Sunday, January 25, 2009

Goodbye AT&T - HELLO SPRINT ;)

I don't remember if I posted when I lost my cell phone just after Christmas or not... what an expensive trip to Target that day turned out to be... I wish I had never went the first Saturday of the new year to look at clearance items...much less bought that new CHI shampoo! Every time I shower and use those bottles I get sick to my stomach.

Not know the story? Let me give you the summary aka long story short - which I'm not so short on most times. LOL

I was at the Christmas stuff in Target 1st Saturday of the new year...David called me to tell me he and twins were headed to check out.

I say OK, Nora and I are on the way, hang up and put phone in pocket. walk up to front, stop at the shampoo bend down to read a bottle, stand up, walk to check out see over 35+ carts between David and me, go to call him, and I HAVE NO PHONE
ANYWHERE - not in pocket, purse, or shopping cart!^?$%*#

yes, I looked, and looked, backtracked all my steps 7 or 8 times, asked employees, customer service...even scanned all phones being held by everyone and anyone in the store that day... a week later check again, 2 weeks, on and on... whoever found it never turned it in so I consider it stolen. :/

Anyway -on to trying to get another phone.. after all I'm still being billed for service, so I need a new phone right? right.

For the past 4 weekends we have visited the AT&T store every Saturday - the day of to suspend service.. next week to see if we could get a replacement phone.. and have even called them and Tech support at least twice every week...

Nothing but the run around!

Can you believe that they told me there was NO PROMOTION I could receive b/c I had signed a new 2 year contract this past summer.. when I bought my (stolen) phone.. and that their cheapest phone in house would cost me $189.00!!!!!!!!!!!! I looked at it and it was a cheapO flip phone that didn't even have a color screen or camera... ummm NO THANK YOU! I need a phone to use with my laptop! no way I'm paying that much money for a junker!

Well this week David harassed them once more with a phone call and wasn't so nice on the phone with them.. after it was all said and done.. they were gonna give us 4 choices of phones for reduced rate of $299... Backberry curve, pearl or two others..I forget... but all compatible to use with my laptop.. still not a great deal - but a reduced cost..

So yesterday we drive over to Pt. Aurthur to the same AT&T store.. get in there wait our turn.. explain what Customer Service has promised us.. they look it up - AND NO DEAL! no notes anywhere to verify what we told them customer service had told us... urgh!

AT&T rep. tells me her hands are tied, she can't do anything unless they put in in the account notes so David uses his cell to immediately start calling customer service and tell them off and to get it verified and put on the computer b/c dang it we want to buy a phone today! It's been 3 weeks already we are not driving over here agian for a phone!

While David is on hold - he uses a computer on display at the AT&T store and looks up Sprint's phone number and tells me to call that number and just ask if they have any current promotions...
I stand there in the middle of the AT&T store and call SPRINT! on their display phone!

Tonya, who answered, told me that the same phone we are looking at (Blackberry Curve) is ON SALE for $149 and also will have a $100 mail in rebate - total cost to me for the new phone will be $49. I ask for info on rate plans.. and directions to their store in Beaumont..

sounds GOOD TO ME! Let's leave!

I tell David Sprint's deal -loud enough the person on the other end can hear.. he tells them we are leaving they say HOLD on.. so he does all the while we are loading up kids and stroller in the van..

He is still on with ATT customer service... and they begin to pannic - yet giving him the hold on a minuite.. I guess typing it all up .. but bottom line they WON'T match the deal!

So we drive over to Beaumont to Sprint.

Breaking my contract will cost us $174 with AT&T... but I rather do that then pay them another $299 for a phone! yeah I really dislike AT&T now - Especially after today! I'm so glad we dropped their a$$ and went with Sprint.

We've never switched carries in almost 10 years... and they could care less about keeping us.
AT&T jerked us around 3 Saturdays in a row and were doing NOTHING to help us get another phone! nothing!

So worth it to pay the $174 to break our contract.. and go with Sprint's deal.. only $49 after rebate for same phone!!! we came out $76 ahead!

Not only did we get a GREAT deal on an awesome phone... it gets better -

I got to keep my same phone number! and the icing on the cake? Sprint participates with Upromise so now we get $50 towards Nora's college for the new service!!!

Best choice for us by far!!!

Still stinks that I lost my other phone...and all the contact info... but at least we got a GREAT deal on this one!

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