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Ridiculous AT&T International Overage

w00t951

w00t951

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jan 6, 2009
1,834
53
Pittsburgh, PA
So I am in South Korea for the majority of the summer, and I brought my iPhone 4 along with me. I had the 50MB international data plan and sent a couple texts/answered a couple local calls. I went a few MB over the 50MB limit, and instead of cutting my service or notifying me (I simply forgot to turn off roaming when I got close to 50MB) they continued to let my phone onto 3G. I'm now ladened with a $600 phone bill for the month. Does AT&T let this happen to get more money, or what? Anyway, is there anything I can do to avoid paying the full $600?
 
They let it happen because you signed up for that data plan, and knew how much data was included and how much extra data cost. Don't see how it is at all on them to watch your data.

As for fixing it you can see if they will retroactively upgrade your plan that included more data starting last month, they have been known to do that every so often in circumstances like this.
 
I can't really think of a way around this since you signed an agreement to only use 50MB or less. Since you violated that, you also agreed to pay any and all overage charges based on the amount that you consumed. Simply forgetting I'm afraid won't get you far at all if you call up AT&T complaining. Since you signed that contract, you're now liable. No, AT&T doesn't do this simply to get more money, they just expect you to follow their service guidelines.
 
w00t951 said:
So I am in South Korea for the majority of the summer, and I brought my iPhone 4 along with me. I had the 50MB international data plan and sent a couple texts/answered a couple local calls. I went a few MB over the 50MB limit, and instead of cutting my service or notifying me (I simply forgot to turn off roaming when I got close to 50MB) they continued to let my phone onto 3G. I'm now ladened with a $600 phone bill for the month. Does AT&T let this happen to get more money, or what? Anyway, is there anything I can do to avoid paying the full $600?
Click to expand...

Same thing happened to me, I called ATT and they backdated a higher data plan and cut my 800.00 Bill to around 250.00 for data.

Jason
 
RafaelT said:
They let it happen because you signed up for that data plan, and knew how much data was included and how much extra data cost. Don't see how it is at all on them to watch your data.
Click to expand...

Agreed, this is your mess up not at&t's. As others have said, you might get them to backdate a higher plan. You have nothing to lose by contacting them.
 
@OP: Just be thankful the contract doesn't require you to give AT&T your first-born male child when you exceeded the 50MB limit... Seriously though - I feel your pain. Why is it that we can use the internet across national boundaries and not get charged more but if we make a call or access data on out mobile phone, the charge is magnitudes more?
 
Call AT&T and try to backdate the data plan. Then, explain that you don't have the money, and be very nice. I've had AT&T CS reps erase entire bills in the hundreds of dollars, so it can be done. Also, if they can help you, ask for their manager's contact info and let them know that you will send a recommendation for them to their boss. It's a nice thing to do and goes very far in getting the help you need.
 
I put some gas in my car, went driving really fast, lost control, and hit a tree. How could the gas station allow this to happen??? Is it just so I'll buy a new car and buy gas again?
 
Last edited:
VulchR said:
@OP: Just be thankful the contract doesn't require you to give AT&T your first-born male child when you exceeded the 50MB limit... Seriously though - I feel your pain. Why is it that we can use the internet across national boundaries and not get charged more but if we make a call or access data on out mobile phone, the charge is magnitudes more?
Click to expand...

It's because the mobile carriers have no reason to drop the many (extortionate) costs that they have in certain markets - Roaming being the worst of all.

Every carrier in the world does the same thing. Nobody really has a choice when it comes to roaming. The charges are only lower when the networks are forced to limit charges (like in the EU).
 
Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do.
When you signed up for the plan, the website (or the CS rep) should have told you what your overage charges will be.

You can try calling them, but I doubt they'll change it.

Yes, they do it for more money (naturally).
 
Definitely call ATT and see if they can backdate a better plan.

On Verizon you can go online at any time and change your plan yourself without penalty... and you can even backdate the change a bit.

I did that recently when I started getting a lot of texts, on a phone without a text plan. I logged into my Verizon personal account, changed the plan, and checked the box that said to make it retroactive to the beginning of the billing period.
 
kdarling said:
Definitely call ATT and see if they can backdate a better plan.

On Verizon you can go online at any time and change your plan yourself without penalty... and you can even backdate the change a bit.

I did that recently when I started getting a lot of texts, on a phone without a text plan. I logged into my Verizon personal account, changed the plan, and checked the box that said to make it retroactive to the beginning of the billing period.
Click to expand...

I'm fairly certain this can be done with AT&T too but not after the billing cycle has ended. As the others have stated, call Big Blue and see if they'll backdate a change in plans. I would be surprised if they didn't.
 
w00t951 said:
So I am in South Korea for the majority of the summer, and I brought my iPhone 4 along with me. I had the 50MB international data plan and sent a couple texts/answered a couple local calls. I went a few MB over the 50MB limit, and instead of cutting my service or notifying me (I simply forgot to turn off roaming when I got close to 50MB) they continued to let my phone onto 3G. I'm now ladened with a $600 phone bill for the month. Does AT&T let this happen to get more money, or what? Anyway, is there anything I can do to avoid paying the full $600?
Click to expand...

this is a good example of postpaid contract pricing that they pull. this is where they make all their good money. charge an arm and a leg for overages.
 
ckurt25 said:
I'm fairly certain this can be done with AT&T too but not after the billing cycle has ended. As the others have stated, call Big Blue and see if they'll backdate a change in plans. I would be surprised if they didn't.
Click to expand...

you can usually backdate it yourself online. not sure about international though, but i would imagine you could.
 
You guys, the best way is to purchase a pre paid SIM card as soon as you hit that airport and put it inside your smartphone (provided that it is factory unlocked) and out your at&t SIM card away until you come back to the US. Don't give your hard work dollars to the giant telecoms.
 
rmhop81 said:
you can usually backdate it yourself online. not sure about international though, but i would imagine you could.
Click to expand...

You can backdate international plans online - up to the previous month's bill cycle.


chestvrg said:
You guys, the best way is to purchase a pre paid SIM card as soon as you hit that airport and put it inside your smartphone (provided that it is factory unlocked) and out your at&t SIM card away until you come back to the US. Don't give your hard work dollars to the giant telecoms.
Click to expand...

Not a lot of factory unlocked iPhones in the US now.
 
w00t951 said:
So I am in South Korea for the majority of the summer, and I brought my iPhone 4 along with me. I had the 50MB international data plan and sent a couple texts/answered a couple local calls. I went a few MB over the 50MB limit, and instead of cutting my service or notifying me (I simply forgot to turn off roaming when I got close to 50MB) they continued to let my phone onto 3G. I'm now ladened with a $600 phone bill for the month. Does AT&T let this happen to get more money, or what? Anyway, is there anything I can do to avoid paying the full $600?
Click to expand...

How is this AT&Ts fault and not yours?
They don't cut your service when you go over your plans minutes, texts or data. You just pay more.
Not knowing the basic way all carriers work doesn't mean it's their mistake.
Hope they give you a break though and you don't learn the hard way.
 
w00t951 said:
So I am in South Korea for the majority of the summer, and I brought my iPhone 4 along with me. I had the 50MB international data plan and sent a couple texts/answered a couple local calls. I went a few MB over the 50MB limit, and instead of cutting my service or notifying me (I simply forgot to turn off roaming when I got close to 50MB) they continued to let my phone onto 3G. I'm now ladened with a $600 phone bill for the month. Does AT&T let this happen to get more money, or what? Anyway, is there anything I can do to avoid paying the full $600?
Click to expand...

If you're really on the Normandy i'm sure commander shepard could get this fixed up for you in no time. one renegade call to AT&T is all it will take!
 
w00t951 said:
So I am in South Korea for the majority of the summer, and I brought my iPhone 4 along with me. I had the 50MB international data plan and sent a couple texts/answered a couple local calls. I went a few MB over the 50MB limit, and instead of cutting my service or notifying me (I simply forgot to turn off roaming when I got close to 50MB) they continued to let my phone onto 3G. I'm now ladened with a $600 phone bill for the month. Does AT&T let this happen to get more money, or what? Anyway, is there anything I can do to avoid paying the full $600?
Click to expand...

If you only went a few over 50MB, the most you'd pay would be $49.99 via backdating the data plan

http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/international/roaming/affordable-world-packages.jsp#data
 
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