Tutor
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1 Message
Enabling personal hotspot with unlimited data plan
I have an unlimited data plan and I would like to enable my personal hotspot so I can use my iPad. I am being told, in order to use the personal hotspot, I have to lose my unlimited plan and pay $50 per month for 5GB. Does this make any sense to anyone? If I have an unlimited data plan, what difference does it make which device I use (iPhone or iPad), it all takes from my existing data plan. This is AT&T's attempt to get people with grandfatherred in unlimited data plan to pay extra to use this feature. Extremely disappointed in AT&T.
wvmstr
Scholar
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198 Messages
9 years ago
I could see other strategies resulting in total refund of fees paid under the falsely advertised 'unlimited' plan.
Or, customers can be re-instated on their unlimited plans. Without data caps, without speed caps, without tethering limitations. Truly unlimited.
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formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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117K Messages
9 years ago
Focus on the word CONTRACT and its meaning...
Years ago AT&T offered unlimited data with 2 year contracts. Under a 2 year contract, both parties agree to terms. The customer had to pay for 2 years or a penalty for ending service. AT&T provided services per the contract for 2 years. At the end of 2 years the contract as over and the PLAN continued month to month without contract. (Without a contract EITHER PARTY CAN CHANGE TERMS )
There is no more unlimited plan. It has been discontinued. They no longer ADVERTISE such a plan (so how can it be false advertising?).
At the time unlimited plans were offered, they were NOT allowed to tether, it violated the terms and the contract could be terminated, AT&T could end service. There was an additional charge for tethering as a feature.
Any CONTRACTS requiring AT&T to provide unlimited data have EXPIRED years ago.
Any customers on an grandfathered unlimited plan are month to month and either AT&T or the customer can change plans any time.
There is the Net Neutrality to look forward to. This, if made law, will prohibit throttling of a plan titled 'unlimited'. It will not change the rule about tethering. A provider is allowed to limit service to the single device on an unlimited plan.
You can continue to argue, but do so with facts and understanding of contracts.
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inkedstud70
Contributor
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2 Messages
9 years ago
I will call BOGUS on the employees. How long have you been an employee? I have been with AT&T as a consumer probably before you were born. I had dial up internet, landline local and long distance and was one of the 1st 100 in my area to get cell service when it came out. That was back when they offered "Call Me" phones that allowed kids to call home or mom and dads cell phones and was a free service.
Now to the tethering part. I had tethering for free on my uinlimited data plan until 2011 when I had to get a new phone. At that time, it was disbaled internally. When I switched back to my old phone, I had it again. So to say "It's too expensive for you to offer it" to lonmg term, lotal, grandfathered in customers, that is BOGUS. That is not the way to reward the very few that stuck through two mergers. At& to Cingular to AT&T.
Why doesn't someone in your company figure out how to offer a limited amount of tethering per month on the unlimited data plans? Some people travel to areas where there is not wirless innternet and need computer access, but not all the time and not at the expense of an additional $50 per month. Your company net income for 2014 was $6.2 million and that is after everything is paid. Seriously? How about giving back a little?
Here is the financial report http://www.att.com/Investor/ATT_Annual/2014/downloads/att_ar2014_completefinancialreview.pdf
So again, I say, give a little back. How many people are grandfathered in? I bet not many as they either lefdt to go to Verizon or T-mobile plans. I know most of my friends and family did. But I believe in loyalty, and so should you!!!
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formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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117K Messages
9 years ago
@inkedstud70
Employees are clearly labeled. The responses were from fellow customers.
You are not going to get much sympathy from those of us who PAY for our data, since you never get any overage charges. I don't pay extra for using my hot spot on my phone when I need it. Nor do I pay $50 extra a month to use it on the rare cases I need it. I do have roll over data, which came in handy last winter during a power outage with no home wifi or electricity.
If you don't like your plan, change it and take the advantages. Very few customers who use an average amount of data on an unlimited plan are saving any money by keeping the plan.
Why doesn't ATT let you use the hot spot? Why do they reprioritize you after 5 GBS of use?
The speed and ability to use data has increase many time over since 2011.
If carriers had predicted the future, they never would have offered unlimited data.
ATT is not going to change its policy. If you want data to share, then change your plan.
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inkedstud70
Contributor
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2 Messages
9 years ago
I didn't address you. I addressed the employees, which were clearly listed as such, regarding the statements that AT&T can't afford it.
No need to address me again. I've been with AT&T since I was 18. That's 33 years. I don't need you telling me about contracts. I know what contracts are. I've studied business law.
I mearly pointed out that they net a huge profit and they CAN afford it. We know all that information. You're beating a dead horse.
I also made a legitimate suggestion regarding unlimited data plans and tethering. Where I'm at often I don't have wifi, and in 3 days used 1.5g of data. Imagine at 30 days? There is no plan large enough, however, it's not like that every month. Having access to view my computer some of the time, like I suggested would be beneficial. I paid for a hotspot and it was $50.08 per month, and often times, I didn't get reception with it, but did they refund me in the two years? Nope. Not one time did they offer anything. Was glad to get rid of a broken piece of equipment that drained the data but rarely worked properly.
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formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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117K Messages
9 years ago
@inkedstud70
This is a public, customer to customer forum. If you don't wish to correspond with non employees, then contact customer service directly.
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Oldtruthseeker
Contributor
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1 Message
8 years ago
I also called about tethering my iPhone5. They just told me that feature was not "compatible" with phones that have the Unlimited Data Plan. I asked what is meant by "compatible", the rep said when you try to turn on your hotspot on an iPhone, it tells you to call them. I asked whether or not she knew a software programmer could make the iPhone say anything they wanted to say when you try to turn on your hotspot on an iPhone that had the Unlimited Data Plan. I could not get her to come clean with me and just say that ATT obviously f**ked up, and now they want to hose me with some limited plan that will probably "bite me in the fanny" say if I accidently fell asleep or something with my laptop connected to the Hotspot and I wake up 2 hours later with 10GB of OS "handshaking" having passed. All I can say is beware. I know losing my account would not event put a nano-dent in ATTs mega-bucks so what to do? Keep your unlimited data plan, and buy a hotspot from another company just so you don't have to knuckle under to these progressives.
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formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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117K Messages
8 years ago
@Oldtruthseeker
Okay, how do you like "No".
As you can see, it doesn't go over well. No one likes "No".
Since I don't work for ATT, I have no problem dropping the politic answers and telling you, you may not tether.
It sounded like you were asking her if you could get around it and tether without ATT finding out.
Again, the answer she was too polite to give you, " If you tether on an unlimited line, ATT will know and terminate your plan".
This is is not new information. The ability to tether has always been restricted to customers on limited data plans.
I see see no lack of honesty in her telling you, you have to change plans if you want to tether. That is the truth. She did not force you to change plans, mearly informed you of the facts.
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Swarren0907
Contributor
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1 Message
8 years ago
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Gary L
ACE - Expert
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16.5K Messages
8 years ago
@Swarren0907 A business based on money?!? Pshaw! I've never heard of such thing.
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