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Upperleftcoast's profile

Tutor

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2 Messages

Friday, April 13th, 2018 10:58 PM

Unlimited Data plan is a complete fraud

I upgraded to an unlimited data plan a few weeks ago, nearly doubling my monthly charges (for two lines) to $150.  Today I received a txt message from ATT warning me that if I exceed 22GB of data usage before the next billing cycle, my "speeds might be reduced in areas with network congestion".  This is like paying for an all-you-can-eat buffet, but having your plate taken away after a second round.  I called ATT and the service rep could not explain why speeds might slow after 22GB, insisting that they might slow if I happened to be in a congested location, like a big sporting event.  This is absolutely disingenuous crap, and I asked several times why anyone would pay for "unlimited data" if ATT can unilaterally decide to limit it.  This is really an outrageous fraud, and the absurd, canned responses the rep gave add insult to injury.  

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ACE - Expert

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64.7K Messages

6 years ago

I guess you didn’t read the details of the plan. This 22GB threshold for possible slowdown has existed for years. Every carrier has a similar policy on their unlimited plans. The reason is simple, the network is a shared resource and it does not have unlimited capacity. When the network is congested, they have to do something to manage it and temporarily slowing down heavy users is one of the things ATT does. In fact it’s what most carriers do. You may never experience a slowdown but the warning that you might is mandatory. Many users report going way past 22GB with no slow downs.

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6 Messages

@sandblaster I guess AT&T lied to me when they came to my door and promised that their internet speed was faster than Cox because of their fiber optics. blah blah blah. Sprint network was faster than AT&T. I cannot wait until my plan expires with AT&T. They are LIARS!

ACE - Expert

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64.7K Messages

@nawlinslesli Huh? My comment from 2 years ago was about the unlimited cellular plan, not home internet over fiber.

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Former Employee

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32.9K Messages

@sandblaster sometimes they just dont understand

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While AT&T employees do look at forum posts from time to time, we are here to represent the forum with our experiences as customers and do not represent AT&T in any official capacity with our responses and do so on our own time unpaid and off the clock. As employees we are not rewarded nor compensated to participate in these forums This forum is comprised of regular customers to communicate with other customers to offer advice and share experiences same as any other user Although there is a small team of customer care specialists that monitor the forums the sheer volume of posts are simply too many posts for these agents to respond to each one of them.

Tutor

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2 Messages

6 years ago

Thanks. I needed a wi-fi alternative for a few months, so I did not read the details. But the plan is clearly sold as “unlimited data”, and that it has a “threshold” means it is not “unlimited”. What really irritated me is the glib response that the network “might be congested” when I reach 22GB. It might be congested from the first GB of data I use, and the scripted responses just insult this customer’s - and every customer’s - intelligence. Clearly there is collaboration (dare I say collusion) among the carriers to make sure they are all equally screwing their customers. Outside the US, e.g., in Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, etc., wireless data speeds are vastly greater, and ATT is at least a decade behind those carriers in quality of service. I’ve had enough.

 

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6 Messages

If it's about network congestion, what does my data have to do with it? AT&T are liars and I can't believe I fell for it AGAIN. I can't wait to give my money back to Sprint and Cox. I have another year or so with AT&T. They are only great in their own minds.

ACE - Expert

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16.5K Messages

6 years ago


@Upperleftcoast wrote:

I upgraded to an unlimited data plan a few weeks ago, nearly doubling my monthly charges (for two lines) to $150.  Today I received a txt message from ATT warning me that if I exceed 22GB of data usage before the next billing cycle, my "speeds might be reduced in areas with network congestion".  

The MIGHT be and being contingent on NETWORK CONGESTION is very relevant. If that doesn't happen you then it does not matter. There are people who use hundreds and hundreds of GB and are very happy with their plan.

 

This is like paying for an all-you-can-eat buffet, but having your plate taken away after a second round.  

 

Not if you read the sign that says that the buffet has a 2-plate maximum.

 

AT&T has posted those details pretty clearly.

 

 

I called ATT and the service rep could not explain why speeds might slow after 22GB, insisting that they might slow if I happened to be in a congested location, like a big sporting event.  

The text message clearly said if there was "network congestion", I'm not sure why you would call?

 

This is absolutely disingenuous crap, and I asked several times why anyone would pay for "unlimited data" if ATT can unilaterally decide to limit it.  

Because it may not impact you significantly (IF at all).

 

This is really an outrageous fraud, and the absurd, canned responses the rep gave add insult to injury.  


So you want a rep to give you answers other than they are authorized to give? 

 

 

MY SUGGESTION (and you did post this in the Community Forum) is:

Use it until you go above 22GB and see if you even notice a debilitating difference.

 

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6 Messages

If it has to do with network congestion, why did mine slow down as soon as I received this text from AT&T about my data? It's not at 22 yet. It started slowing down as soon as I hit 16.5. They are liars.

ACE - Expert

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23.9K Messages

6 years ago

You get unlimited data..  data speeds were never unlimited...  Unlimited means no overages.   My kid uses 50gb on average no slow downs.  It's all about towers and if it's congested.

New Member

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6 Messages

Yeah well AT&T is making sure of that.

Contributor

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1 Message

5 years ago

After I downloaded many gigabytes of ebooks, my data rate was throttled down so badly that it took like 5 minutes to load one web page.

And now it is even worse: for the last two days, the account is dead and I have not gotten a single byte through

 

I logged into https://dcp2.att.com/OEPNDClient/pages/A-00T.jsp? and it tells me that the plan that came with my original device (there wasn't one -- I bought a used Netgear Nighthawk MR1100 ) is no longer offered, and they want me to sign up for a new plan that charges $50 per gigabyte.  No joke. I repeat that:

 

$50 PER GIGABYTE.

That is not an unlimited plan.  By the way, I've only had the plan and the equipment for 4 months, and the AT+T web site says that my plan is paid up until 9 March 2019, but they turned it off on Feb. 28.

 

 

 

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6 Messages

I NEVER had this issue with Cox and I never had trouble hearing conversations on my cell phone like this with SPRINT.

ACE - Expert

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16.5K Messages

5 years ago


@OrangePapers wrote:

After I downloaded many gigabytes of ebooks, my data rate was throttled down so badly that it took like 5 minutes to load one web page.

And now it is even worse: for the last two days, the account is dead and I have not gotten a single byte through

According to the web, what is the NAME of your plan?

 

I logged into https://dcp2.att.com/OEPNDClient/pages/A-00T.jsp? and it tells me that the plan that came with my original device (there wasn't one -- I bought a used Netgear Nighthawk MR1100 ) is no longer offered, and they want me to sign up for a new plan that charges $50 per gigabyte.  No joke. I repeat that:

$50 PER GIGABYTE.

If you don't want to switch you do NOT have to switch. You can keep your old (unnamed) plan.

 

That is not an unlimited plan.  By the way, I've only had the plan and the equipment for 4 months, and the AT+T web site says that my plan is paid up until 9 March 2019, but they turned it off on Feb. 28.

Obviously, it is NOT an unlimited plan, it's per GB.

FYI, AT&T currently doesn't allow unlimited plans on hotspot devices other than connected cars.

 

 

ACE - Sage

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116.6K Messages

5 years ago


@OrangePapers wrote:

After I downloaded many gigabytes of ebooks, my data rate was throttled down so badly that it took like 5 minutes to load one web page.

And now it is even worse: for the last two days, the account is dead and I have not gotten a single byte through

 

I logged into https://dcp2.att.com/OEPNDClient/pages/A-00T.jsp? and it tells me that the plan that came with my original device (there wasn't one -- I bought a used Netgear Nighthawk MR1100 ) is no longer offered, and they want me to sign up for a new plan that charges $50 per gigabyte.  No joke. I repeat that:

 

$50 PER GIGABYTE.

That is not an unlimited plan.  By the way, I've only had the plan and the equipment for 4 months, and the AT+T web site says that my plan is paid up until 9 March 2019, but they turned it off on Feb. 28.

 


AT&T has not sold an unlimited hotspot plan since march 2018.   They sell a 250 gig plan in rural areas with no internet options.    Don’t know what you think you bought, but it isn’t unlimited.  

 

 

 

New Member

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6 Messages

BECAUSE AT&T AND THE REPS THEY SEND TO KNOCK ON DOORS ARE LIARS.

New Member

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1 Message

4 years ago

(Edited per community guidelines) yeah I signed up with wing oh, I used to have Verizon and was paying $85 a month for unlimited everything but I switched to Wing they offered me a unlimited plan for $60 a month and turns out the services through AT&T so we saving $25 a month for unlimited now but I left for work last night and couldn't get online using my phone and I noticed the data was off so after contacting wing to Find out what was going on that's what I was informed that Unlimited doesn't mean Unlimited come unlimited is actually Limited at least with Verizon when you used up all your data they would slow you down to 3 G I don't like AT&T they just cut the (Edited per community guidelines) off God forbid I need a coronavirus update or need to get online to file for unemployment or if I need to find out what to do or where to go if I contracted the Coronavirus and my phone is my only source to get on the internet because not working waiting on stimulus and waiting on unemployment means empty pockets and couldn't pay for Wi-Fi, you'd be up the you know what Creek without a you know what but now Sprint is offering so-called Unlimited for $30 a month if you bring your own phone so why not play cell phone carrier roulette, can't possibly be much different/worse then AT&T or Verizon but seems like this could be a good false information or false advertising (Edited per community guidelines) right? I mean how can you claim unlimited and then cut people's service off? Don't make no sense to me

(edited)

ACE - Sage

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116.6K Messages

Wing is NOT AT&T. Wing uses AT&T Towers and is prioritized after AT&T (wing uses all 4 networks, you chose a Sim card for you choice of network coverage) services.
Wing specifically advertises itself with "break up with AT&T and Verizon" ads. So don't blame AT&T for crappy Wing service.
By the way AT&T offers unlimited data on their unlimited prepaid plus plan for new lines it's only $50.
There is no carrier in the USA that does not manage their network by deprioritising lines at some point, written into the plan, do you have no excuse to claim surprise.

(edited)

🐾 I don’t work for AT&T or any carrier. Never have, never will. My replies are based on experience and reading content available on the website. If you posted personal information, please edit and remove.

Award for Community Excellence Achiever*
*I am not an AT&T employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

New Member

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4 Messages

1 year ago

its a bit late but id like to chime in... they are still doing it. ive had my unlimited plan for almost 2 decades.... i got credited the couple dollars in the (Edited per community guidelines) a few years ago (but they raised my bill $35 a month after the (Edited per community guidelines) which got them their money back from me in 6 months or so.... and they are STILL doing it..... i get throttled on my phone and get down to 2 mb a second after i get to 22 gigs.... and when I ask them about it they say "network congestion in your area" I live in a town with 1 stop light......... so unless the cows are on their phones at 3am, idk who is congesting it.   BUT my 6th line I pay for that we don't use until I'm throttled...... is still  SCREAMING  fast, at the same times and locations that our others get slowed......

(edited)

ACE - Sage

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116.6K Messages

1 year ago

@townsend775253

So you are on a 14-year-old plan with no hotspot allowed, a 22 GB threshold and whose base price is more than the current Unlimited Premium plan that has no Threshold at all and includes 50 GB of Hotspot data.

Or to say it in another way you've kept an old plan that is worth less, and cost more rather than switching to the current plans.

Get with the 2020s fella. 😂

https://www.att.com/plans/wireless/

(edited)

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