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That Cingular Feeling

Cingular Complaint Becomes Music Video

By Mark Huffman
ConsumerAffairs.com

May 7, 2007
There are some customers, like Justin Callaway, you just shouldn't kiss off. Justin encountered a little-publicized problem with Cingular mobile phones and didn't get any help, or even any interest -- from Cingular.

It seems that Cingular (now AT&T) phones emit an RF (Radio Frequency) interference just before they ring. If it happens when the phone is near speakers or other sensitive electronic equipment, and the volume is turned up, the equipment can get fried.

That’s what happened, in the summer of 2006, to Justin, who said the interference from his Cingular phone blew out one of his computer speakers, valued at $100.

His speakers were turned up because he is a video editor, and needed to be able to monitor low level audio. His video – part performance art and part consumer complaint – tells the story of his encounter with Cingular in parody and song.

“I decided to investigate the issue for a radio documentary I was doing for a course I was taking at the New School,” Callaway told ConsumerAffairs.com. “While doing the documentary I interviewed a number of Cingular customers who had experienced similar problems.”

Callaway went to several Cingular retail outlets in New Jersey, where he lives, to see what employees knew about the problem. He was referred to customer service and given a toll free number to call. The personnel, he said, were polite and friendly, and seemed to be aware of the problem. But no, he wasn’t going to be reimbursed for his blown speaker.

The radio documentary morphed into the music video, completed for the international Media in Transition 5 conference at MIT, as an independent project for his M.A. at the New School in Media Studies. He even launched a parody Web site that pokes fun at the mobile phone giant.

Why would Callaway – a young father and busy working student – go to so much time and effort over a $100 blown speaker? The issue, he says, isn’t so much his particular loss, but how a big company should treat consumers.

“Maybe, if they were a little more forthcoming and informed their customers about the issue, there would be less property damage,” he said. “I’m happy to take responsibility for my actions when adequately informed of the risk.”

Callaway says no one from Cingular has contacted him about his performance art complaint, and he doesn’t really expect them to. But, he says, the day is fast approaching when big companies will wake up and realize they can’t ignore customer complaints.

“This is an exciting time for consumers. More than any other time there are outlets like ConsumerAffairs.com, where they can share, hear and respond to other consumer's stories,” Callaway said.

Companies aren't happy that consumers have their own voice, as demonstrated by the increasing number of lawsuits against consumers and consumer sites.

“As such channels of interactive information become more established, brands can no longer control the message but only hope to add to the conversation. Savvy businesses recognize this and will act in good faith. Those companies who choose to disregard legitimate consumer grievances and offer no attempt to remedy known issues do so at a disservice to their own brand.”

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