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May I never have to buy a phone again!!! What happened to the days of walking in a business, telling people what you need/want…being serviced and on your way in say 20 minutes??? I am still in a state of exhaustion. My poor brain will never be ok!
The time I had come for a phone upgrade. I had been reading and of course looking at everyone’s phone I saw…my decision was made. The IPhone 6SPlus. I needed a better camera on my phone…I needed more storage space…just simple request…and I’m telling ya’ll…I had “studied” before I entered the AT&T store in Ridgeland. I could not buy my phone at the Magee AT&T store, because they could no longer “sell” a “due for an upgrade phone.
I arrive at the store, take a “number”…and very soon a nice lady began what turned into a 2 ½ hour journey to purchase a phone.
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“I want to buy the phone ….my plan says I can buy this phone for $300 plus rather than “pay out” over time,” I told the lady. The lady says, “If you pay for your phone you will have to pay us (At&T) $15 each month.” I just sat there! Now, sometimes I question my brain’s functions…but something wasn’t adding up. “You mean, I buy the phone, then I pay you an additional $15 on top of my plan?” “Yes,” said the lady,…”you would be better to get your phone on a pay out over-time plan.”
Again, I just sit there…this is not computing. Why would I be punished for purchasing a phone from the company I was going to have my data plan with???
After thirty minutes of going back and forth, I finally realized the AT&T marketing people were really smart…and the finance people even smarter. No matter what I did…they would win.
Finally, I agreed to the “pay over time” (not happily). “Ok, what extras do I get,” I inquired. “Oh, for $100 you can purchase a mini-IPad if you take an additional data plan,” the nice lady informed me. “Wait a minute, you are telling me that to get the IPad for $100 bucks, I have to agree to add more data to my plan; thereby, increasing my monthly bill,” I asked in as calm a voice as possible. “Yes, to get that price you increase your plan,” the lady stated. By now, we are well into the second hour of our shopping adventure.
“But, Miss Sue, we can sell you this android tablet for $1 and a data plan,” she smiled as she spoke.
“Wait another minute,…are you telling me that if I purchase the tablet for $1 I must again increase my bill??? I wanted the IPad and or tablet for my grandsons in FL…and their mama is gonna worry about how to get the gadgets humming,” I stated.
“No can do…you must buy an additional data plan yourself to receive these prices,” the clerk said.
By now, my head was on the table, my temples were throbbing and I had no idea what to do and who to ask…certainty not AT&T!!!
“Excuse me, I’ve got to go outside and breath before I pass out on the floor…so out the front door I go…stand there and breath…and realize, “oh, just give up and play their game,”
Back in the store, the lady is still sitting at the table just starring at me. I will say this…that lady hung with me…no come and go…she never left.
Ok, I’m going to play your game…so how much do you need today. $140 to cover transfer fee and sales tax. “Sales tax on what,” I said. “The phone you are getting, “explained the lady. “Wait a minute, I’m paying sales tax on a phone you will not let me buy outright…you are charging me a huge transfer fee…and I’m not even going to another service provider!”…I think by then the manager had joined the “table.”
“Can you transfer all my information, text messages and all,” I asked. “Yes, mam as long as your phone has been backed up in the ICloud. Probably two years ago, my ICloud storage had “reached it limit” and I refused to buy more storage. I just thought I wasn’t buying more…to get everything transferred from one phone to the other…I would need to purchase additional ICloud space and the transfer would be completed. We are now way into the 2nd hour…what the heck do whatever! I’m having a nervous break down. The kicker was it took 30 minutes or more to “merge” the 2 phones.
Now, I am the owner of a huge phone with tons of data and the capacity to make fabulous pictures…was it worth it all…..heck if I know. I’ll keep you updated.
But, again…the employees were great and put up with a crazy old woman who was determined to get something at a fair price…and lost.
I do believe in the next few years, there will be some huge lawsuit brought against AT&T under the fair trade act…because there is nothing fair about this plan or the way AT&T holds one hostage. I’m a loyal AT&T customer…doesn’t that count for anything…I even still have a land line! Does loyalty not mean anything to these people??? Apparently, not…but they got me hook, line, and data plan.
My advise: If you plan to purchase a phone during the holidays mark off a 3 hour visit….eat before you go…and take an aspirin…you’re gonna need a clear head and a full stomach to handle the bull.
(Speaking of phones! ha…be sure you have downloaded the MageeNews.com app through your App Store or Google Play…the app makes reading MageeNews.com on your phone a breeze and the download is free!)
I had the exact same issue the other day when I went in to purchase a phone at the Flowood store. The guy said he was going to make sure they had the phone before we started anything. He came back with the phone, an iPad, the Android pad, a “cool” light up charging cord AND a phone case! After waiting in line for an hour and sitting with him for 15 minutes, I told him he just talked me out of getting the phone and I would be researching plans with other companies! They have made it so it is almost impossible to want to even go in there and do anything. I was so furious!