How on earth does at&t stay in business?

[Marilyn]

We lost our home phone service the morning of 6/18 and after a quick phone call to AT&T to report, were promised the resumption of service by the following night. It didn't happen. The next promised service date was 6/30. It didn't happen. They currently are saying that service should be resumed by 7/7. I'm not holding my breath. It has been verified that the problem is with AT&T equipment, they just can't seem to get anyone to fix it. Have they fired all of their technicians?!

We currently have 39 minutes left on our cell plan for the next 13 days so I went to Walmart to look into alternatives. Has anyone here used StraightTalk Wireless for their home phone? It says that cell towers are used and that concerns me since our cell signal isn't very strong at all. There is a high-tension power line between the nearest cell tower (5 mi) and our home and I think that is part of our problem.

My questions are: Have you tried StraightTalk for your home service? Are connections any stronger than you normally get with your cell phone?

[Conhntr]

Best part is they will bill you for the whole month also. They KNOW you dont have service and charge you for a full month anyway!!!

[Molly Mckee]

Look into voice over internet--VOI. Some places it's great, and also cheaper than the phone company.

[haley1]

It sounds like you are saying att is a heartless non caring corporation? OMG

[TerriLynn]

I have heard that at&t will soon abandon their landlines. Don't know how true it is tho.

My mom and dad were out of service 2 weeks in May. She called and her bill was reduced because she complained about the loss of service. She had to stick to her guns, but in the end they reduced her bill.

[jingle5616]

We fired our land line company about a year ago. The taxes and surcharges were adding up to $30 a month on top of the phone line and internet connection charges. I looked around and found this system. It runs on Verizon cell towers, uses your regular telephone, and best of all costs me $16 a month including tax. The box itself cost me $75 on line from Walmart. I don't miss Century Link one little bit.

http://www.straighttalk.com/wps/port...ShopHomePhones

Verizon has the same program but it's more expensive than the Straight talk version. Good luck in your search.......

[Marilyn]

I have a question about Straight Talk, jingle5616. That was one of the services that I looked into at Walmart today...I'm having a hard time understanding the poor coverage reviews if they use Verizon towers. It doesn't make sense since Verizon is everyplace now. When I really looked into it, it sounds like one type of phone would use AT&T towers, while another type of phone would use Verizon towers - all under the name of Straight Talk?!?

My cell phone is currently with Verizon and we don't have a very good signal here. Is there any chance that the home service through Straight Talk would somehow pull in a stronger signal?

[Harry Chickpea]

You could use a booster antenna for cellphone. I've been tempted (AT&T here as well, + lousy cell signal).

[DAVID In Wisconsin]

I am not sure of this will help you. I use Republic Wireless. It's a cell phone that uses wi-fi when available (like at home). I had to buy a phone outright for $149. Now unlimited talk and text costs me $10 a month. I could also have 3G for a total of $25 per month. They use Sprints network I am told. I have travelled from Wisconsin to Louisiana twice with this service and am surprised at the good reception for $10!

[Phil V.]

I have AT&T for my cell and don't have any problems with reception. That's what I had when I was in your neck of the woods last year and had no problems.

[Callieslamb]

We have always had good service from them. I'm sorry they haven't been able to get to you.

[MO_cows]

We use the Verizon version of the Straighttalk device, when we got ours Straighttalk didn't have one yet. We got a 10 day review period where we could cancel the contract if signal was not adequate. That was......3 or 4 years ago. Went from $53 a month for land line with no long distance to $26 for the Verizon, and I understand ST is even cheaper. The ST service is non-refundable, so if it didn't work you would be out the first 30 days, what, $15 with taxes? I would give it a try and kick AT&T to the curb. We use them at work and they are a pain to deal with.

[suitcase_sally]

AT&T is what used to be Bell Telephone.

Oh, Ma Bell! What hath thou done?

[Marianne]

My DGS has AT&T and he constantly gets droppd calls, not only here in the mountains where signals are poor, but wile he was in college in Jacksonville FL' My other DGS has StraightTalk, has no problems at all. And ask for the adjustment to your bill, they will give it only if you insist! No service from their end, you get reimbursement.

[VERN in IL]

How on earth does at&t stay in business?

Network Solutions, and Government services.. Wireless phone service is like a "side job" of the company.

Advanced, global, IP/MPLS-based network encompasses more than 960,000 worldwide fiber-route miles and includes 38 Internet data centers

Headquartered in Oakton, VA, AT&T Government Solutions is a long-standing, trusted source of information technology solutions for the federal government, integrating unmatched network resources and IT managed solutions expertise with innovative technologies from AT&T Labs and a complementary team of industry-leading technology companies. Best known for network leadership in voice, data, video, and managed services, AT&T is a proven solutions integrator, with professional service expertise in enterprise architecture, business transformation, knowledge management, training, program management, systems engineering and security.
More than 4,000 scientists, engineers and analysts – many with security clearances – focus exclusively on the IT requirements of government, with support from tens of thousands of professionals throughout the AT&T family of companies.

No doubt part of the "military-industrial-complex".

[rambler]

How does one get Internet service out in the country when you drop your land line?

You need to figure out which cell phone co offers the best signal and go with that service.

You are complaining about your land line company, your cell company, say your Internet is on the land line, and then wondering if a different cell company using the same towers would be any better.

That gets me a bit confused?

Paul

[simi-steading]

If your cell does not work at home, tell AT&T that and let them know your phone is your only way to contact 911. This will cause them to escalate your issue. Also, the FCC might be interested to hear of your service. They get immediate results. AT&T Doesn't like when you call the FCC, but it gets them on their toes real fast.. I know.. ...

Also, yes, you will be reimbursed for having your service out. They have the date of your first call. After it's repaired, call them back and demand they refund you for the days out. They have to do that if you request it.

[Metalman]

Originally Posted by Marilyn

We lost our home phone service the morning of 6/18 and after a quick phone call to AT&T to report, were promised the resumption of service by the following night. It didn't happen. The next promised service date was 6/30. It didn't happen. They currently are saying that service should be resumed by 7/7. I'm not holding my breath. It has been verified that the problem is with AT&T equipment, they just can't seem to get anyone to fix it. Have they fired all of their technicians?!

We currently have 39 minutes left on our cell plan for the next 13 days so I went to Walmart to look into alternatives. Has anyone here used StraightTalk Wireless for their home phone? It says that cell towers are used and that concerns me since our cell signal isn't very strong at all. There is a high-tension power line between the nearest cell tower (5 mi) and our home and I think that is part of our problem.

My questions are: Have you tried StraightTalk for your home service? Are connections any stronger than you normally get with your cell phone?

Seems to us, all the competition is just about as sorry as AT&T. Maybe this observation reflects the decline of our culture - both corporate and individual?

[rambler]

I do not hve a cell phone. I understand the benefits, but I don't like carrying a ball and chain with me, and have not needed to do so. I don't really care for phones anyhow, I'll drive 10 miles to talk to a service person rather than call them, maybe a phone phobia I don't know.

Anyhow, seems any time I talk to someone on a cell phone, there is background noise, they are otherwise distracted from talking to me, the signal fades in and out, or their battery is so dead it beeps at me.

We used to have one solid, reliable, foolproof, available in every house, phone system in this country.

For some reason, we the customers, have demanded it be replaced with a faulty, poor, disconnected cell system.

Progress I guess? We get the crap we ask for.....

Paul

[1948CaseVAI]

Originally Posted by suitcase_sally

AT&T is what used to be Bell Telephone.

Oh, Ma Bell! What hath thou done?

It wasn't AT&T's idea to break up into ineficient (and unrecognizable) entities - your dear gooberment brought that upon us.