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CaribbeanLady's profile

Tutor

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7 Messages

Sunday, September 4th, 2011 8:11 PM

Question about account balance and possibility to change pre paid rate plans online

From the day I've purchased the GoPhone and a $50 Monthly Unlimited plan, and I check my balance, it said my balance is $0.00 and expires on the 18th of sept.

Why was it $0.00 after filling up the card with a $50 card?

Will it only have a balance starting the first time I actually refill and not the first day I purchase a new phone and plan?

 

Since I am not in the USA, and I am contemplating still whether to keep my sim card active by refilling online (since I want to keep the number I got on this sim card), is it possible to change rate plans online? Or is it only possible by calling customer service?

 

Accepted Solution

Official Solution

Guru

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3K Messages

13 years ago

When you first signed up for the monthly unlimited plan you needed at least $50 to pay for the first month, and upon activation that amount was deducted from your account. You will need an additional $50 to cover the next month. You can call customer service to change your rate plan or you could do it automatically from your phone by dialing 611.

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Official Solution

Master

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10.2K Messages

13 years ago


CaribbeanLady wrote:
And do you know what happens if I don't refill before my plan expires? The plan expires on the 18th of this month and my balance expires 2 months later. Do you know whether my account would be deactivated if my plan expires because I haven't refilled/renewed the plan?

Your account would not be deactivated based on if your plan expired. It would just go unused for however long you choose not to use it. Now, if your balanced expired two months later, then your account would expire and no longer be active. Along with your expired account, your SIM card and phone number would expire as well.

It's not so much the $50 Unlimited plan you want to watch for if you don't tend to use your phone for that month, but more of the balance in your account and the expiration date of your account.

Tutor

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7 Messages

13 years ago


@Razr8 wrote:

When you first signed up for the monthly unlimited plan you needed at least $50 to pay for the first month, and upon activation that amount was deducted from your account. You will need an additional $50 to cover the next month. You can call customer service to change your rate plan or you could do it automatically from your phone by dialing 611.


Ok.

 

And do you know what happens if I don't refill before my plan expires? The plan expires on the 18th of this month and my balance expires 2 months later. Do you know whether my account would be deactivated if my plan expires because I haven't refilled/renewed the plan?

Tutor

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7 Messages

13 years ago


@Wild Banchi wrote:

@CaribbeanLady wrote:
And do you know what happens if I don't refill before my plan expires? The plan expires on the 18th of this month and my balance expires 2 months later. Do you know whether my account would be deactivated if my plan expires because I haven't refilled/renewed the plan?

Your account would not be deactivated based on if your plan expired. It would just go unused for however long you choose not to use it. Now, if your balanced expired two months later, then your account would expire and no longer be active. Along with your expired account, your SIM card and phone number would expire as well.

It's not so much the $50 Unlimited plan you want to watch for if you don't tend to use your phone for that month, but more of the balance in your account and the expiration date of your account.

So, when the rate plan expires would it automatically be changed into a pay per use plan? The 10c/min plan?

Or do I still need to call to change the rate plan to the 10c/min pay per use?

 

From what I've read when you call you have to go through an automated machine first and I cannot stand those things. No matter how well you articulate and how much you slow down your speech they hardly ever understand what you are saying.

Scholar

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182 Messages

13 years ago

Hello CaribbeanLady.  Let me give it a shot, and try to answer to you one by one.  Good questions:


  1. So, when the rate plan expires would it automatically be changed into a pay per use plan? The 10c/min plan? Or do I still need to call to change the rate plan to the 10c/min pay per use?
  2. From what I've read when you call you have to go through an automated machine first and I cannot stand those things. No matter how well you articulate and how much you slow down your speech they hardly ever understand what you are saying.

  1. Yes, once your monthly plan ends this 18th, without explicit plan renewal, you should be placed under the default pay-as-you-go 10c/min plan for the remaining balance.  Thereafter, if the account balance is drained completely due to usage (under the default 10c-min plan), you should remain active with zero balance, and obviously without service, until the expiry date of your account.  "Pay As You Go accounts will be canceled 60 days after expiration. A service activation fee and new wireless phone number will be required to reactivate service."  That is, expiration occurs on a fixed date, independent of a zero balance.  This date is pre-established by the last time that you had positive fiscal contribution to your account (At present, according to your post, your termination is set 60 days after the 18th, regarless of balance).
  2. No, you should be able to preform all fiscal management of your prepaid account, including account refills and plan changes, under your login:  http://att.com/mygophone.  I see little reason for you to be subjected to the voice response system, especiallly from a foreign land.  I have never used it, more so after learning of the steps required to get to a human queue.  So I am in total agreement with your stand about the prepaid IVR.

Being outside the US, makes your effort that much harder.  This is why others suggested to simply let go of the prepaid account, and renew only when needed with a fresh SIM which is activated via the website http://att.com/activations once you arrive to the US.  This obviously has pros and cons, as you will get a new number each time you renew (unless you have a Google Voice number), but this activation-on-demand will save yourself both money and aggravation.

 

I believe I got this right, CaribbeanLady.  But, others may add to this.

 

Master

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10.2K Messages

13 years ago


@CaribbeanLady wrote:

@Wild Banchi wrote:

@CaribbeanLady wrote:
And do you know what happens if I don't refill before my plan expires? The plan expires on the 18th of this month and my balance expires 2 months later. Do you know whether my account would be deactivated if my plan expires because I haven't refilled/renewed the plan?

Your account would not be deactivated based on if your plan expired. It would just go unused for however long you choose not to use it. Now, if your balanced expired two months later, then your account would expire and no longer be active. Along with your expired account, your SIM card and phone number would expire as well.

It's not so much the $50 Unlimited plan you want to watch for if you don't tend to use your phone for that month, but more of the balance in your account and the expiration date of your account.

So, when the rate plan expires would it automatically be changed into a pay per use plan? The 10c/min plan?

Or do I still need to call to change the rate plan to the 10c/min pay per use?

 

From what I've read when you call you have to go through an automated machine first and I cannot stand those things. No matter how well you articulate and how much you slow down your speech they hardly ever understand what you are saying.


Your rate plan would stay the same. In order to switch to the $0.10 a minute plan, you would still have to call 611 to confirm the switch. It is not automatic. I can see how you may have thought this, though.

Yes, dialing 611 is an automated IVR system. To be honest, it usually works pretty well and without any problems, but it's SUPER sensitive. If you have any background noise like people talking, music, etc., the system will get all confused and just stop working. This is especially frustrating. At times I said everything correctly and clearly understandable, but "she" did not seem to comprehend what I had said... I still don't know why that happened, but calling again usually works. 😛

Tutor

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7 Messages

13 years ago

Thanks for the replies, guys.

 

Some more questions. (I ask a lot, I know. 🙂 )

 

And SIM cards can be purchased at any AT&T service center, correct?

And I imagine if I have my own unlocked phone, I could just buy an AT&T SIM and use that just fine with my own phone.

 

Too bad I'd lose the number though. There is no way to reactive a SIM that's been cancelled?

Master

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10.2K Messages

13 years ago

Yes, you can purchase a SIM at any AT&T store/authorized retailer. Unlocked phones would work fine also, yes.

Correct. Once a SIM is deactivated, it cannot be re-activated.

Master

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5.9K Messages

13 years ago


@Wild Banchi wrote:

@CaribbeanLady wrote:

@Wild Banchi wrote:

@CaribbeanLady wrote:
And do you know what happens if I don't refill before my plan expires? The plan expires on the 18th of this month and my balance expires 2 months later. Do you know whether my account would be deactivated if my plan expires because I haven't refilled/renewed the plan?

Your account would not be deactivated based on if your plan expired. It would just go unused for however long you choose not to use it. Now, if your balanced expired two months later, then your account would expire and no longer be active. Along with your expired account, your SIM card and phone number would expire as well.

It's not so much the $50 Unlimited plan you want to watch for if you don't tend to use your phone for that month, but more of the balance in your account and the expiration date of your account.

So, when the rate plan expires would it automatically be changed into a pay per use plan? The 10c/min plan?

Or do I still need to call to change the rate plan to the 10c/min pay per use?

 

From what I've read when you call you have to go through an automated machine first and I cannot stand those things. No matter how well you articulate and how much you slow down your speech they hardly ever understand what you are saying.


Your rate plan would stay the same. In order to switch to the $0.10 a minute plan, you would still have to call 611 to confirm the switch. It is not automatic. I can see how you may have thought this, though.

Yes, dialing 611 is an automated IVR system. To be honest, it usually works pretty well and without any problems, but it's SUPER sensitive. If you have any background noise like people talking, music, etc., the system will get all confused and just stop working. This is especially frustrating. At times I said everything correctly and clearly understandable, but "she" did not seem to comprehend what I had said... I still don't know why that happened, but calling again usually works. 😛

As Wild Banchi has indicated, if you use the $50 Unlimited plan you would actively have to choose a different rate plan in order to make a change.  The $50 monthly plan renews automatically every 30 days as long as there are available funds within your account to make the purchase; if not, you are prevented from using any services until you have funded your account with at least the required $50 or have actively switched to a different rate plan by using the IVR system.

 

I normally don't care for automated voice response systems either - however, this one really isn't bad.  It's sensitive enough that you don't have to state things exactly "right", and I don't have much trouble with it not being able to screen out background noise.  I use both the on-line account access and the IVR to manage my account - probably about 50/50, just depending on whatever is more convenient at the time I think of something I need to do.  lol.  And there is a wealth of information within the IVR system that is not readily available on at&t's website "sales" pages re: the GoPhone plans. 😉  One "trick" to effectively using the IVR is to understand that many options you are likely interested in are buried under "More Options" from the first menu prompt, which unfortunately is also the easiest route to a live customer service rep.

Contributor

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2 Messages

8 years ago

How long after your last montly plan expires does your sim card stay activated. i.e. If I decide to renew my montly plan after months of not renewing will I be able to do it (Is there a meximum number of days I am allowed to go without renewing my plan until my sim card and my number deactivates?

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