: A warning to Cingular customers using their cell phones abroad

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Glover <eric () ericglover com>
Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2004 13:31:21 
To:dave () farber net
Cc:frisbee2 () yahoogroups com
Subject: A warning to Cingular customers using their cell phones abroad

I recently traveled to Europe, specifically Hungary. Surprisingly when 
in Hungary, my cell phone had very good service, I was able to send and 
receive text messages, however GPRS did not work for me.

While there I figured I would save myself some money by leaving my phone 
on, and whenever someone called, I would read the caller ID (which only 
worked sometimes), and or check for a voicemail alert, and then use a 
calling card from a landline, or local cell phone - this way I could 
receive calls, but not have to pay $2/minute. I did answer a small 
number of calls, and even placed a few calls.

When I received my bill I noticed several charges to calls placed TO my 
voicemail. I immediately determined what had happened was that the call 
was forwarded to my voicemail when I didn't answer, and for some stupid 
reason the European carrier actually forwarded the call, as opposed to 
the call being terminated in the US and sent to voicemail domestically.

When I called Cingular to complain, the customer service person insisted 
that the call appeared as if *I* had called to my voice mail, which 
certainly I did not, and that she would not credit my account.

Eventualy I said I had not made the calls, and was not going to pay. She 
even agreed that IF the calls had been to my phone and I didn't answer 
(and went to voicemail) I should not get charged, however she still 
refused to credit me. So I said that it must be fraud, and she 
transfered me to the fraud department.

What the fraud department said was that they could not credit me for any 
calls which came from a foreign carrier, unless my phone was actually 
stolen or cloned AND that the way the foreign carriers work, I could end 
up being charged for not answering my phone - even though clearly in the 
US an unanswered call will not be charged, nor would a call that is sent 
to voicemail.

WARNING: If you are a Cingular customer and travel outside the US, YOU 
COULD BE CHARGED $2/MINUTE FOR UNANSWERED CALLS. Even though their 
customer service reps are not notified of this, and will tell you 
otherwise. I say per minute, because one of my "unanswered calls" was 2 
minutes and they are trying to charge me $3.98.

Supposedly if your phone is off, you won't get charged, but what's the 
point of that?

Later,
Eric

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