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It's pretty bogus - I can't cancel the data plan.

Applejuiced said:
I hear you.
Just saying I'm glad they're still allowing something like that since it only makes sense not to have to pay for an iphone data if you're not using an iphone any longer.
Seems like US carriers keep nickel and diming consumers and the government allows them to continue many unfair practices. Less customer options, higher prices, more restrictions on what you can and cannot do with your data and so on.
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Nickel and diming has been te way for ages.

Quick story: I recently added Skype credit to my account so that I could call family in Hungary over wifi. So I'm talking away and a few days later I get a text that my bill has risen over $200. I call in to att and they basically tell me that I have been calling internationally. I explained what I was doing and the rep said that if I have att signal I am responsible for all minutes I talk on the phone. The exception is video chat. Finally, after much complaint, they knocked the overages down to $25. I now have to pop on airplane mode, enable wifi, and make my call from there. It's a shame because there is no reason I should have to bypass "security" like that, but it is what it is. :(
 
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Applejuiced said:
Damn, that's pretty crappy man.:(
So they tried to charge you for Skype wifi calls?
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Yes. Apparently iOS is set up to dump the Skype call over to the cellular network, at least for att. The first few seconds of the small is routed through Skype and then is detoured through att's network. So while in technically using att cellular network to continue the call, there is no reason I should have to be other than, well, greed. It's in the fine print too, so technically my foul.
 
lordofthereef said:
Nickel and diming has been te way for ages.

Quick story: I recently added Skype credit to my account so that I could call family in Hungary over wifi. So I'm talking away and a few days later I get a text that my bill has risen over $200. I call in to att and they basically tell me that I have been calling internationally. I explained what I was doing and the rep said that if I have att signal I am responsible for all minutes I talk on the phone. The exception is video chat. Finally, after much complaint, they knocked the overages down to $25. I now have to pop on airplane mode, enable wifi, and make my call from there. It's a shame because there is no reason I should have to bypass "security" like that, but it is what it is. :(
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I'm sorry but that is not possible. When using Skype att has connection with your Skype account. Att has no control over what travels over you WiFi network and can't even detect what you do over WiFi. The calls you made were through your cell service and not WiFi. I use Skype as well.
 
617aircav said:
I'm sorry but that is not possible. When using Skype att has connection with your Skype account. Att has no control over what travels over you WiFi network and can't even detect what you do over WiFi. The calls you made were through your cell service and not WiFi. I use Skype as well.
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I initiated the calls through the Skype app. When I went and looked it showed te call was initiated trough Skype, lasted about 30 seconds, and then transferred over. I even got confirmation of this from the rep. You don't have to believe me if you don't want to, but it is the truth.
 
puma1552 said:
I like the iPhone as a phone. I don't really need the big data plan, I just like the phone itself for what it is, and after two years I see no reason why it shouldn't be at my discretion to do with it as I please. Once I've met my contractual obligation, I don't see any reason why I should continue to be forced to pay for the data plan just because AT&T says I have to. I'd like to reduce expenses, and the easiest way to do that would be to just drop the data on the phone that I have.
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You like the iPhone as a phone? Funny, I find the iPhone has the worse phone quality out of any phone I've used. I can easily say any BlackBerry is a better phone than iPhone.
 
OP I agree with you on the data plan issue, but your contract is up and there are prepaid options out there, even from att.
 
my mother and brother both have iPhones on AT&T with no data plans...they will remove the data plan if you get to the right department manager...my mother went through Customer Retention...oh and both iPhones were unsubsidized

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Hankster said:
You like the iPhone as a phone? Funny, I find the iPhone has the worse phone quality out of any phone I've used. I can easily say any BlackBerry is a better phone than iPhone.
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LMAO...ha ha
 
Seems pretty clear to me that the data plans are where the carriers are making their money. I agree, once you've paid off your phone and want to shut off data, it's no business of theirs, but all the carriers have back room meetings to decide these things, that's why you get screwed no matter where you go.

It's the same with cable company's price fixing. They all do it and you get the same ream-job who ever you're with. Gov'ment allows it.
 
puma1552 said:
...that once my 4S contract is up, I can't cancel the data plan.

It's my phone, I paid for it, I am/will uphold the contract to the end, after that, AT&T can **** off as far as I'm concerned, I should be able to do with my phone as I please once I've finished my contractual obligation. If I want to cancel the data plan after two years, that should be my right.

Why do I need to keep a data plan on a phone that I'm no longer on contract with?

So tired of cell phone companies, seriously thinking about getting the cheapest, crappiest prepay phone out there when all is said and done and sticking it to AT&T and everyone else for all the years they've continually boned the consumer, regulation-free.
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Have you any clue what your costs would be like if you decided to do that and did Pay as you go, since it is a smartphone and uses data no matter what? I would rather switch to the lower tier plan and try and use WiFi as much as possible, I have the 5GB Hot spot on AT&T, but use WiFi as much as possible, only because I need to connect my work laptop when I am on call otherwise I would have the $30 3GB plan.
 
After I got an unlock from AT&T, I switched from AT&T to Straight Talk, which runs on AT&T's network. My bill is so low that a person in the same position as the OP probably wouldn't mind having data available to he or she. Because I intended to keep the phone longer, I wasn't about to keep paying the subsidize fees that were included in my AT&T plan since when getting the new phone.
 
Op your solution is pretty simple. You are off contract and if you still want att service, go prepaid. Post paid plan without data will cost you $60, and prepaid will cost you $50. With prepaid you get unlimited minutes instead of 450.
 
Applejuiced said:
If you disable carrier data either in the phone settings or on the carriers end you wont have to worry about pay as you go data charges.
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True but then your expensive smartphones becomes useless for just about everything unless you are on WiFi all the time.
 
Wicked1 said:
True but then your expensive smartphones becomes useless for just about everything unless you are on WiFi all the time.
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A lot of uses don't require a data connection. Calendar, music, podcast, video, games, notes, news apps, just to name a few. Sure having data is better but not having it doesn't render the phone uses.
 
puma1552 said:
...that once my 4S contract is up, I can't cancel the data plan.

It's my phone, I paid for it, I am/will uphold the contract to the end, after that, AT&T can **** off as far as I'm concerned, I should be able to do with my phone as I please once I've finished my contractual obligation. If I want to cancel the data plan after two years, that should be my right.

Why do I need to keep a data plan on a phone that I'm no longer on contract with?

So tired of cell phone companies, seriously thinking about getting the cheapest, crappiest prepay phone out there when all is said and done and sticking it to AT&T and everyone else for all the years they've continually boned the consumer, regulation-free.
Click to expand...

But AT&T can switch you over to a prepaid GoPhone plan and won't require you to have a data plan. You won't even need a new SIM card. You will have to terminate your contract and pay whatever is left of your ETF. Do the math on the ETF since it lowers every month. It may already be worth it to switch.
 
SAD*FACED*CLOWN said:
my mother and brother both have iPhones on AT&T with no data plans...they will remove the data plan if you get to the right department manager...my mother went through Customer Retention...oh and both iPhones were unsubsidized

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LMAO...ha ha
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Hey, laugh all you want. But, I used to carry both the iPhone and BlackBerry. The BlackBerry was by far a better phone. There was no question about it. It was easier to hold while talking and the sound quality was better.

There's nothing wrong with being realistic. Assuming Apple makes perfect products is unrealistic. Even today the iPhone is not the best phone out there in terms of sound, reception and feel in the hand.
 
Hankster said:
Hey, laugh all you want. But, I used to carry both the iPhone and BlackBerry. The BlackBerry was by far a better phone. There was no question about it. It was easier to hold while talking and the sound quality was better.

There's nothing wrong with being realistic. Assuming Apple makes perfect products is unrealistic. Even today the iPhone is not the best phone out there in terms of sound, reception and feel in the hand.
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never said the iPhone was perfect...never....but Blackberry is just trash...and can't compare to an iPhone...no blacberry model ever created can even hold a candle to an iPhone...and this latest blacberry will fail also...only die hards such as yourself will buy them
 
lordofthereef said:
I initiated the calls through the Skype app. When I went and looked it showed te call was initiated trough Skype, lasted about 30 seconds, and then transferred over. I even got confirmation of this from the rep. You don't have to believe me if you don't want to, but it is the truth.
Click to expand...

Skype is voip, so how does it change over to using your actual number, my skpe has never done this. There is absolutely no connection between my skype account and my att number.
 
SAD*FACED*CLOWN said:
never said the iPhone was perfect...never....but Blackberry is just trash...and can't compare to an iPhone...no blacberry model ever created can even hold a candle to an iPhone...and this latest blacberry will fail also...only die hards such as yourself will buy them
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Why knock people's choice to use whats best for them?
 
617aircav said:
Skype is voip, so how does it change over to using your actual number, my skpe has never done this. There is absolutely no connection between my skype account and my att number.
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Im well aware that skype is voip. The way it was explained to me is that att an apple have set it up this way. I honestly don't know HOW, but I can assure you IT DOES. The only thing that works for me is popping on airplane mode, as I already mentioned.

Also, as I mentioned, the rep is the one who recommended this method. She claimed the same thing happened to her.
 
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