866-246-7344

(Photo: walkerspace)

Why number portability, when the app at the center of the investigation was about far more than that? Because the "telephony experience" has changed so much in recent years that preserving consumer independence involves more than just protecting a phone number—now it extends to things like determining how you route calls to that number, or what level of information you display to specific recipients, and so on.

Dave Rosenberg, a CNET blogger who wrote about this theory, points out that whether it's behind the FCC's investigation or not it's going to be an increasingly important issue for consumers:

For users to ultimately be in control of their telephony experience and to encourage the next wave of telephony innovation, the concept of portability will need to extend beyond just numbers to the telephony user experience.

"Apple, Google Voice, and number portability" [CNET News]
(Photo: mightyohm)

Be sure to read our Ultimate Consumerist Guide to Fighting Back, a go-to handbook for the dissatisfied consumer. Once you've decided to go the executive customer service right, be sure you read this first so you know what to say when you call the corporate avatar of your choice.

The Consumerist Executive Customer Service Index

ACS
Adelphia
Air Tran
Alamo
Alaska Airlines
Allegiant
Aloha
Amazon
America West
American Airlines
American Express
Amtrak
Apple
ATA
AT&T
AT&T Wireless
Bank of America
Barnes and Noble
Bell Canada
Best Buy
Blizzard
Blockbuster
Blogger
Bloomingdales
Blue Cross/Blue Shield
British Airways
Borders
Busey Bank
Buy.com
Cablevision
Charter Communications
Chase
Circuit City
Citibank
Comcast
Continental
cox
Delta
Direc-TV
Discover Card
Dish
Disney
Ebay
Enterprise
Equifax
Experian
Fedex
Frontier Airlines
Fry's
Gamefly
Geek Squad
Georgia Power
Helio
Home Depot
Humana
HSBC
IKEA
ING Direct
Insight
Keybank
Lenovo
Loew's
Macy's
Microsoft (and Xbox)
Midwest Airlines
Motorola
National City
Nicors
Northwest Airlines
Norton
Office Depot
Office Max
Orbitz
Paypal
Pitney Bowes
Qwest
RCN
Regions Bank
Register.com
Ryan Air
Samsung
Seagate
Sears
Sirius
Skybus
Sony Ericcson
Spirit Airlines
Sprint
Sports Authority
Staples
Symantec
T-mobile
Target
Time Warner Cable
TransUnion
Uhaul
United Airlines
United Health Care
UNUM Life Insurance
UPS
US Airways
US Cellular
Verizon landline/DSL/Fios
Verizon Wireless
Vonage
Wachovia
Walmart
Washington Mutual
Wells Fargo

In the event you can't find the info you are looking for here, you can scan our backlog of contact info, or use Google to uncover the addresses yourself. In the event you find something we don't have, feel free to share at tips@consumerist.com.

Researched by Alex Jarvis
Last updated: 11/07/2008

(Photo: jetsetpress)

(Photo: Brendoman)

(Photo: The Raw Feed)

RELATED: How To Rock Executive Customer Service
(Photo: CTIA Wireless)

(Photo: hyku)

At one point, a Cingular (now the new AT&T) rep, offered a refund, but it won't show up for two months.

Essentially Cingular (now the new AT&T) wants him to pay the $349.99, let them keep it as an interest-free loan, and then they say they'll refund that.

That's not good enough for Chris.

His complaint letter, and our advice (hint: it begins with the letter E), inside...

(Photo: feelingcingular)

Chri writes:

Let me give you an overview, and see if this is something you'd be interested to hear about:

In January or February, I experienced data issues with my Samsung Blackjack phone, and went through a variety of troubleshooting steps including resetting the phone, getting a new SIM card, and finally Cingular Customer Support suggested I exchange my phone under warranty. When I received the refurbished(!!) phone, I followed Cingular's instructions to apply the label, seal the box using included tape, and drop it in any USPS mailbox.

Fast forward a few months. By the second week of April, I began receiving harassing phone calls from a Cingular warranty logistics contractor claiming that they had not received the phone, that I need to send the phone back to them, and that if they didn't get the phone within a few days, I would be charged $349.99. Obviously, I was caught by surprise as I had sent the phone back ages ago. When I spoke with their contractor, they were rude and unhelpful, unable to tell me anything. When I contacted Cingular, I was told that they did receive the phone, but didn't have a tracking number. After many more hours of phone calls, on April 17th or so, I was assured that everything will be taken care of, and I should not have to worry. After all, I did my part, and if the phone is lost, it isn't my fault.

When I checked my bill on May 7th, I saw my bill was increased by $349.99. Obviously, the Cingular rep had either lied to me to get me off the phone, or just screwed up. I spoke with a helpful rep by the name of Melissa Brown (who works 10 hour shifts, and has 3 kids at home to support — she told me this while we were waiting for someone who could actually get things done) who tried to help me solve my issue. She determined that I was in fact charged, and spent almost an hour and a half trying to find the tracking number for my returned phone that comes up only as a '*' in their system. When she was unable to find the tracking number, she put me in touch with a gentleman by the name of Mike M. from the warranty exchange. Mike went through the entire 'are you sure you mailed the package' process with me, and finally determined that he is able to provide me with a credit — it would take up to two billing cycles from now! Until then, I was told, I would have to pay the entire $349.99, and have the
amount credited back to my bill at a later date. So, in effect, Cingular was asking me to provide them with an interest free loan for $349.99. Unacceptable. Melissa, the customer service rep claimed that she could put the disputed amount on a 'payment plan', so that nonpayment of that amount would not cause Cingular to terminate my service. I had spent over two hours at this point, and I felt this was the best that could be done. At that point, I thanked them, and we ended our conversation.

Today, May 8th, after all the lies and screw-ups I've witnessed with Cingular, I felt that I ought to check up on Cingular to see if I was in for a surprise. Of course, there was no surprises here. When I called in, a barely-intelligible rep told me that I was responsible for the entire $349.99 plus my monthly bill, and failure to pay that will result in late fees and suspension of service. I immediately asked for her supervisor. After approximately 30 minutes of waiting, her supervisor determined that yes, what I was told on May 8th (which was completely different from what I was told on May 7th or in April) by the latest rep is correct, but she would try to figure out a way to prevent that from happening. Unfortunately, it's incredibly busy, and she would have to call me back in 5 minutes. It's been over an hour, and I'm not expecting a call back any time soon.

Unfortunately, I got suckered into a contract with these jerks, and I can't leave under fear of EVEN MORE charges. I'm at my wit's end, and I don't know how to resolve this situation so I can go on with my life without fear of harassment from Cingular or their arbitrary bills. If they had told me that I would be harassed every few hours by Warranty Exchange to return a phone that I had already returned, and eventually charged for someone else's screwup, I would have told them to shove their broken phone, and cancel the contract with ETF and go with another provider who might possibly screw me over less.

So, Consumeristas, what can I do in this situation?

Thanks,

Christopher in NJ

Chris, all you gotta do is these three things: escalate, escalate, escalate! Get your issue into the hands of decision making people. Make noise! Squeaky wheel, meet grease!

1-404-236-6000 Corporate HQ. Try asking for Mr Sigman's office. (There's also the other management listed here)
How To Launch An Executive Email Carpet Bomb

SLEW OF CINGULAR CORPORATE CONTACTS

About 35 direct numbers to people's desk and cellphones in the corporate offices. For an up-to-date list, go to
http://cingular.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=contacts

Letters to Cingular can be addressed to:

Cingular Wireless
5565 Glenridge Connector
Atlanta, GA 30342
Main phone number: 404-236-6000

Media Relations Contacts
National Contacts

Media relations planning and strategy, principal company spokesperson
Mark Siegel
Executive Director Media Relations
404-236-6312 (office)
404-374-2799 (wireless)
Email: mark.a.siegel@cingular.com

Corporate initiatives, marketing, sports-oriented sponsorships
(To apply for sponsorships, please go to www.cingular.com/sponsorship. Please do not email or call about applying for sponsorships as funding decisions are not made by public relations)
Clay Owen
Senior Director Media Relations
404.236.6153 (office)
404.538.0124 (wireless)
Email: clay.owen@cingular.com

Public policy initiatives, regulatory and legislative issues
Rochelle Cohen
Senior Director Media Relations
202-419-3007 (office)
202-341-5967 (wireless)
Email: rochelle.cohen@cingular.com

Consumer offers, handset/product initiatives, youth programs,
sponsorships (non-sports related)
Jennifer Bowcock
Director Media Relations
404-236-6319 (office)
404-213-1204 (wireless)
Email: jennifer.bowcock@cingular.com

or

Kelleigh Scott Beal
Manager, Media Relations
404-236-6321 (office)
404-285-0172 (wireless)
Email: kelleigh.scott@cingular.com

Business-to-business initiatives, industry analyst program
John Kampfe
Director Media Relations
973-637-9387 (office)
908-432-3473 (wireless)
Email: john.kampfe@cingular.com

Technology and network initiatives, industry analyst program
Ritch Blasi
Director Media Relations
973-637-9449 (office)
908-512-1760 (wireless)
Email: ritch.blasi@cingular.com

Hispanic and Diversity Public Relations
Maria Schnabel
Director, Hispanic Public Relations
404-236-6432 (office)
404-401-7477 (wireless)
Email: maria.schnabel@cingular.com

Regional Contacts
Please refer to specific states

Northeast Media Contacts

Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington D.C.
Alexa Kaufman
Director Regional Public Relations
301-489-3610 (office)
301-742-0888 (wireless)
Email: alexa.kaufman@cingular.com

Delaware, Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York City
Ellen Webner
Director Regional Public Relations
973-637-9357 (office)
201-532-7292 (wireless)
Email: ellen.webner@cingular.com

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and Upstate New York
Kate MacKinnon
Director Regional Public Relations
781-690-5057 (office)
508-498-5547 (wireless)
kate.mackinnon@cingular.com

Northeast Regional Backup
Susan Ramsey
Director Regional Public Relations
973-637-9467 (office)
203-722-1145 (wireless)
Email: susan.ramsey@cingular.com

Southeast Media Contacts

Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi
Dawn Benton
Director, Regional Public Relations
404-236-5305 (office)
404-202-6335 (wireless)
Email: dawn.benton@cingular.com

Florida
Kelly Starling
Director, Regional Public Relations
561-775-4259 (office)
561-301-1414 (wireless)
Email: kelly.starling@cingular.com

Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina and South Carolina
Laurie Parker
Director, Regional Public Relations
615-221-3690 (office)
615-202-3463 (wireless)
Email: laurie.parker@cingular.com

Southeast Regional Back-up
Caroline Crowe
Director Regional Public Relations
678-867-4330 (office)
404-808-8254 (wireless)
Email: caroline.crowe@cingular.com

Central Media Contacts

Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska,
North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin
Chris Comes
Director Regional Public Relations
847-765-3602 (office)
312-282-0539 (wireless)
Email: chris.comes@cingular.com

Kansas, Ohio, Western Pennsylvania,
Indiana, Missouri, and Michigan
Tara Traycoff
Director, Regional Public Relations
314-543-6435 (phone)
314-809-6112 (wireless)
Email: tara.traycoff@cingular.com

Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas
Frank Merriman
Director Regional Public Relations
469.229.7613 (office)
214-538-3496 (wireless)
Email: frank.merriman@cingular.com

Central Region Backup
Meg Frainey
Director Regional Public Relations
469-229-7784 (office)
214-497-6072 (wireless)
Email: meg.frainey@cingular.com

West Media Contacts

Arizona, New Mexico, Northern California, and Reno
Lauren Garner
Director Regional Public Relations
Phone: 925-819-5362 (wireless)
Email: lauren.garner@cingular.com

Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming
Mike Broom
Director Regional Public Relations
425-580-7710 (office)
206-390-5993 (wireless)
Email: michael.broom@cingular.com

Greater Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Diego, and Hawaii
Art Navarro
Director Regional Public Relations
562-468-6520 (office)
949-300-1329 (wireless)
Email: art.navarro@cingular.com

West Regional Back-up
Mike Broom
Director Regional Public Relations
425-580-7710 (office)
206-390-5993 (wireless)
Email: michael.broom@cingular.com

— BEN POPKEN

Inside we've got a big ol' list of numbers For AT&T, Cingular, Nextel, T-Mobile, and All-Tel, lovingly lifted from The Consumer Advocates Blog.

AT&T (FORMERLY, CINGULAR) PHONE NUMBERS

Customer Care:

* 1-866-246-4852 Main Customer Care Number
* 1-800-331-0500 Main Customer Care Number
* 1-866-801-3600 After-Hours Tech Support (open 24/7 for orange customers)
* 1-800-888-7600 Blue TDMA
* 1-866-293-4634 Blue GSM
* 1-800-826-7356 Relocations
* 1-800-450-2005 Cingular migrations
* 1-866-490-2666 Data support
* 1-866-499-7888 Go Phone activations
* 1-866-852-8617 Young America rebate center
* 1-800-356-9752 Corporate liable accounts care / support
* 1-866-391-0749 Web order support
* 1-888-290-1338 Business End-user Care
* 1-877-201-9521 Business Customer Support
* 1-800-298-2158 Change of financial responsibility (blue)
* 1-800-447-1706 Transfer Of Service (Orange)
* 1-800-530-9476 Change of financial responsibility (blue)
* 1-866-228-9657 National service transfer TDMA (blue)
* 1-800-642-5383 National service transfer GSM (blue)
* 1-866-999-1166 Market Relocation/Moving
* 1-866-871-7485 Relocaci n de Mercado/Mudanza (Market Relocation - Spanish)

Local Number Portability (LNP)

* 1-888-898-7685 Porting Group
* 1-888-880-6914 Porting Group
* 1-800-241-0335 Porting Administration Group (blue)
* 1-800-243-6530 Local Number Portability Center (blue)

Insurance:

* 1-888-562-8662 LockLine
* 1-877-288-4678 Lockline

Phone Repair/Warranty Exchange (XBM):

* 1-866-636-5801 Phone Repair
* 1-800-801-1101 Warranty Exchange
* 1-877-746-9244 Warranty Exchange (blue)

Fraud

* 1-877-844-5584 Subscription fraud (orange)
* 1-800-221-7377 TDMA Subscription Fraud (blue)
* 1-866-228-9657 GSM Subscription Fraud (blue)

Prepaid Services

* 1-866-499-7888 Go Phone activations
* 1-800-361-1265 Free2go Prepaid care (blue)
* 1-800-530-9472 Pre-paid Activations (blue)

Billing/Payments

* 1-800-947-5096 Accounts receivable / payments (orange)
* 1-800-544-3859 Accounts receivable TDMA (blue)
* 1-866-626-9606 Accounts receivable GSM (blue)
* 1-800-874-9579 Recurring credit card billing (blue)

International Roaming Support:

* 1-800-335-4685 International Services (from within the US)
* 1-916-843-4685 International Services (from overseas)

Puerto Rico:

* 1-800-331-0500 Customer Service
* 1-787-397-5990 Prepaid Customer Service
* 1-787-399-2677 Corporate Customer Care
* 1-800-845-6059 Sales
* 1-787-398-2111 Corporate Sales

Virgin Islands:

* 1-340-690-5000 Corporate Customer Service
* 1-340-777-7777 St. Thomas Customer Service
* 1-340-690-1000 St. Croix Customer Service

Cingular Employees (internal - not for customers)
1-800-450-2005 Cingular's IT Support (CARE/Telegence/OPUS/Siebel)

Business:

* 1-888-444-4410 National Business Ordering (NBO)
* 1-800-999-5445 National Business Services (Telco Managers and Key Contacts Only)
* 1-888-290-1338 Business End-user Care
* 1-877-201-9521 Business Customer Support
* 1-866-429-7222 Business Sales
* 1-888-565-7329 Business Sales
* 1-800-304-3044 Cingular interactive (BB and MyBiz paging)
* 1-866-355-8923 Corporate Discount (FAN) Attachment

Corporate:

* 1-866-246-4827 Cingular HQ (Atlanta, GA)
* 1-800-356-9752 Corporate liable accounts care / support

Sales:

* 1-888-333-6651 Consumer Sales
* 1-888-447-7474 Accessory sales
* 1-866-429-7222 Business Sales
* 1-888-565-7329 Business Sales
* 1-888-290-4613 Cingular.com Sales
* 1-866-391-0749 Web Order Support
* 1-888-867-4384 Telesales Support

SPRINT PHONE NUMBERS

* Activations 1-888-715-4588 , 1-866-516-8519
* Business Department 1-877-812-1223
* Business Tech Support (Readylink, Aircards, Blackberry, etc.) 1-877-654-9111
* Customer Service with Hold Time 1-888-211-4727 , 1-888-788-4727 (Business Customers Only) , 1-877-909-4806
* Fraud Department 1-888-788-0788
* Internal Marketing Opt-Out 1-800-865-7786
* International Roaming 1-888-226-7212 , 1-877-785-8414 - Add International Roaming to your account
* Order Status for Phones and Accessories 1-800-480-4727, wait for the Spanish prompt to finish the press option 1, 3, 2
* Porting Department 1-877-688-1969
* Rebate Status 1-800-477-4127
* Sales 1-888-253-1315 , 1-866-727-2886 (Telematics TeleSales)
* Total Equipment Protection (Asurion) Handset Replacement Insurance 1-888-584-3666 Tower Department
For corporate-controlled tower issues 1-888-859-1400
* Vision/3G Wireless Web Support Department (Data Support) 1-866-588-9907 , 1-866-818-1944 (Tier 2)

Handset Numbers

* Customer Service - *2
* Bill Payment (Speedpay) - *3
* Airtime Usage - *4
* Sprint PreCash Payment System - #2274 (#CASH)
* Accessory Purchasing - #222
* Referral Credit System - #733 (#REF)
* American Airlines Flight Informaiton - #22 (#AA)
* Charles Schwab Direct - #724
* Western Union - #986

NEXTEL/NEXTEL PARTNERS PHONE NUMBERS

* Customer Service 1-800-639-6111
* Sales 1-800-639-8359

T-MOBILE PHONE NUMBERS

* Customer Service 1-800-937-8997
* Headquarters 1-800-318-9270 , 1-425-378-4000
* International Roaming 1-505-998-3792
* Prepaid Support 1-877-778-2106
* Sales 1-800-866-2453 , 1-888-537-4242 (Business)

VERIZON PHONE NUMBERS

* Customer Service 1-800-922-0204
* ESN Change 1-866-ESN-CHNG
* Insurance Claims 1-888-881-2622
* Number Porting 1-866-881-7165
* Returns 1-800-417-3849
* Sales 1-800-256-4646
* Web Orders 1-800-350-2830
* Business Support 1-866-294-1329

ALLTEL PHONE NUMBERS

* Customer Service 1-800-255-8351
* Business Support 1-888-428-2499

— BEN POPKEN

Cell Phone Company Phone Numbers [The Consumer Advocates Blog]