Grandfathered account

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@tonester wrote:

 

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@johninsj wrote:

 

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@satchev wrote:

 

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@Loyal4now wrote:

Went into the store today and was confirmed that the BB will not work after 31 August.  Sales guy said the edge network that the BB was on will be shut down; and will not operate on the 3G network even with a new sim card. 

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It really is too bad that the people you spoke with could not give you a real answer.  AT&T is NOT shutting down their EDGE network, that's just manure.  Had it been me, I would have asked for the press release stating this was in fact happening.

 

I still think there is more to the story than what is being shared, AT&T simply is not giving you complete and accurate information.

 

It is said that they do not value a customers business enough to be honest with them.  This is not a loyalty issue, it is a matter of having enough respect for your customer to tell them the truth.

 

To me, it sounds like the real issue here is they simply want to force  you off of the plan you currently have.   They do have every right to move you (or force you to move) to a current/supported plan since no contract exists, but they could handle it a lot better than what they are doing.

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Uh, there is a BIG HAIRY 10 PAGE THREAD about this on the general forums:

 

http://forums.att.com/t5/General-Device-Support/Phones-obsolete-after-May-15-2011/td-p/2661447

 

It was extended to August 31st. Whatever the heck it is, it appears to be real, and this poster is not alone at all (but could have joined the fray over there. I should have searched the forums better...)

 

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I'm off-topic here, but I gotta love some of the comments in that thread--especially where one of the posters clearly insinuate--if not flat-out state--that old AT&T Wireless customers "have been gaming the system" by continuing to use their old plans via grandfathering; if AT&T is the one that is allowing these customers to keep using plans that are no longer offered (i.e., grandfathered plans), then how exactly are these customers "gaming" the system?  AT&T willingly allows a customer to keep their old plan, yet it's the customer who's gaming AT&T by being able to keep it?  Wow...might as well have come out and said that these customers had actually lied and cheated AT&T into grandfathering them in, so blatant the accusation of "gaming".

 

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Yeah, I say away from judging either side in the grandfathering game - clearly AT&T uses it to retain users, and users keep old plans because they're cheaper, but the bottom line is once you're in that grandfathered state with a plan, and out of contract, you've got that "deal" at the whim of the company... there is no contractual obligation on either side to keep it going.

Any clue what the heck they're doing in August? It sounds like they are closing off support for a a class of sim cards, or accounts? I honestly don't get what it is, just that whatever it is, the AT&T reps weren't making stuff up... there is some class of users/phones/accounts that are going to be unsupported at some point this year.

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@johninsj wrote:

 

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@tonester wrote:

 

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@johninsj wrote:

 

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@satchev wrote:

 

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@Loyal4now wrote:

Went into the store today and was confirmed that the BB will not work after 31 August.  Sales guy said the edge network that the BB was on will be shut down; and will not operate on the 3G network even with a new sim card. 

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It really is too bad that the people you spoke with could not give you a real answer.  AT&T is NOT shutting down their EDGE network, that's just manure.  Had it been me, I would have asked for the press release stating this was in fact happening.

 

I still think there is more to the story than what is being shared, AT&T simply is not giving you complete and accurate information.

 

It is said that they do not value a customers business enough to be honest with them.  This is not a loyalty issue, it is a matter of having enough respect for your customer to tell them the truth.

 

To me, it sounds like the real issue here is they simply want to force  you off of the plan you currently have.   They do have every right to move you (or force you to move) to a current/supported plan since no contract exists, but they could handle it a lot better than what they are doing.

---

 

Uh, there is a BIG HAIRY 10 PAGE THREAD about this on the general forums:

 

http://forums.att.com/t5/General-Device-Support/Phones-obsolete-after-May-15-2011/td-p/2661447

 

It was extended to August 31st. Whatever the heck it is, it appears to be real, and this poster is not alone at all (but could have joined the fray over there. I should have searched the forums better...)

 

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I'm off-topic here, but I gotta love some of the comments in that thread--especially where one of the posters clearly insinuate--if not flat-out state--that old AT&T Wireless customers "have been gaming the system" by continuing to use their old plans via grandfathering; if AT&T is the one that is allowing these customers to keep using plans that are no longer offered (i.e., grandfathered plans), then how exactly are these customers "gaming" the system?  AT&T willingly allows a customer to keep their old plan, yet it's the customer who's gaming AT&T by being able to keep it?  Wow...might as well have come out and said that these customers had actually lied and cheated AT&T into grandfathering them in, so blatant the accusation of "gaming".

 

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Any clue what the heck they're doing in August? It sounds like they are closing off support for a a class of sim cards, or accounts? I honestly don't get what it is, just that whatever it is, the AT&T reps weren't making stuff up... there is some class of users/phones/accounts that are going to be unsupported at some point this year.

 

 

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Yeah, I'm a bit confused as to what the hangup is--if it's simply a matter of having your "blue" SIM swapped out for an "orange" one...then I can't see how doing this requires that you give up your grandfathered plan for one of AT&T's current plans.  For a long time my two lines were on a grandfathered voice plan--not necessarily a "blue" one, but definitely one that is no longer offered (and hasn't been, for at least 4 years--if not longer than that); I was able to keep it, even when I upgraded one of my phones to an iPhone 3G back in 2008.  It was only within the last couple of years that I finally gave it up because even though I had the $30 unlimited data plan, my grandfathered service plan was provisioned in such a way that I could not use my voice and/or data plans outside my regional area (CA and NV) w/o incurring roaming and other charges, and I was planning to go to Oregon--otherwise, I'd still be on my $40 2-line plan with 800 anytime minutes (+ $30 data plan)...minus my FAN discount on the $70/month total...at least until I either give it up or AT&T decides to invoke their right to remove it.

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@Jerz1 wrote:

My 86 year old mothers account was grandfather in from Cingular (Remember them?)

Now at&t want to charge me for a data plan for my mother because I replaced her old phone with me iPhone.

It just showed up on the bill (Paperless and auto-pay),  I called to complain and to remove the fee and the plan.

My mother can not use the iphone as a smart  phone, but it does work as a phone.  "Oh no", say miss arrogant customer care, "It's required and it's in your contract."   Cingular didn't know about smart phones and data plans, how can they have put it in the contract.

 

I was a satisfied and trusting client until this. I had purchased 7 iphones through the years, 5 with data plans.

I have been a client since before all the customer care employees were hired,  The issue was not resolved

 

So NOW at&t adds insult to injury.  Angry and frustrated, I had to take tranquilizer to sleep last night. I am rudely awakened by a Text survey from Customer Care.  "There will be 10 questions..." no way to stop it.  I call customer care ... They can't stop it.  

 

At&t ... You have no right to text me ... because aren't friends.  Stop Bullying my mother.

I will be spreading this around to every media outlet who will listen.  You can not change the contract term without my consent.  The contract are base on the telephone number and not the phone.  This policy is new because we have used iphones before without data plans.   

 

Customer Care ... If you Really care ... STOP Lying or worst not knowing what you are talking about.

Please try to experience your own customer service ... Call 611 from your phone,,, get a text survey early in the Saturday morning.  See how you like it.  Then you can honestly tell me that you "know my frustration"  Until then ... BUG OFF!!!

 

[Per Guidelines: Keep it Relevant and Appropriate]

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It has been policy for quite some time that an iPhone requires a data plan and that att will add one if you do not have it.  There terms probably contain a clause that says that continued use of the service results in acceptance of the new terms.

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@Jerz1 wrote:

This policy is new because we have used iphones before without data plans.   

No, you didn't. This policy has been in place since the first iPhone was released.

You can either give your mom a non-smartphone (which she could possibly find easier to use) or switch her to a prepaid gophone plan (which will work with an iPhone 3 without data)