BEWARE AT&T iPad Scam: Trick to dishonor grandfathering unlimited plan [resolved]

Unbelievable! Have the launch day iPad 64 3G, have been paying for unlimited data $29.99/month. Got an email from AT&T saying next payment not going through because credit card needs to be updated. Credit card does NOT need updating. Found out the credit card info was perfect last month, but suddenly the expiration date was changed by AT&T (exact same card going through just fine on iPhone account). So because it made me re-enter the correct credit card info, now AT&T will not let me continue the grandfathered unlimited data plan.

Total SCAM! Class action lawsuit. They just rig their computer to change your credit card date, so you have to "correct" it, and then you cannot continue your unlimited data plan.

June 13, 2010 been on the phone with AT&T for well over an hour, various supervisors, they say there's nothing they can do, they will only look at a "phonenews" site and say there's no grandfathering.

The lady who claimed this is named Edith Smith with AT&T in Baton Rouge.

*** FRAUD ***

They advertised that those who had an iPad by June 6 and chose the unlimited data plan at $29.99 would be grandfathered in. But now they are using a trick to get rid of those who have the unlimited plan. They change your credit card expiration date so they can stop service. It is a SCAM. Totally unethical.

My iPhone is using the exact same credit card -- AT&T changed the date ONLY on the iPad account.

Bastards.

I posted this so the rest of you who suddenly get an AT&T email saying you have to update your credit card info (when in reality your card has not changed whatsoever) therefore you are no longer eligible for your unlimited plan will know you are not the only one and it is a SCAM.

Tell me how to find out how much 3G data I've used so far (it's not much).

109 megabytes in the last 29 days. (the rep said on the phone)

I'm on my 6th rep right now.

Not out on a limb. Facts. Exact same credit card, AT&T iPad & iPhone. *They* changed the expiration date on my iPad account but not my iPhone account. My card's expiration date is not due for change. They admit their records show this fact.

I don't think they are targeting me. I was in line on launch day of the 3G iPad so have one of the 1st accounts. This looks like a way from AT&T to get rid of grandfathering in unlimited data plans. I expect the 1st 3G owners will be getting the same email.

As you can see I've used hardly any 3G data so obviously I'm not hogging the airwaves, so it is nothing personal.

They are saying they have no way to allow grandfathering.

Right now, yes. But as the iPad advances my usage will go up. Using it at work.

This thread is a heads up to the rest of iPad 3G users.

It's the principle of scamming and changing their policies abruptly that is bad.

The rep is saying they never meant any type of grandfathering would be allowed. They have no mechanism for grandfathering. She is saying all the press (Bloomberg, AP, UPI, etc) got it wrong. They will not grandfather. That means anybody.

You can't stop and start anymore. That changed too. There is no way to renew the unlimited data plan. They do not allow it and say they never did, that the press "misinterpreted" their plan. No grandfathering.

My unlimited data plan is still in effect, but now they are metering it. And it will not automatically go to next month because they changed my credit card expiration date and the iPad required me to "reenter" it. Once I did that (no other option) there was no way to continue service.

Same exact credit card chugging right along with iPhone billing for years, no problem. Automatic.

It is removed from my iPad and AT&T is saying it is removed from AT&T.

They just dropped their own call with their own rep. *sigh*
Been on the phone with them all day.
They've been emailing me screenshots of their computer.

"Call Failed"

Too ironic.

The call AT&T just dropped was 2 hours 1 minute.

All these supervisors reviewing their policy and saying absolutely no way no how AT&T will have any way to grandfather in 3G unlimited accounts. They were bumping it up to iPad Tech Dept before AT&T fail-dropped the call.

I'm wondering if I am one of those whose info was stolen from AT&T. I did not change my credit card expiration date and neither did my credit card company. AT&T says it changed on their records but they don't have a way to change it. Is this a hack from that theft?