What does the help.benm "thing" accomplish?
Does this enable one to get unlimited texts and data, all for $30 total?
Does this enable one to get unlimited texts and data, all for $30 total?
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EASY method - New data plans to Unlimited
- Thread starter Nrwrit3r
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help.benm.at is a site you can navigate to on your iPhone via Safari. It enables you to change the carrier settings of your phone in order to bypass AT&T's restrictions on tethering/non-smartphone packages. And yes, it will temporarily allow you to receive data while on the dumbphone plan. AT&T will eventually detect that you are using an iPhone though and automatically switch you over to the appropriate iPhone plan. For example, if you are on the $30 dumbphone plan then it should auto-switch you to the $30 unlimited iPhone plan (which does not include text messaging).
Hope that helps.
Hope that helps.
Well, after doing the help.benm thing and using data and texts for a few hours, my wife and I finally got the text messages saying our plan was switched. I checked on OLAM and sure enough, we were both on the $30 unlimited plans.
I think the kicker was using data. I think that's what triggered the system. Now I changed us on the $30 family unlimited texts, and we are all set! Thanks! This totally worked! Thanks OP!
No problem
Failed. You can't change equipment for 30 days. That's what they told me twice.
Then I called a third time. Followed the script, and indeed they switched me to the nonsmartphone $30 unlimited text + data package.
Edit: About 30 seconds later I got this text on my iphone: "This free msg confirms that unlimited data and text 30.00 was added 10-08-2010; Thank you so much for your business!" This is not the text that is referenced in post #1, I believe.
I had not made any calls on the iphone yet as the instructions said. Now I just made a test call using the iphone to make the system realize that I'm still using the iphone.
Now I'm waiting for the texts that are referenced in post #1.
Edit: I got the two text messages about an hour later:
#1: "Did you know an eligible data plan is required for your iPhone? CAll 611 or visit......"
#2: "Your iphone requires an eligible data plan. We have added an appropriate plan and messaging pkg. Call 611....."
In my OLAM, it shows the 2 gb plan. So did this fail? Please keep in mind that I never saw my go phone change or really anything related to the $30 unlimited smartphone plan in the OLAM, although the very first text in this post shows that I had the $30 unlimited for dumbphones". Further confusing the matter is the fact that the *3282# trick using the dialpad shows that I am on the 2 gb plan with unlimited text messaging. And I have no access to the internet. So I see competing things here.
Can someone help me? Did this fail and is there any sense in waiting anymore?
Then I called a third time. Followed the script, and indeed they switched me to the nonsmartphone $30 unlimited text + data package.
Edit: About 30 seconds later I got this text on my iphone: "This free msg confirms that unlimited data and text 30.00 was added 10-08-2010; Thank you so much for your business!" This is not the text that is referenced in post #1, I believe.
I had not made any calls on the iphone yet as the instructions said. Now I just made a test call using the iphone to make the system realize that I'm still using the iphone.
Now I'm waiting for the texts that are referenced in post #1.
Edit: I got the two text messages about an hour later:
#1: "Did you know an eligible data plan is required for your iPhone? CAll 611 or visit......"
#2: "Your iphone requires an eligible data plan. We have added an appropriate plan and messaging pkg. Call 611....."
In my OLAM, it shows the 2 gb plan. So did this fail? Please keep in mind that I never saw my go phone change or really anything related to the $30 unlimited smartphone plan in the OLAM, although the very first text in this post shows that I had the $30 unlimited for dumbphones". Further confusing the matter is the fact that the *3282# trick using the dialpad shows that I am on the 2 gb plan with unlimited text messaging. And I have no access to the internet. So I see competing things here.
Can someone help me? Did this fail and is there any sense in waiting anymore?
Well I can help a little. As to did the trick fail, well obviously this instance yes. As to getting the 2GB, another poster did the trick and got the same thing. When it converts the unlimited dumb phone plan, it gave you the 2 GB data and unlimited texts, but somehow that's what the system thinks is the "appropriate iPhone plan" instead of the unlimited.
As to no access to the internet, try turning your iPhone off then back on. But in terms of anyone helping you, best others will tell you is to try again. Somehow, my suspicion is that AT&T is catching-on, since it's starting to seem harder for those (atleast in this thread) to get the unlimited data.
Ok I just called again. I asked for the nonsmartphone plan for $30. She took my IMEI for a Samsung gophone and said that I'm all set. Even said that if I look in my OLAM, I will see the $30 data+text plan. However, I have logged in and do not see it at all. Still the 2 gb iphone plan. I have even taken the microsim out of my iphone and put it into my gophone, and I have made a test call with the SAmsung gophone and accessed a little bit of gprs data, thinking that this will cause AT&T's system to see that I am really using the gophone and cause an update in my OLAM. Unfortunately, no dice.
Is there any point in moving forward if in my OLAM I do not see the change to a dumbphone $30 unlimited data+text plan?
If you don't see a change to the $30 dumb phone plan, then it's useless. It should show you the $30 dumb phone plan in OLAM. I personally have been with AT&T for awhile, so I didn't need to do the trick, but I know many who have. Their OLAMs always show the new data plan, whichever one it is.
Thanks for your help. So I am doing the script right I'm sure. But why is my OLAM never showing the $30 dumbphone plan? The reps told me that it's no problem to go ahead and do that. I'm making calls from my gophone using my iphone 4 sim. Do you think that the loophole is dead now?
I can't comment on that, since I (and most here would have no clue.) Until a bunch of people post and say so, we won't know. What worries me is what the earlier poster said, that slickdeals has this loophole now. Slickdeals always seems to cause problems, because it's so a wide audience, once it hits that site. Anyways, my best guess? The $30 dumbphone plan wasn't setup properly on your account.
It worked for me last Friday using a 3yr old Krzr as the dumbphone. The best way is just tell the rep you want NO data and NO text then go into OLAM and add it yourself for the dumbphone which is what I did. That way they can't screw it up. I also made a couple calls with the dumbphone to register it on the network. Maybe that's what they are checking now. Confirming there is actually a phone.
Edit: It could also take some time for the OLAM to show the update if the CSR adds it. You have to log off then back on to OLAM. Just refreshing won't do it.
you don't think att reps or execs lurk this site? they might not really care, they are getting 30 bucks a month, it's not like you are taking it for free. and in alot of cases they are getting an extra 15 a month from people who would just stay on the 15 a month plan. they just have not found a clean cut way of fixing the glitch in their system with out causing other concerns to make it worth it,, or maybe they have since the last couple people are having trouble.. But im sure with all the traffic this thread has seen that att knows about knew about it before anything was mentioned on slick deals
Oh absolutely, I no doubt agree with you about the AT&T execs lurking and whatnot. But think of it this way, what will cause more people to do this trick. Slickdeals or MacRumors? Would AT&T rather have say 100 people doing this or a 1000? (conservative figures on both accounts, obviously)
And then you say that they are getting their $30 a month and perhaps an extra $15....if that were true, they wouldn't have eliminated the $30 unlimited plan to begin with. Obviously, if most people aren't really using that much net on their iPhones, AT&T would be better off keeping the unlimited net and making more money off of us. Correct? AT&T is a big business, their job is to make as much money off of us as possible. Even switching to the 2GB at $25 means that AT&T loses potentially $5 per. Why would AT&T want to lose even $5 per? They wouldn't. So in my mind, it's never as simple as "oh they're making money, so they don't care."
I again agree they haven't found a way to get rid of the glitch, but to say they might not really care because they're making money off of us is absolutely incorrect. Again, if that were the case, they would never have needed to go to tiered data plans. Everybody would be paying $30, even those who only need the 200MB a month. They'd be making an extra $15 off of them.
Well, I have finally seen my OLAM have the $30 unlimited dumbphone data+text package. I had to call into a rep and say "I'm on a nonsmartphone and I signed up for the $30 package, but how come it's not showing up? Do I really have it?""
Basically, the other reps that I got did not set up my account correctly. So while they said that I had the $30 dumbphone data, they were mistaken. Now I see that I have the right data package, and I've made a few calls from my iphone and am now waiting for the text messages.
So unless you can see that you've got $30 unlimited data+text with the nonsmartphone, I agree, don't even bother proceeding until you get the squared away.
The only thing left is to see whether the system auto switches me to 2gb or to unlimited, a wait that could take days from what I hear. I suspect that some people who said that it did not work had the wrong data plan added by the rep.
Basically, the other reps that I got did not set up my account correctly. So while they said that I had the $30 dumbphone data, they were mistaken. Now I see that I have the right data package, and I've made a few calls from my iphone and am now waiting for the text messages.
So unless you can see that you've got $30 unlimited data+text with the nonsmartphone, I agree, don't even bother proceeding until you get the squared away.
The only thing left is to see whether the system auto switches me to 2gb or to unlimited, a wait that could take days from what I hear. I suspect that some people who said that it did not work had the wrong data plan added by the rep.
That's what I posted a while back. That a lot of times people who think they're on the correct $30 plan, is indeed on the incorrect plan. That one of the main reasons for people not getting the plan converted is because they were never on the correct $30 plan to begin with.
Which is why it's much easier to simply tell the reps to remove all data and text and go to the OLAM and add it yourself. It's ALWAYS there.
When I did this last week 2 reps (one was a supe) said the $30 "dumb" plan did not exist so rather then get myself all frustrated I just told them not to bother with any text or data, went online and added it myself after the IMEI change showed up online.
I absolutely agree with you, but I also know this. Depending on the phone (and don't ask me why, I don't know) the $30 dumb phone plan does not show-up as an option. The reps will have it and can add it, but for us on OLAM, it's not always an option. Again this is phone dependent, and no, I don't mean dumb phone vs. certain smartphones. Just that I've seen some dumbphones not have the option for it in OLAM. I wish I knew why this was the case, however.
If you tell a rep to remove all texts and data, will they do it since you're already on an iphone? Won't they say "you have to have a data plan" if you have the iphone, so we can't take it off the plan?
You need to make sure they have the IMEI of the dumb phone first. If you have the iPhone IMEI, then of course it requires a data plan at all times. So you need to make sure the rep switches your IMEI to the dumb phone, and then you get rid of all texts and data packages on your account.
Well guys, October 9. I happily eat my words.
Unlimited data is still available.
I'm a new customer, too, fyi.
Thanks for the help.
For the sake of others, here is the overall arc of my story (see posts from Oct 8-9 to follow it in its entirety).
Oct 7: New iphone 4 activated.
Oct 8: Remove text messaging package manually using OLAM (online account management)
12:30 pm: Call 611 and ask to activate a different phone. Called 3 times, b/c two reps said that you can't make equipment changes for 30 days. Third time, I gave the IMEI # of the gophone to the rep and she changed it. Then asked to add the $30 nonsmartphone text and data unlimited package. I confirmed that it's all one package; not $20 + $10 packages combined together.
12:35 pm: Go to OLAM and I see no $30 unlimited text message + data bundle, and my phone is still showing as the iphone. In other words, nothing's changed. Go online and this forum confirms that there's no point in proceeding with this process as I'm actually not even on the dumbphone unlimited data+text plan. I conclude that the customer service rep did it wrong.
2:00 pm: I was busy so I had to wait a few hours and call again. Same drill. Then I log into OLAM and the $30 unlimited text + data for dumbphone plan is still not showing in OLAM. I make calls and use the gprs data on the gophone just to see if using the gophone will signal AT&T. No dice. I conclude that this rep did not set it up correctly, either.
3:50 pm: I call again, do the exact same drill. Southernly guy who seemed too eager and honestly, almost too knowledgeable, said he could resolve my issues. I was skeptical. I go through the same script as outlined in post #1 of this thread, now for fifth time, and he said that he can add the $30 unlimited dumbphone text+data plan for me. He said that the system was spitting out all kinds of warnings and screens that he had to click through and trying to discourage him, or at least confirm with him, that he really wants to do this. He said something like "oh, the system is just fighting with me but I can override it." Don't quote me on the word "override" but the general meaning is the same. Of course he does make this comment, "Now the gophone is a nice phone [me in my head: haha!!!], but I can't imagine why anyone would want to use that instead of an iphone 4". I said, "Yeah, I know. But as long as I'm paying $30 for a data plan, that's probably all that AT&T cares about." I said that I might go back later. I told him that other reps have allegedly made the change that he just did, but it never showed up on my OLAM. He said that he would check my OLAM and make sure that it shows. He said that it now shows up.
4:04 pm: I log into OLAM and indeed I've got the $30 unlimited data+text for nonsmartphones selected now. The wait for the two texts begins.
4:06 pm: The sim never needs to leave the iphone 4, btw. I start using my iphone 4. No data is working now. In my keypad I enter *3282# and then press the call button. I get a text message stating that on my next bill cycle I have data 0 of unlimited. Then I had used 74.5 of 2048 (deactivated). This seems to indicate that it worked.
11 pm: still no texts. So I decide to make some calls and use the help.benm.at thing. Please google it and just enter http://help.benm.at into your iphone's safari web browser. This will make the 3g work for a time. I did this just so that AT&T might realize that I'm using the data plan and maybe it would kickstart the 2 texts to be sent out. This may or may not do anything at all, but I'm just telling you what I did.
October 9
8:25 am: The two texts came while I was sleeping.
Total time for the 2 texts to come in was: 16 hours, 19 minutes. Not too bad and probably on the faster side based on this forum.
2:50 pm: Go into OLAM and boom, yes, there are two $30 unlimited data plans for the iphone 4 listed. They look identical, and the first one is selected. If you click on the blue hyperlink, the first one shows that it was automatically added for people coming from nonsmartphones, so right then and there I decided that I want to make sure AT&T has my IMEI number for the iphone 4 on record, not my gophone. I want it to look like I have the true unlimited plan, not one that was added b/c I was coming from unlimited data on a nonsmartphone.
3:06 pm: Called 611 and asked to just change my IMEI number to the iphone 4. First rep seemed knowledgeable and started changing it. I said thanks, and then he said "let's make sure that the SIM is correct." So I gave it to him and he was like, "How do you have data on your phone working?" He said "Let me look, can you hang on one sec?" And then I heard him typing and I decided to hang up on him. Uh oh.
3:07 pm: Called 611 again and another knowledgeable-sounding rep, whatever that means, answered. I said that we disconnected in my last call to change the IMEI number on the iphone 4 and I want to confirm that it's correct. She asked me for the IMEI # and she said it was not changed, and she just changed it. Didn't ask any questions about the SIM or whether my phone was working.
3:10 pm: Log into OLAM and I still see those two $30 unlimited data plan for iphone options. But now I can choose the second $30 unlimited data plan for iphone, and I also removed the unlimited text messaging. Now when I submitted the changes, I only have one $30 unlimited data iphone plan and when you click on its detail, it its the original unlimited iphone data plan.
3:15 pm: Started writing this post.
Good luck, everyone. Oct. 9, still alive for sure.
October 10: jailbreaking ios 4.1 planned when it's released around noon.
Unlimited data is still available.
I'm a new customer, too, fyi.
Thanks for the help.
For the sake of others, here is the overall arc of my story (see posts from Oct 8-9 to follow it in its entirety).
Oct 7: New iphone 4 activated.
Oct 8: Remove text messaging package manually using OLAM (online account management)
12:30 pm: Call 611 and ask to activate a different phone. Called 3 times, b/c two reps said that you can't make equipment changes for 30 days. Third time, I gave the IMEI # of the gophone to the rep and she changed it. Then asked to add the $30 nonsmartphone text and data unlimited package. I confirmed that it's all one package; not $20 + $10 packages combined together.
12:35 pm: Go to OLAM and I see no $30 unlimited text message + data bundle, and my phone is still showing as the iphone. In other words, nothing's changed. Go online and this forum confirms that there's no point in proceeding with this process as I'm actually not even on the dumbphone unlimited data+text plan. I conclude that the customer service rep did it wrong.
2:00 pm: I was busy so I had to wait a few hours and call again. Same drill. Then I log into OLAM and the $30 unlimited text + data for dumbphone plan is still not showing in OLAM. I make calls and use the gprs data on the gophone just to see if using the gophone will signal AT&T. No dice. I conclude that this rep did not set it up correctly, either.
3:50 pm: I call again, do the exact same drill. Southernly guy who seemed too eager and honestly, almost too knowledgeable, said he could resolve my issues. I was skeptical. I go through the same script as outlined in post #1 of this thread, now for fifth time, and he said that he can add the $30 unlimited dumbphone text+data plan for me. He said that the system was spitting out all kinds of warnings and screens that he had to click through and trying to discourage him, or at least confirm with him, that he really wants to do this. He said something like "oh, the system is just fighting with me but I can override it." Don't quote me on the word "override" but the general meaning is the same. Of course he does make this comment, "Now the gophone is a nice phone [me in my head: haha!!!], but I can't imagine why anyone would want to use that instead of an iphone 4". I said, "Yeah, I know. But as long as I'm paying $30 for a data plan, that's probably all that AT&T cares about." I said that I might go back later. I told him that other reps have allegedly made the change that he just did, but it never showed up on my OLAM. He said that he would check my OLAM and make sure that it shows. He said that it now shows up.
4:04 pm: I log into OLAM and indeed I've got the $30 unlimited data+text for nonsmartphones selected now. The wait for the two texts begins.
4:06 pm: The sim never needs to leave the iphone 4, btw. I start using my iphone 4. No data is working now. In my keypad I enter *3282# and then press the call button. I get a text message stating that on my next bill cycle I have data 0 of unlimited. Then I had used 74.5 of 2048 (deactivated). This seems to indicate that it worked.
11 pm: still no texts. So I decide to make some calls and use the help.benm.at thing. Please google it and just enter http://help.benm.at into your iphone's safari web browser. This will make the 3g work for a time. I did this just so that AT&T might realize that I'm using the data plan and maybe it would kickstart the 2 texts to be sent out. This may or may not do anything at all, but I'm just telling you what I did.
October 9
8:25 am: The two texts came while I was sleeping.
Total time for the 2 texts to come in was: 16 hours, 19 minutes. Not too bad and probably on the faster side based on this forum.
2:50 pm: Go into OLAM and boom, yes, there are two $30 unlimited data plans for the iphone 4 listed. They look identical, and the first one is selected. If you click on the blue hyperlink, the first one shows that it was automatically added for people coming from nonsmartphones, so right then and there I decided that I want to make sure AT&T has my IMEI number for the iphone 4 on record, not my gophone. I want it to look like I have the true unlimited plan, not one that was added b/c I was coming from unlimited data on a nonsmartphone.
3:06 pm: Called 611 and asked to just change my IMEI number to the iphone 4. First rep seemed knowledgeable and started changing it. I said thanks, and then he said "let's make sure that the SIM is correct." So I gave it to him and he was like, "How do you have data on your phone working?" He said "Let me look, can you hang on one sec?" And then I heard him typing and I decided to hang up on him. Uh oh.
3:07 pm: Called 611 again and another knowledgeable-sounding rep, whatever that means, answered. I said that we disconnected in my last call to change the IMEI number on the iphone 4 and I want to confirm that it's correct. She asked me for the IMEI # and she said it was not changed, and she just changed it. Didn't ask any questions about the SIM or whether my phone was working.
3:10 pm: Log into OLAM and I still see those two $30 unlimited data plan for iphone options. But now I can choose the second $30 unlimited data plan for iphone, and I also removed the unlimited text messaging. Now when I submitted the changes, I only have one $30 unlimited data iphone plan and when you click on its detail, it its the original unlimited iphone data plan.
3:15 pm: Started writing this post.
Good luck, everyone. Oct. 9, still alive for sure.
October 10: jailbreaking ios 4.1 planned when it's released around noon.