FTC Sues AT&T Over 'Misleading' Unlimited Data Throttling Practices [Updated]

[evolution2147]

I don't understand why people are so crazy over the unlimited data. Several people in this thread are saying they are going to leave AT&T if they are forced off the plan. I got the unlimited plan in 2008 and just dropped it this year. I averaged about 1-2 gb per month. There was one instance where I used 3-4 and the throttling was so bad it was impractical to use. There was no text message but the att rep told me I had to wait to the beginning of the billing cycle to reset. I was pretty pissed at him because the plan was very misleading. (Especially for just crossing the 3gb mark). A couple months later we switched to a mobile share plan that is a good amount cheaper and I get 10gb of un-throttled data with free tethering. If att wasn't throttling data I can understand people wanting to keep it but everyone knows they are and I don't know how you guys can stand while your being throttled cause it's dial up speeds.

 

[Skyone22]

About time these A Ho's get a piece of their own medicine for ripping off customers who've stayed valued customers for years to come. I remember when I was a "grandfather" account user through AT&T and they told me after buying a new iPhone, i would not qualify for my Grandfather account anymore if I buy a new phone. :roll eyes:

Jerks!

Not sure I understand that. I get a new iphone every year (we switch contact upgrades around) with my grandfathered unlimited plan. I refuse to give it up. I still have it and so does my husband. They'd tried to make us give it up when the whole face time on cell service came out and they said they would not turn the feature to have FaceTime outside wifi on. but I said I did not care, don't. And low and behold 8 months later gave us the FaceTime in wifi anyways. So I still have unlimited. So not sure who told you that but it was a lie.

 

[larrylaffer]

First of all, I'd like to say "Thank you based God!" for this news.

I love that they say they always send a text first. That is utter nonsense. I get throttled on a monthly basis and I've only received a text message one time.

 

[StuddedLeather]

It's not AT&T's fault. It's their costumers'.
T-Mobile has been warning people for years but they don't listen.

I honestly wasn't going to comment in this thread but I'll bite now. . .


Why do some of you keep mentioning T-Mobile? Simply said, once T-Mo has 100 Million+ Subscribers accessing their towers then you guys can chime in. Otherwise saying "I have an unlimited plan with T-mo, etc" is quite irrelevant because your network isn't as congested as AT&T's (or faster, reliable, covered, etc). I'm SURE if T-Mo ever reaches that level they will limit the use for more money as well and throttle you guys. Then would you just move to Sprint because they still have "unlimited". . .

I have no problem with the whole paying for what you use/signed up for, I'm cool with that, however in 2007 I signed up for an unlimited plan and I didn't see an asterisk next to the word unlimited. I don't care how many times I renewed a contract. From an ethical standpoint that's why so many companies are seen as just money driven. You can call us entitled but I really don't feel that way nor do I care what people think about our small minority. I TRULY like AT&T, I appreciate their customer service and I've been a loyal (because most carriers would love people who pay their bills on time and always recommend their service to friends and strangers) customer since the first iPhone in 2007. But I'm hoping they do the right thing and just stop throttling our speeds. For those who willingly left. . . you willingly left. No one forced you out you were just enticed by newer plans. Your fault.

If you can charge me for 50GB without throttling I really don't see the difference in letting the 3% keep their little unlimited* plans.







*By unlimited we really mean speeds slower than EDGE

 

[evolution2147]

in 2007 I signed up for an unlimited plan and I didn't see an asterisk next to the word unlimited.
*By unlimited we really mean speeds slower than EDGE

I completely agree with you. Especially when the data throttling is done at such a low number. I never thought I would give up my unlimited data but with all the new promotions it was a no brainier for me to let it go. Honestly don't know why other people don't too. if I was a heavy data user 4-5 gb of lte with unlimited dial-up doesn't sound very good to me. Mind as well just sign up for the 30gb plan they are offering right now.
There is no way this is going to end well, they will just force everyone off the unlimited if they have to, the house always wins

 

[wikiverse]

I don't understand why people are so crazy over the unlimited data. Several people in this thread are saying they are going to leave AT&T if they are forced off the plan. I got the unlimited plan in 2008 and just dropped it this year. I averaged about 1-2 gb per month. There was one instance where I used 3-4 and the throttling was so bad it was impractical to use. There was no text message but the att rep told me I had to wait to the beginning of the billing cycle to reset. I was pretty pissed at him because the plan was very misleading. (Especially for just crossing the 3gb mark). A couple months later we switched to a mobile share plan that is a good amount cheaper and I get 10gb of un-throttled data with free tethering. If att wasn't throttling data I can understand people wanting to keep it but everyone knows they are and I don't know how you guys can stand while your being throttled cause it's dial up speeds.

Free tethering? I can't even imagine why those words would ever need to be put together. Data is Data. If you're paying for it, you should be able to use it however you see fit - regardless of what device you're using it from.

-10 points to Apple for allowing a carrier to have that level of control over your device.

 

[ynotrhyme]

I'm switching carriers anyways since I'm so sick and tired of this throttling crap. It's not even about the throttling it's about how they went about doing it. Shady scumbags aren't getting one more cent because of this throttling nonsense. Customer of 10+ years. Also with a long line of family members who will all change carriers unless they make up for this quick and fast.

----------

I completely agree with you. Especially when the data throttling is done at such a low number. I never thought I would give up my unlimited data but with all the new promotions it was a no brainier for me to let it go. Honestly don't know why other people don't too. if I was a heavy data user 4-5 gb of lte with unlimited dial-up doesn't sound very good to me. Mind as well just sign up for the 30gb plan they are offering right now.
There is no way this is going to end well, they will just force everyone off the unlimited if they have to, the house always wins

They will basically lose all those customers most likely. Me included.

 

[ktuck]

As I was deliberating whether to give up our Unlimited Data plans, the only advantage I could see to keeping them was the possibility that, at some point in the future, AT&T might actually make them unlimited data plans.

But, every person I spoke with (in the stores and in every department and at every level I could reach over the phone) emphatically said that there is absolutely no chance that will ever happen.

Two interesting incidents that might relate to the FTC suit. When I contacted AT&T a couple of days ago, I mentioned the hours and hours I had spent discussing the Unlimited Plan with them last month. The rep said that there wasn't a single note in my account that referenced those conversations.

Then, after that call I received a survey delivered during text messages. Was I happy with the last phone rep I spoke with? Absolutely! Did he help me with the problem I called about? 100% How many calls did it take to resolve the issue? I replied that (even though the rep took care of my immediate request) the larger problem of the Unlimited Data plan had not been addressed yet. After each texted reply, the person taking the poll responded in a conversational manner, asking more and more detailed questions (using the sales rep's name and so forth - it wasn't an automated response) right up until the point that I mentioned Unlimited Data. After that, not even a thank you for conducting the survey.

Is AT&T purposely "losing" records that prove customers were upset with the Unlimited Data Plan? It sure looks that way.

 

[or8ital]

I don't understand why people are so crazy over the unlimited data. Several people in this thread are saying they are going to leave AT&T if they are forced off the plan. I got the unlimited plan in 2008 and just dropped it this year. I averaged about 1-2 gb per month. There was one instance where I used 3-4 and the throttling was so bad it was impractical to use. There was no text message but the att rep told me I had to wait to the beginning of the billing cycle to reset. I was pretty pissed at him because the plan was very misleading. (Especially for just crossing the 3gb mark). A couple months later we switched to a mobile share plan that is a good amount cheaper and I get 10gb of un-throttled data with free tethering. If att wasn't throttling data I can understand people wanting to keep it but everyone knows they are and I don't know how you guys can stand while your being throttled cause it's dial up speeds.

Cheaper? I had tried to switch plans away from the unlimited limited plan and the rep basically refused to do it. She said I would pay more for any other plan and have a lot less data.

 

[flashflooder]

I'm honestly surprised that Apple hasn't put the squeeze on AT&T to stop neutering their phone for unlimited users (things like disabling hotspot and initially restricting FaceTime on 4g/LTE).

Especially now that they are pushing to integrate the hotspot feature seamlessly with Yosemite.

 

[Rufuss Sewell]

I signed up for an unlimited 3g grandfathered two year contract in late 2011.

The sales rep told me it was unlimited 3g when I signed the contract. He lied.

To all of you saying the contract says it can be throttled, remember that every ad said "Unlimited 3g." Not just unlimited data (albiet at unusably slow speed.)

Two months later any data over 2gb was throttled to Edge not 3g. They lied. I should be compensated for two years of any data charges over what my unlimited rate would have been.

That would equal thousands of dollars. Not the $15 class action check they'll likely be sending out.

 

[mtneer]

AT&T's earnings are down and they have had a few negative articles placing doubts on their future earnings in the financial press (WSJ etc.). I hope that they can somehow weather the storm and continue to have healthy margins. They need lots of capital to spread existing high speed network coverage all across the US and also invest in next generation technologies (5G?).

 

[Gutwrench]

Cheaper? I had tried to switch plans away from the unlimited limited plan and the rep basically refused to do it. She said I would pay more for any other plan and have a lot less data.

That's incredible. You don't need a rep to look at the plans to see switching away from unlimited would be cheaper. And every year when I'd upgrade a phone the rep tried their best to get me to give it up, specifically because it would be cheaper. I refused up until a month ago when I finally gave up to take advantage of the "double" promotion (30g for the price of 15g). I'm now saving about $75-$80 a month and now have tethering. I wanted to keep unlimited but it just became stupid for me. I toss away $75-$80 month for years and for no gain.

 

[ktuck]

... That would equal thousands of dollars. Not the $15 class action check they'll likely be sending out.

How about $850? I figure my losses are thousands of dollars, but I would rather have $850 than carry a grudge.

 

[TallManNY]

AT&T offers me an unlimited data plan every time I ask to enter into a new contract with them. They do so because I had the unlimited data plan before. By all means, they don't have to (and they shouldn't) if they want to get rid of the unlimited plan altogether. But they offer it, and they offer it as unlimited, yet nowhere in my contract does it say that once I exceed a set threshold will they throttle my data.



I agree with you, people should not do that and yes, I personally would consider it abuse. But that's not the case here. I go over 3 GB one month, maybe two months max in a given year, and they cripple the usage of my device on their network. And they say it's to protect network resources, yet they gladly let other people pay to use more data.

The real problem here is that its not written into the contract, and they are doing whatever they please.

Bryan

Okay. You've convinced me a bit. AT&T just needs to end these plans or make it clearer that there are limits.
T-Mobile will probably soon have these issues because it is becoming more popular and it also sells the "unlimited" plan. Though they do make clear that no particular speed is guaranteed.

 

[or8ital]

That's incredible. You don't need a rep to look at the plans to see switching away from unlimited would be cheaper. And every year when I'd upgrade a phone the rep tried their best to get me to give it up, specifically because it would be cheaper. I refused up until a month ago when I finally gave up to take advantage of the "double" promotion (30g for the price of 15g). I'm now saving about $75-$80 a month and now have tethering. I wanted to keep unlimited but it just became stupid for me. I toss away $75-$80 month for years and for no gain.

The only way it appears cheaper is if you take the cost of the phone out of the equation.

I pay $130 for two unlimited plans with subsidized phones.

 

[Southern Dad]

I was only throttled a couple of months. But it finally caused me to make the decision to go to the 10 GB family plan (two iPhones on it). Last month was our first month on it and we nearly hit the 10 GB. While I wish that I had the Unlimited, I still have it on the iPad.

 

[ardy8888]

unlimited is not really unlimited

I still don't understand how they are allowed to implement throttling on an unlimited plan. Unlimited means no limits and a throttle would be a limit. AT&T and the other carriers have chosen to redefine a word in the English dictionary so that they can trick their customers into thinking they are getting something that the carrier never intends to give them. The FTC should force these money hungry scumbags to stop using the word unlimited if any limits are imposed.

 

[Gutwrench]

The only way it appears cheaper is if you take the cost of the phone out of the equation.

I pay $130 for two unlimited plans with subsidized phones.

That's an excellent price. Thank you for the information.I feel even worse now. Ha ha.

 

[or8ital]

That's an excellent price. Thank you for the information.I feel even worse now. Ha ha.

I feel bad about $130. It use to be $90 but I switch to unlimited texting about a month before iMessage was released.

I generanl we usually only use about 7gb per month between the two so throttling on one line always feel especially bad.

 

[blucable]

I don't have an unlimited data plan and as much as I like AT&T, I am glad that they had to take that hit for being so greedy. Unlimited should mean unlimited, they just want you to get annoyed and switch to the new plans. They have not been transparent at all that is BS! they should not be throttling anybody as long as they do not meet their maximum allowed data in their plans.

 

[NikeTalk]

As usual nothing will come of this. It "looks" good but if anything there will be a slap on the wrist. Nothing to see here folks..

 

[GrecoISU]

As usual nothing will come of this. It "looks" good but if anything there will be a slap on the wrist. Nothing to see here folks..

I wouldn't be so sure.

 

[unplugme71]

I would be leaving. Simple as that. (Which I did do. I paid the ETF's on two phones and walked.)
Read your contracts people.

http://www.att.com/shop/en/legalterms.html?toskey=wirelessCustomerAgreement


This is AT&T's out. And every one of you complaining about it, agreed to it.

I love how people don't read and then bitch.

Just because there isn't a line that says, "If you go over 2GB of data per month, we will throttle you up to 90%".

Lots of web hosting companies offer unlimited storage and bandwidth, however, they strictly say you can not use this as a file sharing site. Therefore, if you run a wordpress blog or such, you can freely take up all the little MB of data you want

 

[giantfan1224]

You are being obtuse. AT&T is by far the larger of the two. So yes, they are near it.

You are ignorant if you believe they qualify as a near monopoly. You're also wrong if you believe AT&T is larger than Verizon in wireless. This says they have just over 116 million subscribers (Verizon with 123.5 million). In fact, if you add up the main four in the U.S. (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile) AT&T only has about 30% of the business out of the 4. That's not including all the regionals and smaller players. Now please, again, tell me how that qualifies as a near monopoly?