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Going to add text plan illegally...

D

Delpheno

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 30, 2008
61
0
Some people have probably seen this before, but I'm posting again because no one answered my question.

I have AT&T as my service provider, and I bought the iPhone 2g on eBay to avoid the $20 a month they shell out at you. But I want a text plan.

I'm going to call AT&T and have them add a text plan (I'm thinking 200 text for $5), or I'm going to the AT&T store with my old phone and have them add text, and then take out the SIM card and put it back on my iPhone.

So is this illegal? Can I do this and not get caught? What are the chances of them catching me over time if I do get the plan in?

Also, someone suggested using a GoPhone so I can get unlimited data and text? What's up with that?

Thank you.
 
How is it illegal to add a text plan to your contract?

Why would it involve you bringing your phone to an AT&T store? Why don't you just call AT&T and have them add it to your service plan?

:confused::confused::confused::confused::confused::confused:
 
Oh whoops, let me clarify.

If you want to use the iPhone, you MUST pay for the data plan. So if they figure out I have an iPhone, they are going to slap me the $20 a month, when I only want a text plan.

So by going up to them and having them add a text plan, I'm risking getting caught with an iPhone without a data plan.
 
Yeah I could use my old phone to call right? Can AT&T catch you with the IMEI?

My real question is if I do that, will they charge me $20 if they catch me? And if so, what are the chances? Has anyone done with before?
 
They will soon find out that you are using a iPhone anyways if that is the phone that you plan on using all the time. I'm not sure that they can make you take the plan. i just don't think you will get the data that an iPhone gets. My daughter has a BB pearl and they know that she has it cause it shows what phone she is using on there web site. they don't charge me for a BB plan. I just don't get the data pack that it takes to use the web.

I hope this helps. :)
 
Tate said:
They will soon find out that you are using a iPhone anyways if that is the phone that you plan on using all the time. I'm not sure that they can make you take the plan. i just don't think you will get the data that an iPhone gets. My daughter has a BB pearl and they know that she has it cause it shows what phone she is using on there web site. they don't charge me for a BB plan. I just don't get the data pack that it takes to use the web.

I hope this helps. :)
Click to expand...

Yes you are right. I registered my number to AT&T and they are telling me that I'm using the iPhone. So I guess it's not a problem if I want to add text if they already know I'm using it. They would've slapped me the $20/month a long time ago.
 
If you sign up and tell them you've got another phone (one that doesn't require a data plan), then switch the SIM to the iPhone (you'd need to jailbreak the iPhone), I don't believe they can legally add anything.

Then again, it may be a violation of your contract with AT&T to start using an iPhone. I am not sure about that. I would read the contract and determine which parts are applicable to you.
 
Vanilla Cocoa said:
If you sign up and tell them you've got another phone (one that doesn't require a data plan), then switch the SIM to the iPhone (you'd need to jailbreak the iPhone), I don't believe they can legally add anything.

Then again, it may be a violation of your contract with AT&T to start using an iPhone. I am not sure about that. I would read the contract and determine which parts are applicable to you.
Click to expand...

It is against the contract for using the iPhone. If you want to use the iPhone, you need to use the data plan. Now check out these links here:

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1435644&page=1&pp=15

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1506892

Apparently the text that's being sent is only for iPhone 3g users because the 3g version was subsidized, whearas the iPhone 2g was not. So I think that's why I'm not being charged for the data plan even though it's against the rules for me.

I'm wondering if text plan and data plans are different. I think I can add a text plan without worrying about the data plan they're going to give me.
 
This situation depends on what your contract says.
If you haven't signed anything that implies that you should pay for the data plan, why you should?
an iPhone is a phone device, in your case it's yours, you didn't buy it subsidized or illegally?
A phone is a phone, and you use it with the plan you buy.
AT&T and Apple managed to force all the iPhone users to follow their contracts, where anywhere else in the world GSM phones can switch SIMs and the plans are tied to the SIM and phone numbers you pay for.
I expect the carries to want your business so they want you to keep paying for their service, why adding a text plan to your current account be illegal?
 
bad thread title

why worry? People buy phones all the time and just stick in the SIM card. Hell, I think AT&T is about to start selling 3g models without the plan anyways.

Now don't take a jailbroken phone into the apple store. They tend to tug their testicles and tell you how you doing this is killing Steve Jobs.
 
Yeah I agree it's a bad title, but at least I got people clicking here.
 
PM me, ill put you in touch with my people at AT&T, they'll take care of it for you with no hassle

haha that totally seemed like i was trying to look cool..no but seriously..PM me if you want
 
Delpheno said:
I have AT&T as my service provider, and I bought the iPhone 2g on eBay to avoid the $20 a month they shell out at you. But I want a text plan.

I'm going to call AT&T and have them add a text plan (I'm thinking 200 text for $5), or I'm going to the AT&T store with my old phone and have them add text, and then take out the SIM card and put it back on my iPhone.

So is this illegal? Can I do this and not get caught? What are the chances of them catching me over time if I do get the plan in?
Click to expand...
Talk about making a simple process complicated. :rolleyes:

Why don't you just go online and add the text plan yourself?
 
Delpheno said:
Yeah I could use my old phone to call right? Can AT&T catch you with the IMEI?

My real question is if I do that, will they charge me $20 if they catch me? And if so, what are the chances? Has anyone done with before?
Click to expand...

will they catch you with the iPhone? YES
can they do anything? Probably not
you didn't sign a contracting allowing them to do this (at least it seems)
the reason others are getting data plans added is because when they bought their iPhones, they SIGNED A CONTRACT saying they will pay monthly data plans. They then use scams to remove them. In that case, what they're doing is illegal. If they get caught, the data plan gets added back on.

You should be fine though, because you didn't sign a contract. ATT can, however, refuse to give you service. I really doubt they will, though. They've never done so before (that I've heard of), but all I'm saying is that legally, they can (as far as I'm aware, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong)
 
anjinhamarota said:
isn't the data plan only required if you have the 3G?
Click to expand...

Its required if you have ANY iPhone that you are still under contract with, in which you agreed to the data plan. Original iPhones still under contract (aka original owner) will also need data plans, as far as I can tell.
 
No. Since the original iPhone was sold unsubsidized they allowed you to call up after you got your iPhone and cancel the data plan. There's nothing wrong with doing this.
 
FYI, you don't need to call them up to add a text plan.
You can just log into the website and do it. (Well, this is an assumption because the option to do so shows up for me.)
 
You have never been required to have a data plan with the 1st iPhone if you acquired it used. This is old information and there are numerous threads about in the past.

It is also well known that ATT knows what phone you have connected to the network.
 
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