Possible (HOT??) Deal at Cingular if your plan is expiring (YMMV)

[MadMark]

Hi Guys,

I just called Cingular about cancelling my plan (the $35 Special Olympic from last year. 350 Peak, unlimited nights and weekend) and received a pretty good offer... so good I couldn't refused. Here's what they offerred:

500 minutes peak
3000 nights and weekend
no roaming charge within the US
and $7 off my monthly fees (upto 12 months)
and moreover, a $35 credit to my account. (I asked for a month of free trial since I am moving from CA to SC in 2 weeks. )
No contract either!

So, the botom line is that I can have for $28 a month: 500 anytime, 3000 nights and weekend, no roaming, and a FREE month. Not a bad deal! I don't know if this is what they offer to everyone but I was fairly polite (although I had an upset tone about the lousy reception here in Bay Area and that I have complained more than once to them). If you are ruthless, you might even be able to get better!


P.S. Does anyone here use or have used Cingular service in the Clemson, SC area?

P.S.S. It seems like they are giving me the Cingular Nation 500 Plan. It is $49.99 on their website. I am happy now.


Mark.

 

[labooboo]

My plan is better $39.99
300 any time and unlimited night and weekend.

 

[solarsx]

labooboo, how is your plan better when it's more money for less minutes? ... not a bad deal MadMark ....
does your plan include long distance? does cingular offer any free incoming plans?

 

[Toetagger]

And that plan would be ....? It is only better if you use all the minutes. 3000 is a lot! that's 100 minutes every night! I don't know who needs more. And also, he has got 200 more minuts on peak. Does your plan include no roaming within the US? And also, you pay $12 more a month. So what is so much better about your secret plan? I want to know, so I can get it as well

 

[isofilez]

Originally posted by: labooboo
My plan is better $39.99
300 any time and unlimited night and weekend.

lmfao

 

[WiseOne]

that's whack, I called couple of weeks ago and all they could offer me was 5 dollars off one bill! hmmm maybe I should try again, I'm in NJ though

 

[solarsx]

yeah WiseOne call 'em back alot of times it's who you get from customer reps... gotta try till you get what you want...

 

[MadMark]

"does your plan include long distance? does cingular offer any free incoming plans? "

Yes and No. Long distance is included with plan but I don't think cingular gives fre incoming minute(s). Again, I don't know if anyone can get them to give you the same deal. But, hey! It is always worth a try!


Best,
Mark.

 

[Tanner]

yeah WiseOne call 'em back alot of times it's who you get from customer reps... gotta try till you get what you want...

I'd be cautious of this. They've referred to the "ticketing" system when I've called (countless times). They apparently make notes on what they said to you when. This is to backup their word when the agree to give you something like this $5 /mo or better. So, don't call trying to get a new CSR constantly like we do on PM dealios @ Staples. Well, U can...but it didn't work out to well for me. sorta bit me in the butt on this one

 

[TurtleMan]

umm i caleld a long time ago try to cancel my thing, and they offered me 700 mins according to my maximum usage, free msg for an yr, no contract too
all for 39.99 , but of course i told they to go f#$ themselve and cancel my account =]

and yea, they do make a note on the account on wat they have been offered you, but you can just tell them that's a bad offer, and you want another one

 

[mmarcuse]

You missed the worst part of accepting this offer, though - you just accepted 9PM evenings, whereas the 300 min/unlimited is 8PM evenings. I'm holding onto 8PM as bloody long as I can.

 

[tkim]

i think CINGULAR is losing hte race as far as good deals.

madmark, that is a decent deal. you get to keep your number and use the same phone and there is no out of pocket cost for you. not bad.

as for new cellular user, verizon and att have the bomb diggity deals right now. and imho (having been a cingular user before) verizon and att offer better customer service as well as cellular coverage.

example: everyone i know who has att and verizon get compensated well when they are having service issues. also, they are more flexible when it comes to making adjustments on your plan as well.

CINGULAR however, will (unless you escalate it REALLY high) never budge. they offer measly compensation and they dont have UNLIMITED nights and weekends.

for those who say otherwise, this is from MY personal experience. .....i remember when cingular used to be pacbell....ahh the good ol days!

 

[sirfergy]

I just gotta say I love my nightime minutes that start at 8pm.

 

[solarsx]

Originally posted by: Tanner

yeah WiseOne call 'em back alot of times it's who you get from customer reps... gotta try till you get what you want...

I'd be cautious of this. They've referred to the "ticketing" system when I've called (countless times). They apparently make notes on what they said to you when. This is to backup their word when the agree to give you something like this $5 /mo or better. So, don't call trying to get a new CSR constantly like we do on PM dealios @ Staples. Well, U can...but it didn't work out to well for me. sorta bit me in the butt on this one

good points Tanner however i had in mind that you describe to them your situation and
ask them if they can offer better deals without giving them your account info!
... consequently they wouldn't be able to note on your account each time you call ....

on a side note, yes night time minutes starting at 8pm is hell of nice deal!
i still think NEXTEL are best in the market so far! they moved their night minutes at 9pm though
just wish i could've gotten unlimited in/out anytime anywhere plan a year ago

 

[labooboo]

anyone called cingular to complain about their services in Bayarea and got free minutes?

 

[IgorTs]

I did, nothing they can do.
But T-mobile has much better plan:
$39, 1000 anytime, unlimited weekends, add $2.99 for evenings starting from 7pmhere
call not just to any place in US,also from any place in US too! No roaming, no LD.
their famile plans are much better too. I'm switching ASAP
Cingular in deep sh...

 

[seribellum]

You don't necessarily lose the 8PM evenings when you accept better offers from Cingular. My sister upgraded her plan to 3000+ anytime minutes (can't remember if it was 3000 or 3500), no roaming (she already had this), and free long-distance... all for $39.99, no contract. And the reason she even tried was b/c one of her friends got the deal and told her about it. Her plan is in So Cal if that mean anything. She confirmed with the CSR that her evenings were still at 8PM.

So, it's possible to keep your 8PM evenings.

 

[pizzaul]

Originally posted by: IgorTs
I did, nothing they can do.
But T-mobile has much better plan:
$39, 1000 anytime, unlimited weekends, add $2.99 for evenings starting from 7pmhere
call not just to any place in US,also from any place in US too! No roaming, no LD.
their famile plans are much better too. I'm switching ASAP
Cingular in deep sh...

I thot that they weren't offering unlimited nites, at least not now. I know it is in a few test markets, but maybe you are in one of those test markets. But in CA/NV they are not offering any unlimited nites options.

 

[locutus4]

you just accepted 9PM evenings, whereas the 300 min/unlimited is 8PM evenings. I'm holding onto 8PM as bloody long as I can.

Beeeeee careful, no one will screw you faster than the phone company!

 

[IgorTs]

I thot that they weren't offering unlimited nites, at least not now. I know it is in a few test markets, but maybe you are in one of those test markets. But in CA/NV they are not offering any unlimited nites options.

they are not offering, but try to ask.
I'm in CA, by the way

 

[lunchldyd]

i called cingular a while back and the CSR gave me 250 anytime, free long distance CA/NV, and i keep my free mobile to mobile. plus i got $10 off for five months. my boyfriend did even better. they kept him at the original 150 anytime, $15! off for 6 months, and free incoming minutes. plus he also gets to keep his free mobile to mobile. our m-m plans are from way back, before the $10 additional charge for them; they don't even offer it at all anymore. and since most of our calls are to each other, it's a good deal for us. so right now i'm paying $24/month including tax, and he's paying $18/month including tax.

of course, i tried to do that with my mom's line a week or two later and nothing close to as good as that. so i cancelled her line. seems as if they've caught on. important thing to remember is that you have to be off your contract in the first place in order to request anything at all.

for couples there's also the new t-mobile that's out now. they have a family plan that looks ok. it's $69.99/month, two free phones and phone lines, share 800 anytime minutes, and free t-mobile minutes with anyone on t-mobile service. activation is cheaper than cingular too: $25. i would switch to that one but the deal we have right now is better.

cingular also does something cool for customers who are no longer on a contract. you can resign a one-year contract with them, and six months later, get an $80 rebate. there's something about turning in your old phone to get a new one too, but i'm not too sure about that one.

 

[LordSmoit]

Hmm...has anyone gotten a decent deal offered on a nation-wide plan? Like AT&T's Digital One or Cingulars Nation plan?

I was hoping to share lines, but that doesn't seem possible with a nationwide plan. Have one phone I need nationwide on, but the other doesn't need anywhere near the minutes, so I was hoping to tack it on my main plan.

Any ideas?

 

[lunchldyd]

cingular offers a tack on plan, $16.99 for each additional phone.