Complaint Review: Cingular Wireless / AT&T - Yorba Linda California

This is in regards to the Cingular Wireless store located at 18452 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, CA 92886.If you're thinking about doing business with them, better think again.

We purchased a new Audi Q7 for my wife. Audi has the MMI System which has bluetooth Yorba Linda Cingular store carried several phones that would pair, so we switched carriers.

Big mistake!

My wife and I went in and purchased two Sony Erickson phones, two car chargers and initiated our phone plans. The manager seemed nice enough at the point of sale. We took the phones home, charged them that evening and began using them the next day. Immediately, we discovered that the cell phone reception was horrible. We could not make or receive calls from either our home or places of business (nursing homes) - three different locations in Yorba Linda - without the calls being suddenly dropped or having lots of static on the line. We were missing lots of incoming calls as well - both business and personal.

We returned to the store thinking there may be some kind of software upgrade which would address the poor reception troubles but found we were basically out of luck. We were told that (and I quote) "Yorba Linda is a tough area for reception. AT&T is aware of this and is working on installing new towers in the area which should fix the problem."Needing reliable phone service, we decided to switch back to Verizon.

We spoke with the Cingluar manager and he said it would be no problem (to cancel) as we were still within the 30 day buyers remorse cancelation period. (So far, so good.)

We returned the phones and canceled our service on May 29th, 2007. I couldn't find one of the car chargers (retail value, $29) but did return it the very next day (May 30th, 2007 - still within the 30 Day Cancelation Period).

The manager told us we would be receiving a refund for the two phones and the activation fees as well. He said we would receive the refund check ($548.86) within two weeks.

The two weeks passed with no refund check. I waited one more week then went in to see the manager. He told me that the owner was "aware of the situation" (???).

How did this become a "situation"? He assured me that I would be getting the refund very soon.

A few more weeks passed with no refund. I visited the store again, this time speaking to a female employee who seemed very concerned that I hadn't received the refund. She took down all of the information and assured me she'd "look into it" and would get back to me.

Another week rolled by and I had neither received the refund check, or heard back from the female employee. I decided it was time to take it "above their heads".

I contacted the AT&T corporate offices and spoke to a manager. She said she would look into it. Another week rolled by and she never called back.

Again I called AT&T corporate, this time speaking to another manager. He looked into my account, agreed that I was due a refund and said he'd take care of it. Another week rolled by and he never called back.

(Third time, the charm?)

I contacted AT&T corporate one more time. This time I spoke to a manager by the name of ****. She apologized up and down - both for AT&T's corporate managers lack of response, and for the Yorba Linda Cingular store not sending my refund check. She checked my account and agreed that I was owed $548.86. She told me she would contact the local (North Orange County) District Manager and ask him to see that I got the refund. Over the course of the next week I received three phone calls from ****. She provided excellent communication, updating me on the status of the refund.

** She mentioned that AT&T Corporate has received "several complaints" from individuals who were also having problems with this Yorba Linda Cingular store. She told me that AT&T had put this store on a "Watch List" and that they would be monitoring the store from now on.

I was instructed to go to the store on August 24th (almost three months after we canceled service) to pick up the refund check. I arrived at the store at 10:00 a.m. (per instructions) - only to find the check wasn't there. The District Manager, ****, was in the store and he made a phone call (I'm assuming to the store owner) shortly after I arrived.

I waited about half an hour for the check to be driven in. No big deal.

What was a big deal, though, were the comments made and the attitudes given by both the store manager and the District Manager when the check arrived. Finding out the check was in the amount of $548.86, the manager proclaimed, "That's too much. There's no way your refund should be that much! The District Manager seemed to agree. I thought this was strange for two reasons:

1. The District Manager was in communication with **** at AT&T corporate and thus knew the exact amount of the refund check, and

2. The store owner wrote the check for that amount and drove it into the store.

The District Manager, ****, picked up the phone and made a call to (I'm assuming) the store owner. He proceeded to discuss the possibility that the amount of the check was wrong.

At this point I told them that I'm sick of their crap and that I was about ready to sue.

I picked up the phone and called **** at ATT&T corporate, filling her in on what was happening in the store. She told me that is ridiculous and asked to speak to the District Manager. I told the District Manager that **** from corporate wants to speak with you, but the District Manager just ignored me, continuing to talk to someone about the check amount. Once again, I said ***** wants to talk with you" (this time shoving the phone toward his face). He took the phone, listened, and became very quiet. I'm not sure what she was saying to him, but whatever it was must have been pretty good. He handed the phone back to me.

When I took the phone back I received one of the nicest, most sincere apologies I've ever heard from **** at AT&T corporate. She reminded me that the store was on a "Watch List" and said she was extremely sorry for everything I'd endured to get my refund.

I deposited the check in the bank. Haven't checked yet if it cleared, but I imagine so. If I find otherwise, I'll post an UPDATE for everyone to see.

Knowing that I was not the only customer who had real issues with this store, I would strongly recommend not doing business with this Yorba Linda outfit. This store (and Cingular in general - do a search for "Cingular Sucks" on Google) has shown disregard for customer service, often bordering on fraud.

AT&T needs to better address customer service issues. It would have been nice if AT&T corporate could have cut me the check, then gone after the store for reimbursement.

Todd

Yorba Linda, California

U.S.A.

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