[NJ1193]

When I got my AT&T Passport, they looked at me really weird and said "We can't transfer anything from your old phone to your BlackBerry, just so you know". I said I didn't care because I already had my contacts backed up. I asked if they had any screen protector or case for it and they said, "We don't have anything for this phone." No initiative to try to look it up at other stores or anything. They seemed like they really didn't want to sell me the phone. And this was at an official AT&T retail store, not an authorized retailer. I did end up getting the Passport there, because my Q10 was broken and I needed a phone immediately. But still, not a very good experience.

Posted via CB10

[Raestloz]

Commission working its magic people! =))

That actually sounds worse than the guys in my area, at least they know what BlackBerry is and if they don't have it they don't have it, worst case here is you met a very bored guy that simply doesn't care

Your sales guys seem to be good target practice for wannabe priests

Z10STL100-1/10.3.1.2243

[anon(2313227)]

You can come here and we will help you. Based on your article you do lots of research so I highly doubt you will have issues and if you do this site will be more than sufficient to assist you. Where are you located OP?

[mikedolo]

Crackberry community or just Google your questions. Which will likely direct you to crackberry.com. That's how I found Crackberry and been using it ever since

[surgeon1919]

Buy the phone and don't let them talk you out of it! Just show the next know it all know nothing the review section. There are a lot of positive comments even from people who switched from other devices.

Device setup is a breeze. The phone walks you through it when you turn it on for the first time. Even at a later time, the setup process is straightforward.

They make much more commission on iPhone and Samsung phones.

He could have said try the HTC M9 or LG G3 which are also Android.

If I were you, I would make a complaint to their regional manager. The store manager won't do anything.

You shouldn't have to be treated like an ***** or like someone with a contagious virus because you mentioned the name BlackBerry.

Posted via CB10

[anon(2313227)]

I would send bb an email too and link this thread. or copy and paste into the email what you wrote. It was a long but interesting read.

[Madhuchandran]

Buy that Genius confidentially. You will most probably not need assistance which is readily available here.

Posted via CB10

[kraski]

BluePumpkinBerry, what you shared isn't really surprising. Think about it. The carriers are in the business of making money, just like every other business on the planet. Blackberry is not all that popular. So, every BB they inventory and every dollar they spend on employee BB training is an expense they very likely won't recover. You and I believe that putting the proper training and inventory in place can change that. But it's not our money.

Next, you now have untrained personnel who can only pass along what they think or what they've heard, only a percentage of which may have any reality (if any). It's like all the news reporting about the huge riots here in Baltimore. It's reported that way because that's what gets viewers. The reality is that several hundred are causing problems in a small section of the city. And even with that going on, it's one of the best cities in the country, with some great city and state leadership. But, without someone from here telling you that, you'd never know it. And the same holds true for BBs.

Also, we all speak from our prejudices. So, the rabid iPhone guy hates BB almost as much as he hates Android. And, no matter what platform you're on, what you are comfortable with will color your attitude toward whatever you're talking about.

Go find a PP, try it, then decide.

[thatplaybookguy]

You are not alone, when i went to get my Passport the local rogers guys were trying to get me to bu a samsuck or an andont. I basically told them if they didn't comply I would be getting in touch with the adviser to the president of rogers (whom had set up my purchase waived fees and was waiting to see how I liked it as she had one herself). I got my phone,set it up myself in store and told them to get some education on the matter otherwise I will get in touch with my contact person and the crtc to have Rogers investigated for unlawful practices. Come here, we will help you and welcome to BB10!!!

[NamelessStar]

my mother and father over 55 never had a smartphone got 10 mins of lessons from me and never ever again asked for help. the way my dad no operates his Z30 shocks me at times its better than my younger 25 year old brother lol .

[BluePumpkinBerry]

I am the O.P.

Wow, thanks to almost everyone! The encouragement, tips, ideas and advice were all great and appreciated. I don't feel as hesitant now. I was really discouraged after my Tuesday AT&T outing and all day yesterday. I didn't even tell the stories about visiting the same store about a month ago to hope to see a demo (same store, 2 different workers), about the visit to the NYC store where I actually saw the demo and then Tuesday's outing talking to the 2 workers about different plan options. I got to the point I thought "why bother?"

I actually do have to go back the AT&T store today to meet with their Business Representative to talk about plan options. What else makes this a hard transition for me is that this will be a business plan with a ton of devices coming over from Verizon. Some devices are out of contract while some will be out of contract in June, October and a couple next February. So if I am going to pay an early termination fee or transfer a few over at a time, I need to make sure switching carriers will give me everything I need. So it isn't as if I can try the PP and AT&T and then go back to Verizon with the same phone numbers (I think....)

I do have a couple questions/comments:

*Will my contacts not be transferred for me to my new PP? I am not about to type everyone back in.
*Thanks to the poster recommending I sign up for BB ID now, prior to getting the phone!
*I needed to hear how mothers/grandmothers were able to learn this device without too many issues - seriously, my grandmother can use a phone better than me, so it made me feel better. LOL
*Ah, I did not realize the workers were on commission and got paid higher/lower depending on device. I was truly baffled as to why they would even care as to what phone I wanted and kept trying to talk me out of it. It just never occurred to me.
*Thank you, I didn't realize there was a dedicated BB Support line. What is the phone number?

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS TO ME:

*I live in Arizona (USA)
*My biggest fear is setting it up. I don't know how to add an email account (it was always done for me). If it were just login/password needed I could do it. But they ask for SSID, port, address, etc and I don't even know what that means. I also don't use apps (frankly because I don't know how). The apps I do have were put on for me (iPolis, Thermostat, PocketCloud, VPN, basically apps for work reasons). I was reading about 'side loading" and just have no clue how to go about that. There are apps my friends have that I would like.
*I know I can Google some questions, but, and this is hard to explain, sometimes I don't even know what my question is! I have had to Google a bunch of answers on other threads since I don't know the lingo or acronyms. I have learned a lot!
*I fear I will get the phone home and just not know where to start or what to do. I read the manual online and it said something about the nanoSIM I have to install and I don't have one. And I don't know why I need it. Now does it make sense how little I know? Really, every time I got a new device or had a problem, I.T. or friends/family have just taken care of it for me. Even on my computer, I.T. can just log in remotely and fix it. They even installed a new printer at my house while they were across town. All I had to do was plug it in.
*I have watched a ton of the videos on BB.com - helpful
*I can get the PP elsewhere like a poster said - is it the same phone except 90 degree edges? I didn't understand what he/she meant saying I would get updates faster? I really really do want a brightly colored one.
*When I got home Tuesday after my outing, I did call the AT&T main number and went thru a menu system for quite awhile before I just hung up. I was going to complain about my experience. I think I need more of a direct number for non-customers. I will send a copy of this to BB direct. Good advice.

Again, thanks to all and their support. I mainly just posted to vent but got good encouragement. I thought I might get more ridicule. After I pick the business plan, I will order the phone (maybe from non-AT&T site?) and get started. I am actually excited. I have had my old Verizon qwerty keyboard for 4 years and it is about dead.

Off to meet the Business Rep....

[CecilTsunami]

Don't sweat about the Nano Sim, you go in, ask your carrier for one and add it to your account, then you put it in your phone. (SIM is what connects you to your carrier and gives you your phone number)

Most of the accounts I have added required username and password, the rest usually adds itself.

If your contacts are already backed up to an email account they should import to the phone - Gmail, hotmail, outlook. Hard to describe what you'll have to do not knowing what kind of email account you're currently using.

Posted via CB10

[Jtaylor1986]

If you buy a Passport off shopBB or amazon you will get software operating system updates much more quickly. ATT has to approve all updates for phones they sell and they take their sweet time. I just bought the red Passport of ShopBB and it is really a phenomenal phone. Also I might add that BlackBerry 10 got a reputation for being difficult to learn at first because the device tutorials were very bare bones initially 2 years ago. They are much better now though and all you really need to do is go to the tutorial app and it will teach you how to do everything.

Posted via CB10

[anon(7915689)]

If you buy a Passport off shopBB or amazon you will get software operating system updates much more quickly. ATT has to approve all updates for phones they sell and they take their sweet time. I just bought the red Passport of ShopBB and it is really a phenomenal phone. Also I might add that BlackBerry 10 got a reputation for being difficult to learn at first because the device tutorials were very bare bones initially 2 years ago. They are much better now though and all you really need to do is go to the tutorial app and it will teach you how to do everything.

Posted via CB10

I concur. Best option is to buy unlocked. Both my wife's Leap and my Passport were purchased unlocked. Best decision I ever made. Come here for the support.

Posted from my Passport. Seriously. You should get one.

[Poi25]

I think it'd be pretty funny to have everyone walk into AT&T stores, pretend like you really don't know what you're talking about, and record the conversations of these reps trying to steer the sales away from BlackBerry. It'd be pretty entertaining to listen to.

[twirlyboy]

I hear this all the time...that BB10 is 'hard to learn.' It's not hard to learn...it's revolutionary and an innovative and brilliant mobile OS. Also very intuitive. We have 5 Passports in our immediate family, including my 79 year-old-mother. No issues whatsoever. 1 of my brothers moved from Android and another from IOS...they love the Passport. I've chewed out many a sales person for their ignorant attitudes. Get it. I doubt you will regret it.

[retomex]

If you buy a Passport off shopBB or amazon you will get software operating system updates much more quickly. ATT has to approve all updates for phones they sell and they take their sweet time. I just bought the red Passport of ShopBB and it is really a phenomenal phone. Also I might add that BlackBerry 10 got a reputation for being difficult to learn at first because the device tutorials were very bare bones initially 2 years ago. They are much better now though and all you really need to do is go to the tutorial app and it will teach you how to do everything.

Posted via CB10

This is correct, although I would rather go with Amazon, they have much better customer support. You'll pony up with the full amount but you'll be free to ditch at&t for another carrier as soon as you'd like, except for Verizon.

[mjjepsen]

I just returned from visiting 2 AT&T retail stores this afternoon....and I've been without email on my phone for FIVE months because AT&T's BB support is so incredibly hideous. Five months ago, I torched my Torch (well, dropped it in the tub) and AT&T treated me like a walking disease when I went in and asked if they had the PP yet. The guy turned around and yelled to the other salespeople, "Hey, we're getting a new phone." I made HIM google it. So I've been waiting and found an old Torch as an interim phone, but it was Rogers software (supposedly unlocked) and I've never been able to get email set up. Many, many, many wasted hours with AT&T. Today - the first store, the guy actually seemed shocked I was asking if they had it. I think he wanted to laugh, but my look stopped him. Went home and contacted AT&T through chat - they at least told me which store stocked it. Next store - they don't want to honor upgrade price, even though I've been with them 10 years. I'm disgusted, and unfortunately still no PP in hand. Trying to decide if I will ditch AT&T, even though I really want the PP - I just don't want to reward AT&T for hideous support. Seems as if BB put an awful lot into design to have AT&T acting like this.

[ALToronto]

Regarding your contacts, can you currently access them on a computer? Are they connected to your email account? If so, as soon as you set up your email, they will get transferred over. If not, ask your IT techie how to back up your current phone's contacts to the computer and transfer them to your email.

For setting up your work email, ask your IT person what type of email service your workplace uses. There are 3 main types - POP, IMAP and ActiveSync. Each is handled a little differently, but if you come here for help once you know what type of email service you have, you will get help very quickly. However, any IT person should be able to set it up for you. Hope this helps.

Posted via CB10 from my awesome Passport

[Poi25]

I just returned from visiting 2 AT&T retail stores this afternoon....and I've been without email on my phone for FIVE months because AT&T's BB support is so incredibly hideous. Five months ago, I torched my Torch (well, dropped it in the tub) and AT&T treated me like a walking disease when I went in and asked if they had the PP yet. The guy turned around and yelled to the other salespeople, "Hey, we're getting a new phone." I made HIM google it. So I've been waiting and found an old Torch as an interim phone, but it was Rogers software (supposedly unlocked) and I've never been able to get email set up. Many, many, many wasted hours with AT&T. Today - the first store, the guy actually seemed shocked I was asking if they had it. I think he wanted to laugh, but my look stopped him. Went home and contacted AT&T through chat - they at least told me which store stocked it. Next store - they don't want to honor upgrade price, even though I've been with them 10 years. I'm disgusted, and unfortunately still no PP in hand. Trying to decide if I will ditch AT&T, even though I really want the PP - I just don't want to reward AT&T for hideous support. Seems as if BB put an awful lot into design to have AT&T acting like this.

It's time to give AT&T an ultimatum, considering you've been a customer of 10 years. Here's what I would do if I was in your situation. Call AT&T and inform the first nonsense customer service rep that you wan't to be transferred to the Loyalty/Retentions department immediately. Stay respectful, but say you've been a loyal customer for 10 years and you were just dealt the last straw in one of their brick and mortar stores. Say you want the upgrade of a BlackBerry Passport FOR FREE, not $199. You've been dealing with stuff for 5 months, they denied you an upgrade, blah blah blah.

Best case scenario, you'll get a free Passport and (unfortunately) lock yourself in to another contract. Worse case scenario, they say no, you say "Peace out bitches" and leave AT&T. You can still find a good deal on an AT&T Passport that someone else is reselling or you can just get the OG unlocked one. Depending on your situation and data usage, you might be fine with Cricket's $35 plan, which would still keep you on the AT&T network. If you end up buying an AT&T Passport and want to go to T-Mobile, just have a friend or family member who's never been an AT&T customer file for an unlock request. New legislation requires that AT&T unlocks it for free.

[dbmalloy]

Do not know if I can actually read through another one of these... like really... how many threads need to be posted... we all know carrier support BB is either does not exist or at best is shoddy... so why this need for everyone to keep parroting the same thing???

[CecilTsunami]

Do not know if I can actually read through another one of these... like really... how many threads need to be posted... we all know carrier support BB is either does not exist or at best is shoddy... so why this need for everyone to keep parroting the same thing???

You didn't read it? The OP wants to know if a Passport is right for him as he wants one, but AT&T is discouraging him. Thread seems to be a bit different from the others.

Posted via CB10

[birdman_38]

OKAY - so after that insane meeting, I am scared to get this phone because I won't even get support from the carrier! I called 2 other local AT&T stores and they said there was no one proficient in BB. Why, oh why does AT&T not give them even a little BB training? And why, oh why did they try their hardest to talk me out of what I wanted? I don't mind advice and recommendations, but this was flat out disagreeing with me. I appreciate the fact they told me they would be of no help whatsoever to me, but why is that the case?

Because BlackBerry does not provide an immersive sales training experience for front line sales staff, nor will they ever. The onus is not on the carrier to create training programs on how to use devices including taking them out of their inventory for them to trial. If anything, carriers train staff on how to move what's in demand.

These are concerns that have been in place since BB 10 hit the market 27 months ago.

It wasn't the visit you were expecting but actual honest salespeople are refreshing.

[johnny_bravo72]

My two cents... I wouldn't buy any high-value electronic product that doesn't have significant after-sales support or service.

[GreenCopperz]

My two cents... I wouldn't buy any high-value electronic product that doesn't have significant after-sales support or service.

Buy from amazon and get great support.

Z30STA100-5/10.3.1.2558