HELP?! AT&T cancelled my unlimited data plan?

[cinca]

Hey all.. I'm a little nervous that I am screwed and lost my grandfathered unlimited data so I jumped on here to give a brief summary of events and see if anyone has tips or experience with a similar situation.

9:30 pm - I get an email saying there was a problem processing my credit card and payment didn't go through and my data plan was cancelled. The email says I should re-enter valid credit card information on the ipad after reselecting the plan.

(The credit card I was using for automatic payment expired. I know the unlimited plan isn't an option that you can select and I have heard stories about "WHATEVER YOU DO DON'T MISS YOUR AUTO PAYMENT OR THEY WILL CANCEL YOUR UNLIMITED!" -- so I am nervous.)

9:46 pm - I get the read the email and call AT&T to see if a customer service person can either update the payment information with the new credit card or take payment information. They can do neither. I don't know if she didn't want to be the bearer of bad news but she said her system would normally allow her to take payment but it wasn't letting her for some reason. (sigh)

9:56 pm - Call ends with customer service rep. After playing a little dumb in hopes she would find a way to make payment she says offer to put in a request for someone to contact me from the 'iPad Support Team" to see if they can resolve it for me tomorrow.

I would be pretty devastated if I had my plan reduced to a limited data package as I use my ipad all the time and I have had some aggressive data usage (a fact potentially used against me if they review my account?). I feel kinda pissed off because they didn't give me any warning or notification - just failed to process payment and at that same instant BAM cancelled. They didn't cancel my cell phone when this happened before with another card -- I got a notified and I called and they updated the information and I was on my way.. (AND kept my unlimited iPhone data plan...) I realize they might do this to 'kill off' grandfathered unlimited users and this makes me really nervous..

SO... Has anyone run into this same issue? Were you able to update your payment information over the phone or am I totally screwed? Is there anything I can say or best department at AT&T to see if they can update my account/pay the bill while still retaining my grandfathered unlimited data account? I have been an AT&T customer for like 15 years so maybe they will make 1 time exception? Do their systems even allow that?

Any experience, tips or advice is GREATLY appreciated.. Seriously. I am kinda spooked so any help is appreciated..

 

[bidwalj]

I think you might be out of luck here. The thing with the iPad data is that it's all off contract. With your iPhone, they couldn't change it since you were on contract still ( I'm assuming you are). They technically dont even have to offer the unlimited anymore since it's all prepaid.

 

[Ecoh]

I have read post here where the same thing has happened to other people. Just be polite and patient with the reps and your call will eventually be passed on to someone that knows how to fix the problem.

 

[Blorzoga]

Hey all.. I'm a little nervous that I am screwed and lost my grandfathered unlimited data so I jumped on here to give a brief summary of events and see if anyone has tips or experience with a similar situation.

9:30 pm - I get an email saying there was a problem processing my credit card and payment didn't go through and my data plan was cancelled. The email says I should re-enter valid credit card information on the ipad after reselecting the plan.

(The credit card I was using for automatic payment expired. I know the unlimited plan isn't an option that you can select and I have heard stories about "WHATEVER YOU DO DON'T MISS YOUR AUTO PAYMENT OR THEY WILL CANCEL YOUR UNLIMITED!" -- so I am nervous.)

9:46 pm - I get the read the email and call AT&T to see if a customer service person can either update the payment information with the new credit card or take payment information. They can do neither. I don't know if she didn't want to be the bearer of bad news but she said her system would normally allow her to take payment but it wasn't letting her for some reason. (sigh)

9:56 pm - Call ends with customer service rep. After playing a little dumb in hopes she would find a way to make payment she says offer to put in a request for someone to contact me from the 'iPad Support Team" to see if they can resolve it for me tomorrow.

I would be pretty devastated if I had my plan reduced to a limited data package as I use my ipad all the time and I have had some aggressive data usage (a fact potentially used against me if they review my account?). I feel kinda pissed off because they didn't give me any warning or notification - just failed to process payment and at that same instant BAM cancelled. They didn't cancel my cell phone when this happened before with another card -- I got a notified and I called and they updated the information and I was on my way.. (AND kept my unlimited iPhone data plan...) I realize they might do this to 'kill off' grandfathered unlimited users and this makes me really nervous..

SO... Has anyone run into this same issue? Were you able to update your payment information over the phone or am I totally screwed? Is there anything I can say or best department at AT&T to see if they can update my account/pay the bill while still retaining my grandfathered unlimited data account? I have been an AT&T customer for like 15 years so maybe they will make 1 time exception? Do their systems even allow that?

Any experience, tips or advice is GREATLY appreciated.. Seriously. I am kinda spooked so any help is appreciated..

I have read that this problem can be corrected by customer service. Just be persistent. I think AT&T may be a little more flexible now that they're competing with Verizon for Apple users.

 

[poloponies]

Hey all.. I'm a little nervous that I am screwed and lost my grandfathered unlimited data so I jumped on here to give a brief summary of events and see if anyone has tips or experience with a similar situation.

9:30 pm - I get an email saying there was a problem processing my credit card and payment didn't go through and my data plan was cancelled. The email says I should re-enter valid credit card information on the ipad after reselecting the plan.

(The credit card I was using for automatic payment expired. I know the unlimited plan isn't an option that you can select and I have heard stories about "WHATEVER YOU DO DON'T MISS YOUR AUTO PAYMENT OR THEY WILL CANCEL YOUR UNLIMITED!" -- so I am nervous.)

9:46 pm - I get the read the email and call AT&T to see if a customer service person can either update the payment information with the new credit card or take payment information. They can do neither. I don't know if she didn't want to be the bearer of bad news but she said her system would normally allow her to take payment but it wasn't letting her for some reason. (sigh)

9:56 pm - Call ends with customer service rep. After playing a little dumb in hopes she would find a way to make payment she says offer to put in a request for someone to contact me from the 'iPad Support Team" to see if they can resolve it for me tomorrow.

I would be pretty devastated if I had my plan reduced to a limited data package as I use my ipad all the time and I have had some aggressive data usage (a fact potentially used against me if they review my account?). I feel kinda pissed off because they didn't give me any warning or notification - just failed to process payment and at that same instant BAM cancelled. They didn't cancel my cell phone when this happened before with another card -- I got a notified and I called and they updated the information and I was on my way.. (AND kept my unlimited iPhone data plan...) I realize they might do this to 'kill off' grandfathered unlimited users and this makes me really nervous..

SO... Has anyone run into this same issue? Were you able to update your payment information over the phone or am I totally screwed? Is there anything I can say or best department at AT&T to see if they can update my account/pay the bill while still retaining my grandfathered unlimited data account? I have been an AT&T customer for like 15 years so maybe they will make 1 time exception? Do their systems even allow that?

Any experience, tips or advice is GREATLY appreciated.. Seriously. I am kinda spooked so any help is appreciated..

Happened to me when the credit card I used for that account expired (didn't remember to change it in time). Customer service couldn't have been nicer (luck of the draw, maybe). They had to reset the account from their end so that the unlimited plan option would appear on my iPad. CALL BACK until you get someone knowledgeable.

 

[MJedi]

Have you tried backing out of the Cellular Data Account screen, and then go back and login to your account again?

I have had my Unlimited Data Plan expire a few times because AT&T could not automatically renew it with my credit card. The first time it happened, I was devastated. Viewing my account only gave me the 2 limited data plans.

I logged out of the account screen, then logged back in. It showed something like no data plan. I chose Add Data or Change Plan, and I was surprised to see that I was given the option to purchase the Unlimited Data! I chose it right away, and got it.

This has happened a few times, so I think that as long as you were grandfathered in, and maybe act on it right away (I did it minutes after the renewal failed) then you might be able to get it back.

Hope this helps.

 

[cinca]

Update..!

Phew.. Thanks for all the help and comments.. After the first reply I was definitely nervous my unlimited data plan was lost... Especially consider I have sucked down some pretty heavy amounts of data since my iPad became my main computer.

After reading all the follow up comments I called them, spoke with a really nice representative on the phone and she reviewed my account and reactivated the unlimited as an option so when I logged in to my AT&T account settings on my iPad it was sitting there waiting as an option.

Definitely spot on advice to be friendly, polite and patient. I happened to catch someone that knew exactly what to do but if I didn't I would have just asked for someone else and explained the success behind all the comments I read on this forum.

After that scare, I DEFINITELY think I will be extra mindful of making sure my iPad data account is connected to a credit card that isn't expiring or having any issues.

For any future people reading this wanting specific advice here is what I did..

Called 611 on my my AT&T cellphone and when asked for the number it was regarding typed my "iPad data number" -- under the Settings menu there is an About option that lists a whole bunch of stats about your iPad. Towards the bottom of the initial screen is an iPad cellular or data number that is a 10 digit phone number with a 1 before the area code. In my case it was easy to spot because area code was the same as my billing address area code.

After I entered is number I was on hold and ended up talking to someone in the iPad support group. My initial call was handled by a general customer service rep that had no idea what to do with my issue so make sure you are talking to an iPad specialist. The one I spoke with instantly knew how to pop my expired account back so that the unlimited was an option presented to me.

Wile with her on the phone I logged into my AT&T account settings on my iPad, updated my billing information and then went to Add Data Plan and voila -- there is was. I snapped down on the screen pretty quick to make sure it wasn't late for her to change her mind..

Anyhow. For all future Internet people facing the same dilemma don't fear just call AT&T and talk to an iPad specialist. I definitely wouldn't recommend doing anything with your account or settings or anything until you talk to them just in case it alters your account in some way that limits what they can do.

Of course -- this may all change with verizon having cancelled even grandfathers unlimited data accounts on the iPad but for now (May 2011) AT&T I still honoring grandfather users -- even ones whose account lapsed because of a cancelled credit card.

I would also agree with an earlier poster to call them ASAP. I called right when I got the email notification that my data plan was canceled and spoke with an initial clueless rep for long enough to have her create notes on my account to show I contacted them very quickly. Then I called back today so that there was a quick follow up...

Anyhow.. Thanks again to everyone for their comments -- they definitely had me calling AT&T with optimism at my back rather than anxiety.,

 

[3goldens]

Same thing happened to me just call again speak to a supervisor, be polite, not demanding and they will fix it for you.

They're the only ones brother, so don't be rude and demanding, because no one here can really help you, it's up to you and your charming personality!