Download Statement as PDF No Longer Offered

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Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.cellular.cingular (More info?)

I just checked my Cingular online account and the option to download
the monthly statement is no longer offered. They have a note saying
something to the effect that the PDF option is being discontinued in
favor of a formatted HTML option so Acrobat software does not have to
be installed. For me, I always save my monthly statements as PDFs since
it is an easy way to archive. I can understand the reasoning for adding
the HTML option but I do not agree with the rational for discontinuing
the PDF option. For &^&@% sake, it's 2005 and even the IRS requires you
to use Acrobat! Besides, if you are competent to setup online access,
you probably have enough wits to install Acrobat reader if on the odd
ball chance your PC didn't come with PDF support.

Looks like it's back to the paper statements. So much for trying to
save Cingular some postage & maybe even a tree!

PS: I know that they have a text (CSV) option and Excel (which I find
odd as well, what do you think the install base looks like for Excel
vs. the free Acrobat tool?).
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.cellular.cingular (More info?)

I agree totally! Several years ago when I was with AT&T Wireless, if I
recall, they offered excel but no PDF for downloading their statements.
What planet are these guys on? Everyone and their mother-in-law has
Adobe Reader (Acrobat) on their computer. I suspect there is someone
trying to get some of us to 'Buy' Microsoft Software rather than use
free Adobe Reader, or more likely - they don't want too many of us to
keep these records on our computer. I hope Cingular gets plenty of
complaints over this.

Please, Cingular, do us no more 'Favors'!!!!
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.cellular.cingular (More info?)

on the Mac, the PDF conversion is built in (for the past few years
anyway) Simply look for the PDF option in the "print" dialog. I
thiink on older OS versions, it is under the "output" menu in the print
dialog
 
B

Brian

Distinguished
Sep 9, 2003
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Archived from groups: alt.cellular.cingular (More info?)

You can solve this problem by installing software called PDF Creator.
It is free software that creates a virtual printer on your Windows box
(not sure what's out there for a Mac). Here's a link to the software,
hosted on sourceforge:
http://tinyurl.com/39948
Download and run the file called PDFCreator-0_8_1_AFPLGhostscript.exe

Install that, and you can print the html page to the PDF printer, then
you'll have a PDF suitable for archiving. When you print, make sure you
print by using "Print" on the "File" menu, NOT the printer icon in the
Internet Explorer toolbar. Then you can select "PDFCreator" as the
printer you want to use.

machXS1@comcast.net wrote:
> I just checked my Cingular online account and the option to download
> the monthly statement is no longer offered. They have a note saying
> something to the effect that the PDF option is being discontinued in
> favor of a formatted HTML option so Acrobat software does not have to
> be installed. For me, I always save my monthly statements as PDFs since
> it is an easy way to archive. I can understand the reasoning for adding
> the HTML option but I do not agree with the rational for discontinuing
> the PDF option. For &^&@% sake, it's 2005 and even the IRS requires you
> to use Acrobat! Besides, if you are competent to setup online access,
> you probably have enough wits to install Acrobat reader if on the odd
> ball chance your PC didn't come with PDF support.
>
> Looks like it's back to the paper statements. So much for trying to
> save Cingular some postage & maybe even a tree!
>
> PS: I know that they have a text (CSV) option and Excel (which I find
> odd as well, what do you think the install base looks like for Excel
> vs. the free Acrobat tool?).
 
P

plan9

Distinguished
Aug 7, 2004
11
0
18,510
Archived from groups: alt.cellular.cingular (More info?)

Where I live it was 6/12/2005 11:12 PM, when GomJabbar wrote:
> I agree totally! Several years ago when I was with AT&T Wireless, if I
> recall, they offered excel but no PDF for downloading their statements.
> What planet are these guys on? Everyone and their mother-in-law has
> Adobe Reader (Acrobat) on their computer. I suspect there is someone
> trying to get some of us to 'Buy' Microsoft Software rather than use
> free Adobe Reader, or more likely - they don't want too many of us to
> keep these records on our computer. I hope Cingular gets plenty of
> complaints over this.

I agree; Acrobat Reader is everywhere, but MS Excel is not. I'll bet
some ignoramus bean-counter or Neanderthal IT manager who wouldn't
recognize a PDF file if it hit them in the a... , oops I meant to say
brilliantly astute financial analyst or customer focused IT manager
who recognized the marginal benefit of a PDF statement, decided that
creating monthly PDF statements was consuming too much compute time
and axed them.

> Please, Cingular, do us no more 'Favors'!!!!

Amen!!
 
H

HarrY

Distinguished
Dec 31, 2007
444
0
18,780
Archived from groups: alt.cellular.cingular (More info?)

On 12 Jun 2005 19:43:49 -0700, machXS1@comcast.net wrote:

>I just checked my Cingular online account and the option to download
>the monthly statement is no longer offered. They have a note saying
>something to the effect that the PDF option is being discontinued in
>favor of a formatted HTML option so Acrobat software does not have to
>be installed. For me, I always save my monthly statements as PDFs since
>it is an easy way to archive. I can understand the reasoning for adding
>the HTML option but I do not agree with the rational for discontinuing
>the PDF option. For &^&@% sake, it's 2005 and even the IRS requires you
>to use Acrobat! Besides, if you are competent to setup online access,
>you probably have enough wits to install Acrobat reader if on the odd
>ball chance your PC didn't come with PDF support.
>
>Looks like it's back to the paper statements. So much for trying to
>save Cingular some postage & maybe even a tree!
>
>PS: I know that they have a text (CSV) option and Excel (which I find
>odd as well, what do you think the install base looks like for Excel
>vs. the free Acrobat tool?).

I like http://www.primopdf.com/
Its freeware. Its similar to PDF Creator that Brian suggested. It
shows like a printer so any output from any program that you could
print will be turned into a PDF document instead.

H
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.cellular.cingular (More info?)

Thanks everyone for their suggestions. I did try out the PrimoPDF tool
and it seems acceptable. I'm still irritated that they removed the PDF
option, but at least I can still save to PDF.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.cellular.cingular (More info?)

John Bartley wrote:

> Probably reduces support calls to them, and definately reduces their
> processing time.

Whoever doesn't know how to use Adobe Reader probably doesn't go to
cingular.com to view their bills.

> Ah, but which version? If they produce a PDF w/ version 7, then version 6 &
> earlier users get constantly nagged to upgrade, which translates x% of the
> time into support calls back to Cingular.

There is no requirement to save a PDF file in version 7. My version of
Wordperfect can save PDF files in several versions, and I truly believe
Adobe Acrobat full version could do that as well. Cingular could save
the PDF files in an earlier version if they were worried about
compatibility.

Regarding being nagged by updates, all one has to do is go to
'Preferences' then 'Updates' then choose 'Check for Updates Manually'.
Problem solved.

> They have to generate HTML anyway, and HTML is an open standard, unlike the
> proprietary standard of Adobe.

Adobe may be considered proprietary for creating PDF files, although
there are many programs available for creating PDF files (such as
Wordperfect). But as regards reading PDF files; Adobe Reader might as
well be considered an open standard, as it is a free download, comes
preinstalled on many computer systems, and is already ubiquitous - much
more so than Excel.

>> For me, I always save my monthly statements as PDFs since
>> it is an easy way to archive.

> Then get a PDF making program so you can do it yourself.

Obviously readers are having more trouble with this as they are
complaining here. A PDF making program as you call it, is a solution,
but certainly not a very elegant one. You have to locate it and
download or buy it, then install it. When you go to get your bills
online then you have to start the PDF making program to save to PDF -
instead of just downloading to PDF.

I noticed that you are listed as a telecom administrator. Could it be
that you work for Cingular? Was it your idea or a friends idea to
eliminate PDF bills?

In case you are wondering, I have no affiliation with Adobe, and have
no agenda regarding them, but Adobe Acrobat Reader and Adobe Reader
have been around for years, are free, and work great. Nuff said.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.cellular.cingular (More info?)

In addition:

One of the most compelling reasons to stick with PDF's is that many, if
not most hardware and software manuals require Adobe Reader for
viewing. For instance if you look for a Samsung x427m user manual at
cingular.com, it comes in PDF format. It is easy to put a link to
Adobe, on the web page, for those few who need to download Adobe
Reader.

In fact a google search for PDF documents on cingular.com shows a list
of 459 documents there. Hmmmmmmmmmm.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.cellular.cingular (More info?)

On 12 Jun 2005 19:43:49 -0700, machXS1@comcast.net wrote:

>I just checked my Cingular online account and the option to download
>the monthly statement is no longer offered. They have a note saying
>something to the effect that the PDF option is being discontinued in
>favor of a formatted HTML option so Acrobat software does not have to
>be installed.

Probably reduces support calls to them, and definately reduces their processing
time.

> For me, I always save my monthly statements as PDFs since
>it is an easy way to archive.

Then get a PDF making program so you can do it yourself.

As an alternative, do File | Save and save it as HTML.

There's a (free) extension for (free) Firefox which even archives everything
into one .ZIP file to save space and reduce filesystem clutter.

> I can understand the reasoning for adding
>the HTML option but I do not agree with the rational for discontinuing
>the PDF option. For &^&@% sake, it's 2005 and even the IRS requires you
>to use Acrobat!

The IRS, of course, being the ultimate arbiter of wisdom. Not.

> Besides, if you are competent to setup online access,
>you probably have enough wits to install Acrobat reader if on the odd
>ball chance your PC didn't come with PDF support.

Ah, but which version? If they produce a PDF w/ version 7, then version 6 &
earlier users get constantly nagged to upgrade, which translates x% of the time
into support calls back to Cingular. They have to generate HTML anyway, and
HTML is an open standard, unlike the proprietary standard of Adobe.

>Looks like it's back to the paper statements. So much for trying to
>save Cingular some postage & maybe even a tree!
>
>PS: I know that they have a text (CSV) option and Excel (which I find
>odd as well, what do you think the install base looks like for Excel
>vs. the free Acrobat tool?).
>



--
John Bartley K7AAY 503.326.2231...147
telecom syadmin, USBC-Oregon, Portland - Views are mine.
http://palmwireless.cjb.net Wireless FAQ for PalmOS(r)
Dilbert is a documentary.
 
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