Mobile phone switcheroo
About a week ago, I switched my phone from Verizon to T-Mobile.
I'd signed up with Verizon five years ago, from Sprint. I could never get service with Sprint -- dropped calls all the time, etc., and so I switched to Verizon, who had the Best Coverage (at least in New England at the time). No lies, it was good.
However, Verizon is also pricey. Other carriers have caught up some. Also, I wanted a new phone. My corporate ethics also make me like unlocked GSM types of phones, rather than the very proprietary stuff Verizon has. Dear Verizon: I would probably have stuck with you if I could have used an unlocked GSM phone that could easily be used many places or other carriers.
So I was basically looking at Cingular or T-Mobile. Cingular has a better reputation, with regards to service (which was what burned me from Sprint). So I wanted Cingular.
But I really didn't want to lose my phone number. I did make a previous post regarding some of my woes trying to switch.
Still, I really didn't want to lose my number, and felt I had a right to keep it. It's that whole law about how I have the right to keep it, you know. (No, I haven't looked into the details as to why I couldn't move my number over, really. Maybe it's a legal loophole. Maybe it's just illegal.)
So I essentially harassed Customer Support. I started with Cingular, who told me it would probably be a problem to take my Verizon number to a pre-paid account. I asked why, and got some vague answer about how the system doesn't support it. While I don't blame the individual who I was talking to for this, that's a stupid answer. Basically, you aren't complying with the law for technical reasons?
The Cingular support was *surly* at times. They were not very helpful, and not very nice. It was, generally speaking, an unhappy experience, probably for both myself and the support guy. The issue seemed to be that he was trying very hard to tow the corporate line, which I thought was crap. Rather than immediately seek a workaround for me, he told me three or four times that it just couldn't be done, before actually speaking to a manager (or some higher up, whatever).
So, fine. I'd made a bona fide effort with Cingular, giving them every chance to get my business. All I got out of it is that Cingular's customer support is lousy, and lowered my opinion of Cingular in general.
I called T-mobile, who I had known were the cheapest provider, as well as having the worst reputation for coverage, but at this point, if they could get it done, they were my company. Unlike their website, and unlike their mall kiosk, the phone-in Customer Support told me it wouldn't be a problem to bring my number over to a pre-paid account. I asked again, stating that I'd heard it would be a problem, and was assured it was ok. I *was* told that I'd have to start my pre-paid account, with a new number, and *then* bring the old number over.
Good enough. I'd raise some hell if somehow I started an account and then couldn't bring the number over.
I did have an issue where it took a while for the number to come over. There was apparently an inept guy doing the switch over, and as best I can tell from the SMS messages I got, someone switched my new, unwanted phone number on the phone back to itself (instead of my Verizon number). That said, when I called back 36 hours later (since the switch can take up to 24 hours, they say), they fixed it *immediately*. The new number was working while I still had Customer Support on the line.
T-Mobile Customer Support was fantastic. Everyone was extremely pleasant, helpful, as well as apparently honest and forthcoming. I didn't feel like people were being slimy and really trying to "sell me something", as I did with Cingular. They were also generally knowledgable and had brains in their head (excepting the one snafu mentioned earlier). Dear T-Mobile: Your website should make it clearer that it's OK to move a normal contract number over to you into a pre-paid account. Less hassle for me, and possibly more business for you.
So far, more than a week later, I haven't had an area-of-service issues with T-mobile, thank goodness. All in all, I have a lot less respect for Cingular, and a lot more respect for T-mobile (which is exceptionally good since they are my company now.)
And I got to keep my phone number, and move to the service I desired. It was just harder than I thought it would be.
I'd signed up with Verizon five years ago, from Sprint. I could never get service with Sprint -- dropped calls all the time, etc., and so I switched to Verizon, who had the Best Coverage (at least in New England at the time). No lies, it was good.
However, Verizon is also pricey. Other carriers have caught up some. Also, I wanted a new phone. My corporate ethics also make me like unlocked GSM types of phones, rather than the very proprietary stuff Verizon has. Dear Verizon: I would probably have stuck with you if I could have used an unlocked GSM phone that could easily be used many places or other carriers.
So I was basically looking at Cingular or T-Mobile. Cingular has a better reputation, with regards to service (which was what burned me from Sprint). So I wanted Cingular.
But I really didn't want to lose my phone number. I did make a previous post regarding some of my woes trying to switch.
Still, I really didn't want to lose my number, and felt I had a right to keep it. It's that whole law about how I have the right to keep it, you know. (No, I haven't looked into the details as to why I couldn't move my number over, really. Maybe it's a legal loophole. Maybe it's just illegal.)
So I essentially harassed Customer Support. I started with Cingular, who told me it would probably be a problem to take my Verizon number to a pre-paid account. I asked why, and got some vague answer about how the system doesn't support it. While I don't blame the individual who I was talking to for this, that's a stupid answer. Basically, you aren't complying with the law for technical reasons?
The Cingular support was *surly* at times. They were not very helpful, and not very nice. It was, generally speaking, an unhappy experience, probably for both myself and the support guy. The issue seemed to be that he was trying very hard to tow the corporate line, which I thought was crap. Rather than immediately seek a workaround for me, he told me three or four times that it just couldn't be done, before actually speaking to a manager (or some higher up, whatever).
So, fine. I'd made a bona fide effort with Cingular, giving them every chance to get my business. All I got out of it is that Cingular's customer support is lousy, and lowered my opinion of Cingular in general.
I called T-mobile, who I had known were the cheapest provider, as well as having the worst reputation for coverage, but at this point, if they could get it done, they were my company. Unlike their website, and unlike their mall kiosk, the phone-in Customer Support told me it wouldn't be a problem to bring my number over to a pre-paid account. I asked again, stating that I'd heard it would be a problem, and was assured it was ok. I *was* told that I'd have to start my pre-paid account, with a new number, and *then* bring the old number over.
Good enough. I'd raise some hell if somehow I started an account and then couldn't bring the number over.
I did have an issue where it took a while for the number to come over. There was apparently an inept guy doing the switch over, and as best I can tell from the SMS messages I got, someone switched my new, unwanted phone number on the phone back to itself (instead of my Verizon number). That said, when I called back 36 hours later (since the switch can take up to 24 hours, they say), they fixed it *immediately*. The new number was working while I still had Customer Support on the line.
T-Mobile Customer Support was fantastic. Everyone was extremely pleasant, helpful, as well as apparently honest and forthcoming. I didn't feel like people were being slimy and really trying to "sell me something", as I did with Cingular. They were also generally knowledgable and had brains in their head (excepting the one snafu mentioned earlier). Dear T-Mobile: Your website should make it clearer that it's OK to move a normal contract number over to you into a pre-paid account. Less hassle for me, and possibly more business for you.
So far, more than a week later, I haven't had an area-of-service issues with T-mobile, thank goodness. All in all, I have a lot less respect for Cingular, and a lot more respect for T-mobile (which is exceptionally good since they are my company now.)
And I got to keep my phone number, and move to the service I desired. It was just harder than I thought it would be.