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Returned iPhone AT&T Sucks

Wicked1

Wicked1

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Apr 13, 2009
3,283
14
New Jersey
I bought an iPhone 3G 8GB model, phone is perfect almost but better then what Verizon offers however reluctantly after everything I heard about ATT I still did the deal, now the phone is back in ATTT's hands because they suck on customer service and their overall phone service. I live in Central NJ in Monmouth County and ATT service is really bad.

I went to the store and the guy did a song and dance on me with the coverage, sure it states on the map my area is covered, but when I can not get a signal in my house that's really bad, also spotty coverage all around Monmouth County...

So I went back to the store told the guy what was going on and the fact that I am getting charged for calls that just drop out of no where, his reply to me is that all phone service suppliers drop calls, told me it could have been my blue tooth device or the area I was in :rolleyes: humm I told him when I bought the phone what area I was living in and he said I have coverage, so not sure if he is talking out of his Butt, and considering the fact that I wasn't using Blue Tooth, there goes that idea out the window.

When I asked if there was anything I could do, he basically states it is not the ATT service because everyone in the store has it and no problems, so it must be the iPhone for me to call Apple. At this point all I could do is laugh and return the phone, plan, accessories, and tell him that because of ppl like him, ATT will not get my business ever again, also the fact that this is not the first time I have heard of this happening. I just wish Apple would sell it under Verizon, also not the best in the world, but far better then ATT service, as well as their Customer Service.


I am truly dissapointed in ATT, sorry Apple I tried to get your cool phone, but I was not about to Pay $100 per month for a phone I could not use, service that was below par, and a phone provider who hires ppl to talk out of their butt holes. :eek:

This is a Sad Day for me :(
 
Well at least you place to blame in the right place, but if you're holding out for a Verizon iPhone... It's not gonna happen, it just doesn't make sense for Apple to step backwards into a dying technology.
 
Wicked1 said:
Pay $100 per month for a phone I could not use, service that was below par, and a phone provider who hires ppl to talk out of their butt holes.
Click to expand...
Sounds to me like you need to just not have ANY cell phone.

Or are you under some notion that AT&T is the only provider with it's share of morons behind the counter?
 
I feel your pain. Many things I can't stand about Verizon but their coverage and actual phone service is great. Customer service, phones, UI all suck but I'm buying a phone for a phone and they can't be beat. I just got a Dare and it's no iPhone but a heck of a lot cheaper and I get a signal just about anywhere with a battery that lasts for days. Good luck.
 
i live in long branch area and i have to agree with you service is not great a matter of fact its been getting worse over the years. i even went and got the samsung impression to see if it was my phone and not service and guess what it was the service. good luck if VZ ever got the iphone or something as cool and nice i would move my service in a min. good luck.
 
Tallest Skil said:
So why didn't you just keep the phone and unlock it to use on someone else with better service?
Click to expand...

Like T-Mobile. I'm sure T-Mobile service shouldn't be bad in Jersey, since it seems like all the teenagers in the New York area has Sidekick LX's.
 
T-Mobile, my work phone is T-Mobile and I do not get a signal in my house or neighborhood, it is 10 Times worse then ATT in my neck of the woods and I am in Central NJ.

I think my only option is to either go back to Verizon or start using a string connected to two paper cups, or better yet, Morse Code :rolleyes:

Simply amazing that everyone tells you their service and phones can't be beat, then when you have a problem, the blame games start to Fester.

It is kind of like buying a Windows Laptop from any MFG, when you have a question on software they tell you to call Microsoft, when you do, Microsoft tells you to call your hardware vendor because what you bought was OEM, mean while some weeks go by and your problems are not resolved and then it is too late to return the Laptop...Why in the world for good heavens sake did Apple put all their Apple's in one basket, I will never understand this.


Truly Dazed and Confused:eek:
 
NC MacGuy said:
I feel your pain. Many things I can't stand about Verizon but their coverage and actual phone service is great. Customer service, phones, UI all suck but I'm buying a phone for a phone and they can't be beat. I just got a Dare and it's no iPhone but a heck of a lot cheaper and I get a signal just about anywhere with a battery that lasts for days. Good luck.
Click to expand...

My question would be why are you hanging out on a iPhone forum if what you say is true. Seems like a waste of time.
 
Turns out after all my aggrevation, it seems Apple charges a 10% restocking fee, according to ATT Phone Customer Service, so I asked what I can do about the iPhone coverage and the fact that I keep dropping calls, all they keep doing is stating my Hometown is in the coverage area, so I said to the person I have no problem keeping it, as long as they don't bill me for the dropped calls, and what do I do when I want to access the internet when I am at work and can not get a signal, he told me I could Tether my phone to my MacBook :rolleyes: wait I could tether it if I had a signal right!!! Are you guys still with me? Then I asked again what if I do not have a signal, he said Um I guess you can not access the internet unless I move to an area where I can get a signal....Yeah ok, let me just move my desk, Computer, and phone to the middle of the highway where I get two bars then I can get a signal, but working will be a little harder :eek:

Sometimes you just can't make these things up. Right?


If I don't get anywhere with this, at least I am learning that some people just don't give a crap, at least then I would understand better :(
 
Actually, I am pretty familiar with this area, as well as Ocean County just south of it. Quite frankly, all of the cell phone networks stink there. I cannot speak for T-mobile, but Sprint, Verizon, and at&t are all pretty spurotic. I agree Verizon is the best of the three there, but in this case, you are choosing the lesser of 3 evils. As for the comment about this being a dying format (CDMA), there are still 100 million (Sprint + Verizon) using it, so it is not exactly dead. If congress ever breaks the cell phone hardware away from cell phone networks, then things will change dramatically. Lobbyists, however, rule the roost.

John
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5G77 Safari/525.20)

Agreed. If it wasn't for the iPhone AT&T would not be as popular. I hated AT&T when I did have it and I've Been very happy with my tmobile service. I pay a little over a hundred for two phones with all services included.
 
I understand your situation. I returned my iPhone because of At&t *****ty service. I hope when At&t release the Palm Pre, it will piss off Apple and Apple won't extend their exclusivity contract.
 
AT&T used to suck in my area.

When the original iPhone launched, I got maybe 1-2 bars of EDGE in my house (and dropped calls all the time). Same at where I work.

When the iPhone 3G launched, I bought it praying that their 3G network would be better. Not really. I got the same number of bars, but the calls didn't drop as much. Still dropped 10x more than when I had Verizon.

Since the iPhone 3G launch, the coverage at my house and work is now both 5 bars inside. I rarely drop a call now. Coverage all around the area is much better. There are still some weak spots, but nowhere like there were before.

AT&T sends a text message anytime they setup a new cell site in the area. I'd guess we get at least one or two of those txts a month for the last year.

I wish that AT&T could do the same for their network where everyone else lives, but I guess it's going to take time as they go from market to market.

As much as I love the iPhone, if AT&T's service doesn't work for you, I don't see the point in keeping it, or trying to talk to AT&T salespeople (asking them when the service is going to get better in your area). They don't know.

And yeah, unfortunately, Apple has a 10% restock fee on the iPhone (and iPods and computers). Personally, I think it's best to eat the $19 or $29 restock fee instead of getting suck with AT&T service for the next 24 months (that doesn't work for you) because you didn't cancel with them in time.
 
FWIW, just received this email today:

Your world. Delivered.
--------------------------------------------------

AT&T Network News - Spring|Summer 2009

Your network is growing

Welcome back to our AT&T Network Newsletter for Virginia and the Outer Banks. Once again, we have great news to share. Our network continues to expand in your area as we work around the clock to provide you with the best possible experience. To date, we've already added 25 new sites in 2009, and we're just getting started!

--------------------------------------------------

The latest and greatest in Virginia

Summer's right around the corner - and there's no better time to plan a getaway. That's why we've made enhancements to our network at some of your favorite seasonal destinations.

Sun-seekers in the Hampton Roads area can enjoy enhanced coverage on the Virginia Beach waterfront with the addition of our new sites at Norfolk Ave. & S. Birdneck Ave. near the Seatack neighborhood, and at the Cavalier Golf & Yacht Club at Birdneck Point.

Plus, we've got great news for sports fans and music lovers alike. In Charlottesville, we recently added a new in-building system that provides extended coverage for the John Paul Jones Arena and Scott Stadium at UVA.

And if the lakes & mountains beckon you each summertime, you're in luck! You can now enjoy complete coverage from Bedford to Smith Mountain Lake on Route 122, and we've also added two additional cell sites on Route 24 between Roanoke and Smith Mountain Lake. Plus, you'll experience
more coverage on Route 29 between Charlottesville & Lynchburg.

In addition to these enhancements, we've added coverage in
the following areas:

Hampton Roads
> On I-264 between the Ballentine Blvd. and Military Hwy exits
> Beach Rd. in the Fox Hill area of Hampton
> Aragona Village in Virginia Beach


Richmond
> Staples Mill Rd. (Route 33) at Glenside/Hilliard Rd.
> Nash Rd. area in Chesterfield
> Beulah Rd. and Old Hopkins Rd. in Chesterfield
> New Market Mill Rd. & Old Ridge Rd. in Beaverdam


Western Virginia
> Route 58 between Danville & South Boston
> Route 24 near Evington, south of Lynchburg
> Liberty University in Lynchburg
> Route 460 between Pearisburg and Narrows
> Route 11 near Shawsville, completing coverage between Salem & Christiansburg


With more coverage, the best selection of phones & rate plans, and superb customer service, it's never been a better time to be an AT&T customer. Thank you for your continued loyalty.

Sincerely,

Erika K. Thompson, Vice President & General Manager

--------------------------------------------------

Network Hot Spots

More cell sites means more coverage for you. Here are just a few of the future hot spots where we have plans for improved coverage.

- Visitor's Center in Williamsburg
- Bridgewater College
- Continued expansion on Route 29 between Charlottesville and Lynchburg
Click to expand...

Like I said, I wish AT&T could be growing every market like they are they one I'm in. Coverage here sucked for a long time, but they finally got around to it, and now they're doing a kick-butt job.
 
They all suck!

First of all coverage areas very by carrier. My old job location had 0 bars when I got the Gen 1 iphone. 3 months latter it had 2 bars. Now this problem was not totally there fault as our office building was one of those steel buildings which block almost all the signal. Verizon people had to go outside to make clear calls too... oddly enough the true evil monkey in the game (Sprint) had full 5 bars. Then the 3G iphone came out we had 4 3G bars and then moved and now my new office has 1 to 2 bars... moved further out of Houston... it sucked. Only good thing is Sprint had no bars ... :D

Anyway... even at my home and parents home there was no service at first and now we have service. They are improving here in Houston but we are a big ATT area as they have the monopoly on the wired service here too. Yet Sprint mostly sucks on service and there customer service when I left them 3 yrs ago was horrible. Store people and 800 people did not care that I was a customer since month 1 of their service in Houston for 8 years. The straw that broke the camels back was I tested out a new $600 smart phone. I did not like it and brought it back. It had a scratch on the back plastic casing from my car keys. They said no returns for damaged goods ... sorry. I asked for the manager same story. I asked if I could pay for a new back case and then return it.. NO. So I said ok cancel my account. They just said ok and did it. I sold the phone to a friend for a $100 loss and moved on to ATT. It was ok at first with a Samsung phone. Customer Service was ok and they seem to more reasonable and nice. I am pissed on the MMS delay but I guess we have waited this long. I would consider Verizon as they are good here if there price was cheaper and the iPhone they had was as good or better. My point is besides Sprint and the other small carriers who suck for several reasons. ATT, Verizon and TMobile all are ok and none are clearly better on a nationwide basis. They all have their downfall.. Verizon is on old CDMA technology and TMobile is on old Edge technology. We do not know how badly they would screw up the iPhone game as they have not had a chance. It would be interesting to see what would happen and what all the shouters of "we want a Verizon iPhone" people would say.
 
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