Excess Data Usage

[SeanMcC]

Got this text message earlier today:

Anyone else see this before? I called AT&T and they couldn't really tell me much... The online coverage viewer says the area I'm in is covered by AT&T but the lady from the "overage department" said their internal coverage viewer says it's partner towers. I'm not sure why there's different coverage information for customers and employees.

Also, the uninformed CSR I talked to before being transfered to the "overage department" told me I probably exceeded the 5GB cap, for those of you on here who are in denial about it.

 

[Resist]

It's spam and not from AT&T.

 

[eawmp1]

It's the Nigerians!

 

[SeanMcC]

It's spam and not from AT&T.

AT&T confirmed that I had been flagged by the system and notified of over-use.

 

[chstr]

att really ****ing has to stop calling the iphone data plan unlimited its false advertising!!!!

 

[cababah]

Do you use it for tethering?

 

[hchavarria]

It disclosed that there is a 5GB cap. The reason why they call it unlimited is because on average AT&T customers do no exceed or nearly exceed that cap.

 

[jav6454]

It disclosed that there is a 5GB cap. The reason why they call it unlimited is because on average AT&T customers do no exceed or nearly exceed that cap.

5GB cap is false.... that is for Data Cards (Laptop connect) iPhone is unlimited.

The text message appear because you are roaming on some other carrier's network. Hence, AT&T isn't too fond of that.

Simple fix is stay in AT&T owned network.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

att really ****ing has to stop calling the iphone data plan unlimited its false advertising!!!!

If you read the TOS they state unreasonable/ excessive usage can be billed and it has held up in court that unlimited does not really mean unlimited.
The soft cap they go on is 5Gigs

It disclosed that there is a 5GB cap. The reason why they call it unlimited is because on average AT&T customers do no exceed or nearly exceed that cap.

Very true on that. The average users may hit a 100 megs. The people breaking 5gig are amount the 3-4% of people causing 90% of all the problems for ATT data.

 

[-aggie-]

5GB cap is false.... that is for Data Cards (Laptop connect) iPhone is unlimited.

The text message appear because you are roaming on some other carrier's network. Hence, AT&T isn't too fond of that.

Simple fix is stay in AT&T owned network.

This is the only poster in this thread that actually stated facts. The OP got the message because they exceeded off network usage for the lesser of 24 megabytes or 20% of the megabytes included in your plan.

 

[SeanMcC]

Do you use it for tethering?

No tethering.

This is the only poster in this thread that actually stated facts. The OP got the message because they exceeded off network usage for the lesser of 24 megabytes or 20% of the megabytes included in your plan.

The first CSR I talked to told me I got the message because I exceeded 5GB, then when I was transferred to someone who actually knew about the message I received, she said I received the text when I transferred over 100MB off-network in one billing period.

 

[chstr]

hey you know what? I sell guitars. I am going to take out an ad that says unlimited free strings with every guitar purchase. then in my "terms of service" I will state that unlimited really means 1 set of strings every year. you think my customers will be happy?????

 

[ruinfx]

i dont think this has anything to do with the "5gb cap". its because you are roaming and using data. "unlimited" does not apply when you are off-network and your off-net allowance is practically nothing. thats why you are getting flagged and if you do it 2 months in a row they have the right to:

terminate your service, deny your continued use of other carriers' coverage, or change your plan to one imposing usage charges for off-net usage.

again, for all the people that are going to turn this into a "there is no 5gb soft cap" thread. no service is unlimited when you are off-network.

 

[-aggie-]

No tethering.



The first CSR I talked to told me I got the message because I exceeded 5GB, then when I was transferred to someone who actually knew about the message I received, she said I received the text when I transferred over 100MB off-network in one billing period.

See TheSpaz's closed thread, which discussed how you get different answers depending on how many CSR's you talk to. It actually had good info until all the trolls posted.

 

[marcongj]

its exactly like the 39.99 unlimited nights and weekends its not unlimited you get 5000 minutes which in my opinion is unlimited since I am never going to go over it.

 

[jav6454]

At 39.99 you don't get unlimited 5000 Night/Weekends, you get 5000, what you do get unlimited is M2M (or AT&T to AT&T). The next tier (900) minutes gets Unlimited M2M and Nights/Weekends.

No tethering.



The first CSR I talked to told me I got the message because I exceeded 5GB, then when I was transferred to someone who actually knew about the message I received, she said I received the text when I transferred over 100MB off-network in one billing period.

There you go. There is no such thing as 5GB cap for iPhones. There never was or is. People bitch about it because they try to go full Data access off-network (meaning not AT&T's) and they get slapped. Obviously, AT&T is well within their rights to tell you don't go heavy outside.

Like I said, simple solution is to go back to AT&T's network or do not use data as you have been using it off-network. Otherwise, you might end up with out a service.

 

[rjohnstone]

att really ****ing has to stop calling the iphone data plan unlimited its false advertising!!!!

He's talking about OFF NETWORK usage, which is capped.
The unlimited data plan is unlimited as long as you are on AT&T's network.
Read your contract and the TOS.

I've received the same message when I spent a week in a Cellular One area.
AT&T didn't care about the phone calls I made, as domestic roaming for voice is permitted. They did warn me that my use of Cellular One's data network was considered excessive.

 

[Rayfire]

OP,

Thread title seems misleading, there should be an "off-network" placed
before there, cause it's not the regular data usage that AT&T is reminding you of but the off-network ones.

 

[sushi]

Like I said, simple solution is to go back to AT&T's network or do not use data as you have been using it off-network. Otherwise, you might end up with out a service.

Would you please explain how you know you are on AT&T's network and not off network when it comes to data? TIA.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

hey you know what? I sell guitars. I am going to take out an ad that says unlimited free strings with every guitar purchase. then in my "terms of service" I will state that unlimited really means 1 set of strings every year. you think my customers will be happy?????

You do not get it.

It more like unlimited free replacement strings.
Now lets assume some people see that added and are coming in everyday to get new strings that means some one is abusing the system and you the owner of the shop would put an end to it really quickly. They sue you over and the courts will back you stating that unlimited really means with in reason. New strings every day is NOT with in reason (hell once a month is pushing it)

It is just like some people with the iPhone data. They are coming in to the shop every day to get new strings. Something does not add up there does it.

 

[Steve686]

When ATT officially offers iPhone tethering, there will be a cap.

What I want to know know is if each system, iPhone Data and Tether Data is on it's own data counter.

Say you tether around 5 gigs(assuming that is the cap like it is with the Data Connect plans) and use iPhone data for a gig or two? Is this going to be counted as "over the 5 gig cap"?

If this is the case I might just go ahead and restart my DataConnect account which I got rid of in anticipation of tethering happening sometime...

 

[ruinfx]

Would you please explain how you know you are on AT&T's network and not off network when it comes to data? TIA.

there was a thread about this before where i think someone had this happen to them and at&t turned on some feature that would show when they were off-network. its not default though.

 

[Steve686]

there was a thread about this before where i think someone had this happen to them and at&t turned on some feature that would show when they were off-network. its not default though.

It's kind of like you establish a home area by your billing address zip code. If you do use the phone outside the area they establish as your home calling area more than they think is allowable, ATT will tell you and threaten to disconnect your service. I've seen threads about this in the past.

That was for voice usage. I am sure data has something along the same lines.

 

[mrochester]

As an iPhone user from the UK, I'm interested to know how you know you're roaming on another network in the US. Is it like travelling to another country where you'll see the name of the foreign network you're on? Or does it always just say AT&T with some other way of knowing you're roaming?

 

[chstr]

You do not get it.

It more like unlimited free replacement strings.
Now lets assume some people see that added and are coming in everyday to get new strings that means some one is abusing the system and you the owner of the shop would put an end to it really quickly. They sue you over and the courts will back you stating that unlimited really means with in reason. New strings every day is NOT with in reason (hell once a month is pushing it)

It is just like some people with the iPhone data. They are coming in to the shop every day to get new strings. Something does not add up there does it.

no I understand it very well. I would fully expect people to come in and get as many strings as they want because that is what I advertised. Of course, I have good business sense so I wouldn't do that. I would advertise unlimited replacement strings for the life of the guitar. Now I am being very specific and my customers won't be upset when they understand that the new strings will have to replace old worn out strings. What att is doing is false advertising because they offer the plan as unlimited data, and then go the backdoor route of saying there is actually a 5 gb cap. I dropped my att data plan because I am sick and tired of att's nonsense approach to business. I now use verizon mifi for my data (which is light years ahead of att) and they specifically advertize the data plan as having a 5 gb cap, so I have no problem abiding by that.