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well that is your fault for using an iPhone. Android I can route everything to go threw GV is I wanted to.

I have an android too, forwarded to my iPhone.

I could dial with the GV app, that's not my biggest issue though. Retraining my wife to use GV for text messages and making calls could save us $30 a month for our shared text plan.
 
I called tonight to switch. The person I spoke with said he needed to verify what happens with the discount & came back to say that the FAN discount doesn't apply to the Mobile Share plans at all. I decided to hold off until this gets sorted out.
 
I called tonight to switch. The person I spoke with said he needed to verify what happens with the discount & came back to say that the FAN discount doesn't apply to the Mobile Share plans at all. I decided to hold off until this gets sorted out.

FAN does apply to the main data package.

These plans definitely save $$$ for anyone with 1400 minutes or more and the "normal use" data plans.
 
I have 2 iPhones and two phones where data is completely disabled.

I use all 3GB of my data a month but my wife uses less than 1GB. I was looking forward to changing to the data sharing but ATT wants to charge $30 each for the non-smart phones my daughters use. That is a $60.00 increase over our current bill.

I am very frustrated with AT&T over this.
 
I contacted AT&T and said that these new plans only help those with many devices and does a disservice to those with 1-2 devices.
 
we have 4 iphones and it costs the same for 6 gigs of data over 1 gig. Now my wife can get rid of Skype as she can talk all day long if she wants.
 
What did they say?

I talked with someone via live chat and he just told me I should stick with my current plan.

Normally I don't push the limit of my data usage but lately I have.

I sure miss my grandfathered unlimited data plan. :(
 
at least it does not change your contract renewal date. But also your stuck with the plan once you choose it.
 
Yes, tethering is included


No, no it is not. Be careful with that word "included".

Say you want to buy some transportation from me.

  • You want a motorcycle. I charge you a $100 monthly "freeway fee".
  • Your significant other wants a Suburban. I charge you a $400 monthly "freeway fee".
  • I give you a gas charge card.

I then proceed to tell you in big red bold letters on flyers plastered all over the lot:

Dealership said:
COME ONE, COME ALL!!! BUY ANY ONE VEHICLE FROM US AND YOUR GAS IS INCLUDED AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE FOR THE LIFE OF YOUR LOAN!!!!

Did I give you free gas? No. I simply hid the charge you'd normally pay the gas station in the "freeway fee" that I charged you. If you end up using less than $500 worth of gas, well guess what? I pocket that cash. Both AT&T and Verizon are doing the same basic thing.

A better way to say this is that under the Share plan, you're forced to have hotspot whether you want it or not, forced to pay for it whether you use it or not, but instead of saying they're charging for Mobile Hotspot, they simply created an "access fee" fundamentally equal to the old Hotspot charge. That helps them avoid lawsuits in case a court says they can't charge for hotspots.
 
Someone help me out here:
From my bill, it seems like I pay $195 before all taxes and fees.
1400 Minutes Shared family plan - $80
512 MB data for 1st line -$15
2nd line - $10
2GB data for 2nd line - $25
3rd line - $10
2GB data for 3rd line - $25
Unlimited messaging for family - $30

So if i switch to the shared plan, I could get 3 smartphones with 6 GB of shared Date, unlimited minutes and unlimited messaging for $195, correct?

If true, are there any downsides of me switching, if the upgrade date remains the same?
 
No, no it is not. Be careful with that word "included".

Say you want to buy some transportation from me.

First sign of a dieing thread, totally unrelated analogies. People are smart enough to know if something is included in the plan, you are paying for it some how. :rolleyes:
 
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I have 2 iPhones and two phones where data is completely disabled.

I use all 3GB of my data a month but my wife uses less than 1GB. I was looking forward to changing to the data sharing but ATT wants to charge $30 each for the non-smart phones my daughters use. That is a $60.00 increase over our current bill.

I am very frustrated with AT&T over this.

do you have a home phone?

thats unlimited minutes now. get rid of the home phone like i'm doing today
 
Someone help me out here:
From my bill, it seems like I pay $195 before all taxes and fees.
1400 Minutes Shared family plan - $80
512 MB data for 1st line -$15
2nd line - $10
2GB data for 2nd line - $25
3rd line - $10
2GB data for 3rd line - $25
Unlimited messaging for family - $30

So if i switch to the shared plan, I could get 3 smartphones with 6 GB of shared Date, unlimited minutes and unlimited messaging for $195, correct?

If true, are there any downsides of me switching, if the upgrade date remains the same?

For you, there doesn't look like there is any downsides. I was in about the same boat as you (except I had the cheaper 550 minute plan) and it still made more since to switch.

You would end up paying the same but everyone would use a larger pool of data, you would all now be able to use mobile hotspot, and you get to use FaceTime over cellular when it launches with iOS 6.
 
People are smart enough to know if something is included in the plan, you are paying for it some how. :rolleyes:

Really?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custo...FGOONPZEXIP&cdPage=1&cdThread=Tx2TKIKUMELQ03I

Count how many people misunderstood what Amazon told them back when Cloud was introduced. They got 5GB of storage "included" with the plan. When Amazon changed the storage to essentially separate music from everything else, people are up in arms. Yet they didn't lose that 5GB of space; they just can't use it to stream music.

I reiterate, despite your selective quoting. Be careful with the term "included". People don't read terms and then come onto boards such as this complaining that they got ripped off.

The fact of the matter is that they retitled the hotspot charge as an access fee. That the hotspot is "included at no additional charge" is marketing nonsense; you have no choice - There IS an additional charge that you don't get hit with if you have a separate line.

True "included at no additional charge" would be something like Call Waiting where there never was a charge.
 
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No, no it is not. Be careful with that word "included".

Say you want to buy some transportation from me.

  • You want a motorcycle. I charge you a $100 monthly "freeway fee".
  • Your significant other wants a Suburban. I charge you a $400 monthly "freeway fee".
  • I give you a gas charge card.

I then proceed to tell you in big red bold letters on flyers plastered all over the lot:



Did I give you free gas? No. I simply hid the charge you'd normally pay the gas station in the "freeway fee" that I charged you. If you end up using less than $500 worth of gas, well guess what? I pocket that cash. Both AT&T and Verizon are doing the same basic thing.

A better way to say this is that under the Share plan, you're forced to have hotspot whether you want it or not, forced to pay for it whether you use it or not, but instead of saying they're charging for Mobile Hotspot, they simply created an "access fee" fundamentally equal to the old Hotspot charge. That helps them avoid lawsuits in case a court says they can't charge for hotspots.

You are trying too hard to be smart. I didn't say that it was totally free. I said that it is included. When you buy a car, the tires are included.
 
When you buy a car, the tires are included.

Because they're REQUIRED to operate the vehicle and have no separate charge otherwise. SIRIUS XM isn't "included". GPS isn't "included". LoJack isn't "included". They're things you can opt to pay a fee for.

Look, what I'm saying is, Verizon themselves don't say that hotspot is "included in the price". They say that it's "no additional charge". My counter is that the wording is borderline false, since you don't have an access fee on a standard line of service and the only feature that the Share plan offers that can explain the need for the access fee is the hotspot feature, since it's now part of the plan. Therefore, you are paying an additional charge...the access fee, which happens to be equal to the hotspot monthly fee and therefore could be argued that they're charging you for the hotspot whether you want it or not. But you ARE being charged for it.

If Verizon didn't have the access fee but allowed mobile hotspot, then yes, it would be "no additional charge". But whatever.
 
What a nice way to describe a lame analogy.

Perhaps but still accurate. Tethering is included in the shared plan price. Tires are included in the price of a car.

----------

Because they're REQUIRED to operate the vehicle and have no separate charge otherwise. SIRIUS XM isn't "included". GPS isn't "included". LoJack isn't "included". They're things you can opt to pay a fee for.

Look, what I'm saying is, Verizon themselves don't say that hotspot is "included in the price". They say that it's "no additional charge". My counter is that the wording is borderline false, since you don't have an access fee on a standard line of service and the only feature that the Share plan offers that can explain the need for the access fee is the hotspot feature, since it's now part of the plan. Therefore, you are paying an additional charge...the access fee, which happens to be equal to the hotspot monthly fee and therefore could be argued that they're charging you for the hotspot whether you want it or not. But you ARE being charged for it.

If Verizon didn't have the access fee but allowed mobile hotspot, then yes, it would be "no additional charge". But whatever.

The point is.. there is no additional charge. It is included in what you have paid for. Required or not is not has no bearing.


EDIT:
Included means "No additional charge". That is true. I'm not sure why people want to make something more out of the statement other than purely for the sake of argument or because they have a hard on for AT&T. How is my statement false? What am I missing?
 
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Verizon themselves don't say that hotspot is "included in the price". They say that it's "no additional charge".

These 2 phrases mean he same thing. This argument is pointless. Tethering is now "included at no additional charge". That should be clear enough. Let's move on.
 
I switched our 5 line iPhone family plan to mobile share plan a few days ago. I also have a 3G iPad 2 that does not have AT&T service. We called (and went to the store) tonight to add the iPad onto the mobile share plan and I was told that there would be a $36 activation fee AND 2 year commitment.
 
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