I've had my cellphone with TIM (Telecom Italia) for over three years. Last year, Alessandro and I decided on changing companies and we were told that we could keep our old numbers and transfer them to our new phones. It sounded simple enough, so we filled out the moduli (forms) back in June and waited for our phone numbers to be transferred. Alessandro waited only a few weeks and I am still waiting.
I have requested nine times already and each time, TIM tells me that something is incorrect or missing. They supposedly have the right to refuse giving me my TIM telephone number three times, but they have found many excuses and reasons to not let me keep my TIM number.
After the last request, which was the ninth one, that we made I received messages from TIM stating that it would happen shortly and then, I saw that I missed a phone call from them yesterday.
This morning, a soft-spoken woman from TIM called me. I answered the phone expecting them to ask me why I was keeping my TIM number and going to another cellphone company. Instead the woman told me that the number that we wrote down from the SIM card was incorrect.
I had heard this excuse the last six times already, so I said, "Non è possibile, signora. (It's not possible, ma'am.)" To which she responded, "Sì, è possibile. (Yes, it's possible.)"
I became upset rather quickly because my patience is running thin with TIM. "Non sono così deficiente a non sapere come scrivere un numero sul modulo sei volte. (I'm not that stupid to not be able to write a number on a form six times.)"
"Non vedo perché Lei si arrabbia con me. (I don't know why you're getting so upset with me.)," she said. "Con chi mi posso arrabbiare? Lei fa parte della ditta e sto parlando con Lei al telefono. Se vuole, mi passi qualcun'altro. (Who can I get upset with? You are a part of the company and I'm talking with you on the phone. If you want, pass me on to someone else.)
I didn't feel wonderful getting upset with anyone, but I feel like they're taking me for a ride. I have been carrying around two cell phones with two different telephone numbers for over six months and I'm tired of it. Almost everyone I know has both and some people call me on my old phone while others on my new one, so I'm forced to carry both. At this point, I can't even use the new cell number, so I'm stuck with being forced into this awkward situation with TIM.
She then told me that all I have to do is fill out the modulo one more time and that it should only take three days for me to get my old number on my new phone. After I said that that would be nice, but unbelievable, the woman told me that because of all the trouble I've been through, she can offer me 10 euros a month for the next twelve months. I only got more upset.
"Cosa? Mi ha detto che ci vuole solo 3 giorni per fare il passaggio e ora mi vuole offrire un nuovo contratto di un anno! Ora mi sta prendendo in giro! (What? You just told me that it'll only take 3 days to move my old number to my new phone and now you want to offer me a new contract for one year! Now you're joking with me!)"
After I hung up the phone, I was only more upset about this entire situation.
So, now on Monday I have to fill out the modulo one more time and hope it goes through. I did tell her that I'm going to file a denuncia (complaint) with some other agency that my new cell phone company told me about because it is crazy to have so much trouble in transferring my old cellphone number to my new cellphone. She didn't seem bothered by it, and I hate to say that I'm sure it won't amount to anything either.
I'll fill out the modulo and keep my fingers crossed. So far, it has amounted to nothing, but maybe the tenth time is the charm.
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