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Original iPad launch owner wants to switch to unlimited data plan

A

Awalp

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 19, 2010
16
0
I just recently found out about the change in att contract plans. I purchased my 3G iPad and had it at launch date so I'm an owner before the change in plans. When i setup the data plan I signed up for the 250mb obviously because it would automatically upgrade if I pasted 250mb to unlimited.

Now the unlimited option is gone. I bought the iPad because I want to use it as my main computer and internet connection. I'm at that point now and Im ready for the unlimited data plan but it is not there.

So any 3G customer before June 7th could buy the unlimited data plan if they stayed on it and payed every month no matter how much bandwidth they used. Obviously since i was unaware of the change till now I had no need to signup for unlimited since it upgraded automatically upon need.

My question is, since their deal is sign up for a monthly unlimited and don't cancel in order to honor it for original customers, how can i switch to unlimited at this point and pay $30 a month even if i don't pass 250mb so i don't loose unlimited.

I am about to have the ipad be my primary computer and ISP and i need the unlimited plan if i ever want to use iTunes for movies or anything bandwidth heavy.

Since I am an original customer how do i get thewm to honor the unlimited offer and upgrade my plan? The option has been removed from my account page in cellular data.
 
Honestly, I think you're out of luck.

You never had the unlimited plan to begin with, so why would you be entitled to the old price?

You can't be grandfathered into an expired plan if you were never part of it to begin with.

If you really want to try, you could always call up Apple and plead, but I doubt it'll get you anywhere.
 
I also tend to think you're out of luck, but in addition to calling Apple, you could try calling AT&T.
 
pelicanflip said:
Honestly, I think you're out of luck.

You never had the unlimited plan to begin with, so why would you be entitled to the old price?

You can't be grandfathered into an expired plan if you were never part of it to begin with.

If you really want to try, you could always call up Apple and plead, but I doubt it'll get you anywhere.
Click to expand...

I always had the unlimited data plan... in the form of it being automatically purchased if I ran over 250mb. Before AT&T changed things, why would anyone buy an unlimited plan for $30, if they could buy 250mb for $15, and pay another $15 if they went over.

The unlimited plan was always there if I ran over 250mb. Now it is not, and I want to sign up to it permanently.

MrWillie said:
Then again, ATT never meant for 3G to be anyones only Internet plan, just a supplement. I feel that is why they changed there plans and pricing.
Click to expand...

It is the only internet plan you need if you only use an iPad. I think that was the idea behind unlimited data and a portable tablet computer you could bring anywhere.

I definitely want to be able to actually USE the iPad for what it is designed for. If I go on a road trip I wanna be able to watch a movie through iTunes. If I go on a month long road trip 2GB isn't gonna cover it, and I need to be on unlimited.

I actually bought an iPad because I wanted to be able to travel the country and still have a computer and internet connection.
 
Awalp said:
I always had the unlimited data plan... in the form of it being automatically purchased if I ran over 250mb. Before AT&T changed things, why would anyone buy an unlimited plan for $30, if they could buy 250mb for $15, and pay another $15 if they went over.

The unlimited plan was always there if I ran over 250mb. Now it is not, and I want to sign up to it permanently.
Click to expand...

If I knew I was only going to need 250 MB, why would I pay $30 a month when I can just pay $15 and be done with it.

If you wanted unlimited, sorry, you should have paid for the unlimited plan to begin with.
 
IrishVixen said:
you could try calling AT&T.
Click to expand...

last time I called them about a non-iPad issue I was on the phone for 1.5 hours after being transferred 3 times.

Anyone know any direct numbers to the department who would handle an iPad data customer?

pelicanflip said:
If I knew I was only going to need 250 MB, why would I pay $30 a month when I can just pay $15 and be done with it.

If you wanted unlimited, sorry, you should have paid for the unlimited plan to begin with.
Click to expand...

I thought the same way. I figured I wouldn't use more than 250mb.

This was suppose to me a month by month contract free, switch between 250mb and unlimited as needed.

So when summer rolled around I would upgrade because vacation and road-trips would require more bandwidth. There was supposed to always be the unlimited option.

So my question remains, who do I have to contact or what do I have to do, since I am an original iPad customer who was promised unlimited to get signed up to pay monthly?

Reformat my iPad and start over?
 
Reformatting your iPad will likely have zero effect. Your options appear to be to call Apple or to call AT&T. Hopefully if you present your case politely, they'll make an exception for you. But as you have no contract, they're not under any obligation to do so.

Good luck!
 
Awalp said:
So my question remains, who do I have to contact or what do I have to do, since I am an original iPad customer who was promised unlimited to get signed up to pay monthly?

Reformat my iPad and start over?
Click to expand...

You weren't promised unlimited data. You signed up for a monthly data plan, with the precautionary cost of an additional $15 to cover for exceeding that data monthly plan.


If you really want to gripe about it, call up AT&T's customer service to see if they'll grandfather you in.

If you don't want to wait for a long time to call them, then it's not AT&T's problem, it's yours. You really want a unlimited data plan? Suck it up and call AT&T.

And what makes you think reformatting your iPad will do? Not like it's going to magically give you an unlimited data plan.
 
You specifically subscribed to the lower plan to save money. As part of that plan, AT&T would bump you to the next level for the cost difference if you went over. Unfortunately, AT&T changed the next level on you, and it was well publisized before it happened, including a drop dead date.

You gambled to save some money, you lost
 
Divindude said:
You specifically subscribed to the lower plan to save money. As part of that plan, AT&T would bump you to the next level for the cost difference if you went over. Unfortunately, AT&T changed the next level on you, and it was well publisized before it happened, including a drop dead date.

You gambled to save some money, you lost
Click to expand...

This isn't true. There was no automatic jump to the next plan, or paying the difference to the unlimited.

You paid the $15 for 250 mb for 30 days, if you ran out on day 5 your options were (are), wait 25 days for the next 250 to kick in. Pay another $15 for another 250 that is good for 30 days from that day, or pay $30 for unlimited good for 30 days from that day.

Same as how it works now.... No overage amounts either like the iphone has.

http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/devices/ipad.jsp

To the OP, I believe you had until July 17 to get grandfathered in.... You could try searching for the 800 number and calling it and see what they say.
 
I am about to have the ipad be my primary computer and ISP and i need the unlimited plan if i ever want to use iTunes for movies or anything bandwidth heavy.
Click to expand...

You can't officially do this anyhow. They place caps on the size of things you can download over 3G and for a good reason too.
 
They can't cap the downloading of movies purchased with iTunes...
I wonder how large a movie bought through iTunes is anyway?
Downloading a movie or two a day is reasonable, imagine that you're traveling and need something to watch on the plane or stuck in a car or bus.

Anyway. I figured it out myself and got the situation fixed.

I'm now signed up on Unlimited Data, 29 days left. :cool:

Now I can travel and not be limited by bandwidth!

23rtrn8.jpg
 
Every time I try to download a music video or other large file over 3G I get a notice saying it is too big and must be downloaded over a wifi connection. Is this no longer the case with iTunes movies?
 
Awalp said:
They can't cap the downloading of movies purchased with iTunes...
I wonder how large a movie bought through iTunes is anyway?
Downloading a movie or two a day is reasonable, imagine that you're traveling and need something to watch on the plane or stuck in a car or bus.

Anyway. I figured it out myself and got the situation fixed.

I'm now signed up on Unlimited Data, 29 days left. :cool:

Now I can travel and not be limited by bandwidth!

23rtrn8.jpg
Click to expand...
Good Luck to you!!!

And yes AT&T caps downloads over 3G to 20mb max so no downloading of movies over 3G :( You better plan on finding wifi for your movie downloading.

PS: you image is too blurry to read anything.
 
Q-Dog said:
Every time I try to download a music video or other large file over 3G I get a notice saying it is too big and must be downloaded over a wifi connection. Is this no longer the case with iTunes movies?
Click to expand...

I get that on some apps even... They are limited to 20mb I think. I hope the OP has a spot wi th decent wifi to go borrow at times.
 
I wonder how he got, it after the Unlimited setup time window has passed.
no iPad plan is an automatic upgrade to another plan in the US anyway... unless you specifically order it. that's probably what he did a month ago, like I did.
 
So is 'unlimited' actually 'unlimited' in the US? I know in Australia 'unlimited' plans still have a 'fair use' policy applied which certainly wouldn't allow you to download 2/3 movies per day on a 3G connection.
 
Awalp said:
I always had the unlimited data plan... in the form of it being automatically purchased if I ran over 250mb. Before AT&T changed things, why would anyone buy an unlimited plan for $30, if they could buy 250mb for $15, and pay another $15 if they went over.

The unlimited plan was always there if I ran over 250mb. Now it is not, and I want to sign up to it permanently.



It is the only internet plan you need if you only use an iPad. I think that was the idea behind unlimited data and a portable tablet computer you could bring anywhere.

I definitely want to be able to actually USE the iPad for what it is designed for. If I go on a road trip I wanna be able to watch a movie through iTunes. If I go on a month long road trip 2GB isn't gonna cover it, and I need to be on unlimited.

I actually bought an iPad because I wanted to be able to travel the country and still have a computer and internet connection.
Click to expand...

Yep, post again in six months after consistently going over the 5 gig 'soft' cap limit.

I am glad you were able to get on the unlimited plans.

Post a thread every now and then letting us know how you are doing using the iPad as your only computer and how it's doing on your journeys...
 
leons said:
Yes!
Click to expand...

How is the quality? I want to be able to downscale it so I don't use all my data for one movie. (My 3G connection is seen as wifi by my iPad). I can't find a way to manually set this...
 
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