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BEWARE AT&T iPad Scam: Trick to dishonor grandfathering unlimited plan [resolved]

C

Cascadians

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 24, 2009
81
4
Unbelievable! Have the launch day iPad 64 3G, have been paying for unlimited data $29.99/month. Got an email from AT&T saying next payment not going through because credit card needs to be updated. Credit card does NOT need updating. Found out the credit card info was perfect last month, but suddenly the expiration date was changed by AT&T (exact same card going through just fine on iPhone account). So because it made me re-enter the correct credit card info, now AT&T will not let me continue the grandfathered unlimited data plan.

Total SCAM! Class action lawsuit. They just rig their computer to change your credit card date, so you have to "correct" it, and then you cannot continue your unlimited data plan.

June 13, 2010 been on the phone with AT&T for well over an hour, various supervisors, they say there's nothing they can do, they will only look at a "phonenews" site and say there's no grandfathering.

The lady who claimed this is named Edith Smith with AT&T in Baton Rouge.

*** FRAUD ***
 
So you are saying that the unlimited plan is no longer available? It was available last night when I activated it.

And honestly bro, AT&T can change the data plans whenever they feel like it. I'm not defending them but that's how the contracts are written.
 
They advertised that those who had an iPad by June 6 and chose the unlimited data plan at $29.99 would be grandfathered in. But now they are using a trick to get rid of those who have the unlimited plan. They change your credit card expiration date so they can stop service. It is a SCAM. Totally unethical.

My iPhone is using the exact same credit card -- AT&T changed the date ONLY on the iPad account.

Bastards.
 
I posted this so the rest of you who suddenly get an AT&T email saying you have to update your credit card info (when in reality your card has not changed whatsoever) therefore you are no longer eligible for your unlimited plan will know you are not the only one and it is a SCAM.
 
I think you may be going out on a Limb by saying they changed it and they are trying to scam you.

Simply hang up the phone and try a different rep, you will get a totally different answer.
 
109 megabytes in the last 29 days. (the rep said on the phone)

I'm on my 6th rep right now.
 
Not out on a limb. Facts. Exact same credit card, AT&T iPad & iPhone. *They* changed the expiration date on my iPad account but not my iPhone account. My card's expiration date is not due for change. They admit their records show this fact.
 
I don't think they are targeting me. I was in line on launch day of the 3G iPad so have one of the 1st accounts. This looks like a way from AT&T to get rid of grandfathering in unlimited data plans. I expect the 1st 3G owners will be getting the same email.

As you can see I've used hardly any 3G data so obviously I'm not hogging the airwaves, so it is nothing personal.

They are saying they have no way to allow grandfathering.
 
Cascadians said:
109 megabytes in the last 29 days. (the rep said on the phone)

I'm on my 6th rep right now.
Click to expand...

If you only used 109MB in the last month, would you not be good with the 250MB plan? Im pretty sure that saves you 50%...

or am i missing something :confused:
 
Hydrocity said:
If you only used 109MB in the last month, would you not be good with the 250MB plan? Im pretty sure that saves you 50%...

or am i missing something :confused:
Click to expand...

That's really irrelevant, isn't it? Maybe the OP has a long trip coming up away from WiFi and knows they'll need much more 3G next month.

If it's true that they are doing this (and that's a big if) it would certainly fall under the category of 'shady business practice'.
 
But don't the grandfathered Ipads have the option to start and stop the unlimited anytime they want?
 
Right now, yes. But as the iPad advances my usage will go up. Using it at work.

This thread is a heads up to the rest of iPad 3G users.

It's the principle of scamming and changing their policies abruptly that is bad.

The rep is saying they never meant any type of grandfathering would be allowed. They have no mechanism for grandfathering. She is saying all the press (Bloomberg, AP, UPI, etc) got it wrong. They will not grandfather. That means anybody.
 
You can't stop and start anymore. That changed too. There is no way to renew the unlimited data plan. They do not allow it and say they never did, that the press "misinterpreted" their plan. No grandfathering.

My unlimited data plan is still in effect, but now they are metering it. And it will not automatically go to next month because they changed my credit card expiration date and the iPad required me to "reenter" it. Once I did that (no other option) there was no way to continue service.

Same exact credit card chugging right along with iPhone billing for years, no problem. Automatic.
 
I just checked on my iPad 3G and the unlimited plan is still available. I’m not sure what the commotion is about. Are saying AT&T removed it from your iPad?
 
It is removed from my iPad and AT&T is saying it is removed from AT&T.

They just dropped their own call with their own rep. *sigh*
Been on the phone with them all day.
They've been emailing me screenshots of their computer.

"Call Failed"

Too ironic.
 
The call AT&T just dropped was 2 hours 1 minute.

All these supervisors reviewing their policy and saying absolutely no way no how AT&T will have any way to grandfather in 3G unlimited accounts. They were bumping it up to iPad Tech Dept before AT&T fail-dropped the call.
 
Pull that cr*p and I stop paying

If ATT pulls that cr*p on me, it'll save me 300 bucks a year. Right now, I'm renewing my 3G plan in order to keep unlimited data. Take unlimited data away from me and I just get data for the times (maybe twice a year) I'm away from my WiFi on vacation. Current annual expenditure 360 dollars. Projected annual expenditure if ATT stops grandfathering my data plan, 30 to 60 bucks. Net savings 300+ dollars a year.

Hey! That's almost enough saved to pay full retail on an iPhone 4. Cool... So have at it ATT. You lose!!
 
Odd

Why would they do that since the unlimited plan isn't cancelled yet. My iPad is 1 day old and I signed up no prob on Sat.
 
Wait- so if I change the credit card I'm using to pay my unlimited plan, I lose the grandfathering? Or if I move (thus changing the zip code on my credit card), I use the unlimited plan? Or if I change my card number because someone stole my credit card...?

That's ridiculous.

Unlike the OP, I used 1.7 GB in my first month, and I only installed Air Video and iTeleport (both of which I rely on heavily) in the later half of the month. I'm fairly sure I'll pass 2 GB in the future a few times.
 
I'm wondering if I am one of those whose info was stolen from AT&T. I did not change my credit card expiration date and neither did my credit card company. AT&T says it changed on their records but they don't have a way to change it. Is this a hack from that theft?
 
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