Root How to prevent att from finding out I have a smart phone?

[jetkid03]

Hello, I recently bought a captivate from craig slist. I am afull time student so I have access to wifi all day long.i don't want to get data plan yet.i was wondering if rooting or de branding the phone will prevent att from finding out what phone I have. My friend who bought a htc in thailand is using it on t mobile and he doesn't have to get data plan.

Thanks.

 

[CrimsonPride]

theres no way around it. the only hope you have is to call them and threaten to leave att or something like that, i know they let me do that with a blackberry awhile back but i doubt they will let you. as soon as you put a sim in they will know its a smartphone

 

[james27007]

Unfortunatuly a data plan is required by AT&T if you have a smart phone, period, it is in the AT&T service useage contract. As for debranding, AT&T uses your IMEI to tell what phone you have, and changing the IMEI of a cellular unit is a Class C felony, sooooo... that will not help.

Anyways, if you really want to stick with AT&T, get the $15 data plan; $15 a month (3 starbucks) is a lot less of a headache than calling AT&T every two weeks screaming and yelling for a few hours each time to take data off, which may not even work.

 

[plummy]

To be honest, they've never tracked a phone swap when I've purchased phones from a non-retailer (like ebay) in the past. I went through a series of phones after the moto v600 and att continued to believe i still had that v600 several years later when i upgraded to some other samsung.

 

[NorCal Einstein]

Unfortunatuly a data plan is required by AT&T if you have a smart phone, period, it is in the AT&T service useage contract. As for debranding, AT&T uses your IMEI to tell what phone you have, and changing the IMEI of a cellular unit is a Class C felony, sooooo... that will not help.

Anyways, if you really want to stick with AT&T, get the $15 data plan; $15 a month (3 starbucks) is a lot less of a headache than calling AT&T every two weeks screaming and yelling for a few hours each time to take data off, which may not even work.

I have some family members who use my old dev phones on service plans without data plan. The data plan pops up on the bill every once in awhile, but not at the frequency of every 2 weeks. From what I've been told, customer service has always been helpful in removing the data plan from the lines, and were generally apologetic.

 

[CrimsonPride]

I have some family members who use my old dev phones on service plans without data plan. The data plan pops up on the bill every once in awhile, but not at the frequency of every 2 weeks. From what I've been told, customer service has always been helpful in removing the data plan from the lines, and were generally apologetic.

thats what ive experienced, my dad used my old blackberry just after they started making the data plan a requirement. he called and got it taken off since he told them he was using my phone. i wasnt sure how well that would work with a brand new one though

 

[Dimcorner]

Tried it, didn't work. Even told them to lock the account with no data plan but the system automatically adds it in like 2 days.

 

[viny2cool]

happened with me too. Called them, they reomved it, got it again next morning,. They say they have no power on the system. It detects it and put the data plan again..