Apple Grrl

In case Apple needed more hints that they chose the wrong company to partner with for the release of their iPhone after this story, AT&T adds more fuel to the fire. In addition to spying on its customers, AT&T plans to make the iPhone as expensive and unpleasant a shopping experience as possible. They are charging full price for the iPhone, with no discount for the long term contract. Not only that, they plan to slap you with a $175 dollar cancel fee if you decide that you don’t like your iPhone (or more likely don’t like AT&T).

But AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel said that termination fees pay for more than phone subsidies. “There are certain fixed costs we incur in serving every customer who establishes service with us,” Siegel said. He refused to specify those costs.

I’m already still upset they bought my cell company, Cingular, and got rid of the youthful, exuberant orange man logo and name, along with the good customer service Cingular offered. I hate having to deal with my own cell phone company now, for any reason. AT&T blows chunks on customer service. I know Apple chose Cingular, not AT&T, to partner with, then AT&T bought Cingular. What I don’t understand is why Apple didn’t move the exclusive deal to a better company, like Verizon, the moment that happened! I, for one, would have happily followed them to Verizon to get away from AT&T. They have to know that craptastic AT&T will lose them major brownie points on service levels, and Apple’s customer service has always been so top notch. I just don’t get it.

Richard Burns, president of AT&T’s wireless business, acknowledged the iPhone uses a data network that isn’t as fast as those offered by rivals Verizon Wireless LLC and Sprint Nextel Corp. But he said the combination of AT&T’s network and the iPhone’s efficient design would make it a superb Internet access device.

Source

Tags: Apple, iPhone, Apple iPhone, AT&T, Cingular, Verizon

[posted with ecto]

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