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Carrier AT&T Unlimited Data - considering to drop. Opinions?
- Thread starter Jades
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I posted some of this in one of the other threads recently -
I've only used more than 5GB a few times. I barely went over last month and received this message for the first time -
ATT Free Msg: Your data usage is near 5GB this month. Exceeding 5GB during this or future billing cycles will result in reduced data speeds. Wi-Fi helps you avoid reduced speeds. Visit att.com/datainfo or call 866-344-7584 for more info.
I've been looking over my bill and can save some money by giving up my unlimited plan and going with a shared 10GB per month (iPhone and iPad). I'm just finding it hard to give up the plan though.
I guess it's like owning a Ferrari while living on a small island. Nice to have but you never see it's full potential. Unlimited should be unlimited. If not they should call it the 5GB plan. Nothing we can do about it though. They will just tell us to get another plan if we don't like it.
I've had the same phone number for years. I'd consider selling my plan if I decide to get rid of it but I don't want to lose the number. And if I do that, I wonder if we can upgrade plans if we think we're going to go over for the month. Like going with the 6GB plan then knowing that your going to use a lot that month. Just bump it up to the 10GB plan then back down at the end of the billing cycle.
I've only used more than 5GB a few times. I barely went over last month and received this message for the first time -
ATT Free Msg: Your data usage is near 5GB this month. Exceeding 5GB during this or future billing cycles will result in reduced data speeds. Wi-Fi helps you avoid reduced speeds. Visit att.com/datainfo or call 866-344-7584 for more info.
I've been looking over my bill and can save some money by giving up my unlimited plan and going with a shared 10GB per month (iPhone and iPad). I'm just finding it hard to give up the plan though.
I guess it's like owning a Ferrari while living on a small island. Nice to have but you never see it's full potential. Unlimited should be unlimited. If not they should call it the 5GB plan. Nothing we can do about it though. They will just tell us to get another plan if we don't like it.
I've had the same phone number for years. I'd consider selling my plan if I decide to get rid of it but I don't want to lose the number. And if I do that, I wonder if we can upgrade plans if we think we're going to go over for the month. Like going with the 6GB plan then knowing that your going to use a lot that month. Just bump it up to the 10GB plan then back down at the end of the billing cycle.
I can't for the life of me justify paying over $100 on one phone bill. I say look around amd see whats out there.
I pay about $35 per one, 10gb AT&T mobile share. Originally $160 but I get a 25% discount at work.
I pay about $35 per one, 10gb AT&T mobile share. Originally $160 but I get a 25% discount at work.
AT&T LTE Unlimited plan with iPhone 5S. I'm in the midwest and I get between 20-30kbps when I hit the cap.. I call and complain and they tell me to change my plan.. They also refuse to acknowledge that if they're limiting the speed, it's not unlimited..
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That sucks man.
I'm in the northeast and they don't throttle us that low here.
Must be a regional thing.
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I upgraded to every new phone, so every year rather than 2 years so every year I would pay $300 for a 32GB phone + $40 for an upgrade fee + $40 to activate the upgrade + the ETF.
I get 4 new phones each year and the other 3 lines get hand me downs from the lines that upgraded.
After factoring in all the cost of a buying the phones ($729 for 2 phones and $629 for 2 phones) outright it is still less expensive year over year.
I have the spreadsheet around here somewhere
The ETF for each of those 4 phones is $350
So $1400 for etf's, plus $1200 to buy the 32GB phones, plus $320 for upgrade fees and activation.
It adds up, your math sounded impressive but you are nowhere near saving $2500 a year like you said before.
Can't help with data throttling but you could always ask a rep to give you bonus rollover minutes. Had a rep add 10,000 bonus rollover minutes too my account a couple months ago. Of course you YMMV..
I would say since you have the iPad unlimited data plan I would use that for GPS because it is not throttled. I think it would be a good idea on the iPhone to go with the new plan since you will still have your iPad with unlimited data.
Sounds like you also lost $4000 in subsidies on your devices every 18 months too
I don't think Paying full price for phones or making monthly payments on phones are included in your math.
Unless you plan on staying with old phones forever
$3,000 a year saved = $6,000 every two years
8 phones every two years = $5,200
So, he is saving $400 a year, in reality. Still not bad, if he isn't using the data to begin with. And that's assuming he IS buying the newest model phone every two years on all 8 lines. Plenty of folks go second hand (or even refurbished with a warranty) to save more.
I get where you are coming from, and the carriers really do get folks suckered into the whole "save thousands a year" thing, which is a farce, but there are still plenty of savings to be had, just not quite the astounding numbers the carriers hope you believe.
True, that number and info you mentioned is more realistic once you factor in all the subsidies lost etc.
But then you have to worry about data overages. It only takes one line to go data happy for a little while then the added surprise fees start racking up every month.
But then you have to worry about data overages. It only takes one line to go data happy for a little while then the added surprise fees start racking up every month.
I'm not giving it up either. I used 28 GB in July and was never throttled. I'm retired military and get 15% off my bill. Not sure if that has anything to do with it. During Fall and Spring I'm always on WiFi. Not sure why people are switching. This is all of July Aug and Sept
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We individual account-holders really get seriously screwed with the carriers. It's a shame. They got us.
I'm keeping my unlimited and signing another 2-year contract with AT&T, as I just cannot find a better deal out there anywhere without paying more money.
I did just leave my "unlimited" plan for a new 10gb family plan on Verizon w/ my BF. The costs work out to be about the same, except now I'm not constantly throttled by ATT. Yes, I said constantly. I don't know if it was just crappy service (unlikely) or ATT actively throttling my speeds, but I could *never* get the kind of speed I wanted. And no, I *never* ever went over their 5gb cap. Not even ONE time. I guess I'm just not a big data hog... and that's why I didn't feel worried about switching to a capped plan. At least the data I use will be fast!
I went back and forth on this, but decided to keep my unlimited. More than anything I was thinking about switching just so I could do the pre-order through Apple. I used to pay $150/month for me and my wife to both have unlimited data/texting and I think shared 700 minutes, then a couple years ago I added 2 additional lines at $10/month (so now $170/month total), so our available upgrades are staggered yearly and we can both get the new iPhone ever year. Selling our "old" phones on Gazelle covers the cost of the new phone each year.
I finally released my death grip on my unlimited data plan last year and gave it up...I was very reluctant to do it, but in reality, I've never looked back or regretted it for a second. I have three lines for the family and do the 10GB share plan, and never come close, and the cost was very close.
I have 2 iPhones, 1 iPad, and 1 mobile hotspot on a 15gb plan. We used to have unlimited but at the most, we used 6gb a month between all devices. Now with 15gb we also get the roll over but in 2 years with mobile share I've had to pay the extra $$ for additional data once and it was due to an extraordinary circumstance.
This is an old thread that was brought back to life for no apparent reason, but just to add to the mix, I'm finally about to give up my AT&T UDP for T-Mobile. I will have more than enough data allowance and I will be saving $31 a month, which is some serious coin over time.
I dumped my 2 unlimited with ATT just about a month ago. Couldn't be happier. Sure I stuck with ATT in the end but that's all due to them dropping my bill by a 100.00 a month. They would throttle me all the time even if I wasn't close to 5gb. Got sick of that and I wanted tethering, now I can run up to 15gb a month shared.
^^^^THIS^^^^
It is just piece of mind and where I live and use my phone the did not throttle me, even after going well over my 5.
Im just wondering most people that think they're saving money by going with mobile share plans are you factoring in that you will be losing $450 worth of subsidies per line?
And factoring in the next payments that you will have to make monthly on the phone itself? Yes, you're saving on one side but losing on the other.
Its kinda like when a car dealership gives you a decent deal on that new car you want to purchase but screws you over on the trade in value of your old car.
You gotta factor in everything and not including the next payments that you have to make for the next 20-24 or 30 months is not really an accurate comparison.
Just saying....
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