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Why would anyone get 2 gig always?

I

ihav0frnds

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 6, 2010
304
6
from a strictly frugal perspective, wouldn't it make sense to always start each month on 200 mbs. then, when you are near the cap, just switch to 2 gigs but only have to pay a prorated rest of the month. at the start of next month, you would switch back to 200.

i guess it might make your iphone bill look crazy because of advanced billings, but it should all work out with refunds. and if you aren't up for the little bit of a hassle, then i guess you would do 2 gigs always.
 
It's $10 difference, so if you know you are going to go over 200MB, what are you really saving? Literally a couple of dimes per month?
 
huskerchad said:
It's $10 difference, so if you know you are going to go over 200MB, what are you really saving? Literally a couple of dimes per month?
Click to expand...

I'm with you. I think of all of the times I have spent $10 on something I don't need. $10 extra for data is nothing.
 
one month 2 gig: 25

30 days 200 meg: 15, 1 day 2 gig: .80

15.80?

vs

25?

9.2 * 12 = 110

of course if you go through 200 much much faster and you're on 2 gigs for many days, then it won't make too much sense.
 
ihav0frnds said:
one month 2 gig: 25

30 days 200 meg: 15, 1 day 2 gig: .80

15.80?

vs

25?

9.2 * 12 = 110

of course if you go through 200 much much faster and you're on 2 gigs for many days, then it won't make too much sense.
Click to expand...

You need to factor in your time. Is it worth calling and having them switch you to 2GB then calling again at the next cycle and having them switch back to 200MB then calling again later in the month to switch back, and repeating? Seems like a total waste of time.

Also, I hope you are aware that cell phone companies can drop you from your contract for taking up too much support time. It has happened, and it can happen. If you call support too frequently and start taking up too much support time (which costs AT&T money) they will just tell you to get lost.
 
ihav0frnds said:
one month 2 gig: 25

30 days 200 meg: 15, 1 day 2 gig: .80
Click to expand...
Maybe it works differently than AT&T describes--I have not tried upgrading data plans in the middle of a cycle. However, reading the description as it appears in the "myWireless" app (which BTW crashes every other time I run it because it does not appear to handle saved state correctly), it says "You have the 200MB data plan. When you reach the limit for your billing period, an additional 200MB is automatically added at a cost of $15."

So, unless I go just over 200MB and wait until the end of the month to upgrade, I have to upgrade my plan earlier in the month, before I hit 200MB used, or I get nailed with the overage charge--whether I change to 2GB later or not.

Then I have to deal with changing back to the 200MB after the start of the next cycle...and then repeat the whole process. How much money is your time worth? I can tell you that if I knew I would exceed 200MB on a regular basis, logging in or calling in multiple times per month to change my data plan would be worth a lot more than $10 of my time.
 
uberamd said:
You need to factor in your time. Is it worth calling and having them switch you to 2GB then calling again at the next cycle and having them switch back to 200MB then calling again later in the month to switch back, and repeating? Seems like a total waste of time.

Also, I hope you are aware that cell phone companies can drop you from your contract for taking up too much support time. It has happened, and it can happen. If you call support too frequently and start taking up too much support time (which costs AT&T money) they will just tell you to get lost.
Click to expand...

theres this thing called the internet and you can do things way faster on there than actually making phone calls.

OP I see what you're saying. Not hard to constantly switch back and forth once or twice a month. Just log onto your att account and click 2gb. No need to call. takes 2 seconds.
 
Simm0nS777 said:
theres this thing called the internet and you can do things way faster on there than actually making phone calls.

OP I see what you're saying. Not hard to constantly switch back and forth once or twice a month. Just log onto your att account and click 2gb. No need to call. takes 2 seconds.
Click to expand...

I suppose you're correct, now you can handle that online. Back in the day you had to call to switch data plans.

FWIW I still think its a total waste of time to save some money. Its $10 a month, big deal. I'm locked into my unlimited data plan anyway and I wouldn't give that up to save a few bucks a month. Free tethering FTW.
 
uberamd said:
I suppose you're correct, now you can handle that online. Back in the day you had to call to switch data plans.

FWIW I still think its a total waste of time to save some money. Its $10 a month, big deal. I'm locked into my unlimited data plan anyway and I wouldn't give that up to save a few bucks a month. Free tethering FTW.
Click to expand...

yea you can use the app to do it right on the phone too.

and 120 bucks a year is a good junk of change when youre a poor med student.
 
ihav0frnds said:
from a strictly frugal perspective, wouldn't it make sense to always start each month on 200 mbs. then, when you are near the cap, just switch to 2 gigs but only have to pay a prorated rest of the month. at the start of next month, you would switch back to 200.

i guess it might make your iphone bill look crazy because of advanced billings, but it should all work out with refunds. and if you aren't up for the little bit of a hassle, then i guess you would do 2 gigs always.
Click to expand...



How long do you think you could keep doing that before AT&T put your fancy phone on a 2 GB Pro Plan, they would eventually catch up.
 
If your usage is usually 190 MB a month I guess I can see your point. Going over may only happen once a year for you.

But for many of us, we know we're gonna hit 800 MB, easy, so all this amounts to is extra work.
 
ihav0frnds said:
It doesn't work that way. Sure you will pay the prorated amount for the 2 gig, but you will also only pay and get the prorated amount of the 200 MB. If you had the 200 MB for only 15 days you will only have a 100 MB cap. I would think it would be hard to keep track of what the cap is at any given time.
Click to expand...
 
dave420 said:
It doesn't work that way. Sure you will pay the prorated amount for the 2 gig, but you will also only pay and get the prorated amount of the 200 MB. If you had the 200 MB for only 15 days you will only have a 100 MB cap. I would think it would be hard to keep track of what the cap is at any given time.
Click to expand...

AT&T gives you the option of applying the 2GB plan retroactively (i.e. from the start of the month).
 
And the real answer to this thread title is, because you can get an Unlimited Plan and are actually making real use of your phone.
 
Everywhere I go (home, school, work) has WiFi for me to use, so I only use about 30-50mb a month. Without the WiFi? I'd be over for sure.
 
hurriance said:
The FAN discount does not apply to the $15 plan. With a Coca-Cola discount it is only $3 more a month (or $2.20 using your math), hardly worth the effort.
Click to expand...

wow i didnt realize this...so you get the discount though on 2 gig plan? i have a 25% fan discount, and i used to get it off of my blackberry unlimited plan.
 
ihav0frnds said:
wow i didnt realize this...so you get the discount though on 2 gig plan? i have a 25% fan discount, and i used to get it off of my blackberry unlimited plan.
Click to expand...

You only get the discount on the 2GB and Unlimited Plan. They consider the 200MB plan "already discounted".
 
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