Contributor
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1 Message
Is AT&T running some sort of data scam?
Ive been an AT&T wireless customer for over 10 years. Ive had the same 3 iPhones for 2 years when everyone on my plan upgraded. At the time of everyone's upgrade we actually dropped 1 iPhone line (4 lines down to 3 lines). In the last 2 years I've upgraded from 10 GB to 15 GB and now to 30 GB. Somehow with 30 GB of data we still manage to run out of data before the end of the month. How did we manage to start using over 3X the original data over the course of 2 years with 1 less device? We have the exact same phones and use them for the exact same purpose we always have. No one streams music and me might watch a combined 10 minutes of Facebook videos per day. We also have no cellular service at home and thus only use wifi. I believe AT&T is really screwing us I just can't prove it
kdfederer
ACE - Expert
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13.1K Messages
8 years ago
Check each of your phones settings and see what apps are using the most data. If they are not essential apps, turn them off to cellular data so they only use wifi. Have your apps only do updates using wifi. Udates use HUGE amounts of data in a short period.
Newer phone operating systems have a wifi assist which, if the phone determines the wifi signal to be marginal, it will revert back to cellular data. Turn off the wifi assist.
This should save you HUGE amounts of data unless you do not have much wifi access.
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Busternutt
Professor
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3.2K Messages
8 years ago
Your bill also tells you which line is using the most data. Is it one particular phone that seems to be using the majority of data? This may give you a starting point where to look.
(you can also dial *3282# and receive a text with data breakdown for each line)
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itscollmc
Contributor
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3 Messages
8 years ago
It turns out that AT&T WILL use your data for some apps even when you are connected to WiFi. I have gotten into the habbit of turning the Cellular Data off and on like a light switch. When i am connected to wifi (especially at home or work) - I turn the Cellular Data OFF. Last month was my frest "test run" and I didn't run out of data for the first time in several months. Just started the second month but suggest you all try it. Good luck!
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Potts143
Tutor
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2 Messages
8 years ago
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Busternutt
Professor
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3.2K Messages
8 years ago
Switch to one of the new Mobile Share Advantage plans. No more overages. You decide on how much full speed data you are willing to pay for and once you use it up, you will continue to have data, but at a slow speed.
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Srxley
Contributor
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1 Message
8 years ago
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formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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117K Messages
8 years ago
Well, they kind of are....
The usage recorded on your phone is private. Carriers see data in categories only. They aren't allowed to see more than that.
They are also not trained is all the inner workings of data use and recording.
It also flies in the face of statistics.
Statistically the top causes of data overage is
1. Teenagers. 2. Faulty phone or application. 3. User error. 4. iPhone and iOS updates, wifi assist. So of course the first answers out of the limited tool box is this sort of answer. I find iPhone is number 1 on my list. I removed one iPhone for android in December. The usage on the line dropped to half. I just replaced another one (with Android) and am hoping to see a similar drop.
Our data use is never going to be exactly what our phones show. My ATT and my phone have never been off by more than 100 MBs off of ATT monthly totals, except for one month about 18 months ago. One month was unusually short, then a large amount of data posted at the beginning of the next month. The 2 months together were correct to within 150 MBs.
For some people that makes all the difference.
Carriers say the difference is rounding. We can assume they round up. We also have to assume that partner reporting is not under the control of AT&T.
Both Verizon and AT&T are being accused of fudging data records to push people onto the new plans. The only problem with that theory is only a tiny number of customers have a problem. Millions and millions have no reason to report as they have no increase in data use or reporting over the past 2 years.
A few thousand anomalous accounts dont add up to a giant conspiracy.
I suggest
1. Replace your SIM card.
2. Close all apps, especially audio and video
3. Clear the outbox on email accounts.
4. Limit social media apps to wifi, at least for some activities. Settings are within the app.
5. Factory reset.
6. Replace the phone.
Many customers solve the problem by switching carriers. What they really did, was switch phones, which was the problem in the first place.
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Zuekini
Tutor
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5 Messages
8 years ago
I have been with ATT also for years always paid my bill on time signed up for unlimited data at the beginning of my two year contract and now in my 16 month of my 24 month contract never a problem before my bill has doubled and i only have 10 gb one line isnt being used because my phone broke and they wanted me to pay full price up front and after years of on time payments would not give me an installment plan on a phone to use for the account i am paying for.
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Zuekini
Tutor
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5 Messages
8 years ago
I have a unlimited plan i signed a two year contract for and now in my 16 month they switched me to 10 gb and my regular payment that i have made for years doubled with no real answers i have no choice if they continue that i will cancel plan all together.
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GeekBoy
Master
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4.1K Messages
8 years ago
@lizdance40 In response to your data usage records, a year or two ago, I did a reset of my iPhone cellular data counters after 1 year of not resetting them. When I compared the numbers my iPhone reported to the sum of what AT&T had billed me for during that same time, I got the results that my phone reported I had used about 19GB of data, and AT&T had billed me for about 19.2GB of data cross that full year.
I just sat down and did similar for the most recent year and I see that for the period of 7-20-2015 to 9-20-2016 my iPhone has reported that I used 68GB of cellular data. That is a huge jump, but I'm not surprised because I know I have used more data. More interesting is that I look at my AT&T bills for the period and I see that for 7-20-2015 to 8-19-2016 AT&T has billed me for 49.11GB of data usage. Now, my billing cycle just ended so I can't see my most recent month's usage on the AT&T site, but based on my known usage for the month and my wife's usage for the month, I know that AT&T could not have billed me for more than 10GB of data, which would mean that AT&T will have billed me for no more than 60GB of data usage for the same period that my phone reports I used 68GB of data. This points to the fact that AT&T is obviously scamming me on my data use charges billing me for 8GB less data than I really used for those 14 or 15 months...
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