...process orders fast.<br><br>OK, here's the story, yesterday my cell phone (Verizon) battery died, no big deal. Go home and plug it in, it lights up, seems to be charging. Look at it later, it's off... try to turn it on, nope, dead... the charger died. Well, not really but more on that in a second.<br><br>I thought well, i'll just look at other carriers, Cingular, T-Mobile, etc. My contract expired w/Verizon in March. <br><br>Couldn't find a phone i liked, so i went to AT&T Wireless and they had the SonyEricsson T616 for [color:blue]$219</font color=blue> with [color:red]$219 instant rebate.</font color=red> So I said great, I can get a cool phone free, plus 250 more minutes/month. I'll do it.<br><br>Click on the phone, click on the plan, credit card info, Order... Thank you for your order, Order # XXXXXXXXXXX.<br><br>OH CRAP! I wanted to transfer my phone number...<br><br>Find phone number for customer service, call and explain that I ordered a phone but i want to keep my number, they give me another number to call, i talk to that lady and she says "OK, give me your order number, I do and she says, IT'S ALREADY BEEN PROCESSED, I CAN'T DELETE IT"<br><br>So I ask what I have to do, and she says Order it again, but start with the Transfer My Number page, then when your First package shows up, REFUSE DELIVERY...<br><br>I said Oh boy, this'll be fun. But in my confirmation email, i had the tracking number, so i called FedEx and explained, and told them to stop shipment and send it back. So everything SHOULD be ok...<br><br><br><br><br><br>Oh yeah, my phone was just being picky on me, just fiddle w/it on the charger and it worked ok.<br><br><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by DavidDraiman on 04/13/04 09:51 PM (server time).</EM></FONT></P>

David, you had Verizon. I'd suggest you stay with them by all means, they have the best coverage from what I know. I had AT&T and I have to tell you it was THE worst wireless experience I have ever had. It was so bad in fact, I actually went ahead and switched to T-Mobile 5 months before my AT&T contract runs out (very happy with T-Mobile by the way, they were my carrier also before I switched to AT&T) just to get a carrier that I could actually use a cell phone with. I have the Sony Ericsson T610 and I just love the thing with T-Mobile. The phone I had with AT&T was the Sony Ericsson T68i. Now that may have been part of the reason my AT&T experience was so bad, but no just that alone. I have since talked with people that have new phones like the SE T616 with AT&T as the carrier and basically it sounds like it still blows chunks with AT&T.<br><br>My first choice would be Verirzon for the best coverage and call quality, etc. But, I don't really like their phone selection that much (I wanted one with Bluetooth again).<br><br>If you want Bluetooth then I'd go with T-Mobile and get the T610.<br><br>BTW, you should have 30 days to change your mind. So that is what I would do if I were you. Just be sure you return it so they get it back within the 30 day period. <br><br>I am sure you can find a similar rebate for the T610 so you end up getting the phone for free. Just check places like Amazon and Buy.com, etc. <br><br>

OK, thanks, but hopefully my service will be better here, seeing that we're basically at opposite ends of the Earth (Sothern Cal vs. Boston)<br><br>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p><br>David, you had Verizon. I'd suggest you stay with them by all means, they have the best coverage from what I know. <p><hr></blockquote><p><br>Yeah, I've been all over the place and never had any roaming charges. I always seem to be on the digital network.<br><br>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>Yeah, I've been all over the place and never had any roaming charges. I always seem to be on the digital network.<p><hr></blockquote><p>Same for me with T-Mobile. I have their nationwide plan for $39.99 a month, and use it everywhere I go and never get charged. The only weakness I have seen with T-Mobile is that they don't always have the best coverage zone outside of metro ares, but that is fine with me since I'm not in those areas too often when I need to make a phone call, so it works perfectly for me. I use the T610 like Mike and love the phone. It integrates perfectly with my 12" Powerbook and have never had a problem with it [knock on wood].<br><br>----<br>Stupidity is like nuclear power. It can be used for good or evil.... and you don't want to get any on you.

Actually the phone is my wife's phone and I just take it with me on business trips. I don't personally have a cell phone, and probably won't ever get one. I hate the things, I'd rather not be bothered by calls :)<br><br>She was looking at T-Mobile, except that their coverage in northern maryland has a blank area right smack dab where we live, so we'd be charged everytime we used the phone at home.<br><br>

Well David, I live in a major metropolitan area (San Diego) and work in another major metropolitan area (LA/Orange County). If AT&T wirelss sucks there, I would imagine your experience in Boston ain't gonna be that much different. Believe me I researched this pretty thoroughly, talked with lots of people to get a picture of what their carriers were like, talked with our product manager at work about it and I came to the conclusion that T-Mobile was the way to go, at least for me. It is possible I suppose that AT&T has better coverage in Boston. BTW, I also have the $39.99 plan and have no roaming charges ever. <br><br>