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AT&T rip-off

U

ufudu

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 26, 2007
10
0
I had an unlimited data plan until today. I then received the following email from AT&T:


"We attempted to automatically renew your Unlimited data for 30 days for $29.99 rate plan.

Please update your credit card information and re-select a plan to continue service via Settings on your iPad.

Thank You,
AT&T"

You will note that it doesn't say they couldn't update. The card is fine and the data in my account settings on the card was fine (no different to when I set up the account, which they approved). This is simply a means to change the plan from unlimited to limited.

The sooner their monopoly is broken the better.

What authorities monitor this type of abuse?
 
well, the unlimited plans will go away one way or the other.

Apple promised an unlimited plan that you can sign up and cancer whenever you want. Now it's either 2GB limited or paying every month and being careful like hell to not lose your legacy plan. Disgusting since it happened 4 weeks after buying the ipads.....

The lawsuits are underway but certainly won't help anyone besides the lawyers.
And Apples image might get damaged. But only with such a small fraction of customer that it won't matter.
 
Personally I think they should do away with the $20 charge for tethering. I could kind of see what they were doing when they had a unlimited plan but with out it they should open tethering up to every one regardless of what plan they have. If you go over then it is another $10 per GB. If not... No harm no foul right. To charge us for tethering without a unlimited plan is certainly gouging and I'll be writting the people who monitor this type of thing this weekend to express my view. If I use 5GB per month then I should pY more vs the person that uses 2GB. Only fair and I agree on that, but I should be ablento use my data how I want and not pay extra for the ability to go over my limit and pay more on top of that.
 
redbotsoftware said:
Did you try calling AT&T customer service? and escalate it to a manager?
Click to expand...

No, not yet. I will try that tomorrow (although I suspect it will be a Kafkaesque experience). The email I received said not to reply as it had been generated automatically. There is nothing on the mail to let you know whom to contact.
 
Fact of the matter is that their network sucks, and forcing people off unlimited plans by hook or crook is cheaper than building more capacity
 
ufudu said:
The sooner their monopoly is broken the better.
Click to expand...

Im certainly no AT&T fanboy, but I question what monopoly your referring to? They by far dont have a monopoly on cell service. Calling it as such is pure ignorance of the situation.
 
ufudu said:
No, not yet. I will try that tomorrow (although I suspect it will be a Kafkaesque experience). The email I received said not to reply as it had been generated automatically. There is nothing on the mail to let you know whom to contact.
Click to expand...

Remember, this is the company who, when a customer emailed the CEO, was threatened by AT&T not to send any more emails or to face legal action

http://www.pcworld.com/article/197916/atandt_response_to_ceo_emails_leads_to_backlash.html
 
Corruptitudes said:
Im certainly no AT&T fanboy, but I question what monopoly your referring to? They by far dont have a monopoly on cell service. Calling it as such is pure ignorance of the situation.
Click to expand...

Who else offers IPad data plans in the US?
 
I was under the impression that the iPad 3G was unlocked in that it could be used on any network, hence not having to sign up for a 2 year contract. It would just have to be a GSM Network... NO..?
 
andiwm2003 said:
Apple promised an unlimited plan that you can sign up and cancer whenever you want.
Click to expand...

No. They offered a device which would have services provided by AT&T on a non-contractual basis with two pre-paid options available at launch, unlimited and 250 MB. No gaurantees were made on what would happen with data plans in the future and since you have no contract for services you can't rely on a contract to lock AT&T into providing said services.

The 'no contract' part of the iPad data plans were heralded as one of the pluses at launch. There are inherent risks involved when you're not under a contract.
 
ufudu said:
I had an unlimited data plan until today. I then received the following email from AT&T:


"We attempted to automatically renew your Unlimited data for 30 days for $29.99 rate plan.

Please update your credit card information and re-select a plan to continue service via Settings on your iPad.

Thank You,
AT&T"

You will note that it doesn't say they couldn't update. The card is fine and the data in my account settings on the card was fine (no different to when I set up the account, which they approved). This is simply a means to change the plan from unlimited to limited.

The sooner their monopoly is broken the better.

What authorities monitor this type of abuse?
Click to expand...

I recall reading last month on these forums about someone else with the exact same problem and eventually they did get it corrected/resolved. Here's a link to that thread.
 
ufudu said:
No, not yet. I will try that tomorrow (although I suspect it will be a Kafkaesque experience). The email I received said not to reply as it had been generated automatically. There is nothing on the mail to let you know whom to contact.
Click to expand...
I would definitely call customer service, there have been several threads on this messageboard alone with people complaining about this exact issue, and they have had it reinstated just fine after contacting customer service, I believe.

Also, there have been several threads on this messageboard alone with people complaining about this exact issue, :rolleyes: so it's not sounding like a fluke and might need to be escalated to sort of authorities in the off-chance that it is an intentional act on their part to cull the grandfathered unlimited plans.
 
bt22 said:
I was under the impression that the iPad 3G was unlocked in that it could be used on any network, hence not having to sign up for a 2 year contract. It would just have to be a GSM Network... NO..?
Click to expand...

It IS unlocked and there is no contract BUT only US ATT can handle the 3G chip inside.
 
For all the bitching, moaning and whining, it's worth noting that less than 1 in 25 users goes over 2GB a month.



Ash
 
ashVID said:
For all the bitching, moaning and whining, it's worth noting that less than 1 in 25 users goes over 2GB a month.



Ash
Click to expand...

It's worth noting that this figure is for iPhone users. The iPad is a more of a media consumption device, than is the iPhone, which tends to mean more data is used.

As for the OP, call your card company and see if a charge was attempted.
 
ufudu said:
No, not yet. I will try that tomorrow (although I suspect it will be a Kafkaesque experience). The email I received said not to reply as it had been generated automatically. There is nothing on the mail to let you know whom to contact.
Click to expand...

It make take some time and persistence but I think they will fix it, if it was an error.

But there is a way to get unlimited on the iPhone right now using a 1st Gen iPhone. (There's a thread about it in these forums.) But I don't know if it'd help since it's an iPad plan.
 
ufudu said:
Who else offers IPad data plans in the US?
Click to expand...

When I go to purchase a car, there usually is something I can find that I dislike about the car. The radio knob is in the wrong place, or the seats arent comfortable, or something is not how I want. I can either purchase the car knowing full well its faults, or I can walk away. If I purchase the car knowing that it requires say high octane gas, I cant complain that there is only one gas company that sells high octane gas in town and that they have a monopoly on the high octane gas. I knew what it required and chose to purchase it anyway.

In a monopoly, you have no choice. Electric companies are monopolies. Phone companies(land lines) were monopolies. No longer however. You cant know the full details of the ipad, buy the ipad, and cry about them having a monopoly on the ipad, as you had the choice to take your money else where and you didnt.
 
ufudu said:
I had an unlimited data plan until today. I then received the following email from AT&T:


"We attempted to automatically renew your Unlimited data for 30 days for $29.99 rate plan.

Please update your credit card information and re-select a plan to continue service via Settings on your iPad.

Thank You,
AT&T"

You will note that it doesn't say they couldn't update. The card is fine and the data in my account settings on the card was fine (no different to when I set up the account, which they approved). This is simply a means to change the plan from unlimited to limited.

The sooner their monopoly is broken the better.

What authorities monitor this type of abuse?
Click to expand...

I've called the day before it renews each month for the last 2 months. I set a calendar alert. I do this so I know everything is fine before my card is charged. I also make sure everything is fine with the card as well including balance and expiration dates on file.

I know it's a lot but I don't trust them so I do my due diligence.
 
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