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AT&T Announces New Limited Data Rollover Feature for Mobile Share Value Customers
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When are the phone companies going to stop stealing from us?
I buy 10Gb of data in a month, at a price that is far higher than in many other countries. If I use only 7Gb, they simply steal the data I paid for.
The next month I use 11Gb, and they hit me with an overage charge. Even if I only used 1Gb a month for a year, and they have stolen 108Gb from me, they will still charge me extra if I go even a Kb over on the 13th month.
It is a disgusting practice, and this move by AT&T is one step ahead of literally the least they could do.
So how about they announce they are not going to steal anymore? A fair price for a decent service, and if I pay for it, I get to keep it until I use it.
I agreed with you when you say "it's the least they could do ". They really did not want to do anything at all. I can see them changing to stay on the line real soon.
Pretty sweet. But like others have said it shouldn't be any other way to begin with.
I hope AT&T keeps becoming more like t mobile.
I hope AT&T keeps becoming more like t mobile.
The point of rationing water is to ensure that there is enough for everyone it serves. Want more water for personal use? Live where the water/population ratio is higher. Are you suggesting that reducing government involvement would increase water supplies? How would that work? The only current solutions are to either reduce consumption or remove consumers. Water rationing, at least in theory, would do both. The third option, brining water in, simply ruins the ecology someplace else.
YEs, for a single line, keeping the unlimited plan is a good deal. With a family of lines, a hotspot that could be eliminated with tethering, plus a few cellular enabled iPads the share plan is looking better.
The phone companies have been trying to kill the subsidies, but now that people start paying for their phones there isn't a lock-in 2yr contract. They will have to keep getting more competitive.
Seems like more helping out the customer more than anything..
I wish Prepaid did something similar.
Maybe extending it beyond 30 day expiry would help everyone too.... I have having to add more data just because my unused ones expire after 30 days.
That's not helping anyone, its costing me money here
I wish Prepaid did something similar.
Maybe extending it beyond 30 day expiry would help everyone too.... I have having to add more data just because my unused ones expire after 30 days.
That's not helping anyone, its costing me money here
the way I see this new feature is that.
1) NO BENEFITS, for those that don't go over their data.
2) people that are sometimes go over their data, this is where they see this kicking in, saving them that 10-15$ over charge per GB.
example. 1st month - Family A uses 9gb of 10 gb = 1 gb roll over.
2nd month - Family A uses 10.5 gb = Phewww awesome no overage charge (1gb roll over saved them)
3rd month - Family A uses 10.5 gb = Overage charge hits
4th month - Family A has a family meeting and talks about being careful about using the data.
So overall, it does help the consumers abit. hey we take whatever we can take right
It's a way to react to T-Mobile without actually doing anything.
They planned this very carefully, making it look like they react to T-Mobile and help customers but keeping the same BS policy in-place.
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Meh, better than nothing I suppose. I'm still on my grandfathered unlimited data plan, but this will help my wife who always seems to forget to turn wifi back on while at home. (Some women, I tell ya )
This should be automatic on smartphones (at least it is for iOS). Well, as long as you have the option set to automatically join known wifi networks.
They added the credit discount to encourage people to not upgrade so the carrier didn't have to eat their part of the hardware subsidy.
So yes, if you have a subsidized phone then the cost now does get thrown back into your lap... Unless you have a grandfathered unlimited plan. They don't discount that one once out of contract.
Who cares? Contracts for cellphones are outdated. At&t and verizon need to get with the program.
And what does this have to do with contracts? AT&T and Verizon have been offering various contract-free options for some time now too.
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Well, if it's like AT&T, you'd only have what remains for 1 month, so it resets every month basically instead of adding up and up.
See that "Personal Hotspot" thing... that's why I gave it up and it has turned out to be a pretty good deal.
I just upgraded from an iPhone 5S to a 6+ using Next (my 5S was "bought" on a 2 year contract - but they still gave me a free upgrade in order to get me switched over to Next).
I did the middle next plan (18 months) so that the phone will be mostly paid off by the time the new phone comes out next year... so if it's really good I can pay the remainder of my 6+ off and upgrade immediately. If the next phone doesn't add anything special then I can just wait (for the 7) and get a lower monthly bill as soon as my phone is paid for...
I was wary about Next - but I did all of the math and it basically the same price over 2 years as having a contract... but with added flexibility to "buy out" early so you can upgrade, switch service... or just to have your monthly bill go down. It basically works as a 0% interest loan for your phone with a lower monthly rate for the service.
One more perk: I can buy a new phone anywhere. I got my 6+ at the Apple store. As you know... with the unlimited plan you basically were forced to the AT&T store or risk losing it. This was the first time I ever bought an iPhone at the Apple store and I'll definitely be doing that again in the future... it was utterly painless!
Anyway... I'm glad I finally gave up the unlimited plan - it definitely opened up more options for me...
I believe that part of it is referenced in the article itself.
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Well, at least it's something more than their usual practice of essentially just not doing anything to respond for years and years.
While the coverage is definitely improving overall, it's still lacking in quite a few places, and especially in a lot of indoor locations (even where the signal is just fine outside).T-Mobile coverage is improving. Have you tried their coverage lately, or just retelling old news? Perhaps customers stay with Verizon and AT&T because of a mistaken belief that T-Mobile's network has significant less coverage than those two large companies
In both cases you pay for something and then decide if you want to use it or not.
Buy 10 GB on your phone but only use 3 of them?
Buy a month of cable but spend all your time outside biking and camping instead?
No difference between those two scenarios. In each case you decided to not use the thing you bought to its fullest potential.
How do you figure that monthly cost for the phone?
As far as your plan, what does it have as far as minutes and messages as that plays a role too?
Also, how much data do you actually need on a monthly basis?
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You are paying more for the phone since you got it subsidized. It's not like they are going to give you a brand new phone for free or $100 or $200 when it costs over $600, you are still paying for it in some way (in this case in the subsidy that is included in the monthly payment for a plan that is under a contract).
Except at the grocery store I can buy milk in the amount I need, when I need it, I'm not forced to buy 4 gallons at a time for the month ahead of time whether I'm going to use it or not. I'd much rather just buy a gas tank full of gas and it stays in the tank until I use it up, then buy more (of even the utility equivalent, buying water or natural gas where there's a standard connection/system upkeep fee and I get what I actually pay for after that).
Unfortunately the major players have made this market very unattractive (generally) to participate in.
T-Mobile coverage is improving. Have you tried their coverage lately, or just retelling old news? Perhaps customers stay with Verizon and AT&T because of a mistaken belief that T-Mobile's network has significant less coverage than those two large companies
A lot of people look at those US coverage maps painted red by Verizon in the flyover states and assume they need Verizon level coverage despite never driving through those areas. The vast majority of Americans rarely even leave their home metro area and do long road trips for the most part outside of a handful of times per year.
Many would find that in that areas they actually frequent, the carriers are pretty much even (except maybe Sprint). Switching carriers is scary so most would continue to pay more on the carrier that they're used to despite another one being cheaper.
Now for those living in flyover states there probably isn't much of a choice outside VZW.
Verizon's turn
Technically, they already are doing this... I just got an upgrade to 15GB for free last month.
Pretty soon, these companies will come out with this revolutionary idea... unlimited data.
Technically, they already are doing this... I just got an upgrade to 15GB for free last month.
Pretty soon, these companies will come out with this revolutionary idea... unlimited data.
I agree that it's very half-assed compared to T-Mobile but isn't it still better than nothing?
I converted my unlimted data plan to the family share plan to add my wife. That saved us a few dollars per year and got hotspot. That allowed me to buy wifi ipads instead of cellular based ones and saved a few more. I added my kids on and just as I was getting worried about data, they up my limit to 15 gig. Now they are doing a small rollover feature.
The reality is that ATT is doing enough to stay competative and to retain customers like me. The pain of switching and the pain of lower service is not worth it if ATT stays close and they know it.
Thank you TMob for forcing moves by ATT. We all win!
The reality is that ATT is doing enough to stay competative and to retain customers like me. The pain of switching and the pain of lower service is not worth it if ATT stays close and they know it.
Thank you TMob for forcing moves by ATT. We all win!
Meh, better than nothing I suppose. I'm still on my grandfathered unlimited data plan, but this will help my wife who always seems to forget to turn wifi back on while at home. (Some women, I tell ya )
Any particular reason she turns wifi off while away from home? My guess is that pesky popup that shows up, asking you to put in a password to a network you don't even want to connect to. You just happen to be walking/driving by something.
Settings > Wifi > Disable " Ask To Join Networks".
She won't even know wifi is on while out, and then it will just auto connect to your wifi at home.
So, get a 1Gb plan and pay more for the extra when you need it? That's like only buying a quart of milk instead of a gallon. Of course, buying 4 quarts of milk over the month will set you back more money than buying a gallon up front, right?