Rich's Tongfamily (Richtong.net add-on)

I bought a Cingular phone through Amazon and returned it. Beware if you are doing this!
The biggest warning to everyone is that returning this through Amazon is a true nightmare. If you read the fine print, Amazon will take it back, but you have to call Cingular immediately separately.
Here is what you have to make sure to do:
1. Make sure to get the UPS tracking number for the return package. That is the only link between Amazon and Cingular. Amazon doesn’t take any responsibility for the plan and if you don’t have that tracking number then they will say they think you still have the phone.
2. The phone activates the second that it ships so you are paying charges the whole time even if you never turn the phone on. So if you talk even one second on the phone, you are paying for at least a week of shipment time as well, so if you don’t like the phone don’t turn it on.
3. Cingular doesn’t know anything about Amazon as a reseller and Amazon doesn’t know anything about Cingular, so what you have to do is to call Cingular and have the UPS tracker for the package so when you return you can prove that you really did. Also, you’ll need to print out all the return web pages and fax it to Cingular to prove you really returned it.
4. It takes about an hour and a half, but if you are lucky like me, you can get it taken care of.