Must Read for original iPhone on family plans - READ THIS!

[jctevere]

I am not sure about the rest of you original iPhone owners, but I have been angered by the fact that AT&T allows the iPhone 3G users on a family plan to use the $30 unlimited text messaging plan while us original adopters are required to pay the separate fees because our "internet" plans are different.

Well, I have 3 original iPhones on a family plan. When the iPhone 3G came out and I had learned that it was possible to get the $30 unlimited texting plan on them I called up an asked if my original 3 iPhones could do the same. Of course I was told some B.S. schpeel and long story short they denied me of that and I was forced to switch to unlimited texting for one phone and 1500 for another (didn't want to pay for two phones for unlimited texting and get raped). Unlimited texting is $20 on top of the iPhone data plan for the original iPhone and the 1500 text plan is $10.

However, today was my lucky day. After having to contact AT&T about overages on the other two iPhones on the family plan without unlimited texting and after being fed up with the constant overages and deciding 200 and 1500 texts are simply not enough, I wanted to upgrade them. Again I asked if I could switch to the $30 unlimited texting for all three ORIGINAL iPhones. I was shocked by the representatives answer; he stated that in fact it was possible, but he could not take off money for the data plan that includes the 200 texts. After reconfirming about 10 times that it was possible for 1st generation iPhones and that I would not be charged $30 per line but for all 3 lines I agreed.

This was no skin off my back as I was paying $30 extra a month just for unlimited for one iPhone and one with 1500 texts. I was both estatic and extremely annoyed. I immediately demanded that I receive reparations for the past overages on the two iPhone lines that didn't have unlimited texting as I was previously denied this option and the representative stated it was possible all along. After apologizing for any inconvenience, he reimbursed me all of the overages I have ever incurred from texting starting from when I began to pay $30 a month for the 2 extra texting plans. I was extremely pleased and relieved that I am finally not getting stiffed by AT&T and their texting plans and that they had finally done right by me by giving me back any overages I had incurred throughout the months.

The reason I am posting this is because I wish to inform anyone in a situation similar to mine and help them out. If you have an iPhone on a family plan on the AT&T service and have been told like me that the $30 unlimited family texting plan does not apply, call up and complain and demand they switch it and if possible, reimburse you for any expenses it has caused you. I hope I have been of help or clarification. Tell everyone you know, I told many people and one friend now plans to get an original iPhone off e-bay and add it to their family plan but have previously resented such an idea because they didn't want to pay the separate texting fee.

Please, feel free to comment and bump!

 

[huntnboy04]

thanks for posting your experience. though I'm seriously considering switching companies, i.e., getting rid of the iPhone, I thought Apple would solve the no native MMS, and not take two years to do it, even though 1st gen iPhones still wont get it. I think the iPhone data/messaging prices are too much, at least for a getting further into debt college student.

 

[jctevere]

thanks for posting your experience. though I'm seriously considering switching companies, i.e., getting rid of the iPhone, I thought Apple would solve the no native MMS, and not take two years to do it, even though 1st gen iPhones still wont get it. I think the iPhone data/messaging prices are too much, at least for a getting further into debt college student.

Have you considered jailbreaking your iPhone. If you jailbreak your iPhone the original iPhone can send and recieve MMS messages for free. Also, if you unlock your iPhone you can use T-mobile. Their service is much cheaper and you don't need to get the data plan. (This is good as long as you are around WiFi or don't use data much, but the only downside is that you lose visual voicemail and the signal is not as strong in some areas.)

 

[JBaker122586]

I'm pretty sure you're the only one (or one of the very few) this happened to... I've had 2 first gen iPhones on the family unlimited plan since it has existed.

 

[bradl]

thanks for posting your experience. though I'm seriously considering switching companies, i.e., getting rid of the iPhone, I thought Apple would solve the no native MMS, and not take two years to do it, even though 1st gen iPhones still wont get it. I think the iPhone data/messaging prices are too much, at least for a getting further into debt college student.

In your case as a college student, put the college to work for you. See if you are eligible for a FAN account through your university. Feature codes exist for data and text messaging so you won't have to worry about the de facto prices ATT gives.

1500 text messages for me (right now, unknown if this includes MMS) runs me about 8.99/month.

As for the OP, nobody forced you to get the original iPhone. Those plans and what comes with the phone were made known up front before you put your money down on it. No amount of complaining here is going to make it better for you, let alone complaining to ATT 2 years after the fact. You bought the phones under the plans at that time; you should have checked to see if that was a 2 year commitment for it. If it was, you need to fulfill that part of it, or cancel outright. Seeing that June/July is coming up and rumours have it of a new iPhone, you may be eligible for an upgrade then. Until then, it's always been a 'buyer beware' market. Now you know why, and why people waited for the iPhone 3G.

No problems here on a 3G iPhone, Family Plan, with FAN.

BL.

 

[jctevere]

In your case as a college student, put the college to work for you. See if you are eligible for a FAN account through your university. Feature codes exist for data and text messaging so you won't have to worry about the de facto prices ATT gives.

1500 text messages for me (right now, unknown if this includes MMS) runs me about 8.99/month.

As for the OP, nobody forced you to get the original iPhone. Those plans and what comes with the phone were made known up front before you put your money down on it. No amount of complaining here is going to make it better for you, let alone complaining to ATT 2 years after the fact. You bought the phones under the plans at that time; you should have checked to see if that was a 2 year commitment for it. If it was, you need to fulfill that part of it, or cancel outright. Seeing that June/July is coming up and rumours have it of a new iPhone, you may be eligible for an upgrade then. Until then, it's always been a 'buyer beware' market. Now you know why, and why people waited for the iPhone 3G.

No problems here on a 3G iPhone, Family Plan, with FAN.

BL.

It's not really that I am complaining about it. I knew that the original iPhones had different plans and that I signed a two year contract. I bought it anyway because I felt that the iPhone was so revolutionary that it is worth the extra money. I don't ever regret getting it, but I was always angered by the fact that the original iPhone was considered a "special phone" that allowed them to charge me more money, and I was ok with that. That is, until the iPhone 3G came out and they realized that what they were doing was ridiculous and made it just like any other phone... Yet, did not do right by the original iPhone customers. It was one thing to not subsidize the cost of the original iPhone and still have me in a 2 year contract... But doing that for the iPhone 3G on top of making the plans just like any other phone, thats going a little too far for me.

Anyways, I am done with my little rant and I am just glad that AT&T has finally done right by me. I plan on buying the new iPhone in july of 2009 and selling all my old 3 original iPhones. And while I understand your concept of a "buyer beware" market, I think that it is ridiculous that customers have to fear of being betrayed by corporations. The U.S. mobile carriers have gone unregulated and allowed to do whatever they want for too long now, and I am glad that Obama is finally setting them straight.

 

[jctevere]

I'm pretty sure you're the only one (or one of the very few) this happened to... I've had 2 first gen iPhones on the family unlimited plan since it has existed.

I have had them since the release of the original iPhone as well. I only recently was able to change it to the $30 unlimited texting for the family plan. You should call up AT&T and ask/demand that they do the same for you.

 

[juswest]

I have had them since the release of the original iPhone as well. I only recently was able to change it to the $30 unlimited texting for the family plan. You should call up AT&T and ask/demand that they do the same for you.

I think he's saying he's always had the unlimited plan.

 

[JBaker122586]

I have had them since the release of the original iPhone as well. I only recently was able to change it to the $30 unlimited texting for the family plan. You should call up AT&T and ask/demand that they do the same for you.

That's my point. I've had the family unlimited plan working on 2 first gen iPhones since the day family unlimited was available.
I've always had it fine. I was trying to tell you I think you're one of VERY few people who got screwed.

 

[jctevere]

That's my point. I've had the family unlimited plan working on 2 first gen iPhones since the day family unlimited was available.
I've always had it fine. I was trying to tell you I think you're one of VERY few people who got screwed.

Wow, seriously... This gets me even more angry. I could have seen if I didn't ask and they just kept it. But I have asked about 3 times since it came out and everyone told me that it was not possible. Well, at least now I know to always keep pushing and don't take no for an answer when I need something from AT&T then... Thanks

 

[SFC Archer]

My wife uses the Classic and I have the 3G. We were both on the 1500 message plans which was $30 per phone for each data plan. In February I switched to the Family unlimited for $30 per month, kept the 3G data plan and reduced the Classic to the $20 data plan. So it has been available for quite some time and I only wish I had done it earlier to save money.