A need to complain...

So far, Carlos and I have managed to avoid the smartphone/iphone craze. We have plugged along with our little flip phones that we have had for numerous years. We can hardly text on them and they only ring about half the time. After much conversation and knashing of teeth we have decided to give in to the craze and get smartphones.

We are a large family and we have to manage our resources carefully so this was not a step that was taken lightly. We researched phones and providers for hours. Since we live in the country, we have to either use AT&T or Tmobile in order to get any service. We went back and forth about what to do and finally decided to give in and order iphones with AT&T.

So, last Wednesday I went online to the AT&T site and ordered our phones along with setting up our plans. I opted to keep our current phone numbers and transfer them over to AT&T from Tmobile (our current provider). I received a confirmation email with an order number and our credit card was charged for the phones. I sat back happy that we would have new iphones in a week or two. Little did I know....

On Thursday, I got an email from AT&T saying that they were having issues transferrig our numbers over from Tmobile and to please visit their website to resolve the issue. I clicked on the link they provided and entered the information they needed. Later that same day I received a phone call from AT&T saying that they were still having problems transfering the numbers. I spent an hour on the phone with a rep trying to resolve this. I hung up and assumed all was solved. Wrong!

On Friday, I tried to check our order status on the AT&T website. The order was not found! What? So, I called AT&T. I spent another hour on the phone with them only to find out the issue with the number transfer was never actually resolved! I decided then and there that we would just get new numbers and put this mess behind us. The rep I spoke to had to transfer me to a different department because she was unable to handle my request. I was on hold forever and then I finally got a rep on the phone who could help me. She was in the middle of reading off my new numbers when she disconnected me! AAAHHH! I waited for a call back. I was sure that the rep wouldn't just leave me hanging when she had my contact info in front of her. Wrong! I suppose she didn't feel like calling me back. So, I called AT&T back again and once again waited forever before I finally got to talk to yet another rep. This rep couldn't even find my order or my account info! I was told that someone would call me on Monday to resolve the issue. So, I passed along my contact info and set up a time for someone to call me.

So, today I waited patiently for someone to call me. I had tried to check our order status on Saturday, Sunday and Monday only to be given the message that the order could not be found. I was really banking on a call from AT&T and a rep who could solve this. I was wrong again! AT&T never bothered to call me. So, I called AT&T. I spent another hour on the phone with no results. I hung up after the rep told me that I could try calling tomorrow to see if the order had processed yet (on the website it says it takes 24 hours for an order to process). Just for kicks I thought I would check with my credit card company to find out how I would go about disputing a charge for these phones if AT&T never shipped them and this issue wasn't resolved soon. Lo and behold when I logged on to check for that info I noticed that AT&T was no longer listed as one of my charges! What?

I can only assume that the entire order has been cancelled. I dread that I will have to call them once again to confirm this. How will they confirm the order is cancelled when they can't even seem to find it in the first place? This has all been such a headache.

I have had bad customer service issues with AT&T in the past but I assumed that was all over and done with. Once again...wrong. I can safely say that I will not be getting an iphone. I refuse to deal with AT&T anymore and it's either them or Verizon for iphones....can't use Verizon out here in the sticks. For now, I am going to stick with my crummy flip phone that hardly functions. This entire mess has left me with a bad taste in my mouth and I need a break!