. Furious, i call to figure it out - and the rep says "The system has the discount, but the billing system doesnt, the service system does."

.... Go Figure ....

One more Strike - and I am moving to Verizon.... The only problem is that Verizon sucks in Data/Internet packages for wireless phones.