AT&T Customer Support...

[iFargle]

Yeah, from the title you can probably tell this will be a rant. It might've been my fault, but I can still rant

So I got my Nexus One on Friday. Played around with it. Absolutely loved it! The screen was nice, the OS was very nice, pinch to zoom, etc, etc.

At 6:30 this morning, I get a text message telling me I have added a data plan on my account. What? So, I went back to sleep tongue and called them at around 8:00. First time I called, they said "it's policy" that they require me to have this data plan. I understand that. I don't understand why it's policy. I mean, I know customers get these smart phones and use them without a data plan (before September 2009, anyway.. After that date it was mandatory for you to have a data plan along with a smart phone) and rack up their bills to insane amounts, but why take away the choice? Why not just put the data plan on the account of the bill goes over $30 per month for data usage? Wouldn't that stop a lot of problems?

After that first call, I call back. I called back six times, just to be sure everything's accurate (They weren't making stuff up on the spot). The second time? Same as the first. The third? She transfers me to her supervisor, where she "educates me on their policy". You know what she did? She redirected me to a site where they listed AT&T subsidized phones only.

After I asked her for a reference to non-subsidized unlocked phones (like the Nexus One I bought), she said "You have been educated on our policies! Look it up!" and hung up

So I called back.. same as the first two. Then, she transferred me to her supervisor (different than the last one) who referenced me to this:

PLAN TERMS - Wireless from AT&T.

Data Plans: An eligible data plan is required for certain devices, including iPhones and other designated smartphones. Eligible data plans cover data usage in the U.S. and do not cover international data usage and charges. If it is determined that you are using an iPhone or other designated smartphone without an eligible data plan, AT&T reserves the right to add an eligible data plan to your account and bill you the appropriate monthly fee.

That can be interpreted two different ways, right? Doesn't this line,

...and other designated smartphones.

sound like it can be interpreted as smartphones designated by the carrier? IE: the iPhone for AT&T, G1 for T-Mobile, DROID for Verizon, etc.

He read it as "any phone designated as a smartphone"
I read it as "any designated smartphone"

Which have two different meanings, am I right?

Now I'm back on my Samsung Eternity, going to call back in a bit to cancel the data plan.


On Android, there's an app called APNDroid, which I used to stop my phone from sending or receiving data on anything but WiFi, meaning MMS / web browsing/ Facebook / etc were out of the picture, which was fine for me, I never used them on my old phone anyway.

I don't see why they can't just block data from my entire account. They told me the system automatically adds the data charge by scanning twice daily for the IMEI for the phone.

/rant

 

[Burn]

After I asked her for a reference to non-subsidized unlocked phones (like the Nexus One I bought), she said "You have been educated on our policies! Look it up!" and hung up

LOL A+ customer service right there.

So you can't use the nexus without getting charged data? That's lame...

 

[iFargle]

Yeah. I gotta send it back or sell it.. Or I could use it as a PMP...

 

[wafflehammer]

Not being mean or anything but like you stated..it's been plain policy for awhile now with ANY carrier that if it's a "smart phone" it's gonna have to have a mandatory data plan with it. And usually a data plan that's like $10 more than the regular ones.

While the hanging up is rude, you wasn't exactly being nice by spamming them with calls over something you already know about lol

 

[iFargle]

They're being paid for a reason

But yeah.. I read it differently than he did. "designated smartphones", to me, is any smartphone subsidized by AT&T.. but it meant any pohne designated as a smart phone.. so.. yeah

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Any idea how they figured out you were using a smartphone in the first place?

When it's time for me to get a new phone I always planned on getting an unlocked smartphone and just dropping my current sim card in it to avoid getting stuck with their pos data plan but it looks like that won't work.

I wonder if there is a way to make a smartphone identify itself as some radom basic phone ......

 

[iFargle]

Any idea how they figured out you were using a smartphone in the first place?

When it's time for me to get a new phone I always planned on getting an unlocked smartphone and just dropping my current sim card in it to avoid getting stuck with their pos data plan but it looks like that won't work.

I wonder if there is a way to make a smartphone identify itself as some radom basic phone ......

They use the phones IMEI (which is checked twice a day) to know what phone you have. My phone's IMEI points to "smartphone"

I know, I was angry too

Yeah, you can spoof the IMEI on your phone.. but it's illegal. Not "slap on your wrist" illegal, but "you're going to jail" illegal.

 

[Jayce]

Verizon first started doing this, requiring smart phones to have data plans. It was ridiculous. ATT fans praised the fact ATT still had freedom and the brainwashed Verizon fans were like "Why would you get a smart phone WITHOUT a data plan to begin with?"

Now ATT jumped on the same bandwagon. It's very sad. I'm paying 70 dollars a month on my ATT plan with 450 mins + text msg, no data. It's just me. Single line. That's it. Robbery, I know. I've been considering on getting hooked up with another (cheaper) carrier, but unless I go with WalMart's straight talk or whatever it is, I'm not seeing how I can save money in that department.

The only reason I've stuck with them until this point is quite simple. My ATT phone works everywhere, and I'm no longer in contract so I can bounce whenever I want. Call it procrastination? Perhaps...

 

[Puddle Jumper]

They use the phones IMEI (which is checked twice a day) to know what phone you have. My phone's IMEI points to "smartphone"

I know, I was angry too

Yeah, you can spoof the IMEI on your phone.. but it's illegal. Not "slap on your wrist" illegal, but "you're going to jail" illegal.

I figured it was some id like that and spoofing it was my first thought as well. That completely sucks that it's illegal.

After hearing about this I can grantee my current LG Shine will be the last phone I even get from AT&T.

 

[wafflehammer]

I figured it was some id like that and spoofing it was my first thought as well. That completely sucks that it's illegal.

After hearing about this I can grantee my current LG Shine will be the last phone I even get from AT&T.

lol all carriers are like this ...so no use ditching AT&T for doing the same exact thing all carriers do.