Cingularity
So about four days ago, the beloved spouse's cell phone began to act strangely. It would ring once or twice, but usually nobody would be there when we answered. When someone was on the other end, they sounded like they were scamming us: "Who is this? I've got your number, you know." Oddly, we were getting the incoming number.
After 48 hours and approximately 30 calls, I called Cingular, which purchased our wireless provider a few months ago. I explained the situation and that my cell phone had captured the incoming number. I asked them to block the number. Cannot do it, Cingular said. (Which I doubt, because it can easily be accomplished on land lines.) I asked them to give me the caller's name, then. I was placed on hold, and Cingular declined, citing federal privacy law.
As I leaf through federal law on occasion, I asked for the citation. After a discussion among themselves while I was on hold, they said they could not provide it. Suddenly, my inner litigator was roused. I persisted.
After another wait on hold, they indicated that it was "case law." I asked for the name of the case. Can't help you, they said. "Wireless companies get sued from time to time." I said I could see why, but that, if that was the reason they were giving, I would need a citation.
I asked for the representative's name and to speak to her supervisor. "Someone will call you back within 24 hours --" No, I said. I have enough problems with unknown folks calling me. I would like to speak to the supervisor now. After another wait on hold, I was assured that someone would call back within five minutes.
The supervisor, Chris, was simply rude. Evidently he had been the guy consulted each time I was on hold, and he was as frustrated as I was by the time he called back. He had no suggestions other than the ever-popular changing of my number. He insisted that he could not provide the caller's phone number, because it was confidential. I clarified that I wanted a name, not a number. Still cannot do it, he said.
I recounted my discussion with his colleague. She said federal law, then changed to case law, then could not provide a citation. I explained that, if you are going to cite law as a reason, you had better be able to cite the law under discussion.
"There are many cases," he said. Not good enough, I told him. It would be one thing if you were relying on company policy, which you would still have to defend, but --
"We would have a defense in the terms of service that you agreed to when you signed up," he said. Really, I said. Why had that not been mentioned first? Or even second? And in any event, I said, I would be delighted to discuss the terms of service, as well as customer service issues, with his supervisor. "Why?" he asked. I had called with a problem, and instead of any workable solution, I was getting an argument.
"But we would have a defense ..." he started. I hung up.
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The next day I returned one of the mystery calls. This time, the someone answered, and she refused to give me any information, because she was afraid that we were scamming her. "We can see your number on our phone," she said. "Just please quit calling us." And then she hung up.
-------------------
I called Cingular back and waited while the representative read over the previous day's notes. Then I explained the new information. Apparently, the woman with the other number was having the exact same problem we were. And she thought we were harassing her. But now that we had isolated the problem with Cingular, they needed to get on their horses and fix it.
The guy I spoke to said it was a new one to him, but he did see that our phone appeared to transmitting through an unknown tower rather than an AT&T tower, so he would reroute and see if that solved the problem. If not, I should call back with specific information, and they would send me up to the next level of technical assistance: A "trouble ticket" would be filed. I asked that he also call the owner of the other number and explain the issue. While I was on the line, he tried without success, but he promised to try to find a way to communicate with her. At the end, he asked me to rate his customer service on a scale of 1 to 10. (I would have paid for that opportunity with his colleagues a day earlier.)
So far, it appears to have worked. Keep your signals crossed for me.
After 48 hours and approximately 30 calls, I called Cingular, which purchased our wireless provider a few months ago. I explained the situation and that my cell phone had captured the incoming number. I asked them to block the number. Cannot do it, Cingular said. (Which I doubt, because it can easily be accomplished on land lines.) I asked them to give me the caller's name, then. I was placed on hold, and Cingular declined, citing federal privacy law.
As I leaf through federal law on occasion, I asked for the citation. After a discussion among themselves while I was on hold, they said they could not provide it. Suddenly, my inner litigator was roused. I persisted.
After another wait on hold, they indicated that it was "case law." I asked for the name of the case. Can't help you, they said. "Wireless companies get sued from time to time." I said I could see why, but that, if that was the reason they were giving, I would need a citation.
I asked for the representative's name and to speak to her supervisor. "Someone will call you back within 24 hours --" No, I said. I have enough problems with unknown folks calling me. I would like to speak to the supervisor now. After another wait on hold, I was assured that someone would call back within five minutes.
The supervisor, Chris, was simply rude. Evidently he had been the guy consulted each time I was on hold, and he was as frustrated as I was by the time he called back. He had no suggestions other than the ever-popular changing of my number. He insisted that he could not provide the caller's phone number, because it was confidential. I clarified that I wanted a name, not a number. Still cannot do it, he said.
I recounted my discussion with his colleague. She said federal law, then changed to case law, then could not provide a citation. I explained that, if you are going to cite law as a reason, you had better be able to cite the law under discussion.
"There are many cases," he said. Not good enough, I told him. It would be one thing if you were relying on company policy, which you would still have to defend, but --
"We would have a defense in the terms of service that you agreed to when you signed up," he said. Really, I said. Why had that not been mentioned first? Or even second? And in any event, I said, I would be delighted to discuss the terms of service, as well as customer service issues, with his supervisor. "Why?" he asked. I had called with a problem, and instead of any workable solution, I was getting an argument.
"But we would have a defense ..." he started. I hung up.
-------------------
The next day I returned one of the mystery calls. This time, the someone answered, and she refused to give me any information, because she was afraid that we were scamming her. "We can see your number on our phone," she said. "Just please quit calling us." And then she hung up.
-------------------
I called Cingular back and waited while the representative read over the previous day's notes. Then I explained the new information. Apparently, the woman with the other number was having the exact same problem we were. And she thought we were harassing her. But now that we had isolated the problem with Cingular, they needed to get on their horses and fix it.
The guy I spoke to said it was a new one to him, but he did see that our phone appeared to transmitting through an unknown tower rather than an AT&T tower, so he would reroute and see if that solved the problem. If not, I should call back with specific information, and they would send me up to the next level of technical assistance: A "trouble ticket" would be filed. I asked that he also call the owner of the other number and explain the issue. While I was on the line, he tried without success, but he promised to try to find a way to communicate with her. At the end, he asked me to rate his customer service on a scale of 1 to 10. (I would have paid for that opportunity with his colleagues a day earlier.)
So far, it appears to have worked. Keep your signals crossed for me.
posted by Derek the Great at 9:25 AM
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