My open letter to AT&T regarding merger

[belome]

Verizon sold me to AT&T, ugh.

Yeah, as part of the Verizon merger with Alltel, I am a casualty. My brand new driod 2... yeah, that isn't gonna work real well. :icon_evil:

The more info I get, the more it sounds like I will be forced to ATT for one day, then I can cancel and go back to Verizon. This is not gonna be fun. I'm sure I'll get some really messed up bills and will be arguing for weeks with ATT to refund my money. I also fear I won't be able to port my numbers back out.

I guess only time will tell.

Oh and what did the offer as a comparable phone to my Driod 2... an HTC Aria... what a joke:icon_evil:

 

[SGTiger]

Yeah, as part of the Verizon merger with Alltel, I am a casualty. My brand new driod 2... yeah, that isn't gonna work real well. :icon_evil:

The more info I get, the more it sounds like I will be forced to ATT for one day, then I can cancel and go back to Verizon. This is not gonna be fun. I'm sure I'll get some really messed up bills and will be arguing for weeks with ATT to refund my money. I also fear I won't be able to port my numbers back out.

I guess only time will tell.

Oh and what did the offer as a comparable phone to my Driod 2... an HTC Aria... what a joke:icon_evil:

I don't understand. What does AT&T have to do with the Alltel and Verizon merger?

 

[belome]

In certain areas Verizon would have had a monopoly. It goes way back to the A and B system of CDMA licensing. Where I live you can't even get Verizon, you have to have Alltel. The reason I have it is because I moved to the area when I already have Verizon.

The creepy part of it all, the poeple who live in my town that are Alltel, will get moved to Verizon... AFTER I get moved to ATT.

It is messed up for sure.

 

[psychicdroid]

That's the biggest bunch of baloney I've ever heard. If people wanted AT&T they would have had AT&T. I don't understand why the customer has to suffer because of this.

 

[Detonation]

You're not the only one:

I Don't Want To Give Up My Droid X For Forced Switch To AT&T - The Consumerist

 

[belome]

Thanks for the link... exact same boat I'm in.

 

[belome]

I just found the map, I didn't realize how widespread this was... entire states are getting switched.

http://www.att.com/mergers/divestverizon/images/zodiacMarkets.jpg

 

[Eddog4DROID]

I believe Verizon bought ALTELL a couple of years ago. Now they are turning around and selling it to AT&T.

Is it an iPhone trade or something?

 

[dezymond]

I believe Verizon bought ALTELL a couple of years ago. Now they are turning around and selling it to AT&T.

Is it an iPhone trade or something?

Hahaha, highly doubt it's as simple as a trade.

 

[belome]

I wish... they won't even give me the Samsung Captive, which does seem to be a somewhat comparable phone to my Driod 2. If I want anything nicer than the HTC Aria I have to pay for it and switch my plan to an ATT plan AND end up with a two year ATT service agreement.

 

[RETG]

Verizon purchased Alltel a few years ago. Uncle sam, in approving the purchase is making Verizon sell some of the Alltel markets to AT&T. (I believe most of these forced sales are in areas Verizon was already very strong.)

In this area, Verizon was and is the strongest and will continue to market and sell phones. However, the Alltel business is going to AT&T and the service is not comparable.

AT&T at any time, could have upgraded their system to a good 3G system in this area. However, what they have done is upgrade to EDGE and they are marketing this as 3G (and I guess it is legally a 3G type system). So, those on Alltel that I know, are switching over to Verizon or Sprint since those two do offer real 3G service in this area, and AT&T will end up sucking wind as they have in this area since day one.

I would guess, they might keep some customers who only use a cell phone and don't go away from downtown. But even with just voice traffic, AT&T has no noticeable network in this area (the map on their website is either a dream of what might happen some day, or just an outright lie). Sprint is a lot better than AT&T while Verizon's network is noticeably larger than Sprint.

Just our government, trying to think they know better than a free market society.

 

[belome]

(the map on their website is either a dream of what might happen some day, or just an outright lie)

I totally agree, I'm forcing a friend to come visit who has an Iphone on ATT currently. I have a feeling I won't even have service at my house, which makes the forced move even more laughable.

 

[z96Cobra]

Can you guys get a PO Box address in a nearby area with Verizon service and then make that your billing address? It's not very expensive to get a PO Box for a couple months and then change back to your real address once all the switching is done.

 

[belome]

Can you guys get a PO Box address in a nearby area with Verizon service and then make that your billing address?

That is the creepy part, as soon as I got the first letter from ATT saying I was going to be switched (two days after I bought my D2) I called up Verizon and told them that I had a new billing address. The new address I gave them was in a Verizon area. They told me then it wouldn't be an issue. [Otherwise I would have returned my D2]

However, my account is flagged as having to be sold. I could move to Florida and I'd still go to ATT, there is no way to stop it. I even tried to turn my account into a business account (so I'd get a new account number) and even that wouldn't work.

 

[kpk02]

Add me to the list of seriously angry Droid owners who just received the AT&T transition notice yesterday. For me it's a combination of things:

- I just paid $200 for my Droid X 3 months ago. I signed up with Verizon specifically because their coverage area meets my needs and I knew Alltel was transitioning to Verizon. So instead of signing up with Alltel, I started right out with Verizon. Note that Verizon currently has ZERO stores in my area. So I don't see how them buying Alltel impacts AT&T's viability at all.

- AT&T already existed in my area. If someone wanted their service they already have the full opportunity to get it.

- Alltel customers are not being transitions to AT&T in my area. They are going to transition to Verizon. Verizon only appears to have sold their Verizon customers in my area to AT&T.

- I actually already have an AT&T wireless account active due to some overlap in contract when I signed up for Verizon. So why the heck should I be forced to have BOTH of my accounts on AT&T??

- The "free comparable phone" options are a complete insult. In no way does an HTC Aria remotely compare to a Droid X.

- I have friends and family with Verizon phones. Why should I lose those free mobile-mobile minutes when Verizon will still be in my area??


​

As best as I can tell, I have a few options:

1. Continue to complain to AT&T and hope they will give me a Samsung Captivate and transition to AT&T. The problem with this is that I don't trust they'll actually have any significant 3g coverage in the areas I need it at. Also this whole thing has made me not want to ever do any business with AT&T ever again.

2. Cancel my Verizon service now based on the clause of the contract that basically says I have 60 days after significant changes in service/terms to cancel without penalty. Then I could sign up with Alltel which would soon get transitioned to Verizon. The problem is that I would likely have to return my Droid X with this method.

3. Wait until I get forced to AT&T and receive some free phone, making sure not to sign anything or agree to anything. Then immediately cancel the AT&T service and sign up with Alltel (or hopefully they are Verizon by then).
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Now I have heard rumor of there being an "opt out" period shortly before and after the transition date, allowing one to stay with Verizon service. So just to be safe, I'm not responding to anything or agreeing to anything AT&T sends me. I don't want to get caught agreeing to the transition in any form.

I'm also hunting down some sort of mailing address for the FCC or whoever approved this whole thing so I can let them know my "thanks" for looking out for the consumer's best interests.