Cingular Activation Issues

I'm a few weeks away from being able to renew my Cingular contract and
get a new phone. The problem is that I got the initial contract while
living in El Paso, Texas, and am now in Northern Michigan. Cingular
doesn't offer new service in the area where I'm living now, but I want
to keep my Cingular service and keep my number.

The last time I went through the renewal process it was a big hassle as
the folks at Cingular said that my new phone could only be activated on
a Cingular tower in the area code/"service area"/"zone" where I had
originally purchased my service.

So I ended up having to have the phone shipped to a former employer who
did the phone activation and then shipped it to me ready to go. I don't
have that option this year and am wondering if anyone has any
suggestions? There was alot of conflicting information from the
Cingular CS reps when I went through this before about whether or not I
did actually have to activate the phone in the original "service
area/zone", or if it just had to be on a Cingular tower. The thing
that makes me wonder is that when I punched in the zip-code for the guy
who did the activation for me (he actually lived near Odessa, TX which
is aprox. 300 miles from El Paso) , it said they offered no service
there either, and its actually in a different Area code (even though it
could still be in the same Cingular "service area/zone"). So I'm not
sure if they know what they're talking about. Would it be possible for
me to drive down to an area where I know they have a Cingular tower,
like Detroit, and do the activation there?

Thanks.


--
Chickenrider
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chickenrider's Profile: http://cellphoneforums.net/member.ph...&userid=152226
View this thread: http://cellphoneforums.net/t238601

Just order the new phone and pull the SIM card out of the old phone and
place in the new phone. Your new phone will be activated since the
service is tied to the SIM card and not the phone. I'm assuming that
you are on GSM service. You can also buy a NEW unlocked phone from
ebay and not extend your contract w/o the hassle of Cingular CS or
Sales.

Chickenrider wrote:
> I'm a few weeks away from being able to renew my Cingular contract and
> get a new phone. The problem is that I got the initial contract while
> living in El Paso, Texas, and am now in Northern Michigan. Cingular
> doesn't offer new service in the area where I'm living now, but I want
> to keep my Cingular service and keep my number.
>
> The last time I went through the renewal process it was a big hassle as
> the folks at Cingular said that my new phone could only be activated on
> a Cingular tower in the area code/"service area"/"zone" where I had
> originally purchased my service.
>
> So I ended up having to have the phone shipped to a former employer who
> did the phone activation and then shipped it to me ready to go. I don't
> have that option this year and am wondering if anyone has any
> suggestions? There was alot of conflicting information from the
> Cingular CS reps when I went through this before about whether or not I
> did actually have to activate the phone in the original "service
> area/zone", or if it just had to be on a Cingular tower. The thing
> that makes me wonder is that when I punched in the zip-code for the guy
> who did the activation for me (he actually lived near Odessa, TX which
> is aprox. 300 miles from El Paso) , it said they offered no service
> there either, and its actually in a different Area code (even though it
> could still be in the same Cingular "service area/zone"). So I'm not
> sure if they know what they're talking about. Would it be possible for
> me to drive down to an area where I know they have a Cingular tower,
> like Detroit, and do the activation there?
>
> Thanks.
>
>
> --
> Chickenrider
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Chickenrider's Profile: http://cellphoneforums.net/member.ph...&userid=152226
> View this thread: http://cellphoneforums.net/t238601

Chickenrider <Chickenrider.2ino0a@nospam.cellphoneforums.net> wrote:

> I'm a few weeks away from being able to renew my Cingular contract and
> get a new phone. The problem is that I got the initial contract while
> living in El Paso, Texas, and am now in Northern Michigan. Cingular
> doesn't offer new service in the area where I'm living now, but I want
> to keep my Cingular service and keep my number.

I have the same situation.

> The last time I went through the renewal process it was a big hassle as
> the folks at Cingular said that my new phone could only be activated on
> a Cingular tower in the area code/"service area"/"zone" where I had
> originally purchased my service.

Maybe not the same situation. I can't order a phone via the web, and some
popup appeared the other day when I was looking at something on
Cingular.com that said my zip code was no good, but I had no problem
getting a new phone at the closest Cingular store and adding it to my
account. The activated phone number was not the same area code as the
store, but parts of that area code might have been considered the same
service area.

Is there a Cingular store nearby? You can get a new phone, and then just
swap in your old SIM, if you have GSM, or get a new phone, and then call to
have the number changed to the old number, which is what I did in the
pre-GSM days.

If your old phone is GSM, you could buy an unlocked phone from some source
and put your SIM in it. That would cost some money, but avoid the contract.

Or, you could move to whatever carrier is appropriate for the area that you
are now in. It sounds like you want to keep your El Paso number. I don't
know if you can port a phone number to a new carrier if it is out of the
area that the carrier normally serves.

I have aimlessly wandered along as various cell companies have been bought
out, which is how I wound up with Cingular, which never would have been my
choice. I think on the next contract expiration, I will go with the local
boys, now Verizon, because they have better local coverage. I'll probably
keep the same number, though, as I've had it for years.

--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley Lake, CA, USA GPS: 38.8,-122.5

At 13 Dec 2006 17:47:41 +0000 dold@60.usenet.us.com wrote:

> Or, you could move to whatever carrier is appropriate for the area that
you
> are now in. It sounds like you want to keep your El Paso number. I
don't
> know if you can port a phone number to a new carrier if it is out of the
> area that the carrier normally serves.

It should be possible IF the new carrier also serves El Paso. I've lived
in Denver for three years, but ported a business line of mine based in
Kansas City to one of my T-Mobile phones back in April.

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