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Anyone still getting BS at&t messages about tethering?

S

strodda

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 29, 2010
231
0
My wife pretty much never tethered and I did always! But neither of us have in the past couple months since we got comcast again. Today she got a text from att:


AT&T Free Msg: We've noticed you're continuing to enjoy the tethering feature with your smartphone service. Remember, you need a tethering plan ($45/mo, incl. 4GB) to use this feature, so we're planning to update your line with the required plan soon. Visit att.com/dataplans or call 866-679-7118.




If they try anything, in going to tell them to go "f" themselves and switch to verizon vim sick of this crap. Threaten me all you want, because I did at one point tether, but to send this crap to her phone now is ridiculous.
 
It sounds like AT&T has gotten really strict on tethering recently, as there have been a lot of similar posts. I am glad I haven't gotten a message from AT&T yet, but I only occasionally tether an iPad.
Also another thread mentioned certain apps that AT&T considered tethering, such as slingplayer.
 
Even if you switch Verizon is just as bad since they are following in the same steps as Att (saying they will kill off unlimited data in the summer, have already said they will throttle when Att hasn't), and soon enough Verizon will kill off free tethering as well and send you these upgrade messages. Then what are you gonna do? :(
 
Last edited:
Crossposting this from the 'hacks' forum:
I called AT&T today after receiving a text stating that they will be 'switching my plan after continuing to tether'--note: I never received an initial warning.

The woman I spoke with told me that the message had been sent in error and should have read "We have noticed you tethering sometime in the past and my plan would be changed if I was detected tethering after May 13th. If I did not tether in the future, she informed me that no changes would be made. I haven't been jailbroken since 4.2 and haven't tethered since last year, so needless to say this doesn't effect me, but I thought I'd post it to add to the collective information.
 
Why is everyone all pissed off? AT&T charges for tethering, and if you jailbreak and tether, then you are in violation of their policies.

You have a few options.

1. Change service
2. Pay for tethering
3. take your chances and continue until you are caught
4. Stop tethering

I think that them charging for tethering is a bunch of crap, but it is their policy.

It is just like speeding, you can do it if you like, but I don't want to hear you bitch when you get caught.
 
I got the text today. I called and admitted it and told them I would stop. I told them keeping my unlimited data was more important than tethering. they just told me not to do it in the future. Regardless if I agree with the policy or not, it is what it is for now. Tethering was more of a perk for me so I can survive without it.
 
openendstraight said:
Why is everyone all pissed off? AT&T charges for tethering, and if you jailbreak and tether, then you are in violation of their policies.

You have a few options.

1. Change service
2. Pay for tethering
3. take your chances and continue until you are caught
4. Stop tethering

I think that them charging for tethering is a bunch of crap, but it is their policy.

It is just like speeding, you can do it if you like, but I don't want to hear you bitch when you get caught.
Click to expand...

While I also dislike the policy (you should be able to use your data as you see fit, IMO), I don't have a problem with AT&T enforcing their stated policies.

My concern, after reading a few different threads on this topic, is the possibility of certain apps (Slingplayer, to be specific) triggering this alarm with AT&T. I've seen comments from multiple posters that claim to have never tethered but all use Slingplayer (and all coincidentally seem to be on unlimited data plans) and were actually advised by AT&T reps that using Slingplayer is considered 'tethering' and could prompt them to automatically change their data plan. First, the notion that 'slinging' data from your slingbox over their 3G network to your iPhone is 'tethering' is pure nonsense. If that's the case, then all Air Video and Stream to Me users should expect to get these same warnings. Regardless, it's utter BS and if this is AT&T's attempt to get people off their unlimited plans, count me among those who will be looking elsewhere for their mobile service.
 
I don't mind paying for tethering. But ATT needs to do it like Verizon for their unlimited customers.

Let us keep unlimited iPhone or smartphone data and charge us $15 extra for 2GB of wireless tethering. How hard can that be?
 
Never got the tethering message. I have MyWi installed but havent used it for months. If I get a message like that without even tethering i'd be pissed.
I heard the Sling app might trigger false positives so that woul suck having to go thru this back and forth with AT&T.
 
I had MyWi and TetherMe installed, but I deleted them today. I have another option besides tethering my iPhone without possibly losing my unlimited data plan. It was just nice to have as a backup... but I could live without it. I would rather connect with my portable hotspot than thinking that I might get a AT&T text/email because I tethered to my iPhone for a few minutes. I wouldn't enjoy my tethered device if that was in the back of mind.
 
chr said:
Crossposting this from the 'hacks' forum:
I called AT&T today after receiving a text stating that they will be 'switching my plan after continuing to tether'--note: I never received an initial warning.

The woman I spoke with told me that the message had been sent in error and should have read "We have noticed you tethering sometime in the past and my plan would be changed if I was detected tethering after May 13th. If I did not tether in the future, she informed me that no changes would be made. I haven't been jailbroken since 4.2 and haven't tethered since last year, so needless to say this doesn't effect me, but I thought I'd post it to add to the collective information.
Click to expand...

Do you have unlimited data?
 
So it went from 4/30 to 5/13 as the cutoff date for tethering. Idk what to believe from AT&T but I do believe they are changing plans if you keep it up.
 
noah82 said:
This is the HACKS section. This entire section is devoted to doing things that you are not "supposed" to with your phone. If you have nothing positive to contribute to the conversation, just don't say anything.
Click to expand...

This is not HACKS section. If you have nothing positive to contribute to the conversation, just don't say anything.
 
strodda said:
My wife pretty much never tethered and I did always! But neither of us have in the past couple months since we got comcast again. Today she got a text from att:


AT&T Free Msg: We've noticed you're continuing to enjoy the tethering feature with your smartphone service. Remember, you need a tethering plan ($45/mo, incl. 4GB) to use this feature, so we're planning to update your line with the required plan soon. Visit att.com/dataplans or call 866-679-7118.




If they try anything, in going to tell them to go "f" themselves and switch to verizon vim sick of this crap. Threaten me all you want, because I did at one point tether, but to send this crap to her phone now is ridiculous.
Click to expand...

If you do not teather anymore you have nothing to worry about. If you do they will stick you! They are only asking you to pay for the bandwidth.

AT&T will not cry when you leave and they get their ETF.
 
aneftp said:
I don't mind paying for tethering. But ATT needs to do it like Verizon for their unlimited customers.

Let us keep unlimited iPhone or smartphone data and charge us $15 extra for 2GB of wireless tethering. How hard can that be?
Click to expand...

Teathering has nothing to do with your unlimited plan. They are two different things.
 
Stealthipad said:
If you do not teather anymore you have nothing to worry about. If you do they will stick you! They are only asking you to pay for the bandwidth.

AT&T will not cry when you leave and they get their ETF.
Click to expand...

Well, I won't be paying the ETF. And I will gladly tell them that on the phone. I'm not wasting my time on the phone talking with them. I'm not doing anything wrong, so if they make changes without my consent, it's their bad. I'm no calling to plead my in innocence.
 
strodda said:
Well, I won't be paying the ETF. And I will gladly tell them that on the phone. I'm not wasting my time on the phone talking with them. I'm not doing anything wrong, so if they make changes without my consent, it's their bad. I'm no calling to plead my in innocence.
Click to expand...

how much data do you use for them to think its teething?
 
strodda said:
Well, I won't be paying the ETF. And I will gladly tell them that on the phone. I'm not wasting my time on the phone talking with them. I'm not doing anything wrong, so if they make changes without my consent, it's their bad. I'm no calling to plead my in innocence.
Click to expand...

If you don't pay your ETF it will affect your credit rating.
 
strodda said:
Well, I won't be paying the ETF. And I will gladly tell them that on the phone. I'm not wasting my time on the phone talking with them. I'm not doing anything wrong, so if they make changes without my consent, it's their bad. I'm no calling to plead my in innocence.
Click to expand...

That's fine. Have fun talking to the inevitable collection agency (and those guys can get very sleezy and obnoxious and they will try every trick in the book, even illegal ones, to keep you from being able to ignore them) if you refuse to call and try to work it out and you decide to leave and don't pay ETF (you don't get out of the contract cause they changed it cause you broke the contract and if you don't refute that you were tethering then they can assume you did. And that was you breaking the contract). Even if you want to refute that they can do it it will most likely involve getting a lawyer (expensive and still a lot of hassle) or at best a whole lot of hassle (a lot more than one phone call).

Or in other words, it may suck that you have to refute this with AT&T (if you are innocent of tethering) but in the end, you are going to be the one suffering more than just the hassle of a phone call to plea your innocence if you go with the plan you propose here.
 
For what it's worth, I did the same thing to Verizon. They screwed up on my bill 2 billing periods in a row. (Yes, THEY screwed up, seriously...I am not one of those erratic crazy people who don't understand my bill).

Several reps told me via phone that they did indeed overcharge me and would correct it. Never got corrected. After at least a dozen phone calls and promises to correct my bill and 2.5 billing periods without it being taken off of my previous balance, I left.

Guess what? They tacked me with an over $200 ETF. I called to refute THAT, to no avail. Me porting my # and having an outstanding balance was grounds for my ETF. REGARDLESS of their broken promises to correct what they charged me.

Long story short - I got the calls, got the letters, STILL get the bills. Collection agencies have stopped though. My credit score took a slight hit.

I do not regret it. Sometimes companies are just asses to their customers because they know they can be, because that's big business. I get that, but I'm not going to cave into it either because of their scare tactics of credit ratings or telephone calls. Wrong is wrong.

*rant*
 
strodda said:
Well, I won't be paying the ETF. And I will gladly tell them that on the phone. I'm not wasting my time on the phone talking with them. I'm not doing anything wrong, so if they make changes without my consent, it's their bad. I'm no calling to plead my in innocence.
Click to expand...

AT&T has not made any changes. You may still use you unlimited plan on 3G using your device only but not another device via tethering.
 
Stealthipad said:
AT&T has not made any changes. You may still use you unlimited plan on 3G using your device only but not another device via tethering.
Click to expand...

Are you not reading anything I wrote? You just want to have your own argument don't you?

I said in the very first post that I don't tether and that my wife has never tethered. She got the text, not me.

And how is my lack of a response accepting guilt? So everytime someone accuses me of anything, I must deny and explain or else I'm assumed guilty? That's a bunch of ****.
 
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