Contributor
•
1 Message
Data Rollover not applied to account
Hello -
I have a shared data plan for two iPhones that allows for 3GB of data a month. I understand that any unused data rolls over into the next month, per the plan.
This past month, I received a text message on Saturday, July 18 that I had exceeded my 3GB of data for the billing cycle. There were 2 days left in the cycle until the data plan reset. I was told I was automatically billed $15 for an additional GB of data.
Now that the plan has reset for the new cycle, I have noticed that the unused data that I purchased has not been applied as rollover to my current data allotment. I am still showing 3GB of data available for this cycle (July 21 - August 20, 2015).
I have confirmed this via the mobile app, and also via phone with a rep.
What I want to know is: why is the unused data not being applied to my plan as rollover. The facts are:
- I paid $15 for an extra GB of data
- I did not come close to using all of the data in that additional purchase
- I am in a plan that allows for rollover of unused data
If there is something in my contract that stipulates that unused extra data that is purchased is lost if not used, please direct me to that content.
In addition, please explain to me why you took my money and are not allowing me to use what I paid for? This is a disingenuous business practice, as it was explained to me upon signing the contract that unused data rolls over.
This is especiailly frustrating because up until I signed my new contract, I had a grandfathered UNLIMITED data plan. I have been a customer for quite a long while. I purchased new phones through Costco and was told at the kiosk that the grandfathered plan would no longer be honored if I wanted to upgrade my iPhones.
I lost my unlimited plan, and now appear to be in a situation where I am paying for data that you are not allowing me to use. I would like some clarity on this issue, as it seems like a greedy cash grab from AT&T, who loses nothing by actually letting me use the data that you automatically had me pay for.
Thank you,
Greg
Accepted Solution
Official Solution
GeekBoy
Master
•
4.1K Messages
9 years ago
Only unused data from your base data plan will be rolled-over into the following month. Any unused roll-over data is lost, as is any unused data purchased via overage charges. Yeah, it may seem "unfair" but that's the rules of how it works. The other part of the way it works is that your base plan data is used before any of your roll-over data is used, so you either use all your data and have nothing to roll-over to next month, or you don't get to use any of your roll-over data before it expires. It's still better than they way us used to be when nothing rolled-over.
0
DD-DD-DD
Contributor
•
1 Message
9 years ago
0
0
GeekBoy
Master
•
4.1K Messages
9 years ago
Ummm, That is exactly how rollover minutes are used too, the only difference is that rollover minutes accumulate for 12 months, not just 1 month. That means that if you have 8 months of using less than your included minutes, they all keep rolling over, then you could have the next 3 months of going over and using from your rollover pool. With data, since it currently expires after 1 month (instead of 12) you can't keep accumulating it. Since the current rollover data is the first incarnation, it is possible that they might change it to allow it to accumulate longer before it expires. We never know about things like that until they happen, so this could be something they are thinking about. We won't know until AT&T announces any changes (if there will be any).
0
Tigereyze209
Professor
•
3.9K Messages
9 years ago
Back in the bell south mobility - Cingular days, I can remember a time when roll over actually meant roll over. the leftover minutes from a particualr month did eventualy expire, but it was like 4-6 months before the use it or lose it. And, the unused minuts for the secon month got added to whatever was left over from the previous months. They expired, and you lost those minutes after so much time of non-use, but it was not all those minutes.
Refering to how they do it now:
Kinda confusing to read it, but they do mention it, even if it's explained a bit funny.
In any particular month you have unused minutes, they roll over ONE (and only one) month... To actually use them however, you need to use up ALL the minutes in your second month before before you can use any of the rolled over minutes. Of course, since you used up all your minutes for the second month, and the rolled over minutes do not roll over twice, zero minutes roll over to your third month.
if you go over your limit in minutes, data, whatever, they charge for the overage in blocks, but they do NOT roll over to the next billing cycle, even if its only by a day.
Sounds good in the promos, but not really as useful as made out to be. Still, better than nothing, I guess.
@greg540 You are not alone in losing your grandfathered unlimited data plan.. unless you ask them about it specifically, and clearly indicate you want to keep it, they happily drop you from it, and not say a word while doing it. SOMETIMES, if you catch it soon enough, and make enough of a fuss, they will re-instate you.. they sure don't make it easy, however.
0
0
Srg769
Contributor
•
1 Message
8 years ago
Sonogram above have made an simple analysis of the cases and extent to which this rollover plan can actually be useful to anybody. What a joke.
The alternative way to understand it -- it's list and false advertisement, it's utterly misleading in that there is no value for customer from these plans hailed as benefits of the accounts, features used in comparisons with competitor plans.
Have you guys heard from other carriers "you paid for these minutes or data -- it's yours"?
Not such a radical concept, is it.
But burning the roll-over bank of saved data after one billing cycle has got to be bordering (if not actually be) unfair marketing practices where such Rollover concept concept is used. I am very surprised that these consumer practices got past regulatory approval, since no matter what math is behind this, these practices look extremely abusive to the consumer. Something from the dictatorship regime. And if you tell me that me that the allowance of, say 5Gb, doesn't actually correspond the calculation and expectation of the 5 Gb monthly use, I would agree with you, the increased consumption is on vacations and trips, during the holidays for most people. So leave the bank of accumulated data there for 12 rolling months, as it used to be since the days of Cingular. That actually did made some sense. And even with that there were number of rules that prevented one to keep the bank, which also were unfair, such as any change in plan was resetting the accumulating the minutes to 0. How about (if we wanted) with any change of the plan we get the new latest version of the cell phone and resign contract for the new term, and continue paying monthly payments for the phone. Let's all be all starting from the clean slate. That would be fair.
0
0
formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
•
117.2K Messages
8 years ago
@Srg769
ATT did not have to add rollover, and they could end the offer at any time. They are not obligated in any way, shape or form to offer roll over data.
if you don't like it, go to another carrier.
And no carrier will give you a $700 phone. Period. Phones are sold at retail cost by all carriers.
0
Busternutt
Professor
•
3.2K Messages
8 years ago
Back to the OP; the kiosk salesman is neither an ATT or Costco employee and mis lead you. Yeah, maybe if you bought your phone from them (authorized re-seller), they didn't have the ability to continue your unlimited plan. But had you bought direct from ATT (online or a corporate store), you could have kept your unlimited plan. OTOH, if you are only using around 3GB a month, you were paying way more for the unlimited plan than you were using.
To answer your question, here it is in writing:
1 Attachment
Untitled.jpg
0
0
Gary L
ACE - Expert
•
16.5K Messages
8 years ago
Before rollover it was easier to go over your data. Now if you go over once in a while you're okay.
If you go over often, you're probably on the wrong plan (generally for $20-$30 you can upgrade to a plan with 10GB more).
Do I wish rollover went for 3 or 6 or 12 months? You bet. But it doesn't, that's just the way it is.
When solved / helped, please mark your question as solved by clicking "Accept solution". This helps other people to find an answer more quickly.
0
0
formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
•
117.2K Messages
8 years ago
We had no complaints when we had NO ROLLOVER. Guess who has complaints EXACTLY like this one now? Verizon. They are getting the same trash talk since adding the carryover.
They only changed the plan and added these features less than 2 weeks ago.
If you all like T-mobile so much, then GO use T-mobile.
0
0
DaniD96
Contributor
•
2 Messages
7 years ago
0
0