[Mackie]

Hey, i hope that someone here can help me out. I'm a little confused.
My wife & I had AT&T service. As you likely know AT&T was bought by Cingular.
Last night my riding shorts ended up in the washing machine with my phone still in the pocket! :mumble: :mumble: :mumble:
Anyway, I call Cingular about buying a new phone, and they tell me that we both will have to replace phones & change our plan. Oh, and my number may not transfer.
I don't want to do that if i don't have to.
So here's the question. Can I just buy another model of my same phone from Ebay and just plop in the SIM card? Will that work?
An I buy any model of my phone, or does it have to be one that specifies AT&T compatible?

Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[Spitfired]

Local Number Portability - I think they're required by law to let you keep your number.
Anyway, Cingular is on the GSM network, I believe, so just make sure you get a GSM phone. Your SIM card is just a little Secure Digital memory stick and I think it has everything, including your phonebook, on it. You should be able to plop it into any GSM phone and be all set. T-Mobile is on GSM aswell, so their phones should work for you too.

 

[BigMike]

Theoretically it will work, but if you put it through the wash, you may have trashed the SIM card too

 

[pixelninja]

Local Number Portability - I think they're required by law to let you keep your number.

Yeah, I think they're feeding you a bunch of bull. Here's a link to LNP on the FCC site:

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/NumberPortability/

I don't even understand why you need to re-up your service. Don't you already have a contract?

If I were you, I'd simly go to the closest Cingular authorized retailer (I'm sure there's one in a mall near you) and act dumb and say you simply need a new phone. If the pimple-faced kid behind the counter gives you grief, get in his face and start spouting off facts off the FCC site. Tell them if they can't figure out how to keep your number current, then you're damn well sure that Verison would be happy to take you as a customer...with your current number.

 

[Toshi]

the bit about both of you needing to replace your phones is bunk, as is renewing the contract. go on eBay and buy an UNLOCKED gsm phone, slip your sim in, and you're back in business.

 

[Mackie]

Thanks all y'all. That's kind of what I figured - that they were yanking my chain, but I wanted to check first.
I'll be trotting down to the Cingular store later today.

 

[stinkyboy]

Thanks all y'all. That's kind of what I figured - that they were yanking my chain, but I wanted to check first.
I'll be trotting down to the Cingular store later today.

Get drunk first and make veiled threats. It works for me...

 

[beestiboy]

ok here is this thing with cingular...i got a new phone and plan about 1.5 yr ago through AT & P last september im getting ready for a business trip and call now cingular to find out about charges and ask why my voicemail just quit working. THey tell me that my current plan is archaic and needs to be revised, forget the fact that the phone at the time was only 8 months old as was the plan. So they snookered me into another plan that extended my contract till this september. Hello Verizon, Cingular has substandard service and is using the merger to try and pull this crap that they tried with you. THey did it to my parents and my brother. I will never use them again if i can help it. Frigging criminals. if you have a choice find a different carrier, if they are telling you you need to upgrade phones and numbers it sounds like you contract is no longer valid or you are on a month to month setup