Only a few panels today but I rather like them.

I got an iPhone 4S from my mom (her old one because she got a 5C a while back) over the weekend. Of course, she got it as part of an AT&T contract (though she owned the phone outright by the end which is why she still had it). I use Verizon. So, the quest to see if I could replace my old, battered generic smart phone with this older but still much better iPhone began.

For those of you outside the US, you need to understand that cellular companies do NOT want you to switch carriers and do everything in their power to make sure you do not. We have some laws to help but...

Anyway, I've heard every excuse today. From "you can't switch an AT&T phone to Verizon", which isn't true because there are laws now that allow you to take your phone to any carrier you want (and Apple sells the phones without specific carrier imprints) to "the AT&T version of the iPhone 4S uses an antenna which can't communicate with the Verizon network" (which is, as far as I can tell through research, false because the 4S was the first Apple phone that was physically the same across all carrier models - it, in fact has two antenna, one for each network type).

Finally, I got someone at Verizon proper to admit that all I should HAVE to do is install a new SIM card for Verizon and flash the software so it uses the Verizon software which optimizes the phone for their carrier network.

So, I went to a nearby store, told them that and they said "Oh, no. The AT&T 4S can't communicate with our network and I know that since I've been in this business for 20 years..." I walked out of the store.

I'll try another one later.

So, what's your cell phone horror story? Share!

eldestdawn (Guest) (2015-07-07)


AT&T workers are idiots. My mom went to the AT&T store to get a sim card for my nephew's phone as a favor to my sister (his old phone was stolen so the backup needed a sim card). She mentioned my phone number in passing to ask a question about the data plan and they ended up putting MY phone number on the sim card instead. To top it off the sim card it was put on was the small one and my phone takes the big one. Then when we finally were able to get to the store we had to wait 20 min to get assistance since there were only 2 employees in the store and both were busy with customers. I was unable to use my phone for the entire day because of this (at the time I was helping my other sister move so couldn't just drop everything to go get it sorted out).

Jim Ourada (Guest) (2015-07-07)


Sounds like need a different carrier.
Sprint, T-mobile will be deliriously happy to help you. They are both cheaper than ATT or Verizon.

I use Consumer Cellular, which is a lot cheaper. They support the iphone seriers now. Seems to work pretty well, though coverage in remote areas has yet to be tested. I do not expect issues with voice anyway.

Worth a look. Very easy to deal with, unlike Verizon.

Drakanor Dream (Guest) (2015-07-08)


And up here in Canada there are kiosks in every store whose main job is to 'break' the phone so that people can get them to be usable on all networks. Those kiosks have a backup of selling Cellphone cases though XD

Lukkai (Guest) (2015-07-08)


Truly, the only horror story I could tell from Switzerland is the prices they used to charge. But that has gotten better over the years. It's still quite expensive, mind you. But better than it was.

About that store you mentioned though. These times I wouldn't leave it with walking out and never going back. I'd also use mouth to mouth propaganda to share the story. And see if the store is mentioned in some network with the possibility to leave reviews. Even if it's on Google Maps or something Then put in a negative review with the exact specs of what they did wrong.

Drakanor Dream (Guest) (2015-07-09)