I called my current carrier today (T-Mobile) to get more information about canceling my contract in order to switch over to AT&T to get the iPhone. Upon hearing my reason for switching, the CSR immediately took on a tone of worry and concern.
She asked if I was aware that AT&T was going to charge a monthly fee to use the iPod feature of the iPhone. No, I said.. I've not heard such a thing from any source. She said, indeed, this is the case, and T-Mobile is happy to offer several music phones without a fee levied to use the music player.
I questioned the reliability of this statement immediately, of course. It had the stench of corporate misinformation all over it.
The CSR then happily offered to unlock my iPhone once I bought it and use it with T-Mobile as my carrier. Again, I haven't heard of anything even remotely concrete from either Apple or AT&T on this issue, and I highly doubt such a high-profile phone locked in a five-year corporate exclusivity agreement could be unlocked and ported so early and so easily.
I asked how her, as a T-Mobile CSR, had more information on the iPhone than AT&T, Apple, and the plethora of online users who have been keeping tabs on the device for the past six months.
A small chuckle and a nonchalant gesture about being "in-the-know" as a CSR in a competitive technology market was her reply.
I had enough at that. I called Apple and AT&T, both of whom confirmed that the iPod feature of the iPhone was not to be locked in any way whatsoever, and no monthly fee would be required to use it as a music player. Only the standard 99 cent charge per song through the iTunes store would be required, of course.
Additionally, neither Apple nor AT&T supported T-Mobile's claim of being able to unlock the iPhone after purchase.
It doesn't surprise me that such disinformation is starting to spread, but it does disappoint me. I've never had a more sour CSR experience with T-Mobile.
Has anyone else encountered such corporate tactics with their carrier's customer service in a desperate attempt to keep customers?
She asked if I was aware that AT&T was going to charge a monthly fee to use the iPod feature of the iPhone. No, I said.. I've not heard such a thing from any source. She said, indeed, this is the case, and T-Mobile is happy to offer several music phones without a fee levied to use the music player.
I questioned the reliability of this statement immediately, of course. It had the stench of corporate misinformation all over it.
The CSR then happily offered to unlock my iPhone once I bought it and use it with T-Mobile as my carrier. Again, I haven't heard of anything even remotely concrete from either Apple or AT&T on this issue, and I highly doubt such a high-profile phone locked in a five-year corporate exclusivity agreement could be unlocked and ported so early and so easily.
I asked how her, as a T-Mobile CSR, had more information on the iPhone than AT&T, Apple, and the plethora of online users who have been keeping tabs on the device for the past six months.
A small chuckle and a nonchalant gesture about being "in-the-know" as a CSR in a competitive technology market was her reply.
I had enough at that. I called Apple and AT&T, both of whom confirmed that the iPod feature of the iPhone was not to be locked in any way whatsoever, and no monthly fee would be required to use it as a music player. Only the standard 99 cent charge per song through the iTunes store would be required, of course.
Additionally, neither Apple nor AT&T supported T-Mobile's claim of being able to unlock the iPhone after purchase.
It doesn't surprise me that such disinformation is starting to spread, but it does disappoint me. I've never had a more sour CSR experience with T-Mobile.
Has anyone else encountered such corporate tactics with their carrier's customer service in a desperate attempt to keep customers?
