Youch.

Tags: AT&T, Geekery

I'm hearing all sorts of rumours about AT&T causing iPhone woes. This does not really surprise me. All mobile companies are evil and generally hate their customers. But AT&T... they take the hate to full-on-rage. And, as the saying goes: AT&T's not unhappy until you're unhappy.

While the Apple part of the iPhone experience has been widely reported as typical Apple goodness, The AT&T experience has been widely reported as typical AT&T bullshit. Uninformed store clerks. Uninformed telephone support staff. Forced bundling at retail (ie: You MUST buy accessories or you cannot buy an iPhone). Price gouging of wireless plans. You get the idea.

Then there's the heinous delay in activation and porting of numbers. Again, the rumours are swirling. AT&T systems were down for 12 hours on Saturday. AT&T porting center office was closed on Saturday and Sunday. Other carriers are "slow to release" old numbers, etc. I'm not sure why anyone expected it to go smooth. Afterall, why would a telegraph company be able to deal with this kind of high technology? (That second 'T' in AT&T stands for Telegraph)

Both Engadget and Gizmodo have articles on the activation woes. And apparently, less than half of readers polled by Engadget have had a pleasant, Apple-like experience with their service and activation:

Don't worry, friends. If you're still having activation problems, I've got some hints and tips for you. Get your order number from iTunes and let your fingers do the walking:

• First of all, the iPhone activation hotline is +1 (877) 800 3701. Don't call that number. You're likely to be on hold for a VERY long time before anyone ever answers. And they won't tell you anything except to "Keep waiting."
• 
  
• To check the status of the transfer of a phone number using the automated system, call +1 (888) 898 7685 punch in the number you're waiting on. It'll tell you in almost plain English where your number is in the transfer process.
• 
  
• AT&T's got a semi-secret 1-Ring-to-Answer customer service number. That number is +1 (877) 419 4500. They're very friendly. But not hugely informative.
• 
  
• The mother-lode is the Synchronos Center. These are the people that know what's going on. Has your old carrier released the number? Has the activation hit the network? Has there been some snafu along the way? They know it all. +1 (877) 800 3701. Then hit option 3.

Trust me. That synchronos center is THE BOMB. Like, seriously. My source tells me he waited on hold for 30 minutes. Got someone on the phone. Told her he was waiting over 36 hours for some activations... BAM! Done.

Tags: Apple, Next New Networks, Cell Phones, AT&T, iPhone Activation, iPhone