I also am having problems with Cingular. I had problems with the combined billing through Bellsouth and ultimately had to cancel it (after my phone was abruplty disconnected) beacause it never really started. I have the 600 minute plan, and don't use my phone often enough to use all of the anytime minutes every month. I got my last bill for over $500 dollars. I called because I knew there was some kind of mistake; I have unlimited nights and weekends, not to mention alot of rollover minutes. The CSR told me that I had no rollover. That's it, that's all she said.
When I persisted that there had to be some mistake, she checked and sure enough mucho rollover minutes were applied to my bill. It was adjusted to a little over $300 dollars. I checked over my bill, call by call, and I noticed that I was being charged for calls made after 7PM.
Cingular's nights begin at 7PM, at least, that is what they advertise and that's what the Rep TOLD me. I called Cingular to question what I felt was another mistake, and I was told for the first time ever "Oh, You have to pay for that. If you want your nights to begin at 7PM, you have to pay an extra fee-per month". What a ripoff. If I'm paying an extra fee, then the extra two hours, technically, are not free. I am a lover of words and information, so I DO read the fine print and that little bit of information was not in the pretty little personalized contract that was mailed to me and was never disclosed to me at anytime by Cingular or it's representatives.
I would never have known about the discrepancy if I had not gone through the bill, call by call. And even worse, I would never have been told about it if I hadn't complained. If I had known that the nights started at 9PM, I would call my mom and relatives at 9 not 7PM and cingular would have let me do that for the next ten years.
Even though I do genuinely feel ripped off, I do not want to go through the trouble of switching companies, again, and getting ripped off by substandard service, high prices and rude people, again. I really think all these companies develop, implement and practice the same deceptive techniques. Cingular (and just about every other cell, cable and phoen company) has earned a thumbs down from me, and if anyone knows about any lawsuit, either small claims or class action, please contact me. I considered contacting the FTC and FCC, but to what avail? Even their website says that they do not handle contract issues, or deal directly with any party in the matter. They are flooded with every other complaint, from every other citizen in the US about getting ripped off. And this is in every industry - communications, utilities, education, insurance and healthcare. Is there anyone out there who is actually happy with their cable, cellular or phone company? Please, let me know who those companies are!
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