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

[terhett]

You know, I really think we need to change the whole mobile phone market to eliminate subsidized phones. Offer unlocked phones at a full price (Best Buy, Circuit City, WalMart, Target, Costco...) and have the providers give us service at real prices (not inflated to make up for subsidized phones). A voice plan would probably be $10 cheaper a month and an unlimited data plan may only be $10 a month in such a scenario. We can then eliminate the whole service contract trash.

Can you imagine how much better that would be? More choices of phone that are not tied to carriers. More price competition for the phone retailers, and more price competition for the service providers.

I like the contracts because that's what I get paid on is the contract. If I want a phone though I will buy something like the Nokia E71 that I have right now. Best service, best reliability, best everything because the phone is unlocked and AT&T doesn't have any say on the phone. They can't put their own version of the software to make it work that's cost effecient for them, they can't require a $30 month data plan. The iPhone is great but it comes with all the terms and conditions, not to mention AT&T and especially Apple's BS.

[RF9]

Since I am buying the iphone to use with tmobile, they had sign me up for the iphone plan, i was going to swap the iphone sim to the prepaid att phone and take out the data plan. will they let me take out the data plan?

Yes. Just say you're no longer using the iPhone on that line and to remove the data plan. Many have done it (an you're supposed to be able to.)

[Petey07]

Yes. Just say you're no longer using the iPhone on that line and to remove the data plan. Many have done it (an you're supposed to be able to.)

cool, thanks, i am within my trial period so yah! thanks again.

[beesan]

I received the ineligible data plan warning text and e-mail as well.

Here's my sob story........I lost my iPhone 2G back in the beginning of the summer. I had been swapping my iPhone SIM between my iPhone and a Moto Q9H. One weekend, I lost my iPhone while the SIM was in my Moto Q9H. So someone is walking around with a fancy iPod Touch. :-( Since then I have been using my Moto Q9H and only paying the $20 iPhone plan.

With my $20 2G iPhone plan I am able to access the 3G network and BT tether to my MBP with the Moto Q9H. I have been doing this for about 6 months now and have not received any warnings or been dinged for any unexpected charges.

On Friday, I bought an iPhone 3G from a friend who activated it and did not want it anymore. I plugged in the SIM and everything worked fine. On Saturday I received the text and e-mail warning. I swapped the SIM back to my Moto Q9H and I have not received any kind of warning about an ineligible plan. By not upgrading my $20 plan, I'm essentially "breaking the rules" in both instances of the iPhone 3G and Moto Q9H.

So the odd thing is that I only received warnings for the iPhone 3G and not for the Moto Q9h. The other odd thing is that my friend let some people in his office test the iPhone 3G for few days at a time. They inserted their AT&T SIM cards and none of them received warning messages. They all have $30 data plans for the Moto Q9H.

So my questions are:
-Is AT&T only monitoring iPhone 3G?
-If so, why? I would assume, it would not be much more work to monitor other 3G phones.
-Could the warnings be only a scare tactic since there's an entire sub-culture devoted to hacking the iPhone?
-Now that I have been warned by AT&T, will they flag my account and ultimately ding me for accessing the 3G network on my Moto Q9H?

For now I am going to lay low and use my Moto Q9H until we all learn more. At the end of the day, I don't mind paying the $10 - $15 extra a month for the iPhone 3G. I'm on a corporate plan so it would only be $5 - $10 more. I'm just not going to be proactive about it since I already lost my $400 iPhone 2G.

[RF9]

To answer part of it. Yes, they appear to only be monitoring ONLY the iPhone 3G in this automated way. They do enforce other phones but on more of a spot-check manual basis, it appears. Like people using a Blackberry data plan with a WinMobile data plan.
For one thing, it's the only one they can enforce (must have the iPhone 3G data plan) per the contract terms and conditions. Other phones don't have to have any data plan so it's not quite as clear cut. Other devices have multiple data plans they can be on, so the rule to how one gets flagged is not as simple.
And yes, it's a lot of work to just monitor the iPhone 3G, so I imagine it's even more work to monitor other devices.

They only started doing this recently, so your coworkers might have done this before monitoring started.

Why the iPhone? Mostly beacuse of the sheer number of people on the iPhone and their tendancy to want to be cheapskates and skirt the data plan. It's also consumer oriented and consumers do what they can to save money.
With other phones, hacking or not, the install base is typically lower and they generally go with the appropriate data plan because they tend to be business users who pay what they should.

Scare tactic? Yes. But I think eventually they will take some across the board sweeping action on account to turn off data or change you to the iPhone 3G plan.
I don't think they will put you on Pay Per Use like some people suggest.

If you are no longer using the iPhone 3G on your account, don't sweat it. But if you continue to do so, just go ahead and have them change it.

Why they would care that you're on an equivalent or more expensive data plan already is beyond me. They make no more money off you if you change, so why care?

[Petey07]

Yes. Just say you're no longer using the iPhone on that line and to remove the data plan. Many have done it (an you're supposed to be able to.)

since I just put the sim card onto my z750a phone, how long should i let the company see the imei on that number and take out the data plan?

[RF9]

You don't have to wait. You can call immediately.

[Petey07]

You don't have to wait. You can call immediately.

cool, thanks, saved me 30 dollar plus prorated. wish i can downgrade my calling plan as well. haha

[verizonplayah]

So has anyone using the $20 data plan with an iPhone 3G received their bill yet? My billing cycle has ended so I'm just waiting for mybill to be available online. Will let you guys know what happens

[Red Setter]

For one thing, it's the only one they can enforce (must have the iPhone 3G data plan) per the contract terms and conditions. Other phones don't have to have any data plan so it's not quite as clear cut. Other devices have multiple data plans they can be on, so the rule to how one gets flagged is not as simple.

Their contract with RIM requires you to have a BB plan (Either BIS or BES) on all RIM phones as well. They just never got quite as 'strict' about it in the past, probably for the reasons you've stated: BB users tend to be less inclined to try to beat the system.

[Red Setter]

cool, thanks, i am within my trial period so yah! thanks again.

That will only work with the 2G.

If you're within your trial period (first 30 days) and claim to no longer have the 3G you will be required to return the handset or be charged the full retail price for the phone.

[Petey07]

That will only work with the 2G.

If you're within your trial period (first 30 days) and claim to no longer have the 3G you will be required to return the handset or be charged the full retail price for the phone.

So I should have the data plan attached to my plan as well as the imei and i can cancel it after 30 days and do not have to return the handset?

[Paco]

Not sure if this is the right place for this question, but here it is: Does AT&T only know of IMEI from iphones they sell? I ask because I am curious about legitimately unlocked iPhone 3G's, from say HK or Australia. Can I use those with a regular data plan from AT&T, or will AT&T still know that I am using an iPhone 3G, and force me to change to an iPhone data plan?

[iMuggle]

Not sure if this is the right place for this question, but here it is: Does AT&T only know of IMEI from iphones they sell? I ask because I am curious about legitimately unlocked iPhone 3G's, from say HK or Australia. Can I use those with a regular data plan from AT&T, or will AT&T still know that I am using an iPhone 3G, and force me to change to an iPhone data plan?

IMEI is the same for all iPhones I believe. The serial is different. The IMEI is only unique to the specific TYPE of phone.

(My girlfriend's iPhone 3G IMEI is the same as my iPhone 3G's IMEI was.

[bat95132]

I dont think this is true!!

I have an 8GB 3G Iphone and the last 3 digits of the IMEI is 130. I got a new 8GB 3G Iphone from APPLE care in retail packaging and the last 3 digits uis 727 so I can confirm they are not the same. Check your numbers again may be off only by a digit or 2.

IMEI is the same for all iPhones I believe. The serial is different. The IMEI is only unique to the specific TYPE of phone.

(My girlfriend's iPhone 3G IMEI is the same as my iPhone 3G's IMEI was.