Tutor
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6 Messages
Forced Media Package
I just bought a USED phone because I do not need a media package, but wanted a phone with wifi. I was surprised to get the text telling me that as a "courtesy" at&t upgraded me to a $25/month media package. My wife did the same thing earlier this year with an LG Incite (she has since changed phones). A coworker has the same phone with AT&T. AT&T does not consider them smartphones, but the phones has the same features as mine (wifi, windows os). Is there any rhyme to AT&T's stupid communistic rule of requiring plans for phones that are not bought as an upgrade??? I am now once again using my old worn out phone, while my nice new phone sits dorment because AT&T does not care for its customers.
BTW my contract is up in December and I will be switching to T-mobile which has nice packages for people who already have a phone.
Accepted Solution
dhood622
Tutor
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3 Messages
14 years ago
Yeah it is on party line "sprint and tmobile are robbing their customers why not us" for one at&t solved the problem of over data usage by giving people the option of blocking the data feature, funny how they can no longer block the data feature. Second at&t could just as easily did a pay as you go with a cap of 30 dollars if you use $5 dollar worth you pay $5 and if you use it to where your usage would top $100 you pay only $30 because of the $30 cap it the gave a hoot about their customers and not trying to feature out how to squeeze every dollar they can out of them, but at&t in an effort to rob people a person who never uses the data plan or uses the data feature very limited will have to pay $30 time 12 for a service that they never/rarely use. simple just because sprint, tmobile and verizon does it doesn't mean At&t should have. if any one who reading feels the same way that I do join me in being the one of the first in requesting AT&T change this money grabbing policy. sign up with me.
This is what I would what At&t to do
1. If you would like to have unlimited data you can sign up for the $30 a month plan
2. If you use your data feature occasionally you can sign up for a pay as you go plan, but I do understand business is business, so a pay as you go plan will have a cap of $50 dollar a month. and this is the default feature for all smart phones
3 If you never use your data feature At&t needs to reinstate the option of you having the option to turn the data feature off. Period you should not have to pay for something you choose NOT to use.
If enough At&T customers sign on to this then we can force At&T to respect it customers or we as a whole can petition another cell provider to offer a data service similar to the one above. If AT&T was smart it would do this because I know some people on other cell companies would switch because they don't want to pay for unlimited data when they don't use it.
LET MAKE THIS THE LONGEST POST AT&T HAS SEEN
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Virtual
Guru
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1K Messages
14 years ago
All smartphones that are used with AT&T service require a Data Plan, doesn't matter if they are AT&T branded or unlocked or if you bought it used or using your upgrade.
Breaking news: Every mayor carrier requires a Data Plan if you use a smartphone, AT&T was the last carrier to make mandatory this feature. The only exception would be T-Mobile that lets you have a line without a Data Plan if you use an unlocked phone or a phone that is not T-Mobile branded. If you're going to T-Mobile then most probably you can use your unlocked phone without a Data Plan.
The mandatory Data Plan was added since the last year because a lot of people usually received humongous bill charges and customers were claiming that they didn't use data when they had a smartphone. Don't blame AT&T, blame the customers that made this feature mandatory because they were requesting credits each time they "never used data".
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erichamion
Guru
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637 Messages
14 years ago
If you have a smartphone and your coworker has the same model phone, then that one is also a smartphone. However, if that person had that phone on that line before the data plan was required, your coworker was "grandfathered" in and keeps an exemption until he or she changes phones.
Where or how you obtained the phone is not relevant. When you obtained the phone and started using it on that specific line is what matters.
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cga632
Scholar
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30 Messages
14 years ago
That's a statement of the party line, however, why don't they let you block data on smartphones like I do on my dumphone? I would like to buy a smartphone with wifi capabillities but only use it when wifi is available. Also when they had the unlimited plan available they could have stopped the high bills by capping the charge at $30 like the unlimited plan whether you had a data plan or not. They are looking out for themselves, not the customer as the PR handouts would make you believe.
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wingrider01
Expert
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12.2K Messages
14 years ago
interesting the "party line", which "party" are you refering to - ATT, Verizon, Sprint? Since they all require a data plan for a smartphone and do not allow data blocking on said phones. The did stop the complaints about the data bills, they made the data plan required, simplest, most elegant way of doing it. Small wonder that they are looking out for themselves, after all they are a business and the primary goal of a business is to make money.
Might want to look at T-Mobile as a provider, some have posted that they do not require a data plan is you bring your own phone, but then you night want to do the due dikigence with other T-Mobile customer;'s on the forum to verify they have the coverage you need.
Before you claim it - no I do not work for ATT, although we do have some nice consulting contracts with ATT, we also have them with Sprint, and verizon.
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wingrider01
Expert
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12.2K Messages
14 years ago
/rofl good luck on this, doubt you will be able to "force att" to do anything. thanks for a amusing post
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Zombiehunter
Professor
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3.7K Messages
14 years ago
wingrider01, this user is post flooding. I've located two additional areas containing the exact same post.
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stclair49
Guru
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475 Messages
14 years ago
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UNSC_REACH
Professor
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1.6K Messages
14 years ago
dhood622, let me know when you startup. I'll try your new service out. Until then, please lets not "make this the longest post AT&T has seen".
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jakeh56
Tutor
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6 Messages
14 years ago
He is not Grandfathered in, but he gave me some good info that seems to work. I have been using my smartphone for over a month and no required data plan
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