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Apple to Pay $40 to U.S. iPad 3G Purchasers in Unlimited Data Lawsuit

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Following the culmination of a long-running class action lawsuit, AT&T and Apple are set to pay out $40 to customers who were affected when AT&T ended its unlimited data plan for the iPad 3G back in June of 2010, reports GigaOM.
In a ruling issued this week in San Jose, California, US District Judge Ronald Whyte signed off on a plan that will see Apple pay $40 to everyone in the US who bought or ordered an iPad 3G before June 7, 2010. In addition, those who did not sign up with AT&T will get a $20/month discount on the carrier's 5GB monthly plan for up to a year.
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Prior to June 2010, AT&T offered a no-contract $29.99/month unlimited data plan for iPad owners, replacing it with a 2 GB for $25/month plan. While AT&T grandfathered in users who had the unlimited plan before June of 2010, the company did began throttling its unlimited users in October of 2011.

In addition to accusing Apple and AT&T of baiting-and-switching customers by selling iPads that had advertised unlimited data, the lawsuits also suggested that without the prospect of an unlimited data plan, consumers had overpaid for their tablets.

The deal is subject to final approval in February, and Apple will begin sending out checks after that date. While AT&T is required to offer customers a $20 discount on the $50/month 5 GB data plan, the deal is only available to customers who do not have another data plan with AT&T due to no-class action provisions in their contracts.

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Article Link: Apple to Pay $40 to U.S. iPad 3G Purchasers in Unlimited Data Lawsuit
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2013/09/27/apple-to-pay-40-to-u-s-ipad-3g-purchasers-in-unlimited-data-lawsuit/
About time. But why is Apple liable? They don't set pricing, and jobs seemed to want unlimited data for it (isn't that the point?)
 
history repeats itself. good 'ol at&squeeze

the new at&t has morphed back into the old at&t. pull them in then screw em. this penalty is nothing more than a hand slap.
 
clibinarius said:
About time. But why is Apple liable? They don't set pricing, and jobs seemed to want unlimited data for it (isn't that the point?)
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That's true. However from what little I understand about US carriers, I think AT&T was the only carrier on iOS devices for a long time. Therefore if people wanted an iPhone they didn't really have a choice to go to a different carrier. It stifled consumer choice and they couldn't get unlimited data even if they wanted to?

However I'd appreciate any insight on this because I'm more than happy to admit I don't really know much about it :eek:
 
So where does that put purchasers who bought an iPad 3G before that date but never activated AT&T data?
 
I guess this is why they are more loosy loose w/ throttling on the iPhone unlimited plan
 
These people in the lawsuit seem to be too stupid to reproduce. Does that 40 dollars come with a free sterilization?
:rolleyes:
 
So I bought the iPad 1 when it came out and I never had occasion to use the AT&T unlimited data plan because I did not need the data plan until after they cancelled it for anybody who had not signed up to keep it on auto-renew.

I think AT&T kinda screwed me there, but I have my iPhone with AT&T so I cannot take advantage of $20 off per month and my current iPad is with Verizon anyway.

So I think I am owed something, but I think it should be coming from AT&T and not Apple. Honestly though, this is so long ago that I had pretty much written it off as "oh well, AT&T sucks".
 
jent said:
So where does that put purchasers who bought an iPad 3G before that date but never activated AT&T data?
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You get $40 from apple and $20 off a month for up to 1 year when you sign up for a att data plan.

If you don't sign up you get just $40.
 
jent said:
So where does that put purchasers who bought an iPad 3G before that date but never activated AT&T data?
Click to expand...

You would get $40 from Apple. Also if you are not an AT&T contract subscriber then you would also be eligible for $20 off per month on the AT&T 5GB data plan for a year.

I have an unlimited data plan for my iPhone with AT&T, so I am not eligible for the $20 off per month. Would be nice to have gotten $20 off per month my iPhone plan though.
 
I'm still subscribed to AT&T with my iPhone but my 2 year commitment had ended months ago. Am I eligible for the data plan discount on the data portion of my iPhone if I renew my contract?
 
Huh? Why isn't AT&T being punished for throttling "unlimited data plans".

For that matter, by the definition of the word unlimited, they should not be allowed to prevent tethering with an unlimited data plan either.
 
clibinarius said:
About time. But why is Apple liable? They don't set pricing, and jobs seemed to want unlimited data for it (isn't that the point?)
Click to expand...

Maybe it's because at the introduction of the iPad Steve really promoted the fact that the 3G iPad came with the ability to have unlimited data for $29.99 a month. I suppose the plaintiffs argued that they only bought the 3G iPad because of this and then the plan went away just a few months later.

I bought my 1st Gen iPad with 3G and subscribed for just one month, before I realized that I really only used it at home. I thought it was kind of crappy that the plan went away a short time later, but it didn't really matter since I wasn't subscribing. I think the best deal is just to tether a wifi one to your cell phone on a month to month basis. I just wish the wifi iPads would come with GPS.
 
The wording seems confusing.. If I bought an iPad before June and *did* activate the unlimited plan and kept it for a few months (but am no longer on it) I do qualify for $40?
 
So I ordered one a little before that but got it after that date and never got a plan cause of it. I currently have unlimited on my iPhone so I'm sure as hell ain't downgrading to the more expensive a less amount of data plan. Where does this leave me?
 
pcjr said:
I'm still subscribed to AT&T with my iPhone but my 2 year commitment had ended months ago. Am I eligible for the data plan discount on the data portion of my iPhone if I renew my contract?
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The article says you can't have a contract with AT&T to get that. It says nothing about commitments. You still have a contract, so you're not eligible. Sorry.

zaphoyd said:
The wording seems confusing.. If I bought an iPad before June and *did* activate the unlimited plan and kept it for a few months (but am no longer on it) I do qualify for $40?
Click to expand...

The way I read it, if you bought an iPad 1 3G, you get $40. The only question is whether or not you get the $20/mo discount.
 
I can't seem to find the details to this. I bought the ATT G1 iPad, but never joined any class action lawsuit. (I move a lot and don't recall seeing anything.) Did I need to file paperwork prior to this to qualify for the settlement?

I plan on getting a new iPad when the next gen is released and a $20 a month savings would sway me from a Verizon iPad to an ATT one.
 
Interesting. I have a first gen iPad 3g and never took the contract but have done a month here and there. While I am ambivalent about accepting the $40, I might do it to subsidize an Airport Extreme base station.

Well, that no $20 deal for customers is a handy little piece there. doubly interesting.
 
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My iphones were bought under the unlimited plan. Shouldn't I get a refund of some sort too? (All our phones have been grandfathered in)
 
hrMACnstuff said:
the new at&t has morphed back into the old at&t. pull them in then screw em. this penalty is nothing more than a hand slap.
Click to expand...

It has more to do with customers using more data than voice. The tel. coms have to pay their bills too. Their billing structure has to change to meet the demand. Common sense.
 
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