AT&T Please Grandfather existing GoPhone data customers... [ Edited ]

[jtbrown3]

This recent announcement to not allow Paygo 10c/min & Daily Unlim. plan holders to renew data plans hit me like a ton of bricks.  NO COMMUNICATION WHATSOEVER FROM AT&T (not even a text message in advance) stating that my plan would no longer renew my data package.  Instead the are proposing that I simply PAY A 400% MONTHLY FEE INCREASE - OR FACE LOOSING DATA ACCESS ALL TOGETHER - WITH NOT EVENT THE COURTESY OF AN EMAIL STATING THIS IS HAPPENING.

When I spoke to a AT&T CSR the said that they sent out RANDOM TEXT MESSAGE ANNOUNCEMENT to some of the affected PayGo customers - COME ON AT&T, IS THIS A JOKE?  WHAT KIND OF SERVICE IS THIS TO LOYAL EXISTING CUSTOMERS? - IT IS ZERO!

I simply saw someone posting in a blog complaining about this ABRUPT INCREASE that really screws the low-usage customers like myself (WITH A 400% INCREASE IN PRICE) who don't even need any extra data capacity.

At least AT&T could have the decency to grandfather the existing low usage customers.  If they do I will stay with them - if not I will be looking to cancel my AT&T account and look to other carriers to provide my service.

Does anyone else feel this way?  If so please comment and perhaps management will consider this...

[ilikewireless ACE - Czar]

Yes it would have been a great service to have a grandfather clause, even though we prepaid types are not contract customers. It's all about treating customers right.

[Patico]

I gather the majority of PAYG users didn't receive any notification about the changes at all. at&t really need to put their act together here and do the honorable thing by either grandfathering the current data package users or at the least refunding the money the spent in data packages that they cannot longer use ....but who am I kidding? it's at&t..

[umdad06]

I just got hit with this too. I got a text message today that said my data package was cancelled. When I called to ask about it I was told the same thing as the original poster. And I just added $100 to the account last month and there are no refunds. Talk about sticking it to your customers! I too suggested grandfathering established customers, but all I got was "I'm just an AT&T employee and we were just told about this too. Sorry". If I didn't have over $100 on the phone, I'd throw it in the river!

[harryspar]

PAYGO is not a contract. They are allowed to change the rules whenever they want, and you are allowed to switch carriers whenever you want. Stealing your balance is another matter - that is outright theft. You should complain with the BBB, FTC, FCC, and your state's attorney general.

[faizmh]

i feel cheated too.. BUT ATT doesn't care as always !!! 

[hnzw_rui]

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harryspar wrote:
PAYGO is not a contract. They are allowed to change the rules whenever they want

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There are still service agreements which AT&T needs to abide by. However, it only covers the primary plan. This is why Pick Your Plan and old Pay As You Go customers are grandfathered in and don't automatically get switched to the new plans. If AT&T decides to put customers on a $0.50/min pay per minute rate plan (from current $0.10/min) or something, customers will need to be notified of the change in advance. The data is just an add-on feature package so it's easier for AT&T to make arbitrary changes with those.

[pl1]

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hnzw_rui wrote:

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harryspar wrote:
PAYGO is not a contract. They are allowed to change the rules whenever they want

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There are still service agreements which AT&T needs to abide by. However, it only covers the primary plan. This is why Pick Your Plan and old Pay As You Go customers are grandfathered in and don't automatically get switched to the new plans. If AT&T decides to put customers on a $0.50/min pay per minute rate plan (from current $0.10/min) or something, customers will need to be notified of the change in advance. The data is just an add-on feature package so it's easier for AT&T to make arbitrary changes with those.

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Ok, fair enough, but do you think it is fair to give 14 days notice that if you do not switch from .10/min to $25/month, you will lose the data you paid for? I only lost $25 worth of data (500MB), but still, do you believe that is fair? Add-on package or not, I should have the right to use my data within a reasonable time frame. That, among other issues, is the crux of the issue. A fair way would have been to give a warning based on the pre-paid expiration date. For example, I had just deposied $105 ($5 for the data rollover) for 1 year. Give me the year, and then I have to change or leave. I would be fine with that. But, to expect someone who uses 10MB per month to use 500MB in 14 days is unrealistic. 

[hnzw_rui]

Never said it was fair. Heck, if I hadn't been following the forums closely I wouldn't even know of the change. I never received any notification on 4 lines with data package add-ons (each with 400-600MB). Used up all the data watching Netflix. Alas, I don't think there's much of a legal recourse here since it's not covered by the service agreement.

[pl1]

Well, I'm not in favor of Government regulations, even though it should be against the law.

But, if a company wants to treat their customers poorly, they will see it in their bottom line. Affected customers likely will never come back. And, so it goes. Word of mouth works both ways in business.

[pablocrego]

Good bye AT&T. I was a prepaid customer for over 10 years. You stole my 553 mb of data i purchased from you. I will waste my remaining balance and switching to T-Mobile. Thanks Nokia, my Nokia N8 is pentaband so i will get 3G on T-Mo.

[pl1]

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pablocrego wrote:
Good bye AT&T. I was a prepaid customer for over 10 years. You stole my 553 mb of data i purchased from you. I will waste my remaining balance and switching to T-Mobile. Thanks Nokia, my Nokia N8 is pentaband so i will get 3G on T-Mo.

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Unfortunatly, the unlocked AT&T branded Samsung Focus I just bought was not compatible with T-Mobile's 3G, so I was forced to sell my phone and buy another. So, this has been an expensive "ride", but, part of it is my choice. I'm getting great speeds now with T-Mobile on my Google Nexus.

[ilikewireless ACE - Czar]

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pl1 wrote:

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pablocrego wrote:
Good bye AT&T. I was a prepaid customer for over 10 years. You stole my 553 mb of data i purchased from you. I will waste my remaining balance and switching to T-Mobile. Thanks Nokia, my Nokia N8 is pentaband so i will get 3G on T-Mo.

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Unfortunatly, the unlocked AT&T branded Samsung Focus I just bought was not compatible with T-Mobile's 3G, so I was forced to sell my phone and buy another. So, this has been an expensive "ride", but, part of it is my choice. I'm getting great speeds now with T-Mobile on my Google Nexus.

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I like the idea of fleeing to T-Mobile. Heck I might suddenly switch as soon as I can get an unlocked pentaband phone.

[Dr. Richard Kim…]

For those who want alternatives to Go Phone, because of the data change, you may be able to find an alternative here:

[3rd party link removed per Guidelines]

[Dr. Richard Kim…]

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Dr. Richard Kimble wrote:

For those who want alternatives to Go Phone, because of the data change, you may be able to find an alternative here:

[3rd party link removed per Guidelines]

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I see.  Since I can't post a link to options, here are the names of some of them:

There are two that have good prices and work on the AT&T network.  They are H20 and Airvoice.  I currently have an Airvoice SIM in the phone that I formerly used as a GoPhone.  H20 and Airvoice are not cheap for data, though.  Airvoice is 33cents/mb and H20 is 30cents/mb.  I am also using a Platinumtel phone for data.  It works on the Sprint network and it is a good deal at 10cents/mb, if Sprint coverage meets your needs.  I am planning to keep the Platinumtel service and let the Airvoice account expire, when my current airtime runs out.  Anyway, those are three alternatives for those who do not want to pay AT&T's new prices for data.

[Dr. Richard Kim…]

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pl1 wrote:

Well, I'm not in favor of Government regulations, even though it should be against the law.

But, if a company wants to treat their customers poorly, they will see it in their bottom line. Affected customers likely will never come back. And, so it goes. Word of mouth works both ways in business.

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You are not alone.  Many of us lost money on the data price changes. Their recent abuse of GoPhone customers is reprehensible.  We can all be thankful for one thing..........the failure of AT&T in their attempted buyout of T-Mobile.  That would have been a disaster for every wireless user on every wireless network.

[tszefr]

Well said, Doc.

It happened here without notice.  Poof! Data wuz gone and auto renewal was deleted.  They are long on "I apologize" and short on making things right.

Since we know it would be futile to ask for a refund even though this is a Material Change, why not google for "mobilegiving" and help a charity out.