TXT and e-mail from AT&T regarding "ineligible" data plan with iPhone 3G

[wanga]

So,

I get a text message this morning (and an email) from AT&T.

Your data plan is not eligible for iPhone 3G. To prevent excess charges and enable Visual VM, please call 611 to add a Data Plan for iPhone

I'm on MediaNET unlimited now. What are your thoughts guys? Should I switch to iPhone Data?

[Ishimaru]

Nah, don't switch! Fight the power!

[wanga]

I figured I'll stay with my MediaNET unlimited until they just cancel it.

[ikjeft1b]

What makes you think they'll cancel it? They could just let you stay on your current plan and start billing you for excessive data use -- and I doubt at that point that they'd do anything to help you since you ignored their official warning to switch to the correct data plan for your device.

Just sayin'

[tdoh]

They cannot add a data plan to your account, this has already been established. If you are using a MM plan, they CAN turn the data off. Then if you choose to have data, that will force you to call in at that time they will inform you that if you want data, you have to sign up for the iPhone data plan. So, odds are you will get caught eventually and then you have to decide if you want to spend $30 a month for data, like everyone else, or not have data at all and use wifi only. If you can't afford the extra $15 a month, then you shouldn't have bought the iPhone because it was very clear what obligations you were going to commit to in order to use it on ATT's network.

Agreed; after reading all the comments about this issue, it is fairly clear there are two distinct groups of folks who aren't thrilled about this--those who don't want/need any sort of data plan on their iPhone 3G, and those who do but for whatever reason feel that it is their "right" that they should be allowed to use the $15 plan rather than the $30 plan on their iPhone 3G. Now if you want no data plan at all--that's one thing...but to argue that AT&T should allow you to (continue to) use the $15 plan on the iPhone 3G instead of the $30 one is hogwash. Playing dumb and/or performing this kind of "civil disobedience" by using the $15 plan isn't gonna change AT&T's stance on this issue any time soon, especially since you have no legal basis to demand/insist that AT&T allow you to use the $15 plan on your iPhone 3G.

[chinese_fury]

Companies are getting wise these days especially when it involves money.
Just look at the Comcast data cap that is going into effect.

[wookiee2cu]

Ya but Comcast is still being cool about it. It's 250 GB a month of usage, that's an insane amount and almost double than any other company that has put a cap on monthly usage. I think their example was to use up that amount you would have to download 4 full featured films a day.

[locovic2007]

not trying to be an a-hold here but I'm glad all these people who tried to play the system r in the mist of getting screwed over they deserve it for trying to play the system and not be honorable with money...

[Stea1th]

250gb is NOT a LOT if you are downloading videos all day. Now movies come from 10gb
to 50gb if you are getting HD stuff.


Anyway...

Honestly, you can't really ***** about at&t doing this. They are going after people
who are using the $15 media and trying to make more money. Company is doing
this all over the place and this is just 1 section. They PAY people to tell them
were they can get more money wit their existing customors or by the way they run
things currently.

I myself have been using the $20 media plan on prepaid and will continue till I'm told
otherwise. I for one don't care about visual voicemail and I only use it for data so
I'm fine till they take it off. Will i be pissed when they do? Sure..but at least it's worked
for so long. When they do I'll sell my iphone and go back to nothing.

[Red Setter]

What is problematic, is that with WinMo, BB, and Palm, if you don't want data you don't have to have data. With an iPhone it's mandatory (and don't give me any bull about subsidies)

I smell a lawsuit coming ;-)

It's not about subsidies

Blackberrys carry the same requirements

It's about the contract the carrier has with the phone manufacturer. RIM requires the BIS or BES plan for all BB's sold and activated.

When you activate an iPhone on the line, and use that phone on your AT&T plan, you tacitly agree to the terms and conditions.

Regarding extending contracts: Only equipment changes can modify your contract. You canchange your price plan every other day and all you'll do is confuse the h*ll out of the system and have prorated charges out the @$$. But your contract remains the same

The minute you change equipment however your contract is subject to modification. The exceptions would be warranty repair/replacement swaps or (for non iPhones) handsets purchased either full price or outside of the carrier.

[wanga]

What makes you think they'll cancel it? They could just let you stay on your current plan and start billing you for excessive data use -- and I doubt at that point that they'd do anything to help you since you ignored their official warning to switch to the correct data plan for your device.

Just sayin'

I use less data with my iPhone than I did with most of the other phones I had. They really need to clear up whats going to happen and when. If they said that they'll cancel data, i'd wait for that, then change my data plan. If they said they'd charge for overusage, that doesn't make sense, it's unlimited data anyway, so naturally i think theyd just cancel it.

[ranova]

not trying to be an a-hold here but I'm glad all these people who tried to play the system r in the mist of getting screwed over they deserve it for trying to play the system and not be honorable with money...

All this for saving $15 per month? Suck it up and eat a few less Happy Meals a month. You can do it!

So get an iphone data plan like your supposed to

quit trying to get outta the applicable charges.
all of you who try this media max plan deserve the massive bill you will more than likely get.


when i got my iphone i knew full well that i was going to have to pay for the 3g data fee even though i live 2hrs from any sort of 3g signal...its just how it goes

apple\att drones detected

So its ok that cell carriers screw consumers over with price-gouged data plans and text prices? Honorable with money? HA

What makes you think they'll cancel it? They could just let you stay on your current plan and start billing you for excessive data use -- and I doubt at that point that they'd do anything to help you since you ignored their official warning to switch to the correct data plan for your device.

Just sayin'

I guess you dont understand the meaning of "unlimited," just like comcast.

[Red Setter]

This is about switching those on MM data plans to an iPhone plan, isn't it? It's not about putting a data plan on someone's accont that doesn't have a data plan at all, right? I gave my wife my iPhone 3G 8gb when I got the 16gb but she doesn't have a data plan. She just uses it on wi-fi and as an iPod and phone. If they want to add on a pay per use, no problem cuz she won't use it. But adding a whole data plan when no data will be used..........I don't think that'll fly or stand up in court for that matter.

Actually it would. The terms of the agreement you implicitly agree to when you put the phone on your acct state you will keep the 'appropriate data plan' on it. That means an iPhone data plan. Not MediaNet, not a BB plan, not a $5/month data plan. Doesn't matter if you use it or not.

They can and will add the iPhone data plan if they find the phone on the acct. And it WILL stand up in court. Don't kid yourself.

[RF9]

I use less data with my iPhone than I did with most of the other phones I had. They really need to clear up whats going to happen and when. If they said that they'll cancel data, i'd wait for that, then change my data plan. If they said they'd charge for overusage, that doesn't make sense, it's unlimited data anyway, so naturally i think theyd just cancel it.

The Terms and Conditions state "Data Plans: An eligible data plan for iPhone is required. This data plan covers data usage in the U.S. and does not cover international data usage and charges. If it is determined that you are using iPhone without an eligible data plan, AT&T reserves the right to add an eligible data plan to your account and bill you the appropriate monthly fee."

So I think it's more likely that they'll simply add the iPhone 3G data plan to your account, which wouldn't be so bad. Now you just have what you're supposed to.

The danger is if they do drop your existing (Media Net) data plan, in which case you could fall back to Pay Per Use by default. That would cause you to unknowingly run up data charges.

But the Terms and Conditions don't say they can do that. They say they can add the plan, so I believe legally, you have a good argument to have them reverse the charges and add the iPhone 3G data plan on if that ever happens.
Treat it like it was their mistake.

I'm of the opinion you should just switch the data plan on your own, and if you really want to test the waters, switch back in a month or two and see what happens.
You'll likely just get culled again like you are now.

[Cauchon]

They cannot add a data plan to your account, this has already been established. If you are using a MM plan, they CAN turn the data off. Then if you choose to have data, that will force you to call in at that time they will inform you that if you want data, you have to sign up for the iPhone data plan. So, odds are you will get caught eventually and then you have to decide if you want to spend $30 a month for data, like everyone else, or not have data at all and use wifi only. If you can't afford the extra $15 a month, then you shouldn't have bought the iPhone because it was very clear what obligations you were going to commit to in order to use it on ATT's network.

In the contract you signed it says...

Data Plans: An eligible data plan for iPhone is required. This data plan covers data usage in the U.S. and does not cover international data usage and charges. If it is determined that you are using iPhone without an eligible data plan, AT&T reserves the right to add an eligible data plan to your account and bill you the appropriate monthly fee.
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-pho...rms.jsp#iPhone

So technically they can add the iPhone data plan if you are using the wrong plan.