EASY method - New data plans to Unlimited

[otterpop09]

before i give them a call...
what exactly does opt-out mean in this case? removing features? i remember there was an OPT-OUT of the 2GB data plan, but that was on the previous bill...

the individual texting plans are the only plans that would conflict, right? I opted-out on each one of the numbers manually, one by one... then added, now it gives me that error...i added the same exact texting plans to each number again, and then added unlimited family texting, which "opts-out" all the individual texting plans automatically altogether... same error...

what's the worst case? would the rep have the right to take the unlimited data off before i confirm it or even without acknowledging it to me?

I think I'm going to be in the same boat. I have 2 iphone4s on Unlimited Data now, each has their own individual texting plan. I'm waiting for the 3rd
iphone4 to receive the 2 text messages.

Once I get that, I'll be doing the same thing: Taking out their individual texting plans and adding back the family texting plan.

 

[otterpop09]

I think I'm going to be in the same boat. I have 2 iphone4s on Unlimited Data now, each has their own individual texting plan. I'm waiting for the 3rd
iphone4 to receive the 2 text messages.

Once I get that, I'll be doing the same thing: Taking out their individual texting plans and adding back the family texting plan.

UPDATE: All 3 lines with iphone4's all have unlimited data now. I was able to add back the family text plan for $30. I went on one of the lines, removed the individual text plan and selected the Family text plan. After I submitted that changed, it automatically removed the individual text plans of the other 2 lines and adds them to the Family text plan. It asks you to verify that change before accepting. I thought i was going to have to add them one by one separately! Hopefully this helps!

 

[cl601amt]

This is good to know. I am currently waiting on my gift card to show up, shipped today . When I get it I am going to call the store and see if they have them in stock. If they do I will change my plan before I go down and get it, then hopefully when I get my phone it will all roll over.

Hopefully the gift card shows up tomorrow, I expected it today. I called the apple store and they have a few in stock, if they still do I am going to go to the store instead of ordering one.
I am going to add the unlimted dumb phone plan before I go to the Apple store, if I go in to the store will they require me to activate a plan before I leave, and if so will this method still work?

 

[gipfeli]

UPDATE: All 3 lines with iphone4's all have unlimited data now. I was able to add back the family text plan for $30. I went on one of the lines, removed the individual text plan and selected the Family text plan. After I submitted that changed, it automatically removed the individual text plans of the other 2 lines and adds them to the Family text plan. It asks you to verify that change before accepting. I thought i was going to have to add them one by one separately! Hopefully this helps!

thanks... i think there's an internal problem with her plan... i guess i have no choice than to call in tomorrow... plus people are about to go over the limit already...

Hopefully the gift card shows up tomorrow, I expected it today. I called the apple store and they have a few in stock, if they still do I am going to go to the store instead of ordering one.
I am going to add the unlimted dumb phone plan before I go to the Apple store, if I go in to the store will they require me to activate a plan before I leave, and if so will this method still work?

as of wednesday (sept. 1st) night, it worked... did it tuesday night and my girl got her messages 24 hrs later... but however, i am still having problems to add unlimited family texting back... haven't called AT&T yet... the online chat reps can't help me because they have limited access to my account...

 

[brdwygurl]

thanks... i think there's an internal problem with her plan... i guess i have no choice than to call in tomorrow... plus people are about to go over the limit already...

as of wednesday (sept. 1st) night, it worked... did it tuesday night and my girl got her messages 24 hrs later... but however, i am still having problems to add unlimited family texting back... haven't called AT&T yet... the online chat reps can't help me because they have limited access to my account...

On the att forums I found a couple of other people with that error from years past. Most of them were for other types of plans and phones - so I do think it's a generic error. You shouldn't have any trouble. Let us know

 

[mordotz]

Hey guys, does anyone have an IMEI number I can use? If not I'll have to buy a dumb phone thanks in advance!

 

[gipfeli]

On the att forums I found a couple of other people with that error from years past. Most of them were for other types of plans and phones - so I do think it's a generic error. You shouldn't have any trouble. Let us know

ok, called in, and everything's fine now... it took them 20 minutes to add the unlimited family texting back and the rep didn't even tell me why it took so long... she was looking here and there, but in the end, it worked and 3G unlimited is still there... all is well, thanks for looking into this problem! phewww....

Hey guys, does anyone have an IMEI number I can use? If not I'll have to buy a dumb phone thanks in advance!

don't buy... there will be plenty if you google them... people usually post them in a forum to get their phones unlocked, so just find one...

for those who use a bogus dumbphone with an IMEI, the reps may go through a checklist to see whether texting (send and receive) and web works... just pretend to hold that bogus phone in your hand and follow the steps they tell you to do...
tell them web works because you just googled a picture of a tiger and it came up...
for texting, they may tell you to enter this * code # which will basically send yourself a text... my rep asked me what the text said (i had no idea but i said i received 2 text messages from friends...)

i may be wrong, but i think these guys slowly start to know what we're doing and that the $30 dumbphone plan has increasingly become "popular" in the past few months... i'm not sure if it's the case, but compared to the first time i did this, all went MUCH easier and by far much faster than this 2nd time...

good luck...

 

[brdwygurl]

ok, called in, and everything's fine now... it took them 20 minutes to add the unlimited family texting back and the rep didn't even tell me why it took so long... she was looking here and there, but in the end, it worked and 3G unlimited is still there... all is well, thanks for looking into this problem! phewww....


for those who use a bogus dumbphone with an IMEI, the reps may go through a checklist to see whether texting (send and receive) and web works... just pretend to hold that bogus phone in your hand and follow the steps they tell you to do...
tell them web works because you just googled a picture of a tiger and it came up...
for texting, they may tell you to enter this * code # which will basically send yourself a text... my rep asked me what the text said (i had no idea but i said i received 2 text messages from friends...)

Glad it all worked out for you.

When they said they wanted to try calling/messaging I just told them that the battery wasn't charged yet and I would call back if I had any trouble.

 

[cl601amt]

This is good to know. I am currently waiting on my gift card to show up, shipped today . When I get it I am going to call the store and see if they have them in stock. If they do I will change my plan before I go down and get it, then hopefully when I get my phone it will all roll over.

Got the gift card today, called and added the $30 unlimited dumb plan to my current phone. If they have stock tomorrow I am going to go to the local store and get one, with any luck I will have unlimited, with less luck I will add it later... we shall see.

 

[mordotz]

Thanks for the tips gipfeli.
I just got done finishing mine. So working as of 9/3.
I had no problems at all, got the email and texts in about 3hrs after the call.
Thanks guys!

 

[GoodFight035]

Worked for me! Did it Friday night, 09/03. Took about 2.5 hours from when I called AT&T to get the two texts. Just checked online and my account shows that I now have data unlimited for the iPhone!

Thank you guys so much! Everyone that was involved with discovering this and answering the questions along the way is awesome!

 

[Subwaymac]

after this is done can I use the go phone without it messing up my iPhone plan since its registered as my current phone for the iPhone sim?

 

[Subwaymac]

in other words dose it change your IMEI # back automatically after giving unlimited data?

 

[Aloha-boy]

First time iPhone owner. Did this last Thursday and it worked! Took 7 hours to get the text messages and email from AT&T!

Thanks to Gadget88 for sharing the knowledge and Nrwrit3r for posting it!!!

 

[Exegesis48]

Still Works!

Okay, I can confirm this still works as of Monday, Sept 6, 2010.

Had some problems though (of my own doing really).

I tried following the instructions step by step, but the "Switch to a $5 messaging plan" threw me off and I ended up doing that in combination with the $10 unlimited data for non-smart phones plan. DO NOT DO THIS. It really messed the whole process up.

I got the first round of text messages telling me they had detected I was using an iPhone about 2 and a half hours after changing to the non-smartphone plan. Too bad for me though, as it put me on the 2gb iPhone plan again because I did not have the $30 bundle.

Took some figuring out, but basically I had to "clean" my account up by calling AT&T and telling them I was back to using my iPhone. They asked for my iPhone IMEI, and verified that all my data/messaging plans were correct. After hanging up with them I called back and told them some story about how I thought my iPhone was working, but I have to send it back to Apple as I am still having problems. I then explained that while I was waiting for my iPhone to be repaired I would like to set up my non-smartphone with the $30 unlimited data/messaging/email bundle.

SIDE NOTE: Before calling AT&T back I went online to OLAM (online account maintenance) and made sure I was not set up under the family unlimited messaging plan. This is what makes it hard for the rep to understand you want the $30 non-smartphone bundle, because to the rep, the $10 unlimited data plan plus the $20 unlimited messaging plan makes more sense when you have it set up that way. So you have to make it clear that you want ALL OTHER phones on your account to have a limited messaging plan and that YOU want the $30 unlimited plan for non-smartphones. This worked!

Amazingly, once I did it right, I noticed immediately on OLAM that there were no longer any iPhone plans associated with my line whatsoever. Previously when I was switched to the $10 unlimited data + $20 unlimited messaging plan, it still showed my iPhone data plans as an option.

Once I had the $30 plan firmly in place, i made some test phone calls from my non-smartphone handset (just to make sure it was firmly in the system), then I switched my sim card back to the iPhone. I received the confirmation texts stating I had been switched to an iPhone plan after only 30 minutes!

I went back to OLAM and VIOLA! I have unlimited iPhone data once again.

Just for the record, I switched to the 2gb iPhone + Tethering plan back when it was first offer (June 7th I think). I have since jailbroken my phone, and no longer need AT&T's official tethering option.

And PS, to all the haters, AT&T charging you extra to use the SAME 2gb of data for tethering, is criminal. AT&T restored my unlimited iPhone plan without my requesting it. All i did was put my sim card back in my iPhone, their system did the rest.

 

[Exegesis48]

Here's a screengrab of what my OLAM page looks like now. I find it interesting there's not even an option there for the DataPro/DataPlus plans anymore.

Wonder if I should contact AT&T and have them reload my iPhone IMEI number? Kinda hesitant to raise any red flags.

 

[jrodsep]

Gonna try this. But I have a question to all of you guys. My billing cycle ends on the 11th and I hate, absolutely hate prorated charges. (AT&T always screw up their calculations in their favor). Do you guys think I should do this on the 11th or in the 12th. Any other tips to avoid having to call more than once to AT&T? Thanks.

 

[Exegesis48]

I think you'd be pretty surprised by how the prorated charges are going to look, of course only time will tell as I won't get my bill after doing the trick until the end of this month.

I would say to avoid prorating as much as possible, do the trick on the day before the start of your next billing cycle, that way your next bill will already be in place by the time AT&T adds the unlimited plan to your iPhone (which takes time).

 

[Avizzv92]

I think you'd be pretty surprised by how the prorated charges are going to look, of course only time will tell as I won't get my bill after doing the trick until the end of this month.

I would say to avoid prorating as much as possible, do the trick on the day before the start of your next billing cycle, that way your next bill will already be in place by the time AT&T adds the unlimited plan to your iPhone (which takes time).

Excuse my ignorance, I'm new to AT&T, what are "prorated charges"? I'm looking to do this soon...

 

[Exegesis48]

Pro-rated just means that they charge for only the amount of time you use a particular service. My txt msg plan was already on unlimited, but to apply the trick I had to temporarily switch to one of the limited plans. I just went with the 200 txt plan for $5, as it was not going to be on the account long enough to matter. Had I gone over the 200 msgs while the plan was in effect though, i would have seen additional charges. As it stands, I'll only be charged for the $5, divided over a 30 day billing cycle for the time it was on the account, which was less than a day.

Make sense?

 

[Avizzv92]

Since I'm on a limited msg plan already I wont need to switch text plans, would I then avoid pro-rated charges with text plans?

Since I'll be going to unlimited will I be charged for the time I used the 2gb plan? So say I used it for 10 days, I'd be charged like $8?

 

[phx]

Just did it, pain in the butt, yet worth it if it works in the long term.
Point of note: even if you leave your sim card in your dumb phone, you will recieve the two text messages stating the iPhone required data plan and the website swaps you accordingly to the unlimited 3G data for iphone plan. As far as prorated data goes I am surely screwed as I switched so many things over the last few hours... I am showing 5 different data plans, 4 phones, 6 message plans and a parchrage(sp) in a pear tree.

Now to pray to the internet gods that ATT lets these switches slide permanately.

 

[Exegesis48]

Since I'm on a limited msg plan already I wont need to switch text plans, would I then avoid pro-rated charges with text plans?

Since I'll be going to unlimited will I be charged for the time I used the 2gb plan? So say I used it for 10 days, I'd be charged like $8?

It can be quite complicated, but you have to look at everything relative to everything else. If for example you had a $25 2gb iphone plan, then switched to the $30 dump phone plan and then the system switched you to the $30 unlimited plan. Say you didn't go over on any data (which really you shouldnt), then you will only be charged for EACH plan based on the amount of time you had it over the course of the month.

So if you had the $25 plan for the first 10 days, you would pay for 25/30 * 10 = $8.33

Then if it took you 4 days to get the $30 dump phone plan to change into the $30 unlimited plan you would pay 30/30 * 4 = $1.00

Then for the rest of the month (16 days) you'd be on the $30 unlimited plan, which would be 30/30 * 16 = $16.00

So i think you'd end up paying about $25.33 for the whole month of data. This is not accounting for the text plans though, which make the whole thing much more complicated, but as you can see from the example, the charges should be very minimal.

 

[Exegesis48]

Just did it, pain in the butt, yet worth it if it works in the long term.
Point of note: even if you leave your sim card in your dumb phone, you will recieve the two text messages stating the iPhone required data plan and the website swaps you accordingly to the unlimited 3G data for iphone plan. As far as prorated data goes I am surely screwed as I switched so many things over the last few hours... I am showing 5 different data plans, 4 phones, 6 message plans and a parchrage(sp) in a pear tree.

Now to pray to the internet gods that ATT lets these switches slide permanately.

And I have no idea what you mean about leaving the SIM card in the dumbphone and still receiving the iPhone unlimited plan. What would trigger the system to give you the unlimited iPhone plan if you never put the SIM card in the iPhone?

 

[phx]

And I have no idea what you mean about leaving the SIM card in the dumbphone and still receiving the iPhone unlimited plan. What would trigger the system to give you the unlimited iPhone plan if you never put the SIM card in the iPhone?

Its exactly what happened to me. I got the texts about [your iphone is on an ineligible data plan] sent to my dumb phone, which I had kept active for a bit as I was being nastalgic. I think that the texts are triggered by the transfer to the 30 dollar dumb data plan from an iPhone plan, ATT wants its money so it transfers you to its default iPhone plan (which happens to be unlimited from where someone forgot to change the system when ATT got rid of unlimited) once it notices you are on a different plan. Based on what happened to me I think it has little to do with what phone you are using and everything to do with what phone you are contracted to have. Not sure why they dont just block data plan changes, but I am glad they dont.