Not as accurate as i thought considering voting was done by CR's readers only. However I hate Nextel so i enjoyed the read.




- Problems with your cell phone? You're not alone.

A new survey by Consumer Reports magazine found nearly 70 percent of frequent wireless phone users reported at least one dropped call in the previous week. And nearly 60 percent had a bad connection.

In addition, most of the monthly's readers had problems shopping for another wireless phone service, or were disappointed when they contacted their carrier with a question -- despite industry claims that they are giving consumers ever bigger buckets of minutes for their money.

"There is a hole in the bucket,'' said Jim Guest, president of Consumers Union, the consumer watchdog group that publishes Consumer Reports. "What is missing is basic, reliable service.''

The magazine, which conducted a random survey of 39,000 online subscribers in 17 cities this fall, said readers were less than satisfied with their cell phone service, putting cell phone firms on par with much- derided cable TV providers and health maintenance organizations.

Cingular Wireless, the country's largest wireless provider, dismissed the findings, noting that Consumer Reports has always been critical of the mobile phone industry.

"The fact is, wireless prices have dropped over the years, innovation has soared, and more than 170 million Americans make wireless a vital part of their lives,'' Cingular spokeswoman Lauren Garner said.

In addition, an industry trade association pointed to a separate survey by J.D. Power and Associates, which found that customer satisfaction improved significantly last year. J.D. Power, however, also said satisfaction had mostly "fluctuated in a downward trend" since it began studying the industry in 1995.

Regardless, Verizon Communications, the largest mobile phone provider in California, finished No. 1 in the Consumer Reports survey both nationwide and in the Bay Area for the third consecutive year. Locally, the magazine surveyed readers in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties.

"Verizon topped the ratings,'' Guest said, but "it wasn't problem-free. It simply had fewer problems than other carriers."

Locally, Cingular Wireless and Sprint both finished a distant second to Verizon. Consumer Reports found both companies had "middling" levels of consumer satisfaction nationwide.

And AT&T, which was recently gobbled up Cingular, finished last in the Bay Area survey. Local AT&T subscribers reported static, overloaded networks and dead zones where no service was available at all. The rating marks a sharp drop from last year's survey, when AT&T finished second to Verizon. AT&T also performed dismally nationwide, the consumer magazine said.

Consumer Reports said it did not receive enough responses from local subscribers to rate several of the smaller carriers in the Bay area, including T-Mobile, Nextel and Metro PCS.

Nationally, though, T-Mobile finished second to Verizon. "Usually a solid choice," the magazine wrote. "High but not consistent in customer satisfaction. "

That's consistent with the J.D. Power report, which found that Verizon and T-Mobile had the highest customer satisfaction in the western United States of any major mobile phone carrier.

By contrast, Consumer Reports slammed Nextel for "low levels of customer satisfaction" across the country, including spotty coverage in four cities. Sprint inked a $35 billion pact to buy Nextel last month, though the deal is not expected to be completed until late this year.

Nextel spokeswoman Audrey Schaefer, however, pointed out that it had a lower turnover rate than other carriers. "Our customers vote with their dollars and their feet,'' she said.

Verizon, on the other hand, crowed about its No. 1 rating. "We value these types of rankings, since they're the result of direct customer feedback, '' spokeswoman Barbara Curl said.

Sprint did not dispute the findings, but said the company is continuing to invest in its network and improve its customer service. "We have higher aspirations to be No. 1," spokeswoman Caroline Semerdjian said.

Cingular, however, said the survey was misleading. For one thing, it pointed out that the survey was completed before Cingular and AT&T Wireless combined their operations. "This is an extremely significant development that has improved coverage for consumers,'' said Garner, the company spokeswoman.

She also pointed out that the survey included only subscribers to Consumer Reports' Web site, rather than a full cross-section of U.S. phone users.

"These sorts of self-selecting surveys do not necessarily represent the general population, as CR itself concedes,'' Garner said.

Consumer Reports' Mark Kotkin conceded that the publication surveyed only its readers, but Kotkin said he did not see any reason why its subscribers would report different levels of dropped calls from other wireless subscribers.

Magazine officials also said they were skeptical that AT&T and Cingular's service would improve as a result of the merger, noting that both companies had a reputation for lackluster service and busy networks.

"We don't see how merging two companies with overloaded circuits is going to solve the problem,'' Guest said.

 

We were told not to use it in our sales pitch or get any type of articles to show to customers...

but it is kinda nice...

 

way overrated

 

 

 

I've been with Verizon for years, but I just wish they would have a larger selection of phones! I want something kickass, but the v710 and the coming-soon LG 8000 isnt really getting me excited. I want something with a full keyboard like the a630

 

att did suck with tdma

 

agree with RISE. verizon phones suck outta any other carrier

 

holy year old thread