Samsung Galaxy S3 Not Receiving Calls - Phone issue or Android issue?

The only reliable way I have of making the messages come through is texting the old Google Search number (466453) every time I think a text message might have gotten lost in limbo. I'm pretty much screwed on calls though. I don't think AT&T has any idea how unbelievably frustrating it is to be told there's nothing they can do when your phone stops working reliably as a PHONE. The thing it was designed and built to be. I've literally been through 4 different SIMs, 3 different phones, 2 models, 1 CS manager, and countless CSRs. It's clearly not an Android issue, as my brother has the same issue (if less frequently) on his iPhone 5. That leaves one common denominator. If there was another carrier with similar pricing and coverage, I'd be jumping ship. As it is, it's pretty much pick one or the other. T-mobile and sprint are relatively cheap, but their coverage is terrible. Verizon has as good of coverage, if not better, but you pay a substantial amount more for it. So I'm stuck. I'm sick of having to text Google to see if I missed an important call from work or just a text in the middle of a conversation. As someone said earlier, almost 150,000 people have looked at this thread. Fix this problem, AT&T, or do SOMETHING to make it better. Bill credits are not enough.

Text messages aren't the issue. It's the missed calls, the lack of missed call notification, and the lack of voicemail notification for 3-4 hours. 

This is inexcusable. 

The US Uniform Commercial Code has a 'fitness of purpose act'  that states simply that anything purchased to perform a function should do just that. 

If a phone misses calls due to 'technical difficulties' which are slowly, if at all, being addressed, can it actually be classified as a phone? 

Or is it a glorified game playing device that receives calls when the planets are aligned just right? 

All I know is that my contract binds me nicely....

It should equally bind AT&T to provide the services for which they're being paid under the terms of the same contract.

If they can't, and knew that fact beforehand, it's not just a breach, but a fraudulent situation that the FCC and FTC need to be made aware of. 

Anyone experiencing this situation is advised to expend any energy needed..... 

(continued)  to bring enough pressure either via email, social media, or face to face conversation of this issue if it effects you. 

It doesn't effect all customers, but some might well be who are just passing it off as a one time situation, or were discouraged by the punch list diagnostics of first and second tier CSRs: people - unwilling to go through all of it again when it's not the phone, but the network itself, causing the problem. 

We need solutions, not lip service answers. We're tired of paying for services misrepresented and undelivered under a contract which binds us but offers little recourse when the services for which we are paying are not delivered as contracted with no firm solution forthcoming within a reasonable time frame. 

Purely bad faith dealing going on here.... 

Sorry to make it sound like a tirade, but all facts are laid out clearly, succinctly, and logically. 

We've been dealing with this since May and have spent untold hours on the phone to get to this point, which, oddly, is the same point at which we started. 

Hours wasted and no resolution in sight.... No concrete answers forthcoming. 

Just spending hundreds of $$ per month for services that are incapable of being rendered as per our contract. 

Frustrated?  Absolutely 

Feeling cheated and lied to?  Without the most microscopic doubt! 

Giving up?  Not on your life! 

Suggest that everyone else hold AT&T's feet to the fire on this until an equitable solution is found and implemented. 

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@Danvee wrote:

Text messages aren't the issue. It's the missed calls, the lack of missed call notification, and the lack of voicemail notification for 3-4 hours. 

This is inexcusable. 

The US Uniform Commercial Code has a 'fitness of purpose act'  that states simply that anything purchased to perform a function should do just that. 

If a phone misses calls due to 'technical difficulties' which are slowly, if at all, being addressed, can it actually be classified as a phone? 

Or is it a glorified game playing device that receives calls when the planets are aligned just right? 

All I know is that my contract binds me nicely....

It should equally bind AT&T to provide the services for which they're being paid under the terms of the same contract.

If they can't, and knew that fact beforehand, it's not just a breach, but a fraudulent situation that the FCC and FTC need to be made aware of. 

Anyone experiencing this situation is advised to expend any energy needed..... 

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Sorry, didn't mean to make it sound like texting was the only thing I was concerned about. I'm affected by the missed calls as well, I just don't receive calls as often as I do texts. Sending a text out to anyone will work; you just need to do something to get your phone to connect to the voice side of the network. About 10% of the time I text Google, I get at least one voicemail notification that comes through with any missed texts as well. I just filed a complaint with the FCC, and hope to hear something back soon.

If the multitudes of those effected by this made themselves known to the regulating agencies AT&T would have no choice but to fix it and compensate those parties for the breach. 

I for one have to keep my old Verizon phone active and carry 2 phones with me so I can be assured that I can receive a call. Everyone knows to call the second # if the first one goes straight to vm. 

Would be nice if AT&T's network were as reliable as Verizon. 

Again, noting that I'm in the NYC metro area.... 

Wow. Was I surprised to find the multitudes of people who are having the same issue I am.

My issue- that I know of only consists of missed texts. But, that being said, how do you know you arent getting calls unless someone contacts you on an alternative number to tell you??

I started using Samsung S3 3 weeks ago and for the past week or so, my wife said I'm not answering her texts. I've had her sitting next to me and watched her send some texts and nothing.   Im not sayinging they show up in a few minutes/hours/days, I'm saying that the texts dont show up AT ALL. EVER.

I can't say anything about phone calls. How do you know you aren't getting calls, unless someone calls to tell you.

I have no one on a blocked list.  I am currently doing a software update that I found in my settings menu.

I'm going to try the solution posted a few posts back if the update doesnt work.

To be frank, I need my phone for business. Texts from my wife are nice to get, but my main concern is losing business from people who think I dont answer their calls.  It's costing me my reputation and a great deal of money.

Please Help.

Network: Birmingham, AL. 

I just tried this fix, and it didnt work.  (sorry)

Thanks for the attempted fix.

Hello everybody!

If you're having calling and/or texting issues with your phones, please make sure to let us know here, we'll do everything we can to fix them and report those issues to appropriate channels. Please include your name, phone number, current OS version, IMEI number, your location (City, State) and the best time you can be reached.

Thank you,

Dmitriy