teleguy
Enthusiast
Apr 4, 2005, 11:07 AM
Post #1 of 1
(659 views)
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Not surprisingly, no wireless carrier has held a press conference yet to announce that complaints to the FCC in the industry AS A WHOLE are up 38% in 2004. This bit of bad news has met deafening silence.
Has cell service gotten that bad in one year? Or are we just becoming more likely to look to the government for a solution when we are frustrated? Is the government more likely to give us good service?
Sound off. What do you think?
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Cingular / AT&T Receive Most Complaints In 2004 Says FCC
Compiling FCC data in 2004, a Consumers Union report cited 29,478 wireless complaints received by the FCC, up nearly 38% from 2003. Billing problems were the most common, followed by number portability complaints, service quality, and contracts and marketing.
On the top of the list was the recently merged Cingular / AT&T Wireless with the most, at 289 complaints per 1 million customers. While receiving the fewest complaints was Verizon Wireless, at 76 per million. However, U.S. Cellular had the lowest number at 39 complaints per million.
The smaller regional carriers, such as ALLTEL and U.S. Cellular, had some of the lowest rates. But Cellular One was the second-worst rate for total complaints. ALLTEL announced plans to buy Cellular One.
"The staggering increase in complaints is further evidence that reform is needed in the wireless phone market so consumers can get a fair shake," said Consumers Union analyst Janee Briesemeister.
The results were based on 2004 surveys from subscribers of ConsumerReports.org. Accepting complaints, the FCC does not routinely publicize them by carrier. The Consumers Union filed a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain them.
Most Complaints On Billing:
1. Cingular / AT&T Wireless
2. Cellular One
3. T-Mobile
4. Sprint PCS
5. ALLTEL
6. Verizon Wireless
7. Nextel
8. U.S. Cellular
Most Complaints On Service:
1. Cingular / AT&T Wireless
2. T-Mobile
3. Nextel
4. Sprint PCS
5. ALLTEL
6. Cellular One
7. Verizon Wireless
8. U.S. Cellular
Most Complaints Overall:
1. Cingular / AT&T Wireless
2. Cellular One
3. T-Mobile
4. Sprint PCS
5. Nextel
6. ALLTEL
7. Verizon Wireless
8. U.S. Cellular
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