Cingular rant...

[FP]

I purchased a Nokia 6620 from Cingular about 2 years ago for around $300. It has served me well over the last 2 years. Last week I received an e-mail from Cingular stating that my SIM card needed to be updated and to come into a local Cingular store and they would give me one. Fair enough...

I went into the Cingular store and the guy handed me my new "upgraded" SIM card. I was actually using my phone as I walked into the store. This is significant because after I put in my new SIM card the phone simply wouldn't work. I was already at home at this point and didn't want to drive back to the store. So I called Cingular and after 1 hour of troubleshooting they basically said the phone is fried and I have two options...

1. I am eligible for an upgrade to a new phone. The phone that would be most like my current phone would cost me $140 to upgrade.

2. File a LockLine insurance claim (I have been paying for the phone insurance for 2 years @ $4/month) and get a refurb'd phone of a different make/model but similar in features. This will cost me $50 to file a claim.

I told them that this is not my fault and that THEIR letter told me I had to upgrade my SIM. My phone was obviously working moments before they gave me my new SIM card. The rep claimed that the SIM could not damage the phone and that it was probably just coincidence.

So ATOT, my question is... Do you think I have a right to get them to pay for my options above?

 

[TechnoPro]

Was the old SIM card blue and the new one orange?

 

[AMDMaddness]

Sounds like you went from an old 32K sim to a 64K sim right? There will be no differance it just holds more data for IRDB etc. It sounds like the Sim wasnt set up correctly on your acount or you got a bad sim card (I doubt). Im willing to bet it isnt set up right one way or another. 90% of the telephone reps dont know enough to even check it was set up right. Go back to the store if you have time and lay into them... might even get a "free" phone.

Edit: Why run around with a 2yr old phone? I get a new one every 2-3 months I have a 6620 laying around works fine with both sims 32/64k

Pete (Cingular Cellular Field Engineer)

 

[TechnoPro]

Originally posted by: AMDMaddness
Sounds like you went from an old 32K sim to a 64K sim right? There will be no differance it just holds more data for IRDB etc. It sounds like the Sim wasnt set up correctly on your acount or you got a bad sim card (I doubt). Im willing to bet it isnt set up right one way or another.

Pete (Cingular Cellular Field Engineer)

I was thinking he might have gone from a Cingular blue SIM to an Orange SIM on a carrier-locked phone.

 

[FP]

Originally posted by: AMDMaddness
Sounds like you went from an old 32K sim to a 64K sim right? There will be no differance it just holds more data for IRDB etc. It sounds like the Sim wasnt set up correctly on your acount or you got a bad sim card (I doubt). Im willing to bet it isnt set up right one way or another.

Pete (Cingular Cellular Field Engineer)

Thanks for the reply. You are correct, the new SIM is the 64K version.

I thought it might just be the SIM card too but the phone won't even turn on when there isn't any SIM in the phone. In the past the phone would come on and say 'INSERT SIM.'

Now, whenever I push the power button the phone, the backlight just comes on and stays on indefinitely. The only way to power off the phone is to yank the battery out.

Ugh... I think I am just going to wait until the Nokia 6126 comes out. Any idea when that might be?

 

[AMDMaddness]

Originally posted by: binister


Thanks for the reply. You are correct, the new SIM is the 64K version.

I thought it might just be the SIM card too but the phone won't even turn on when there isn't any SIM in the phone. In the past the phone would come on and say 'INSERT SIM.'

Now, whenever I push the power button the phone, the backlight just comes on and stays on indefinitely. The only way to power off the phone is to yank the battery out.

Ugh... I think I am just going to wait until the Nokia 6126 comes out. Any idea when that might be?

My 6620 would do that all the time. Do you still have your old sim (try that as well)? Take the phone apart battery/sim/mem card and let it sit for a bit put it together minus sim and mem card wait a bit let it charge for 30 or so min then unplug from the charger for some reason that phone has a hard time starting while charging. See if it will atleast start and go from there.