Took over a year but AT&T caught me

[Applejuiced]

Turn your phone off an back on that is how I did it.

I been trying for weeks now man. It wont stay on. As soon as it connects to AT&T the option automaticly goes to off.
I just signed a petition again to allow unlimited AT&T iphone users to do facetime just like they do with all other customers.
Cant believe Verizon and even crappy Sprint gives everyone that option but AT&T does not. That's unless if you switch to a tiered data package

 

[Brounmoney]

I been trying for weeks now man. It wont stay on. As soon as it connects to AT&T the option automaticly goes to off.
I just signed a petition again to allow unlimited AT&T iphone users to do facetime just like they do with all other customers.
Cant believe Verizon and even crappy Sprint gives everyone that option but AT&T does not. That's unless if you switch to a tiered data package

Yea I am just as mad cause they still have not allowed tethering on unlimited which is crap too. If you do ever get it turned on never never turn if off. I got mine to work about 2 months ago. I never really use it that much but it does work.

 

[Applejuiced]

Yea I am just as mad cause they still have not allowed tethering on unlimited which is crap too. If you do ever get it turned on never never turn if off. I got mine to work about 2 months ago. I never really use it that much but it does work.

I hear you.
Im not that confident that we will ever see free tethering on unlimited plans but at least get Facetime.
Doesnt make any sense on their part.
Hope mine comes on too, I will keep trying to restart it randomly to see if I get lucky.

 

[pdxmatts]

That's like saying, since I choose to have a HD TV for movies but still want basic cable then the cable company has the right to FORCE me to use a HD box and pay for it.

They provide a service, phone and data. If I choose to have the phone then that's the service they provide. I can't use data because I don't have a data plan. But to FORCE me into a data plan because of the type of phone I choose doesn't seem legal. It's my choice on the type of phone. I'm talking about me buying a iPhone or whatever from a private seller or full price. I just can't see how it's legal to force me to pay for something I don't use just because of the type of phone I chose.

Actually Comcast Cable just sent out a notice that they are switching to all digital in March and any TV that doesn't have a cable box connected to it will cease to get a signal. So, they are essentially forcing you to pay for cable boxes to run all your TV's. Granted, you don't have to get a box, but it will render your TV useless unless you have built in HD to use with an antenna and won't get cable channels.

I have a T-Mobile Family Value plan. Two of my lines are for my kids and they have not forced me to add data to their lines. They are using smart phones. It depends on the carrier.

 

[thehustleman]

I hate that carriers are allowed to do this. This should change.

 

[pdxmatts]

Wow, AT&T loves swindling their customers. That much for 300mb..? T-Mobile charges 10 for 2gb..

And for $20 you get unlimited data on T-Mobile

 

[Minhimalism]

And for $20 you get unlimited data on T-Mobile

Ah i wasnt up to date on how much our limited is atm since im grandfathered in. But yeah, certainly beats the what.. $50 5gb from at&t? Plus with imminent LTE tmobile will rock.

 

[SAD*FACED*CLOWN]

You can call AT&T and have them completely disable data on those phone accounts, my mom has an iPhone with SMS and data disabled

 

[BHP41]

Most of you don't seem to get a legally binding terms of service contract. Bring this into court, and it would not end in your favor. You as the customer may not like it, but it's the policy. And you either follow it, or you are subjected to getting the boot.

depends on when you signed the contract and what you signed. I'd have to read the TOS again but lets say I bought a plan with a dumbphone. Now three years later I decide that I would like an iPhone. Now I know thatI can't use data because I don't have a data plan. My contract is up with ATT and now I'm on a month by month basis. I don't think that they can force me into a data plan. Remember, I can't use data because I don't have a data plan. Just because I choose a different phone doesn't give them the right to change my plan. My contract is up with them. They are obligated to provide me with the service I choose to begin with. In this case, just phone service. They can not change my plan,charge me more unless I sign another contract term.

It's legal simply due to the fact that you agreed to the TOS by opening your account.

Again, depends on what your original contract was.

Actually Comcast Cable just sent out a notice that they are switching to all digital in March and any TV that doesn't have a cable box connected to it will cease to get a signal. So, they are essentially forcing you to pay for cable boxes to run all your TV's. Granted, you don't have to get a box, but it will render your TV useless unless you have built in HD to use with an antenna and won't get cable channels.

I have a T-Mobile Family Value plan. Two of my lines are for my kids and they have not forced me to add data to their lines. They are using smart phones. It depends on the carrier.

The cable market is in a bad way. They are losing money hand over fist at the moment. The model they have now is not sustainable for the future. It's interesting, I was having this conversation last night with a few friends. I don't see the cable industry staying the same in the next 5 years. Something will have to give. The networks are in control not Charter or Comcast or TimeWarner. What the cable company has is the infrastructure that the networks need. WHen the Networks sign deals with Apple,Google, Microsoft etc, the cable company better be ready to make a change in the way it creates revenue. They WILL lose subscribers. People don't want 250 channels anymore. THey want what they want to watch. Same thing happened with music. People wanted single songs and pirated them until something came along to make it easy. iTunes. I dumped cable long ago, but the one thing that we all have to have is highspeed data. I wouldn't be surprised to see the cable companies go to a tiered data plan like the phone companies have done. Remember, 5 years ago its was all about how many minutes you got. Now it's about data.

You can call AT&T and have them completely disable data on those phone accounts, my mom has an iPhone with SMS and data disabled

That's a good suggestion and since you can do that. You can see that they are only doing this to try to scare you into paying for something you don't want and have no obligation to pay.

 

[Obese Lobsters]

A few years ago I considered switching to ATT and asked about using a month to month plan bring my own phone. Apparently they still sign you to a contract, but don't charge you the ETF if you cancel, at least that what the rep told me. If they're doing the same thing here, technically on a contract with no ETF, then they can still charge you for data by virtue of you "being on contract" even though you're paying month to month. At least that what I would think.

 

[Applejuiced]

Actually Comcast Cable just sent out a notice that they are switching to all digital in March and any TV that doesn't have a cable box connected to it will cease to get a signal. So, they are essentially forcing you to pay for cable boxes to run all your TV's. Granted, you don't have to get a box, but it will render your TV useless unless you have built in HD to use with an antenna and won't get cable channels.

I have a T-Mobile Family Value plan. Two of my lines are for my kids and they have not forced me to add data to their lines. They are using smart phones. It depends on the carrier.

That's pretty crappy from Comcast.
Im with cox so they havent forced something like that on us yet.
I have 5 TV's at home and if I had to pay around $5-10 to rent each cable box per month it would bring up the total bill way higher. I'd have to dump them.

 

[Jessica Lares]

depends on when you signed the contract and what you signed. I'd have to read the TOS again but lets say I bought a plan with a dumbphone. Now three years later I decide that I would like an iPhone. Now I know thatI can't use data because I don't have a data plan. My contract is up with ATT and now I'm on a month by month basis. I don't think that they can force me into a data plan. Remember, I can't use data because I don't have a data plan. Just because I choose a different phone doesn't give them the right to change my plan. My contract is up with them. They are obligated to provide me with the service I choose to begin with. In this case, just phone service. They can not change my plan,charge me more unless I sign another contract term.

When you buy the unlocked iPhone from Apple, this is the fine print:

When available, transferring your mobile number to a different service provider will terminate your service with your existing provider; termination fees and other charges may apply. Some features may require added fees. Contact your service provider for more details.

 

[Givmeabrek]

Actually Comcast Cable just sent out a notice that they are switching to all digital in March and any TV that doesn't have a cable box connected to it will cease to get a signal. So, they are essentially forcing you to pay for cable boxes to run all your TV's. Granted, you don't have to get a box, but it will render your TV useless unless you have built in HD to use with an antenna and won't get cable channels.

Cablevision did the same thing in NY. I ignored them as I didn't want to pay for another box for a TV I have in the kitchen. I still get plenty of channels! Not all the cable channels but the standard network channels in HD plus a couple of dozen extra. This is over the cable as I have no antenna. Works fine for me. Don't assume you TV won't get some channels. Of course this assumes a newer TV with a digital tuner.

 

[thehustleman]

depends on when you signed the contract and what you signed. I'd have to read the TOS again but lets say I bought a plan with a dumbphone. Now three years later I decide that I would like an iPhone. Now I know thatI can't use data because I don't have a data plan. My contract is up with ATT and now I'm on a month by month basis. I don't think that they can force me into a data plan. Remember, I can't use data because I don't have a data plan. Just because I choose a different phone doesn't give them the right to change my plan. My contract is up with them. They are obligated to provide me with the service I choose to begin with. In this case, just phone service. They can not change my plan,charge me more unless I sign another contract term.



Again, depends on what your original contract was.



The cable market is in a bad way. They are losing money hand over fist at the moment. The model they have now is not sustainable for the future. It's interesting, I was having this conversation last night with a few friends. I don't see the cable industry staying the same in the next 5 years. Something will have to give. The networks are in control not Charter or Comcast or TimeWarner. What the cable company has is the infrastructure that the networks need. WHen the Networks sign deals with Apple,Google, Microsoft etc, the cable company better be ready to make a change in the way it creates revenue. They WILL lose subscribers. People don't want 250 channels anymore. THey want what they want to watch. Same thing happened with music. People wanted single songs and pirated them until something came along to make it easy. iTunes. I dumped cable long ago, but the one thing that we all have to have is highspeed data. I wouldn't be surprised to see the cable companies go to a tiered data plan like the phone companies have done. Remember, 5 years ago its was all about how many minutes you got. Now it's about data.



That's a good suggestion and since you can do that. You can see that they are only doing this to try to scare you into paying for something you don't want and have no obligation to pay.

Crapcast is already heading down that road.

They limit cable Internet to 250gb a month

 

[old-wiz]

I hate that carriers are allowed to do this. This should change.

The carriers own enough Congressmen and members of the FCC to make sure this doesn't change.

 

[minneola24]

That's like saying, since I choose to have a HD TV for movies but still want basic cable then the cable company has the right to FORCE me to use a HD box and pay for it.

The TV company isnt offering you a TV for 60% off.

 

[Mrbobb]

If they scramble all channels, am ready for aerial. I hear OTA have better picture 'coz they are not compressed.

 

[BHP41]

The TV company isnt offering you a TV for 60% off.

And the phone company isn't either if you bought it outright or through a private party. Try to keep up.

 

[ftaok]

A lot of people want to use a smartphone without data because the regular phones are terrible.

This is what I just went through. Family plan with 2 dumbphones. Both were falling apart with lousy battery life. Replacement batteries were crap too since they've been sitting on a shelf for years as well.

Looked into getting iPhones without data plans. Just wanted a quality phone, but didn't need/want data.

So we signed up anyways. After a few months with data, all I can say is, "what the heck was I waiting for?" Smartphones with data plans are the most useful thing ever. Wish I hadn't fought it all these years.

----------

Actually Comcast Cable just sent out a notice that they are switching to all digital in March and any TV that doesn't have a cable box connected to it will cease to get a signal.

off topic here, but when Comcast went all digital in my neck of the woods (2009), they offered up to 3 digital tuners for free. Now the boxes were pretty crappy, but at least you get the channel you pay for in the older tv's. I'm surprised that your Comcast isn't doing this

 

[gnasher729]

Yea I am just as mad cause they still have not allowed tethering on unlimited which is crap too. If you do ever get it turned on never never turn if off. I got mine to work about 2 months ago. I never really use it that much but it does work.

You are complaining about the opposite. The OP complains that he wanted a plan for voice only, no data, and was forced to get a plan with data. You, on the other hand, have a plan that is voice + unlimited data + no tethering, and you want them to give you more than you are paying for.

 

[Brounmoney]

You are complaining about the opposite. The OP complains that he wanted a plan for voice only, no data, and was forced to get a plan with data. You, on the other hand, have a plan that is voice + unlimited data + no tethering, and you want them to give you more than you are paying for.

No on all the other carriers this is an option. They are limiting the features that we have because we are on a plan they don't want us to have any more. The idea is the same. AT&T has no clean rules against what we are asking for, but when they say that they don't want people to have something they take it away. They change the rules to fit the they want them to. Have voice only on the smart phone was an option about 3 or 4 years ago. AT&T just starting thing man we could make way more money off this.

Oh and us unlimited users are paying for unlimited data not limited. What does unlimited mean? Before iPhones had this option it was not an issue then apple added. AT&T saw more money in it and told us unlimited customers we had to limit our data plan to have tethering. That is crazy I am paying for unlimited that is what I should get.

 

[Sedrick]

You can call AT&T and have them completely disable data on those phone accounts, my mom has an iPhone with SMS and data disabled

I'll report back.

Update. I call BS. I just had a nice little argument with the dweeb over at ATT and they won't budge on the data charge and they won't disable Data. His words were "you have a smartphone, you get a data plan". Couldn't even get them to add on the reduced $15 data plan that I have. They must not be hurting for customers.

I said, looks like my only option is T-mobile, see ya.

 

[Applejuiced]

I'll report back.

Update. I call BS. I just had a nice little argument with the dweeb over at ATT and they won't budge on the data charge and they won't disable Data. His words were "you have a smartphone, you get a data plan". Couldn't even get them to add on the reduced $15 data plan that I have. They must not be hurting for customers.

I said, looks like my only option is T-mobile, see ya.

Yes, pretty much they wont do it.
All smartphones need a data plan on post paid accounts.
If you had an old regural flip phone or something and used that for a day and called them they could have removed the data plan and put a data block.
But once you take out the sim and stick it in an iphone they will add the mandatory data plan.

 

[Sedrick]

Yes, pretty much they wont do it.
All smartphones need a data plan on post paid accounts.
If you had an old regural flip phone or something and used that for a day and called them they could have removed the data plan and put a data block.
But once you take out the sim and stick it in an iphone they will add the mandatory data plan.

So I guess the trick would be to attempt to have them block data while you're using a 'dumb' phone, then swap to the iphone later...

 

[Applejuiced]

So I guess the trick would be to attempt to have them block data while you're using a 'dumb' phone, then swap to the iphone later...

Yep, worth a shot.
Some people get away with it for many months without having to pay for a data plan that they dont need or use and others get caught within days or weeks and get the data plan added back.
Their system does periodical scans.