Phones, Redux
Sun 26 September 2010
Parking my phone number has been the peskiest chore.
I spent a lot of time this week trying to remain an AT&T customer. I thought I could move my number to a Go Phone. I've been satisfied enough with AT&T, and figured it would be smoother to transfer within one vendor than switch.
Not so. Because I'm already an AT&T customer and breaking my iPhone contract, I'm not allowed to assign this number to a prepaid phone. "Suspending" my service, costs almost as much as tossing my phone in a drawer for ten months.
Now I'm a Verizon customer. They parked my number on their 1 year/$100 prepaid plan, and I already own a compatible phone and charger. I'll still be able to use the minutes when I return. I'm in. No hard feelings, AT&T. I'm not getting what I need from our relationship any more.
The lesson of all this: next time, start early and confirm everything up to the point of moving the number. I suspect my situation is unusual and unprofitable, and AT&T wasn't prepared for it.
It's ridiculous to have spent so much time on phones when I spend so little time talking on them.