2008 Woodie Awards
Cell phone company successfully manipulates student
Commentary
Abby McMahon
Issue date: 12/1/05 Section: Editorial
Everybody knows that when you register for a new cell phone plan, most companies offer promotional specials for new customers.
But paying customers who are locked in with a certain company, are not being accommodated with the service we deserve.
I signed a two-year contract with Verizon Wireless last July because it seemed to have good coverage in Chattanooga, and I got a free flip phone.
One thing they did not explain was how much difficulty I would encounter if my phone did not make it through my two years of service.
I went in to the Hixson location to discuss my options, where I was informed that I would not be able to purchase even a basic phone to hold me over for under $180, because I was in the middle of a contract.
The associate was irritated, and so was I. I asked what a cancellation fee would cost. His response? "$174."
"So it would be cheaper to cancel my contract with you, and sign a new one with Cingular?" I asked.
After a moment of silence, he said with no remorse, "That's one way of looking at it."
So this is how I figure it: If you're a new customer, you are treated like a princess (or prince), minus a tacky tiara and sash.
But once they have you sucked in, they could care less about meeting us even a quarter of the way. They know we're stuck. I am an off-campus college student who needs my cell phone because a land line is now an impractical expense for me. There is no reward for being a faithful, paying customer for a year and a half.
And it's not just Verizon. Before Cingular took over AT&T, I was a student in Maine, and my family was spread out all over the country. I explained my situation and needs to an AT&T representative, and he decided the plan to suit my needs would be one called "national." Fair enough. That worked for a few months, until I came to Chattanooga to spend Christmas break with my parents. I called my friends over the vacation, and when I returned to school, I was greeted by an $800 phone bill. Apparently, a "nationwide" plan was what I needed.
I called customer service and asked the difference, because they sounded the same to me. She hung up on me because she was so frustrated with attempting to explain what distinguished the two definitions.
Again, I was locked in, so when they asked why I did not wish to renew my contract, I wanted to gently tell them where they could keep their plan.
But two years later, yet another mobile phone company has me wrapped around their corporate finger.
I wonder if they'll treat me like a princess again when it is time for me to renew my contract …
But paying customers who are locked in with a certain company, are not being accommodated with the service we deserve.
I signed a two-year contract with Verizon Wireless last July because it seemed to have good coverage in Chattanooga, and I got a free flip phone.
One thing they did not explain was how much difficulty I would encounter if my phone did not make it through my two years of service.
I went in to the Hixson location to discuss my options, where I was informed that I would not be able to purchase even a basic phone to hold me over for under $180, because I was in the middle of a contract.
The associate was irritated, and so was I. I asked what a cancellation fee would cost. His response? "$174."
"So it would be cheaper to cancel my contract with you, and sign a new one with Cingular?" I asked.
After a moment of silence, he said with no remorse, "That's one way of looking at it."
So this is how I figure it: If you're a new customer, you are treated like a princess (or prince), minus a tacky tiara and sash.
But once they have you sucked in, they could care less about meeting us even a quarter of the way. They know we're stuck. I am an off-campus college student who needs my cell phone because a land line is now an impractical expense for me. There is no reward for being a faithful, paying customer for a year and a half.
And it's not just Verizon. Before Cingular took over AT&T, I was a student in Maine, and my family was spread out all over the country. I explained my situation and needs to an AT&T representative, and he decided the plan to suit my needs would be one called "national." Fair enough. That worked for a few months, until I came to Chattanooga to spend Christmas break with my parents. I called my friends over the vacation, and when I returned to school, I was greeted by an $800 phone bill. Apparently, a "nationwide" plan was what I needed.
I called customer service and asked the difference, because they sounded the same to me. She hung up on me because she was so frustrated with attempting to explain what distinguished the two definitions.
Again, I was locked in, so when they asked why I did not wish to renew my contract, I wanted to gently tell them where they could keep their plan.
But two years later, yet another mobile phone company has me wrapped around their corporate finger.
I wonder if they'll treat me like a princess again when it is time for me to renew my contract …
