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AT&T Is A Big, Steaming Heap Of Failure

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Re: AT&T Is A Big, Steaming Heap Of Failure

#31

Post by jrockway »

maukdaddy wrote: post #13
jrockway wrote: post #9

What I get out of this is that it's best to avoid doing business with Apple's customers. (Nobody has ever filed a class-action lawsuit against Dell for using 6-bit LCDs instead of 8-bit LCDs.) They are much more demanding than the average customer -- Apple makes AT&T provide special exclusive features, and then their customers hold them to higher standards. "There isn't enough bandwidth." "Torrents download too slowl…

No this isn't about picky Apple fans. AT&T is truly shitty. I also switched from Verizon to AT&T for the iPhone and I loathe every minute I have to spend on AT&T's shitty network. Here in Chicago I drop every other call on average, and the ones that manage to stay up are usually full of garbled noise. No signal inside buildings that I used to get full strength on Verizon. Still no MMS even though their other phones h…

I live downtown and have AT&T. I've never had a problem.

Maybe it's just the iPhone that sucks?

Re: AT&T Is A Big, Steaming Heap Of Failure

#32

Post by jrockway »

vaksel wrote: post #14
jrockway wrote: post #9

What I get out of this is that it's best to avoid doing business with Apple's customers. (Nobody has ever filed a class-action lawsuit against Dell for using 6-bit LCDs instead of 8-bit LCDs.) They are much more demanding than the average customer -- Apple makes AT&T provide special exclusive features, and then their customers hold them to higher standards. "There isn't enough bandwidth." "Torrents download too slowl…

That doesn't really fly, when in the same area where AT&T drops calls, Verizon operates flawlessly. The "we are too spread" argument may work if you get shitty service in the middle of nowhere, but its unacceptable for large metro areas like NYC, SF

The US also has a large number of metro areas, and the metro areas cover a large area.

Re: AT&T Is A Big, Steaming Heap Of Failure

#33

Post by jf »

spoondan wrote: post #3

I loathe AT&T. It mistreats employees and customers. It overcharges and delivers astonishingly poor service. It makes regular billing "mistakes". It willingly, almost gleefully, assists in the violation of its customers rights and privacy. It is a paragon of inefficiency. It fights against progress to keep its anachronistic business model relevant. It uses the legal system as a club. And it ensures that any actions b…

In 2004 I moved to a city where my AT&T TDMA phone was permanently roaming. I didn't pay roaming charges because my plan with AT&T covered my roaming charges.

Months later, AT&T set up a single TDMA tower in my area. Because AT&T phones were service provider locked, my phone and hundreds of others like it were forced to use that single tower. Overnight my phone went from having perfect signal everywhere I went, to just short of useless.

Every single AT&T representative that I talked to swore up and down that the reason I was getting poor service was not their fault, that the problem was with my phone and that I should get a new phone.

Since this happened just as AT&T was moving from TDMA to GSM, I am guessing that this was their way of forcing their customers to move to GSM. I can understand the business case for moving customers to GSM, what I can't understand is why AT&T would do so by using trickery and lies.

I will always remember AT&T's shady tactics and blatant deceit and will never give them another cent of my money - I will purchase an iPhone the second it is officially available on another provider.

Re: AT&T Is A Big, Steaming Heap Of Failure

#34

Post by jf »

dattaway wrote: post #6

I "cancelled" my AT&T account a few months ago. Somehow the account is still open, but accumulating monthly negative charges (credit.) No script from their customer support can resolve this issue. Technical glitches can be fascinating and this company has no shortage in my experiences with them.

Complain to the FCC.

http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm

Just be sure to reply to every piece of mail that you get from the FCC and AT&T on time.

Re: AT&T Is A Big, Steaming Heap Of Failure

#35

Post by imajes »

tsetse-fly wrote: post #10
spoondan wrote: post #3

I loathe AT&T. It mistreats employees and customers. It overcharges and delivers astonishingly poor service. It makes regular billing "mistakes". It willingly, almost gleefully, assists in the violation of its customers rights and privacy. It is a paragon of inefficiency. It fights against progress to keep its anachronistic business model relevant. It uses the legal system as a club. And it ensures that any actions b…

Most of what you're saying also applies to the other carriers in the US. Verizon has a history of crippling its phones. Sprint has horrible customer service. T-Mobile has very little coverage. There are no good carriers.

t-mobile us on my iphone has been fantastic. Best decision I ever made. :)

Re: AT&T Is A Big, Steaming Heap Of Failure

#36

Post by imajes »

eb wrote: post #16
spoondan wrote: post #3

I loathe AT&T. It mistreats employees and customers. It overcharges and delivers astonishingly poor service. It makes regular billing "mistakes". It willingly, almost gleefully, assists in the violation of its customers rights and privacy. It is a paragon of inefficiency. It fights against progress to keep its anachronistic business model relevant. It uses the legal system as a club. And it ensures that any actions b…

You're exaggerating. I've had an iPhone on AT&T for 2 years without any issues. No dropped calls or billing mistakes and no issues with customer service. The rates that they charge are nearly identical to the other wireless providers for voice + data. I'm not saying that AT&T has not had these problems, but your comment does not exemplify the experiences of the majority of their customers.

neither does yours: anecdotal experience doesn't speak for the majority.

Re: AT&T Is A Big, Steaming Heap Of Failure

#37

Post by ErrantX »

jrockway wrote: post #11
ErrantX wrote: post #2

honestly, this is the BEST TC post I have read in a long while. Extremely well written / crafted and contains serious, sensible points. I’m so pissed off that I kind of want to call AT&T and demand that they call each of the people I missed calls from and personally apologize. Instead, I’m writing them this very public condemnation. I would do the former. I really would. Here in the UK phone companies have such a mon…

At the moment I am stuck with a shit 18 month old phone because it is out of warranty and upgrading to a newer model (despite being a 10 yr long customer of my current company!) is too expensive outside of the limited free upgrade time. This may surprise you, but that's actually how much a phone costs. Turns out we haven't quite gotten them to grow on trees yet. I can't think of any industry (other than video gaming)…

To be 100% fair I have more than paid for my phone since signing the contract :) I rang them up wanting a new phone and asking if they could do me a deal if I agreed to a higher monthly fee and a full 24 month contract (the phone aimed at being an Iphone).

When I first rang them last month there was 6 months left on the contract and they were quite happy to do this - except they wanted the full 6 months paid off first! That's more than the phones original value. I offered to pay the value of the phone (seeing as they get my custom for 24 months locked in - and I am a 10yr customer). not interested.

I agree - trying to get something for nothing is silly :) but I think I deserve some reward for my loyalty? Especially as I will actually be paying for the phone AND increasing my contract amount (and locking in for 24 months - which really means forever as it's an Iphone :))

Re: AT&T Is A Big, Steaming Heap Of Failure

#38

Post by jcromartie »

jrockway wrote: post #9

What I get out of this is that it's best to avoid doing business with Apple's customers. (Nobody has ever filed a class-action lawsuit against Dell for using 6-bit LCDs instead of 8-bit LCDs.) They are much more demanding than the average customer -- Apple makes AT&T provide special exclusive features, and then their customers hold them to higher standards. "There isn't enough bandwidth." "Torrents download too slowl…

> Not to sound like an AT&T fanboi, but the other providers are just as bad. The pricing is the same, you get locked in, and the bandwidth isn't even as good

Sure, AT&T is "just as bad." I am convinced that the phone carriers are operating as a cartel. They fix prices. Their primary business model is "how much can we screw the consumer and get away with it?" Just because they all do it isn't an excuse.

Re: AT&T Is A Big, Steaming Heap Of Failure

#39

Post by Xichekolas »

miles wrote: post #29
Xichekolas wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is also the company whose sales reps swear up and down, to this day, that they don't offer dry loop DSL "because there is no demand". Of course, if you know the magic phone number, you can call the dry loop division directly, and they are as helpful as can be. I asked one once why they were so hidden... she answered: politics.

And the magic phone number is...? 1-800-264-0002 But you might want to do a bit of research before signing up: Get AT&T Dry Loop/Naked DSL In 5 Minutes http://consumerist.com/342490/ AT&T Dry Loop DSL Hard To Find, Get And Cancel http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/ATT-Dry-Loop-DSL-Hard-To-...

Ah yeah I suppose I should have posted it!

That is exactly the number I have. I was told it's for the region that includes Texas, but like you say, they can forward you on where you need to go, and the people at that number tend to actually be helpful.

Re: AT&T Is A Big, Steaming Heap Of Failure

#40

Post by tbeseda »

ErrantX wrote: post #2

honestly, this is the BEST TC post I have read in a long while. Extremely well written / crafted and contains serious, sensible points. I’m so pissed off that I kind of want to call AT&T and demand that they call each of the people I missed calls from and personally apologize. Instead, I’m writing them this very public condemnation. I would do the former. I really would. Here in the UK phone companies have such a mon…

I have to disagree about the quality of the composition of the article. While the topic is interesting and even a bit redeeming for TC, the writing falls short of good journalism.

I'm not sure mobile networks will ever go the way of the web startup. I think they had been there before, in their early days. If anything, we ought to hope the web startup doesn't go the way of mobile service providers...

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