I’ve always hated AT&T. I ditched them many, many years ago. After an unacceptable experience with Sprint, the first option for getting rid of AT&T, I went to Cingular. I was a relatively happy Cingular customer. Cingular signed the deal with Apple to be the first and only carrier with iPhones. Shortly after they had exclusivity, AT&T bought them. I was disgusted to be going back to AT&T.
However, because I wanted the iPhone, and because I refused to ever have Sprint again, I made the transition to AT&T as part of their buying Cingular.
AT&T did well with the iPhone exclusivity deal. And, because they more or less (mostly less than more) kept their unlimited data plan agreement with the first iPhone customers, I stayed with them even though I hated them. Their service was inferior to Verizon in almost every way. And then AT&T made me furious when I had issues with my text messages being co-oped by advertisers. Instead of trying to help, they wanted to sell me more services that would cause me more work to avoid crap I didn’t want to begin with.
Enraged by their techniques, I cancelled my entire text message plan with them. I was within a heartbeat of canceling my account at that time. They were pushy assholes. I never got over that experience. I simply hate their corporation.
So, when I tried T-mobile’s iPhone account, unlimited data and unlimited text messages and easy-to-use and free hot spot sharing with zero hassle about billing minutes for this and that and the other and free international data and text and only 20 cents per minute for international calling of any type, I decided it was time to kick AT&T in the ass.
With great delight, I called them today and canceled my account. The representative, in my humble opinion, obviously lies to me right off the bat: he tells me that he can not cancel my account. He says he needs to send me to a specialist (customer retention expert) that can give me my options—despite the fact that I already know which option I want: to cancel my account. Horse shit. In the end he cancels the account, just like he said he could not do!
Additionally, I was eligible for a phone upgrade on October 22nd, meaning my 2 year contract for the account ended. He acknowledges that I can upgrade today, on the 23rd. But then, in my opinion, he lies about the contract ending yesterday, claiming that it ends at the end of the month. Supposedly sometimes the eligibility for upgrade and the contract itself just aren’t in sync! More horse shit! AT&T wants those extra few bucks out of my account that closing it at the end of the billing cycle will put into their accounts. Yes, good riddance, assholes.
Finally, the whole call is about 10 minutes from start to end. I probably spend most of it on hold being forced to listen to their advertising. What an ineffective use of my time.
Yes, I hate big corporations that care nothing about their customers, just their customers’ money! Good riddance, AT&T!
“Your call may be recorded…” Turns out, it was: by me! Enjoy.