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murphey

murphey

Touchdown! Greaser!
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murphey
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I was trying to transfer carriers on my cell phone, leaving AT&T. It was cancelled, not transferred, and now I've spent 3 hours and 6 different people trying to get it straightened out. I want my phone number back. A number I've had for over 30 years. Let's not talk about how many people have that number, but what the number is. It ends in 7700. Obviously I want to keep that number.

$%^&O*%&$#*&&^&#)#??#!!

Fortunately I have a landline to deal with this. But it's still taken over 3 hours and this is not what was on my schedule for today.
 
murphey said:
obscenity
invective
profanity
more invectives, in multiple languages.

I was trying to transfer carriers on my cell phone, leaving AT&T. It was cancelled, not transferred, and now I've spent 3 hours and 6 different people trying to get it straightened out. I want my phone number back. A number I've had for over 30 years. Let's not talk about how many people have that number, but what the number is. It ends in 7700. Obviously I want to keep that number.

$%^&O*%&$#*&&^&#)#??#!!

Fortunately I have a landline to deal with this. But it's still taken over 3 hours and this is not what was on my schedule for today.
Click to expand...
I'm sorry to hear this. Anything, and I do mean ANYTHING involving AT&T will be 5x more painful than it needs to be. Minimum.
 
Sorry man!

Was contemplating doing this myself. Now having second thoughts!

Funny how we can be ruled by a seven digit number...
 
I feel your pain. Boost mobile can smoke a turd in hell.
 
I confess my first thought was that it would seem appropriate if they gave you xxx-xxx-7500 instead.

but I'm hoping you get it resolved correctly.
 
My baseline mood elevated three stages after I’d submitted my last ever ATT payment.
Stopped the psychoactive drugs.
Discontinued the counseling.
 
I spent a total of 8 hours on calls, a visit to Verizon, and 3 visits to AT&T store before I was able to transfer my number. In this day and age, not sure why that’s so hard. Maybe security reasons, I dunno.
 
It seems like the cell phone number is the new social security number.
 
Sac Arrow said:
It seems like the cell phone number is the new social security number.
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Yes, and it’s a security risk.

I absolutely cannot understand why consumers accept the “MFA” policies that require you to give a seller your personal info, including your cell #. It’s a hacker’s paradise.
 
AT&T can be very difficult to deal with,unless your a new member requesting service,have had AT&T for years and I find the only way to successfully deal with them is to go in person to a local AT&T store.
 
I'm not going to blame the victim here, but when 'porting' to a new carrier, it's done thusly:

Contact the NEW carrier and establish a service with them, tell them on initial contact you will be "porting" an existing phone number from another carrier. They will ask for the number to be ported. Make absolutely positively sure they have that existing number. It will go into 'suspension' during the transfer process, so that it cannot be released by anyone except the existing carrier to the new carrier.

After the new service is established you MAY get a temp number assigned to your existing phone IMEI. If you are getting a new phone, it will have a carrier supplied number already assigned. The new carrier will wait until you contact the OLD carrier, and upon initial contact tell them you are 'porting' your existing number to a new carrier. They are required by fed law to complete the process in less than 24 hours. Typically it will only take 20-40 minutes. The old carrier cannot refuse to port the number to the new carrier, even if you owe the old carrier money.
 
StraightnLevel said:
Yes, and it’s a security risk.

I absolutely cannot understand why consumers accept the “MFA” policies that require you to give a seller your personal info, including your cell #. It’s a hacker’s paradise.
Click to expand...
I was in a Sam's Club the other day. The cute young girl asked me for my email address. I told her I don't do email and don't have an email address.

She looked at me and said, ''Really.??''

I told her, ''I am old and did not grow up on email''.

She just smiled, flipped her pony tail and said, 'Oh...Ok''. :lol:
 
frfly172 said:
AT&T can be very difficult to deal with,unless your a new member requesting service,have had AT&T for years and I find the only way to successfully deal with them is to go in person to a local AT&T store.
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That's the mistake I made. I always go to the local office (not one of the "franchises") but people were scheduled to work on the house and the dog wasn't doing well yesterday so I needed to stay home.

I refuse to provide cell # unless I think it's relevant. One of the few remaining seafood restaurants in the area that now require your cell # for the wait list even while you are physically standing there! I don't carry my cell with me unless there's a good reason, and having a meal is definitely not one of them. So it's unlikely I'll ever eat there again because they have no other options.

My standard comment these days when asked ..."Please cite the state or federal law that requires me to carry a cell phone." The reactions are fascinating.
 
I went through exactly this after my phone went tango uniform...

 
Barrett50 said:
I'm not going to blame the victim here, but when 'porting' to a new carrier, it's done thusly:

Contact the NEW carrier and establish a service with them, tell them on initial contact you will be "porting" an existing phone number from another carrier. They will ask for the number to be ported. Make absolutely positively sure they have that existing number. It will go into 'suspension' during the transfer process, so that it cannot be released by anyone except the existing carrier to the new carrier.

After the new service is established you MAY get a temp number assigned to your existing phone IMEI. If you are getting a new phone, it will have a carrier supplied number already assigned. The new carrier will wait until you contact the OLD carrier, and upon initial contact tell them you are 'porting' your existing number to a new carrier. They are required by fed law to complete the process in less than 24 hours. Typically it will only take 20-40 minutes. The old carrier cannot refuse to port the number to the new carrier, even if you owe the old carrier money.
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Barrett - this is excellent directions for the uninitiated except....I've worked for a phone company in the past and am intimately familiar with the process. By the way, from the technical side it's "porting" but when dealing with CSRs, it's "transfer my number". The number and almost everything was successfully completed in a matter of minutes except ... I only have emergency service on the new carrier. Both sides (the new carrier and ATT) are baffled why this is happening. It's been escalated up the chain on both sides.

Welcome to POA and please don't make assumptions.

Worst part - It's getting cold at night around here and I can't turn on the engine heater from home (Switcheon). Add to this I haven't activated the cell on the new iPad mini7 so I can't use that yet, either.
 
StraightnLevel said:
Yes, and it’s a security risk.

I absolutely cannot understand why consumers accept the “MFA” policies that require you to give a seller your personal info, including your cell #. It’s a hacker’s paradise.
Click to expand...
It's not just the commercial market. I had the displeasure of renewing my DL last week. I went in person to the DL office and filled out the form. Which had BOTH SSN and cell phone required information. I filled out neither. When my time came at the desk, they told me to fill them out. I asked how a non-citizen, with no SSN and no phone number can be given a DL in my state? I know for a fact that many have them. She wanted to argue with me, and asked if I have an SSN and a cell phone. I replied that I have both, but I'm not giving them to the state for the purpose of operating a motor vehicle. she got exasperated as I'm sure she's faced this again and said I needed to fill out a special form for no SSN or cell phone, for people who are not citizens. I told her I am a citizen, and I have both a passport and my birth cert, but you still can't demand my SSN and cell phone. She finally admitted that they cannot deny me a DL, but still wanted both on the form. I refused, and just sat there silent, until she completed the process and took my cash.
murphey said:
Barrett - this is excellent directions for the uninitiated except....I've worked for a phone company in the past and am intimately familiar with the process. By the way, from the technical side it's "porting" but when dealing with CSRs, it's "transfer my number". The number and almost everything was successfully completed in a matter of minutes except ... I only have emergency service on the new carrier. Both sides (the new carrier and ATT) are baffled why this is happening. It's been escalated up the chain on both sides.

Welcome to POA and please don't make assumptions.

Worst part - It's getting cold at night around here and I can't turn on the engine heater from home (Switcheon). Add to this I haven't activated the cell on the new iPad mini7 so I can't use that yet, either.
Click to expand...

No assumption here, just that you said you were leaving ATT, and got cancelled. That's all. BTW, it doesn't matter what the old/new carrier CSR calls it, it's what is in the fed law on phone transfers. And - they specifically use the term "porting". As an ex-phone employee, maybe you already know this?

www.fcc.gov

Porting: Keeping Your Phone Number When You Change Providers

If you're switching service providers and remaining in the same geographic area, you can keep your existing phone number. This process – often referred to as phone number porting – can be done between wireline, IP and wireless providers.
www.fcc.gov www.fcc.gov

So, if the CSR doesn't know what porting is, you could teach them. I was never a phone co employee. I worked in network design, architecture and support for a while. Thx for the welcome.:cheerswine:

edit; That's weird, I don't know why all the other posts are in my quote? I might be doing something wrong on reply.
 
Zeldman said:
I was in a Sam's Club the other day. The cute young girl asked me for my email address. I told her I don't do email and don't have an email address.

She looked at me and said, ''Really.??''

I told her, ''I am old and did not grow up on email''.

She just smiled, flipped her pony tail and said, 'Oh...Ok''.
Click to expand...
As part of my work, I create proofs that require approval.
One guy wanted his proof sent by e-mail. After a long pause he explained that he has several that he NEVER checks, because he gives it out to people like @Zeldman encountered at Sam's Club.
Great idea!
 
murphey said:
Barrett - this is excellent directions for the uninitiated except....I've worked for a phone company in the past and am intimately familiar with the process. By the way, from the technical side it's "porting" but when dealing with CSRs, it's "transfer my number". The number and almost everything was successfully completed in a matter of minutes except ... I only have emergency service on the new carrier. Both sides (the new carrier and ATT) are baffled why this is happening. It's been escalated up the chain on both sides.

Welcome to POA and please don't make assumptions.

Worst part - It's getting cold at night around here and I can't turn on the engine heater from home (Switcheon). Add to this I haven't activated the cell on the new iPad mini7 so I can't use that yet, either.
Click to expand...

kc4wsd said:
As part of my work, I create proofs that require approval.
One guy wanted his proof sent by e-mail. After a long pause he explained that he has several that he NEVER checks, because he gives it out to people like @Zeldman encountered at Sam's Club.
Great idea!
Click to expand...
In my intro to computer science, I teach the students about anonymous emails and encrypted emails. I have them set up PGP and send me an email encrypted with my public key, and I respond using their public key. Makes for a great classroom project where all I have to do is watch - the university pays me to be entertained!
 
StraightnLevel said:
Yes, and it’s a security risk.

I absolutely cannot understand why consumers accept the “MFA” policies that require you to give a seller your personal info, including your cell #. It’s a hacker’s paradise.
Click to expand...
It seemed reasonably secure to me, until I saw this today:


Fascinating, but scary how easily they were able to intercept phone calls, text messages, etc without the real user ever knowing.
 
It's gotten to the point that everyone needs a minimum of two avenues (two phone numbers, two emails, two addresses). One to give out when you don't care and a second as a secret. Which phone does my bank have? Not the one I just gave you. Same for email.
 
Unfortunately, for years I had three different phones. Not a humble-brag. Corp assigned phone for work exclusive, phone for my rentals(didn't always carry or answer) and personal. Three carriers too, just to make it extra goofy. The rental phone was one of the pay-per-month and not associated to me in any way. The MFA types got that number. Lucky I'm retired, turned in my corp phone, and gave my rental phone to my son, now he gets all the crap calls/texts from tenants and others.

Chase bank is maybe the worst. I do a lot of cash trans and Chase always wants to send me a text. Now, when I go in the branch, the asst bank ofc goes behind the teller counter automatically because she knows she will need to override the MFA req. She's nice about it, but I know it makes her mad, she just hides it from me.
 
2-Bit Speed said:
It's gotten to the point that everyone needs a minimum of two avenues (two phone numbers, two emails, two addresses). One to give out when you don't care and a second as a secret. Which phone does my bank have?
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Our old home phone line eventually became our spam catcher. We were protective of our cell numbers, the home number was always the one we gave out to people or businesses that we didn’t necessarily want to hear from. For awhile we’d look at caller ID when a call came in. Later on we’d just let everything go to voicemail, but listen in if we were near the machine. Eventually we stopped doing that, but would listen to messages every few days…then once a week…then once a month…and eventually we just stopped playing them at all. We debated if it was worth paying for a land line whose ONLY function was to be a spam catcher, but we did keep it right up till the time of our cross-country move this year

Once moved, we considered getting a land line as spam catcher, but ultimately decided to just keep giving out our old home number. A disconnected line is the ultimate spam catcher
 
I used to believe ATT had the absolute worst Customer Service Reps.

But... last week I got back from two weeks in Europe and using a Euro eSIM on my phone there. I couldn't switch back to my US eSIM so in desperation I called ATT. To my everlasting thankfulness, the Rep I got was absolutely fantastic. He walked me thru the whole process, verified everything was working, Messages, phone line, data, whatever. Absolutely the finest service! Then I later had a problem with ATT Internet. Immediately, I reverted to my previous opinion on $%&%% ATT Customer Service.:rolleyes:
 
GaryM said:
Our old home phone line eventually became our spam catcher. We were protective of our cell numbers, the home number was always the one we gave out to people or businesses that we didn’t necessarily want to hear from. For awhile we’d look at caller ID when a call came in. Later on we’d just let everything go to voicemail, but listen in if we were near the machine. Eventually we stopped doing that, but would listen to messages every few days…then once a week…then once a month…and eventually we just stopped playing them at all. We debated if it was worth paying for a land line whose ONLY function was to be a spam catcher, but we did keep it right up till the time of our cross-country move this year

Once moved, we considered getting a land line as spam catcher, but ultimately decided to just keep giving out our old home number. A disconnected line is the ultimate spam catcher
Click to expand...
Great fun for whomever got that number I suppose.
 
GaryM said:
Our old home phone line eventually became our spam catcher. We were protective of our cell numbers, the home number was always the one we gave out to people or businesses that we didn’t necessarily want to hear from. For awhile we’d look at caller ID when a call came in. Later on we’d just let everything go to voicemail, but listen in if we were near the machine. Eventually we stopped doing that, but would listen to messages every few days…then once a week…then once a month…and eventually we just stopped playing them at all. We debated if it was worth paying for a land line whose ONLY function was to be a spam catcher, but we did keep it right up till the time of our cross-country move this year

Once moved, we considered getting a land line as spam catcher, but ultimately decided to just keep giving out our old home number. A disconnected line is the ultimate spam catcher
Click to expand...
I used to give out the phone number of someone I don't like.

I used to use the phone number of the Kotzubue, AK Police Station, but they are part time now so I give out the phone number to the company I used to work for.

As for email, I never check email. I tell those who send email to me to text me and tell me they sent me an email.
 
I haven't had too much trouble with AT&T and I've been with them ever since I got a phone except before they broke up the Bells. We have an AT&T store locally and if we have a problem we just go there. We haven't had too many problems.
 
Zeldman said:
I used to give out the phone number of someone I don't like.

I used to use the phone number of the Kotzubue, AK Police Station, but they are part time now so I give out the phone number to the company I used to work for.

As for email, I never check email. I tell those who send email to me to text me and tell me they sent me an email.
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I do that with my address. I wouldn't do it with an old house address, I'm not that po'd at anyone who lives at houses I used to live at. It's a PMB, private mail box. Cuts down on junk mail. Junk mail to me that is. I am po'd at the Mr. Post Office place where I had that PMB.
 
Phone number? Sure. Area Code + 555-1212. Young cashiers won't know that is a generic "information" phone number.
 
Reminds me of an incident I had a few years ago. I had an extra cell line I didn't need and happened to be right by one of their physical stores- a real store mind you not just a mall kiosk or something like that. They couldn't do anything and told me I had to call the 800 number. I can think of several reasons why that probably was the case but it's also absolutely ridiculous.

We pay these companies an awful lot of money to have them make us jump through hoops to take care of simple things... and you think fine just switch carriers but they're all pretty similar. The competition just doesn't seem to be there.
 
cowman said:
Reminds me of an incident I had a few years ago. I had an extra cell line I didn't need and happened to be right by one of their physical stores- a real store mind you not just a mall kiosk or something like that. They couldn't do anything and told me I had to call the 800 number. I can think of several reasons why that probably was the case but it's also absolutely ridiculous.

We pay these companies an awful lot of money to have them make us jump through hoops to take care of simple things... and you think fine just switch carriers but they're all pretty similar. The competition just doesn't seem to be there.
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Actually, the competition IS there, and it has resulted in a race to the bottom. The vast majority of consumers buy cell service plans based on the monthly service price, so the carriers deliver the lowest possible price…which carries the lowest possible level of service along for the ride.

It’s not really very different from airline seating. Spirit and Ryan exist because of the success of price-focused aggregators like Priceline and Orbitz.
 
Beachy said:
Phone number? Sure. Area Code + 555-1212. Young cashiers won't know that is a generic "information" phone number.
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When store clerks ask, I always just say it's unlisted, and they accept that.

Doesn't mean it's unlisted in the global sense, only that it is unlisted with them. And will remain so.
 
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