laws and roaming charges?

I have a GSM phone through AT&T/Cincinnati Bell. I went in and got the National Service Area Plan about 4 months (late November) and never had any problems. I get my bill for February a few days ago and it was $1025! All in roaming charges (and taxes)... When I called the customer service number the reps were very rude. They told me that I was out of area and they couldn't remove the charges. When I went to the website and checked the map, I'm in the service area. My friend even called them and they told him I have a local plan when I signed up for the national plan and that's obviously what I have been paying for. They told me that I have been picking up signals from a local Cingular tower and I still have to pay the charges. But I was told by someone that there was a new law passed saying that you cannot be charged roaming charges when your phone picks up signal from a stronger tower. Does anyone know anything about this law? Or any way to help me? I'm a poor college student and can't afford this or to begin working 40 hours a week on top of full time school just to pay this bill. I would appreciate any help (sorry this post is so long).

edit: and I just read that Cingular bought AT&T... so why should I have to pay these charges anyways??? The money is going to the same company!

Did you ever get an answer to this re the law on roaming charges?

I live in .chatt., .tn-last month I bought a go phone and had the same experience. The go phone is a pre-paid deal, it's advertised to keep you from adding up charges above your monthly plan(39.99) in my case. In less than a month, att charged me 170.00 in roaming charges(though I never left chattanooga). The customer service people were extremely rude, they admitted my phone should not have been left on after the 39 dollar limit, that they were supposed to send three messages when getting close to the limit, again they said it was their fault, but I had to pay the charges anyway. No service other than att ever showed on my phone. The F.C.C. has a complaint form for just such complaints. Just click on fcc, you'll find it. They are not only hitting people with roaming charges, they are advertising their services falsely. Also, call or e-mail you congressman.

I thought you said that the phone was from Cincinnati Bell. Was it cincinnati Bell or Att? Thanks.

I thought you said that the phone was from Cincinnati Bell. Was it cincinnati Bell or Att? Thanks.

First off Cinniat Bell is just a affilate of ATT meanig that they can use the Att network but that does not mean the Cingular Wirless Network and you should be talking to Cin Bell not Att Now on the Att and Cingular no it is not a done deal it is still going thru FCC and other Governmnet and Cingular but a bid on ATT not the Small Carriers like Cin Bell that is a affilate that does not mean Att has you account they may be a thing in the contract about using att towers are included. and there is no such law that has been passed about cust not getting charged roaming and there would never be such a law that how all Wireless providers make money. Yes there are carriers that offer no roaming anywhere in the country like Cingular and some new AttWireless plan you need to look at you contract and what you took that service out and what is listed

AT&T has got to be one of the worst, if not THE worst, cell service provider out there, both for cell coverage AND customer service. Here's my predicament;

I'm with AT&T and live in Irvine. Before I moved to Irvine from Seattle, I got an additional phone. BEFORE I got the additional phone, I asked the salesperson how service is in the area I would be living and working in. He showed me the coverage map and said, "yes, you will have service...no problem at all!"

I moved to Irvine, and lo and behold, NO SERVICE AT HOME. No worries...I'll just use my landline when I'm at home. I get to work, and lo and behold, NO SERVICE AT HOME. For a while, I dealt with it. Until one day, my phone display said, "Cingular". I proceeded to call customer service 'cause I knew if it didn't say AT&T on it, I would be charged for roaming. She said to turn the phone off, and back on again. No luck. We did this repeatedly. Still Cingular. The customer service woman (she was by no means a "lady") pretty much said, "oh well, nothing we can do at this point." I asked for her boss, but she said I would have to talk to the Resolution Department. We went back and forth about what to do. I finally said to him that I wanted out of the service, and refuse to pay for the termination fee since I didn't have service half the time. Of course, he said no, and that I'm not guaranteed service. He said loudly, "what do you mean you didn't have service? I see you've made a lot of calls, even surpassing your monthly minutes!" I said, "yes, I made calls...I never denied that. But half the time, either I didn't have service, or calls were dropped." We went back and forth about this and he kept stressing that I wasn't "guaranteed service." So I said, "well, maybe your salesmen shouldn't say, "you will have service...no problem at all!"

Screw AT&T. I've told many people inquiring about cell service to stay away from AT&T. Not only does their coverage suck, but their customer service is the worst I've ever encountered.

Okay first off there is no thing as coverage anywhere there are issue dealing with building and terrain like mountians and other things like trees, We live in a world where we want to have access to towers all the time but then we turn around with government and say that you cannot have a tower in this area due to county townships laws and thing my best advise to anyone gettting a cell phone and take this as advise all companies in the cell phones industy do not and will not hve coverage everywhere due to the other things i listed before and all the map give a general area due to thing like mountians and building and other things, as a consumer you need to gather all the facts that you can and investage your options, alot of time a rep will lie to get the sale and there are some people that will be honoest with you and by law that why companies give you the 15 to 30 day return policey,, On the other had I do think that the cell phone industy does need a change with cusotmer service and also if you don't have the coverage in your area more then 50 to 75 percent of the time you shpould not be held to the contract but everyone agree to either one or two year terms for the phone after the thirty days if you don't return you are then responseable for the monthly and service charges these are my thoughts

I understand there are certain instances in which cell service will be interrupted. But, it happens more often than not, if you were to compare it to other carriers. I can be driving down the freeway, my friend and I would be on the phone at the same time. (our jobs require us to be on the phone a lot) My call would get dropped...his wouldn't. It happens a lot! Guess what...he has Verizon.

AT&T sucks...that's all there is to it.

laws and roaming charges?

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