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Why not just buy it unsubsidized, that way next year you won't be complaining again. You signed a 2 yr contract and then complain about being held to it. I was in the same boat as you when the 3gs came out, guess what I had to $400 instead of $200.
 
I pay for 5GBs right now with everyone else in my family (3 additional iPhones) paying for 2GBs of data. We pay for 11GBs of data when you add us all together. However, I now have to "switch" to a new plan in order to use FT over cellular.

This is a penalty fee for iPhone users to utilize an Apple technology...AT&T doesn't own FT technology. Because other video chat services are not restricted in the same fashion (Skype, etc.), AT&T has basically decided to mis-treat its customers without an ounce of reasonability to do so.

In my opinion, this is plain criminal behavior against Apple users.

How much are you paying for those 3 iPhones right now? It would only be $210 for 3 iPhones sharing 10 gig. I bet you're close to that if not higher already.

I have great experience with AT&T. I just merged 3 other family members phones onto my plan last month. I got my bill and it was higher than expected. I did a chat to ask when I would be able to see my detailed bill to try to understand why it was higher. The CS response was to credit my account for all the odd charges and the $36 activation fee on a new phone I just got! That was above and beyond. As others have noted, they also give you free upgrades very often when they certainly don't have to. I don't know if having 6 phones on my account and being a customer since 1999 makes a difference in how they treat me, but they have always been great to me.
 
Why is everybody complaining about no FaceTime over cellular? It's not like you can do it now. I just flat don't get the outrage over it. You're not "losing" anything
 
Why is everybody complaining about no FaceTime over cellular? It's not like you can do it now. I just flat don't get the outrage over it. You're not "losing" anything

AT&T requires that you be on a Mobile Data Share plan to use FaceTime over cellular. I made the switch to the plan because it was cheaper and now I'll be able to talk to my wife via FT without needing wifi any longer once upgrade to the 5.
 
How much are you paying for those 3 iPhones right now? It would only be $210 for 3 iPhones sharing 10 gig. I bet you're close to that if not higher already.

I have great experience with AT&T. I just merged 3 other family members phones onto my plan last month. I got my bill and it was higher than expected. I did a chat to ask when I would be able to see my detailed bill to try to understand why it was higher. The CS response was to credit my account for all the odd charges and the $36 activation fee on a new phone I just got! That was above and beyond. As others have noted, they also give you free upgrades very often when they certainly don't have to. I don't know if having 6 phones on my account and being a customer since 1999 makes a difference in how they treat me, but they have always been great to me.

I'm not saying AT&T treats me badly, or doesn't deliver on what is promised to me. All I'm saying is forcing a plan change to use an app is criminal. Shared data plans or Tiered data plans all pay for a block of data. How in the world can AT&T justify restricting a consumer group that is paying them for data while at the same time denying them the ability to use it. It would be one thing if AT&T said "nobody can use FaceTime" But this isn't the position they're taking. They're saying if you pay for 5GB of shared data...you can use the FT app. However, if you pay for 11GB of data on a family plan, everyone in your family is screwed!

At least Verizon and Sprint were ethical enough to know this was a bad business decision...if not against FCC guidelines.

Now there is an aggressive FCC complaint against AT&T. Do they really want this type of publicity? It's completely stupid.

In all honesty, I use FT all the time...but can't ever envision wanting to use it over cellular. I use it while away from home on trips in the hotels using WiFi. I doubt I'd ever use it over cell. However, the point is not lost that this is consumer gouging at its worst.
 
Problem with switching from ATT in my opinion is that all the carriers equal suck at customer service. I think they try to out do each other in providing the worst customer experience.
 
I don't know what's going on in their executives' mind. I mean, sure, a business is always looking for profit, but a good business should have done it in a way where the customers would love to give them their money. Like Apple, I have countless Apple products - that includes 3 top of the line Macs, iPads, about 6 iPods (most of them were gifts, however) Apple TV, TC, and others and etc. I spent tons of money on Apple but I'm not regretting it. Whereas ATT, I have a very strong feel about not giving them A PENNY, and this is bad.

Here is why. First of all, it cost me about 120 per month, just to have an iPhone and a normal phone on the plan. 450 min sharing, and over all I have about nearly 4k rollovers. Unlimited text and the worthless unlimited data (since you really getting only 3Gbs and after that, your internet is unusable.

After the pricing, it's their abusive policies. I can't use FaceTime over the cellular? I can't let my Laptop to borrow that data I purchased? give me a break. So you're saying that I can buy a house but to live in there I have to pay rent per month? or is it more like, I can buy a TV to have it set up in my living room, but if I want to move it to my bedroom, I have to pay the hotspot fee too? I couldn't lololololololol more. Sure, you can limit it on those who are on the grandfathered plans, and throttles them down when they reach 3Gbs of data, but having it limited to only Mobile Share/hotspot subscribers is a ****ed up policy, you will get sued.

That brings us to the 3Gb data throttling cap. So I signed my 2 year contract and I renew it every year if not every other year. I honor my contract by paying this f..king expensive bill every month, and I expect you to honor what you advertised, that is truly unlimited datas. I couldn't care less about all those hidden policy in the contract. Yes, I know in the business world, that's how you do business, but in reality, nobody reads contract when signing a phone, a software, and etc. If you put by signing this contract you agree to be our slave forever in the contract, does it make it legal? no.

I remember it was when ATT announced that FaceTime will be available to MobileShare users only, I filed a complaint with the FCC against them. Weeks later, I got a call from ATT. The guy basically said, to avoid throttling, you need to go to the 3Gb per month plan, it cost the same on your end and you just pay 15 more if you ever reach that limit, you never have to worried about throttling anymore. He spent a good 30 min. trying to convince me to switch right there. When I mentioned about FaceTime, which was the REAL ISSUE THAT I COMPLAINT ABOUT, he briefly said will you can use it if you're on Mobile Share. And then, literally, he went, "Again, I am just calling to let you know we did received your complaint with FCC and we appreciate your feedback" and he hung up. trolled, huh?

Yesterday, I called ATT regarding the new upgrade eligibility, I asked why I was able to upgrade every year without the early upgrade fee, but this year I am looking at 450 for an upgrade? the lady said, "well you shouldn't be able to get new iphone every year, now I don't even wanna ask why would the previous sales people did that for you." LOL, excuse me? I told her, I don't get when she meant by did that for me, because I've ordered all my iPhones on Apple's website.

Clearly, ATT doesn't know how to do business. I'd rather go with Verizon once I finish my contract, and hopefully I get more respect there. I don't usually care for the money, as long as I get the quality of what I am paying for, and sure, I do get good service qualities (besides the limitations such as throttling and FaceTime), but you and your sales team makes me feel sick and makes me feel like your bitch. You're not making businesses with me, you're taking advantages of me. You're abusing me. **** you att.

So who is your new cell phone provider? Exactly......
 
Epic saga.jpg
 
Why not just buy it unsubsidized, that way next year you won't be complaining again. You signed a 2 yr contract and then complain about being held to it. I was in the same boat as you when the 3gs came out, guess what I had to $400 instead of $200.

If he was on a prepaid carrier this would make sense, otherwise it just costs so much. AT&T can give you a subsidized price because they make all that money back on their overpriced plans. If you buy unsubsidized then you're spending 3x as much for a phone and in return you get to pay the same bill and what? Pay 3x as much for your phone again next year? That's the benefit?

I would buy unsubsidized because I use Straight Talk, or at least I'll use them again once they have nano sims, but not on a post paid plan.
 
I called to cancel my AT&T service and they just cut my $30 texting fee completely. I now pay $120 for two iPhones, each with 3GB of data. This was enough to keep me as a customer.
 
I don't know what's going on in their executives' mind. I mean, sure, a business is always looking for profit, but a good business should have done it in a way where the customers would love to give them their money. Like Apple, I have countless Apple products - that includes 3 top of the line Macs, iPads, about 6 iPods (most of them were gifts, however) Apple TV, TC, and others and etc. I spent tons of money on Apple but I'm not regretting it. Whereas ATT, I have a very strong feel about not giving them A PENNY, and this is bad.

Here is why. First of all, it cost me about 120 per month, just to have an iPhone and a normal phone on the plan. 450 min sharing, and over all I have about nearly 4k rollovers. Unlimited text and the worthless unlimited data (since you really getting only 3Gbs and after that, your internet is unusable.

After the pricing, it's their abusive policies. I can't use FaceTime over the cellular? I can't let my Laptop to borrow that data I purchased? give me a break. So you're saying that I can buy a house but to live in there I have to pay rent per month? or is it more like, I can buy a TV to have it set up in my living room, but if I want to move it to my bedroom, I have to pay the hotspot fee too? I couldn't lololololololol more. Sure, you can limit it on those who are on the grandfathered plans, and throttles them down when they reach 3Gbs of data, but having it limited to only Mobile Share/hotspot subscribers is a ****ed up policy, you will get sued.

That brings us to the 3Gb data throttling cap. So I signed my 2 year contract and I renew it every year if not every other year. I honor my contract by paying this f..king expensive bill every month, and I expect you to honor what you advertised, that is truly unlimited datas. I couldn't care less about all those hidden policy in the contract. Yes, I know in the business world, that's how you do business, but in reality, nobody reads contract when signing a phone, a software, and etc. If you put by signing this contract you agree to be our slave forever in the contract, does it make it legal? no.

I remember it was when ATT announced that FaceTime will be available to MobileShare users only, I filed a complaint with the FCC against them. Weeks later, I got a call from ATT. The guy basically said, to avoid throttling, you need to go to the 3Gb per month plan, it cost the same on your end and you just pay 15 more if you ever reach that limit, you never have to worried about throttling anymore. He spent a good 30 min. trying to convince me to switch right there. When I mentioned about FaceTime, which was the REAL ISSUE THAT I COMPLAINT ABOUT, he briefly said will you can use it if you're on Mobile Share. And then, literally, he went, "Again, I am just calling to let you know we did received your complaint with FCC and we appreciate your feedback" and he hung up. trolled, huh?

Yesterday, I called ATT regarding the new upgrade eligibility, I asked why I was able to upgrade every year without the early upgrade fee, but this year I am looking at 450 for an upgrade? the lady said, "well you shouldn't be able to get new iphone every year, now I don't even wanna ask why would the previous sales people did that for you." LOL, excuse me? I told her, I don't get when she meant by did that for me, because I've ordered all my iPhones on Apple's website.

Clearly, ATT doesn't know how to do business. I'd rather go with Verizon once I finish my contract, and hopefully I get more respect there. I don't usually care for the money, as long as I get the quality of what I am paying for, and sure, I do get good service qualities (besides the limitations such as throttling and FaceTime), but you and your sales team makes me feel sick and makes me feel like your bitch. You're not making businesses with me, you're taking advantages of me. You're abusing me. **** you att.

Agreed! You tell em!!!!!!
GIFSoup
 
T-Mobile is refarming their spectrum so by the end of this year I will be able to get 3G/4G speeds on the iPhone!

Verizon is just as bad, and more expensive if it's just a single line. Welcome to wireless in America. Just pick one of the evils and live with it. You want the blue evil or the red evil? Sure, you could get Sprint, if you enjoy horrendous data speeds and a pretty much nonexistent LTE market. T-Mobile is an option too, if you want to be stuck on EDGE all the time and have no service outside of cities. You could also buy unlocked and go with a carrier like Straight Talk; but it won't be with the iPhone 5 because thanks to Apple it has a Nano-SIM now and ST doesn't offer Nano-SIMs.
 
All are valid complaints. Some of us realized sooner. These corporations spend millions of dollars on actuaries to analyze customer usage data and come up with their plans, features, restrictions, ETF ... Bottom line is to make sure to squeeze as many dollars as possible.

They have technological advantage with iPhone over VZW & Sprint and size advantage over T-Mobile. VZW & Sprint still cannot do voice & data same time on LTE.

You know they lost 6 billion dollars in failed merger attempt with T-Mobile, since then they are trying to squeeze customers little more.
 
In Europe they pay full price for their phones.. And my friend can't even get a subsidized price on his iPhone 5 until exactly 24 months.

Hi. European here.

That is wrong. I pay full price indeed, but that is by choice because I've worked out it's cheaper in my situation.

Most people however get it subsidised. They get a plan for, say, €20 to €40 a month and the phone for €200 to €300 or so for the base model. The specifics depend on the country and carrier of course.

Also, I don't know where your friend lives, but where I live those who have a subsidised phone on a contract (one or two year) can usually upgrade two to three months in advance of the contract's minimum term expiring. (Obviously, if they do, they have to add the new contract to that time so in the end they're no better off, so it turns out wireless carriers are scum everywere.)

Anyway, you are either grossly misinformed or, admittedly more likely, ignorant of the actually rather giant differences between countries. For instance, in Italy it's more common to see phones sold at full-price with pre-paid plans and in Belgium it has only recently even become possible to sell subsidised phones. But in the Netherlands it has been common for years to get simpler phones free and less simple (and newer) phones at a discount with a one or two-year (for more discount) minimum-term contract.
 
Hi. European here.

Anyway, you are either grossly misinformed or, admittedly more likely, ignorant of the actually rather giant differences between countries. For instance, in Italy it's more common to see phones sold at full-price with pre-paid plans and in Belgium it has only recently even become possible to sell subsidised phones. But in the Netherlands it has been common for years to get simpler phones free and less simple (and newer) phones at a discount with a one or two-year (for more discount) minimum-term contract.

Good to know that there are arrogant people all over the world.
 
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