Does AT&T try to scam?

[david12795]

First let me start off with an explanation of my story.


So right now, i currently have a blackberry 8310 2 months ago(got it from some garage sale; its a smartphone). it had nothing on it except a minute plan. no data plan, no texting plan period. just a minute plan strictly and texting/data (or any sort of data) was opt out. everything was normal.


so the other day we have decided to do unlimited texting, and only texting. the day we called them to activate it was 2/20 and the next billing cycle starts on the 26th. so my brother made sure the texting we activated wouldnt be charged twice, because that would be stupid to have unlimited texting for 6 days and paying the full monthly fee for it. and yes, they almost tricked us into doing that.

but luckily, we called another representative (her names monica, she seems reliable) and they said we can pay for the $6 difference.


my next explanation is that i was told that picture messaging (or MMS) was included in my unlimited texting plan. little did i know that later i tried sending a picture to a friend and it was never received and vice versa. i called again and i was told that the "data gateway" (lets call it DG) was blocked since i had data opted out, thus preventing any pix messaging received and vice versa. i had him open the DG, but if i go on the internet then data charges will apply. and i do NOT have a data plan


THEN again, the next day, i received an email saying they had a smartphone data usage was detected and they AUTOMATICALLY gave me a data plan, which we strictly dont want. i called another att rep once again and they said that a smartphone was detected and that a data plan was required (im thinking they know its required now since i had the previous guy open the DG for me?). so i immediately told her to cancel the data plan and go back to my non smart phone and opt out data. she did and had to verify it on my non smartphone.

in the end, after i got off the phone with her after opting data out, i went back to my blackberry and havent received any emails.

thoughts? my guess is that they automatically gave me a data plan since my DG was opened and my blackberry was detected. but now i dont think they will know since my DG is blocked.

 

[Spanky]

Yeah it really sucks how phone companies are now charging people data rates for picture/media messaging. This just isn't AT&T it's for all the others as well. My gf has T-Mobile and recently upgraded to a new Blackberry. Of course they required her to get the data plan (which she wanted anyways) but they are charging her $10 more for "4G" service. Yet there is no 4G service in the area. We even went to San Francisco for the RSA conference and she checked her phone, still no 4G. I told her to call T-Mobile and complain but she hasn't yet. I personally haven't had any issues with AT&T (iPhone user) I've been grandfathered in with the unlimited data and messaging. It sucks that you can't send pictures anymore without data. Maybe later on you should think about picking up the small plan for it. Doesn't hurt to have some type of data usage.

 

[david12795]

[quote name='Spanky']Yeah it really sucks how phone companies are now charging people data rates for picture/media messaging. This just isn't AT&T it's for all the others as well. My gf has T-Mobile and recently upgraded to a new Blackberry. Of course they required her to get the data plan (which she wanted anyways) but they are charging her $10 more for "4G" service. Yet there is no 4G service in the area. We even went to San Francisco for the RSA conference and she checked her phone, still no 4G. I told her to call T-Mobile and complain but she hasn't yet. I personally haven't had any issues with AT&T (iPhone user) I've been grandfathered in with the unlimited data and messaging. It sucks that you can't send pictures anymore without data. Maybe later on you should think about picking up the small plan for it. Doesn't hurt to have some type of data usage.[/QUOTE]


i would do data usage but i find it very inconvenient on my blackberry. especially since ive been accustomed to using the ipod touch

one day i plan to get an iphone, i know their charges are less complex. just pay for a minute plan + data plan + texting plan.

 

[kingtut313]

why the hell do you have a smartphone with no data plan? lol

 

[Survivalism]

[quote name='Spanky']Yeah it really sucks how phone companies are now charging people data rates for picture/media messaging.[/QUOTE]

Then you have to say things like "hey, please stop sending me pictures of a dog with underwear on its head."

 

[Altanis]

Now, I don't know the specifics, but I do recall that at some point AT&T had a clause in their agreement (or something similar) with their contract customers that basically said that if you had a non-smartphone SIM card, and that AT&T detected that you had a smartphone using that SIM card, that they could begin to charge you the smartphone data plan retroactively to when they discovered it (or something similar).

Basically, it boiled down to if you had a contract that gave you a non-smartphone, and you took the SIM card out of it and used a smartphone, and AT&T found out, they could start charging you the add-ons that smartphones required. And since you agreed to the terms, there was nothing people could really do.

It's possible that something like that happened. They found out you had a BB and liberally added a data plan.

 

[iiinightmar3ii]

There is no scam here it is just how AT&T runs their business. I'm pretty sure there is a little asterisk on the text messaging plan that says data plan required to send picture messages. Also it's been know for a long time now that AT&T will automatically add a data plan if it is determined that you are using a smartphone. Verizon will do the same. Just get the lowest data plan $15 a month and it shouldnt be a problem.

 

[cheapfrag]

Well, I don't know about Blackberries or smart phones, but sending texts with pictures does NOT require a data plan on my AT&T phone. BUT, you also can't BLOCK data usage if you want to send texts with pictures. AT&T charges $2 for the first 1 MB of data use. My kids and I occasionally press a wrong button on our phones that trigger internet usage. (It one of my pet peeves that they design the user interface on these phones to "encourage" data use like having trial games that automatically go to the internet unless you specifically prohibit them from going on the internet.) So I got tired of these random $2 charges for accidents. I called up and discover I can BLOCK data usage but then I won't be able to send/receive text messages with pictures. The pictures are sent via the data gateway and you can't block the data/internet usage and NOT block the picture texts. So either I have to block data/picture text both or allow data so I can get picture text and occasionally get hit with a $2 charge.

 

[david12795]

[quote name='cheapfrag']Well, I don't know about Blackberries or smart phones, but sending texts with pictures does NOT require a data plan on my AT&T phone. BUT, you also can't BLOCK data usage if you want to send texts with pictures. AT&T charges $2 for the first 1 MB of data use. My kids and I occasionally press a wrong button on our phones that trigger internet usage. (It one of my pet peeves that they design the user interface on these phones to "encourage" data use like having trial games that automatically go to the internet unless you specifically prohibit them from going on the internet.) So I got tired of these random $2 charges for accidents. I called up and discover I can BLOCK data usage but then I won't be able to send/receive text messages with pictures. The pictures are sent via the data gateway and you can't block the data/internet usage and NOT block the picture texts. So either I have to block data/picture text both or allow data so I can get picture text and occasionally get hit with a $2 charge.[/QUOTE]


i just block out the data gate way instead of getting unknown fees. not worth it.