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NeedHumanityBack's profile

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3 Messages

Saturday, July 2nd, 2022 7:58 AM

Is humanity lost?

Approximately a month ago my mom's Cingular Flip IV stopped working. It would not get a signal regardless of what I tried. She has been on the Lifeline plan for quite some time since is eligible since she is elderly, disabled, fixed income and a minority as she is Native American. The Cingular Flip IV was sent to her last year and at no request from her and she was told that her current phone was in the 3g category and that she needed the upgrade to avoid this year's 3g shut down, but somehow it still shutdown. I spoke to a very nice gentleman, however after nearly four hours of troubleshooting, he determined that the SIM card had either gone bad or the SIM reader had gone bad. He advised us to take into the nearest store simply change it out for a new card or new phone. Luckily, I happened to be making the 100mile trip to one of the 3 stores in our entire state.  I made an appointment, but a nasty hailstorm held us up and the AT&T app would not let me reschedule or do anything, I couldn't make a call out. When arrived at store location, as usual, there was a line out the door and a total madhouse, but mama is worth getting her phone fixed so she can make her favorite call each week and that's to her lifelong friend in Alaska. For many years of friendship and even with her failing health and lack of oxygen she gets the energy up every Thursday afternoon to tell the same old stories and giggle to the same old jokes. So, I got in line and was ready for the long wait ahead of me. Well, within moments an extremely frazzled young man told me that I needed to make an appoint for the next morning at 9am. I told him how far away I lived and that was not an option. He then asked why I was there after my response, he said, "Easy! Wait here one moment" he then handed me a new SIM card and a few instructions, and I was out of there! I drove the 100miles back and immediately, put the card in to activate and nothing! It was getting late, and I was going to call AT&T for help in the morning. From that point on, I have made over 45 phone calls, each time I am transferred to a multitude of other scripted representatives, have had to explain our situation so many times I actually started sobbing from the frustration, made 3 more 200mile round trips with mom and her oxygen tanks, waited 3 separate times for a phones to come in the mail and not one came and never any record of the order or the "ticket" numbers I was given, her Tribal documents were never returned from one of the visit to the store when she was asked to prove she is Native American, and if I ever here another person say, "I am so sorry, ma'am, but don't worry. I will take care of this" so help me, my brain will explode!! Besides, not once has anything been taken care of, mom still has no phone and I have wasted so many hours on this. I am so bewildered by the incompetence and the neglectful nature AT&T has portrayed for the last month. I make sure my mom gets to make a call on my cell every week, but it's not the same. AT&T took away the last bit of independence she has left.  I keep trying to get her added to my account, but they only offer 2 phones, and neither are worth the cost plus one is the same phone that started this agonizing struggle. I paid for 2 other phones from outside resources, called AT&T and made sure they were compatible and 4g/5g, but when I tried to activate, they weren't supported by AT&T. I have decided after 20+ years with them (since the Alltel days) that I will switch to Verizon, I mean, at least the apps and websites function properly. I am truly saddened by the whole situation.  IS there no humanity left? No compassion? No need ability to perform quality service or go off script and try something better?? 

I am also haunted by the notion that this is a pure form of discrimination! The poor are not worthy of decent products or quality customer service, the elderly and/or disabled don't even have a seat at the table anymore, and racism is constant and deliberate still.  I am a nobody in this world, I live in one of the smallest towns in America and I like the quiet life. I would just like AT&T to extend an olive branch.... just simply try to rectify this! Give up something to return my faith in humanity!  If not, I feel I have no choice than to seek justice for the little people. I will take to every platform, every civil rights forum and the law if I need be.  We are not asking for much, it was a tiny, free phone and it somehow has taken so much! My mom has me and my siblings to help her and take care of her but think about that lonely person with no one. 

How is this ok? Does anyone listen??

ACE - Sage

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116.6K Messages

2 years ago

this is primarily a customer populated forum. All of the extra personal information was unnecessary. Just the facts.


The young man gave you instructions to activate the SIM card correct? A Sim card is just a piece of cardboard and metal until it’s activated with your mothers phone number. There are online instructions on how to do that.

https://www.att.com/prepaid/activations/#/activate.html


what is offered for free through the lifeline program is sub $100 phones.  Flip phones are very limited, they don’t sell.  You’ll find that’s true on most carriers.  The 3G shut off has limited what is available for basic phones to just what the service provider sells. You cannot buy your own flip phone and expect it will be compatible 

New Member

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3 Messages

2 years ago

Didn’t ask for a critique, I want my post to have some real human emotion because these situations cause real human emotions.  
Do you think what you posted was useful?  You did not answer answer anything. I think it was more than obvious the phone was 3g and that a SIM card was not the resolution. My question. why did they send it in the first place??? Why doesn’t anyone want to help?  And unless you have an answer to the questions I did ask, do not reply. I don’t need any further robotic answers.

The need to prove you have useless facts about useless products will win no applaud. 

ACE - Sage

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116.6K Messages

2 years ago

The Cingular flip 4 is an LTE phone. 

Either the phone or the SIM card stopped functioning correctly.  The cingular flip for is a cheap phone. There might be a certain amount of failure rate with that particular phone.  A replacement could have been mailed for both phone and SIM. 

Assuming it was a sim card problem , A replacement SIM card could have been activated with the web link provided.

Does the sob story matter?  Only to you. 

Even if you left all that out, the fact that you have a phone that doesn't work, and a SIM card that you didn't know how to activate, and didn't get a replacement phone or a replacement SIM card that did function is all that matters. If the long story made a difference,  might it have made the phone or the SIM card just work for you? or the line shorter? or the distance you had to travel to get to the store less of a drive?  No.  As you stated you like living where you live.  Take advantage of the fact that service providers do ship to your home address, but then you have to activate SIM cards yourself using the online website. 

Business does not operate on feelings.  It operates on products and services that either work or don't.  If they don't then you try a different business which offers different products and services.

I'm sure by Tuesday you will get somebody from ATT help to respond. They will probably advise you to private message, or go back to the store (because they're not going to read your long story about how far it is) 

ACE - Expert

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27.6K Messages

2 years ago

Just in case that you were UNAWARE, this is a CUSTOMER POPULATED message board and NOT a way to communicate with AT&T.  As @formerlyknownas mentioned, @ATTHelp might offer some help but that is not guaranteed.

Your snarky reply does nothing to garner any sympathy, if that was your objective.  Just because you don't like the answer offered does not mean the answer is wrong.  *smdh*

(edited)

New Member

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3 Messages

2 years ago

You two do not read or pay attention! Not once did I say I didn’t know how to activate a SIM card, not once did I say we asked for the phone.  I’ve read many comments on here of very distraught folks that have had their feelings shook.  You both might be stone cold, brilliant business men. And that is awesome for you, is this fun to poke at people that are already weakened?  I might be upset and I most definitely do love my simple town life, but do not assume for one second that I am uneducated, sheltered and/or weak! I will try every angle to find my answers. 
IF, there was an exchange or a transaction between AT&T and my mother than that would be a business deal and we should shut up and take what we deserve. HOWEVER, this was not that case! My mom signed a contract with Lifeline, AT&T has a contract with LifeLine, my mother did not ask for the phone or pay that phone.  AT&T has an obligation to LifeLine and LifeLine’s enrolled members provide them with one active phone plus service OR internet service per household! I smell a breach of contract! 
NOW, I, on the other hand, have had service with them that date backs to the old black Nokia Mobira. For the last 3 days, I have tried to add a line and make this a real business deal, and I still cannot get anything accomplished! So, I am going to be heard, whether you two “emotionless, savvy,  business experts” like it or not.  You are only helping my comment feed and proving how folks like my mom should “stay in the corner and be quiet”…..I’m not staying quiet! Proving the lack of humanity this world lacks. What do you have to gain here? Why are you offended that I am upset? Food for thought…. 

ACE - Sage

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116.6K Messages

2 years ago

You two do not read or pay attention! Not once did I say I didn’t know how to activate a SIM card

That's unfortunate, as it would have been useful information.  Were we suppose to guess?

is this fun to poke at people

Neither of us did so.  We disseminated facts, apparently with nowhere near enough information from you.

My mom signed a contract with Lifeline, AT&T has a contract with LifeLine, my mother did not ask for the phone or pay that phone.

There are no contracts.  No carrier has contracts anymore.   And there's certainly no contract for free service or a free phone under lifeline (government paid service)

stay in the corner and be quiet”…..I’m not staying quiet!

Um, didn't say that either.

I did write that you can order a phone, and sim and have it mailed, (and add a new line to your account for your mother) . The only hitch is that in order to move your mother's prepaid Lifeline service onto your AT&T account you have to get her Lifeline account number and security PIN code. AT&T cannot move her line without that information. 

If her Lifeline account is considered AT&T prepaid, and I honestly do not know how that works, it may be considered a migration which can only be done in a corporate store.  Hopefully not.

I will continue not to address your feelings. No one can tell you how to feel, no one can tell me how to respond to those feelings. They are irrelevant to the situation that you are in. Feelings will not make the phone work, or the SIM card work. They will not make the line at AT&T stores shorter or the distance to the AT&T store any closer.

The only one who seems to be offended is yourself.   

(edited)

ACE - Expert

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27.6K Messages

2 years ago

You both might be stone cold, brilliant business men.

ACE - Guru

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1.2K Messages

2 years ago

@NeedHumanityBack 

Is humanity lost?

From what I've seen for the past 6 years, it sure seems like it.

But I've got a whole mess of reasons I can look at for that, and unfortunately, AT&T is way down that list.

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