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got a text from att saying i need data...

solidkevin

Android Enthusiast
Nov 30, 2009
407
12
So randomly I got a text from art saying I need a data plan for my "smartphone" how the hell do they know I have an N1? I currently pay $15 for data, I WILL NOT pay $30 for data, add to the fact that I can only use edge....this is ridiculous! I had a US 3g HTC hero before this and they never said anything...I'm going to call tommorow, if they try To charge me $30 I'm switching phones. Ridiculous.
 
Dont worry, just log into your account online and change it back to an unlimited data plan, you may have to call the first time and give them your old IMEI number off a non smart phone but you only have to do that once. After that you will still get a random text about once a week that they "for your conveneince have added a smartphone data plan" to your phone but you can just select "i no longer want this plan" and reselect the old 10.00 month data plan. It has worked fine for me and no additional costs.

and to SnotF, no not all areas even have 3g, i had an iphone for 2 1/2 years and used 3g once, so why should i have to pay for something for you to use,

suck it att, you got greedy with the iphone plans, now kiss my ass
 
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i'm surprised that even told you about. there a person on this forum who said att just added on the data plan when they got their phone without their knowledge. she was able to cancel the data plan though.

but if you really want to stay with att. just tell them you threaten to leave them for verizon or tmobile! i know tmobile has a pay as you go data plan which is about 15$ or cheaper.
 
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you're not paying the 30 for 3g coverage. you're paying it for unlimited data access. he, and apparently you are on antiquated plans and should be bumped up.

So it was just a coincidence that when the iphone 3G came out is the exact same time that ATT changed their iphone pricing from 20 data including text to 30 data plus 5 for 200 text messages. I dont think so, they increased their pricing due to 3g. i would happily pay 20 like i agreed at first but since i dont get 3g, why should i pay 3g prices, like i said prior, this isnt about you, keep paying 30 and love it, this is about att and how they can suck it. anything i can do to help someone pay less for the EXACT SAME service i will do. I am personally fed up with ATT and heading to VZ when the N1 is released there. I know i will pay a little more but att is horrible in my area, hence the NO 3G
 
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So it was just a coincidence that when the iphone 3G came out is the exact same time that ATT changed their iphone pricing from 20 data including text to 30 data plus 5 for 200 text messages. I dont think so, they increased their pricing due to 3g. i would happily pay 20 like i agreed at first but since i dont get 3g, why should i pay 3g prices, like i said prior, this isnt about you, keep paying 30 and love it, this is about att and how they can suck it. anything i can do to help someone pay less for the EXACT SAME service i will do. I am personally fed up with ATT and heading to VZ when the N1 is released there. I know i will pay a little more but att is horrible in my area, hence the NO 3G

You are correct that this is when they changed their policy. They did it because of the volume of 3g iPhones that would be on their network. Anyone using 3g instead of edge is going to use more data because it is faster.

It really doesn't matter why they changed their policy though. Their policy now is if you have a smartphone, you have to have an unlimited smartphone data plan. It has nothing to do with Edge or 3g. The reason it is cheaper on dumb phones is because your bandwidth utilization will be negligible compared to a smartphone even on Edge.

I know it sounds like I am defending AT&T here, but trust me, I loath them with the best, but they have the best coverage in my area.


Also, you will not be able to get away with changing your service back to your old phone then swapping the sim back to your Nexus. All providers can read the IMEI from your phone and this tells them what phone it is.

At the time they made this change I had a Cingular 8525 3g on the ATT Go plan with $20 unlimited data. It was great. Shortly after the change was made, I received a text stating that they were killing the unlimited data for Go phones and I would have move to a standard contract plan to get unlimited data.
 
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Not ture, I have been doing this for over a month with the N1 and did it successfully since june 22nd when i got the 3Gs that is 8 months of saving 20.00 and getting the exact same service. All you need is an old IMEI and you are good. once you call them to have them manually change it, even when their Snooper program finds your correct IMEI, the system will still let you remove the smartphone data plan and add an unlimited data plan. And please dont say you cant do it again because 8 months of success means you can. again, i am just trying to help someone who is in the exact same situation i am
 
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Not ture, I have been doing this for over a month with the N1 and did it successfully since june 22nd when i got the 3Gs that is 8 months of saving 20.00 and getting the exact same service. All you need is an old IMEI and you are good. once you call them to have them manually change it, even when their Snooper program finds your correct IMEI, the system will still let you remove the smartphone data plan and add an unlimited data plan. And please dont say you cant do it again because 8 months of success means you can. again, i am just trying to help someone who is in the exact same situation i am


I don't work for nor have I ever worked for a wireless service provider. So when I say it can't be done, I speak from my experiences, and opinion. When I have done what you are describing, they always detect my new phone within a week and displayed it on my account page online. I am not saying you are wrong, I am just saying that it has never worked for me.

That being said, T-Mobile still can't tell what phone I am using on their account page. I am guessing this is a result of their database not being updated.
 
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OK, i think we are on the same page now. They can detect the new phone, in sometimes as little as an hour after you make the change. They will even add a smartphone data plan to your account automatically about once a month, but since they text you and tell you they did it, you can just log in and remove it....as long as you called the first time to give them the old imei number and state their system is wrong. they will gladly change it to your old IMEI number and you can be on your way, until next month when you get that fun text again, then its back to the website. Its not that i cant pay for it. i obviously did for 1 year and a half with the iphone, its just principle
 
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So it was just a coincidence that when the iphone 3G came out is the exact same time that ATT changed their iphone pricing from 20 data including text to 30 data plus 5 for 200 text messages. I dont think so, they increased their pricing due to 3g. i would happily pay 20 like i agreed at first but since i dont get 3g, why should i pay 3g prices, like i said prior, this isnt about you, keep paying 30 and love it, this is about att and how they can suck it. anything i can do to help someone pay less for the EXACT SAME service i will do. I am personally fed up with ATT and heading to VZ when the N1 is released there. I know i will pay a little more but att is horrible in my area, hence the NO 3G

it may not be "about me" but if you post up on a public forum, expect the public's response or rescind your membership. you shouldn't be making such assumptions about my situation, since I'm neither paying 30 nor am I on att.
furthermore, if your argument was that 20 was fair for data via edge, fine, pay 20. not 15. you should just be happy att doesn't decide to charge you 10 per month to use wifi ;)
 
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I just called, they said I "have" to have the "smartphone" plan, no matter how much I tried to explain that it has only edge and No 3g they wouldn't understand. Anyway, Im selling my N1 going back to my Sony Ericsson(Satio), which they said I can pay the $15 for unlimited on it. It just baffles me that I had a US 3G Hero and they never said anything, as soon as I got the N1 this happens, how they hell do they even know I have an N1??

Anyway Im not too mad, as I was planning on getting a Satio again as it caters more to my needs, BUT thats me, what about the people on ATT that really want the N1? They "have" to pay $30 and are only able to use fu*king EDGE??

Ridiculous.
 
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it may not be "about me" but if you post up on a public forum, expect the public's response or rescind your membership. you shouldn't be making such assumptions about my situation, since I'm neither paying 30 nor am I on att.
furthermore, if your argument was that 20 was fair for data via edge, fine, pay 20. not 15. you should just be happy att doesn't decide to charge you 10 per month to use wifi ;)


I dont comment on things i am not a part of because others probably have more specific knowledge in that area. i dont go to VZ forums and try to tell people what can and cant be done since i A) dont use verizon and B) dont know how to work around a 30 plan
You stated you are not on att and not paying 30 so if neither of these apply, like the orig poster stated he is doing, then why bother. My comments could potentially help the OP avert these fees.....yours....not so much
 
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Thanks for the help guys, appreciate it. Like I said though im going back to the Satio (was planning to anyway) but this is what I want to know, Im gonna get the Satioa which has ATT US 3G, the satio is oviously a smartphone but do you think they will notice and try to charge me the $30? or Can I just tell them I have a regular old Sony Ericsson (w580 or whatever) and just pay the $15, again im just confused why they would charge me for the N1 but not the Hero....

IF they try to charge me for the Satio though, im gonna be super pissed!
 
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So randomly I got a text from art saying I need a data plan for my "smartphone" how the hell do they know I have an N1? I currently pay $15 for data, I WILL NOT pay $30 for data, add to the fact that I can only use edge....this is ridiculous! I had a US 3g HTC hero before this and they never said anything...I'm going to call tommorow, if they try To charge me $30 I'm switching phones. Ridiculous.

I had the same thing last week with my N1 on AT&T. I called, go nowhere, told them to piss off and switched to T-Mobile the same day. I would rather have SOME 3G for $20 a month then 0 for $30 a month.

They scan their network to see if you have a smart phone, it was my guess they are getting the N1 because of the FCC bands that were approved on the N1 because they knew EXACTLY what my phone was.
 
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I dont comment on things i am not a part of because others probably have more specific knowledge in that area. i dont go to VZ forums and try to tell people what can and cant be done since i A) dont use verizon and B) dont know how to work around a 30 plan
You stated you are not on att and not paying 30 so if neither of these apply, like the orig poster stated he is doing, then why bother. My comments could potentially help the OP avert these fees.....yours....not so much


I've dealt with att for years, both in sales and as a consumer, and as I've mentioned, its a public forum. so ill weigh in where I please. if you don't like it, there's the ignore button. your advice has zero potential to save the op money on his package. this is a well documented issue with the iPhone an att that people were initially able to keep there old data plans because att couldn't detect the device. newer technology allows. the network to see exactly what model you are using, what your data usage is and other pertinent info. hence why att wouldn't care about op not accessing. the 3g network.
 
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Thanks for the help guys, appreciate it. Like I said though im going back to the Satio (was planning to anyway) but this is what I want to know, Im gonna get the Satioa which has ATT US 3G, the satio is oviously a smartphone but do you think they will notice and try to charge me the $30? or Can I just tell them I have a regular old Sony Ericsson (w580 or whatever) and just pay the $15, again im just confused why they would charge me for the N1 but not the Hero....

IF they try to charge me for the Satio though, im gonna be super pissed!


i used to work for at&t about almost 3 yrs ago so im sure things have changed by now but from my understanding of their system is that everytime you make a call the imei registers in their system. if its one of the phones they carry they know the model of phone by the imei usually the same brand only have a few digits and the end that are different, if its not one they carry it will come up as something different. for example I used to have the G1 and the system had it as "ubber phone." that said I think google and at&t know which phones are the N1 by the imei thats how they know you have a smartphone. in my opinion i think you will be fine for a while using the Satio untill they figure what it is and same thing for the hero
 
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some of the comments in this thread are telling users how to essentially steal service by using the wrong IMEI and should be done in PM instead. It's no different than telling people where to by hacked cable boxes to get unlimited cable service. Doing that (above) AT&T can send you a big bill because you are trying to scam the system. I'm not supporting them (AT&T is trash IMO), but I believe if you want X you pay the asking price, other wise you don't get it.
 
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The people that say go to T-Mobile have to understand their coverage sucks compared to AT&T. Where I live, you cannot drive 30 miles without losing coverage. With AT&T, I've never lost coverage, anywhere, anytime. I even had it in the Rocky Mountains.

I prefer paying the whole dollar a day for unlimited data and fantastic coverage. I think it's a fair deal, for any device using data.

Again, it's a DOLLAR a DAY for unlimited data and the only people that this would bother are folks very careful with money. For these folks, paying ANYTHING for data bothers them. And I agree with Howie, these cheap folks just want to use the network at the price they think is fair, rather than the price AT&T asks. That is not how the world works and the fact that these users are doing unethical things I think proves the point.
 
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