Store says, "I won't sell you an 8525"

[rhysiez]

Ok so my Cingular store says at first "we don't have any in stock" then says "I won't sell you one till i sell all of my 8125's" then says "we won't be sent any till I sell all of my 8125s"

Every time I questioned his response, he changed his answer. Does cingular do this to sell out there stock, or was this guy just being a ****, he wasn't my usual rep who hooks me up, so I was thinking maybe I should just go back another time. I guess I understand the reasoning, but I would think it would be smarter for them to just be allowed to blow them out through eBay and sell the new hot phone. Otherwise you are forcing customers who want to buy from you to go elsewhere, soon eBay will get my money and not a corporate store.

Any input from employees current or former?

[FallN]

Your experience doesn't shock me. They have a nasty habit of "holding" stock for people signing new contracts only because THEY MAKE MORE COMMISSION off of it. Even a current Cingular customer that wants to REUP their contract gets turned away becaue they want to hold stock for the customer that make the REP the most money. That's shady and needs to stop!

I suggest you report the rep to the manager and report the store to Cingular's district office then buy the phone at another store that doesn't blow smoke up your a$$, order it online or over the phone.

Good luck.

[asdrew]

Ask a different rep or try a different store.
That's the problem with lying, it's too hard to remember what you said! The truth doesn't change, lies do.

[jsmcguir]

Your experience doesn't shock me. They have a nasty habit of "holding" stock for people signing new contracts only because THEY MAKE MORE COMMISSION off of it. Even a current Cingular customer that wants to REUP their contract gets turned away becaue they want to hold stock for the customer that make the REP the most money. That's shady and needs to stop!

cant speak for the authorized dealers, but at corp stores, not anymore. payout is the same for new customers or upgrades.

[Mesto]

Report that Associate to a supervisor!

[mindflayer]

I was told by the guy who sold me mine that they are being told not to sell unless upgrade or new customer due to availability.

[mentalcase]

Btw i make as much on an upgrade as i do a new. If your upgrading or new ill sell you an 8525. If you just want it for full retail no way jose.

[tkdlove]

yeah and that is our choice not the customers. we are looking out for the company too! Cingular does not profit on selling devices at retail.

[zreon]

Well that is total BS. So people who have been with cingular for 5+ years or whatever amount of time are no allowed to buy a phone because the REPS don't make a commission?

It sounds like ebay from now on for me.

BTW...I work for UPS so what if you came in to ship something out and I said all I can do is send it the most expensive way? Does that sound correct to you? Of course it doesn't, but its my choice not the customers right?

[wesmills]

Btw i make as much on an upgrade as i do a new. If your upgrading or new ill sell you an 8525. If you just want it for full retail no way jose.

Then, for your sake (depending on state), I sincerely hope you have blacked out or otherwise do not display a retail price for the device. Failure to sell a product at an advertised price if it is in stock and the customer otherwise meets the requirements of purchase (for "full retail price," the requirements, at least in Texas, consist of alive and present) is false advertising. (Texas Business & Commerce Code, Ch. 17, Secs. 12 and 46, as amended)

I guess I've never really had a problem getting what I'm after from Cingular, but it drives me up a wall to read statements like this by alleged employees. Granted, Cingular doesn't go out of their way to make it easy on the employees or the customers, but why even put a phone on display with the idea that "any ol' person" can pay full price and walk out with one?

[mbranscum]

Ok so my Cingular store says at first "we don't have any in stock" then says "I won't sell you one till i sell all of my 8125's" then says "we won't be sent any till I sell all of my 8125s"

Every time I questioned his response, he changed his answer. Does cingular do this to sell out there stock, or was this guy just being a ****, he wasn't my usual rep who hooks me up, so I was thinking maybe I should just go back another time. I guess I understand the reasoning, but I would think it would be smarter for them to just be allowed to blow them out through eBay and sell the new hot phone. Otherwise you are forcing customers who want to buy from you to go elsewhere, soon eBay will get my money and not a corporate store.

Any input from employees current or former?

Big question: Is this a corporate store?

[Sh0t]

Seems like it's smart on their behalf.

They're trying to get their paper. Good for them.

Pay full price overseas.

[Leland915]

It it is anything like some of the corporate store were i am it is not the rep that has made the decision, my manager has told us that there are 2 8525's in the back but they are only for new lines. I think its a bad policy, we get paid the same on both however a new line is more important to them than an upgrade. The rep what probably just trying to do what his manager had told him to.

[ilvla2]

however a new line is more important to them than an upgrade.

What's wrong with business (ESPECIALLY Cellular companies) today, current customers and loyalty mean little

[FallN]

If Cingular reps make the same amount on upgrades as they do with new customers then why are they not willing to sell the phone to a current customer?!?

I agree with Wesmills that it is indeed false advertising. They clearly list the phone as "No contract price" right there in plain sight! A Cingular customer should be able to walk in, ask to buy the phone, if in stock, pay for it and walk out with it! That's it. Why the bullshazbutt and lying to the customer? Obviously there is a "tier system" internally in Cingular that says "new customers are more valuable than renewing ones so let's screw the renewing ones out of the phones and horde the phones for the new customers".

Scenario: You just got mugged. The hoods stole your wallet, your cell phone and everything else on your person. You, as a current Cingular customer rush down to the store after filing a police report to buy a new phone and get a new SIM... Oh, but they refuse to sell you any phones because you're not a new customer! They don't care what reason you need to buy the phone or which phone you want to buy. You're not a new customer? Hell, then you walk out with an activated SIM card and NO PHONE! Tough cookies. But they were "nice enough" to point you in the direction of eBay or Walmart to buy a prepaid kit! Now, I dare you to tell me that's okay. "Oh, but they don't make money off of selling you a new phone at retail", you said, right? So it's okay for them to turn you away empty handed even in a situation like that, right?

My point simply is, if they start picking and choosing which Cingular customers they sell phones to, there's nothing stopping them from not selling you a phone even in a situation like the above. Reps aren't the Phone Gods. (Sounding more like Phone Nazis to me.) They are there to SERVE THE CUSTOMER! Or lest you forget who pays both your and Cingular's bills.