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

[-banned-]

How close is ATT monitoring iPhones with no data plan these days?

I think they are only monitoring the data portion of it.. So as long as you don't attempt to access data from it you should be fine..

[jetfxr]

As in using medianet, as opposed using no data at all?

[-banned-]

As in using medianet, as opposed using no data at all?

not quite understanding your question/s...??
i think they are paying more attention to the ones that swap into an iphone under the table without telling them, then once they use data from that phone, it pulls a flag on their account to add the "proper" data plan to the account.
but if you dont use any data then i wouldnt worry about it...

[joako]

You might get the $15 DataPlus (200 megabytes) data plan.

Nope. Not sure if it was the CSR in India or what but I got the text message under 10 minute of putting the SIM in iPhone 4.

1) Put SIM in Nokia 2610
2) Used Nokia a bit.
3) Called AT&T & removed iPhone data w/ Nokia IMEI
4) Activated iPhone 2G and got the $20/unlimited plan
5) Activated iPhone 4 in iTunes, it just makes the phone work no setup with AT&T
6) Called AT&T and spoke with India CSR, gave him new IMEI he said I could not put unlimited data. Told him to leave the account with iPhone 2G he said he did.
7) Called AT&T again and was told the same thing you can't get iPhone 4 unlimited from iPhone 2G BUT there is already $30 unlimited on my account.

Somewhere between 6 and 7 I got the text saying to call AT&T and get correct data plan.

Then I did the same to my friend's account but w/o activating non-iPhone and w/o formatting iPhone 4 to do activation and he has not gotten txt to change data plan.

I'm a happy camper, 3G card for laptop comes soon, when iPhone can jailbreak I just tether, facetime over 3G, etc. No need to worry about the rare case I go over 2GB... unless this thing phoning home to Apple really uses that much bandwidth.

[-banned-]

Nope. Not sure if it was the CSR in India or what but I got the text message under 10 minute of putting the SIM in iPhone 4.

1) Put SIM in Nokia 2610 OK
2) Used Nokia a bit. OK
3) Called AT&T & removed iPhone data w/ Nokia IMEI OK
4) Activated iPhone 2G and got the $20/unlimited plan OK
5) Activated iPhone 4 in iTunes, it just makes the phone work no setup with AT&T OK
6) Called AT&T and spoke with India CSR, gave him new IMEI he said I could not put unlimited data. Told him to leave the account with iPhone 2G he said he did.
7) Called AT&T again and was told the same thing you can't get iPhone 4 unlimited from iPhone 2G BUT there is already $30 unlimited on my account.

Somewhere between 6 and 7 I got the text saying to call AT&T and get correct data plan.

Then I did the same to my friend's account but w/o activating non-iPhone and w/o formatting iPhone 4 to do activation and he has not gotten txt to change data plan.

I'm a happy camper, 3G card for laptop comes soon, when iPhone can jailbreak I just tether, facetime over 3G, etc. No need to worry about the rare case I go over 2GB... unless this thing phoning home to Apple really uses that much bandwidth.

ok so to clear this up, you have an iPhone 2G data plan on your account and physically using an iPhone 4..??
If so, thats why you got that text message... Are you surprised..??

[xspeedy]

This is the dumbest thing I have heard of. I think those people that have bought an unlocked or used iPhone shouldn't be required to run a data plan at all or just go with the pay as you go data for emergencies. If you bought a subsidized phone through AT&T it makes sense to have a "qualified" data plan, but otherwise.

I want to give my wife a used iPhone 3GS and have her use it without having a data plan on her line. I currently use it on a work plan that is directly billed, but am thinking about getting the Captivate on Premier. The site looks like it will let me have it for $300 as I'm upgrade eligible, and it isn't forcing a data plan on the line. But I can't figure out if one will get added later. I was going to buy the Captivate and use it on my work plan and give my wife the iPhone I'm currently using. AT&T has made everything too complicated for those of us that want a smartphone without the data.

[joako]

ok so to clear this up, you have an iPhone 2G data plan on your account and physically using an iPhone 4..??
If so, thats why you got that text message... Are you surprised..??

Surprised and delighted.

I never had an iPhone or any data plan but $15 MediaNET until 25th Aug. when I bought an iPhone 4 with limited data plan. On 10th Sept I bought a used 2G from Craigslist.

Now I have unlimited iPhone data plan on iPhone 4.

[-banned-]

I think those people that have bought an unlocked or used iPhone shouldn't be required to run a data plan at all or just go with the pay as you go data for emergencies.

While i agree with you 100%... AT$T does not see it that way.. They see it as if someone wants an iPhone, they are going to use data and/or text. They dont see it the way we see it and that is where the problem is.. And they obviously dont give 2 craps about us nor how we feel nor how we see it so they will do it the way they want to do it.. And their new slogan.. "AT$T, re-think possible".. yea my rear end, that option is NOT possible..

If you bought a subsidized phone through AT&T it makes sense to have a "qualified" data plan, but otherwise.

subsidized or NOT, they should not FORCE a data plan onto your account just cause you have a smartphone and or iPhone... There are people out there that would like to have an iPhone and just use wifi for data...

I want to give my wife a used iPhone 3GS and have her use it without having a data plan on her line.

My parents both want the iPhone but refuse to pay $30 a month for internet which speeds are inconsistent.. Both have wifi access at home and at their jobs so they dont need cellular data.. I even took my sim chip out and put her sim chip on my iPhone for about 30 seconds and within 2 minutes i got the text saying the iPhone data plan has been added to your account... So i removed the sim and put it back in her phone and had her call at$t to have that removed and they did...

AT&T has made everything too complicated for those of us that want a smartphone without the data.

Yes they sure have and that is why AT$T is hated by alot..

They are a $$ hungry company...

[-banned-]

Now I have unlimited iPhone data plan on iPhone 4.

enjoy it while you have it

[joako]

Why you think after AT&T automatically switched me from 2G unlimited data plan to 3G unlimited plan you think they will remove it?

[stunner2]

So technically, you will be forced to pay data even if you buy an iphone 4 from ebay and turn off data?

[-banned-]

So technically, you will be forced to pay data even if you buy an iphone 4 from ebay and turn off data?

once u put that sim chip in that iPhone and power it up, they will detect it and automatically put the data & text plan on your account even if u already had data shut off from b4....

[silentjudge]

So technically, you will be forced to pay data even if you buy an iphone 4 from ebay and turn off data?

Right. AT&T requires a data plan with ALL iPhones, regardless of where you got it and they know if you have an iPhone from its IMEI number. I used an iPhone I bought from someone else for 3 months on AT&T and each month they added the data plan and I had to call it with the SIM in a different phone to get it removed. Some have been more lucky and never get the data plan forced on them.

[stunner2]

Right. AT&T requires a data plan with ALL iPhones, regardless of where you got it and they know if you have an iPhone from its IMEI number. I used an iPhone I bought from someone else for 3 months on AT&T and each month they added the data plan and I had to call it with the SIM in a different phone to get it removed. Some have been more lucky and never get the data plan forced on them.

Is this the case with all the smart-phones? Is AT&T more lenient on other smart-phones (smart-phones other than Iphone like Samsung captivate)?

[-banned-]

Right. AT&T requires a data plan with ALL iPhones, regardless of where you got it and they know if you have an iPhone from its IMEI number. I used an iPhone I bought from someone else for 3 months on AT&T and each month they added the data plan and I had to call it with the SIM in a different phone to get it removed. Some have been more lucky and never get the data plan forced on them.

yea they are catching on now...
In the past they didnt detect the iPhone by its IMEI... they detected when iPhone was in use when it accessed data from the "iPhone" APN portal... so people got smart and changed the APN on the iPhone to resemble that of a dumbphone... this way when the iPhone accessed data, it used the apn portal of a dumbphone.. this way they could use iPhone with the $15 media net data plan and or $30 unlim text & data plan.
So over time either at$t got smart or were reading thru this forum or other forums or had their spy's in here or other places reading up and realized what people were doing and changed the system to detect the iPhone by its IMEI instead... Now when u put that sim chip in that iPhone and power up, the IMEI is instantly detected and the data plan is added...
My brother changed his APN and it didnt help, as soon as he powered up his iPhone.. within 10 minutes the data plan was added. He had to remove the sim chip and put it back into his Motorola, call and have the data plan removed. HE did this 4 times (just like u) b4 he got tired and gave up...

So, some of the few out there are still on an iPhone with the $15 media net plan and or with the $30 unlim data & text...

So as we say, enjoy it while u have it...