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UNLIMITED DATA PLANS: i received a text warning/reduced data speeds @ ONLY 2 GB, in error, from at&t

SGS2

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Mar 26, 2011
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:mad:

11/22/2011

i received in error, a text warning/reduced data speeds @ ONLY 2 GB of use (non wifi)! happened today.

i am a sgs2 and use microcell @ home, and the sgs2 only has hspa+.

even though i am paying $30 per month for the unlimited plan, it is really now a 2 GB plan, and after 2 GB, they slow you down. i confirmed my data use this month and at&t said it was the top 5%, @ 2 GB, but they said it was in error. i do NOT use wifi at home, nor outside my home. this is for my non wifi data usage, period.

why do i not believe that i am in the top 5% with only 2 GB??????? hmmmmmmmmm.

per the at&t text message: "your data usage this month is in the top 5% of users. use wi-fi to help avoid reduced speeds in future bill cycles".

this is a lie. they reduce your speed, as explained by customer service, until the end of your CURRENT bill cycle.
 
How much data did you use?
probably around 2 gb or so.

my wireless bill cycle, which varies for everyone, is the 1st to the end of the month. so, according to at&t, who i called today, november 22, they said i hit 2 GB.

their servers probably estimate data usage dynamically, meaning via averages, so what they "assume" i will use based upon my pattern or even a spike in my data usage.

still, 2 GB is not really that much for 3 weeks of a 4 week bill cycle.

if i truly used 2 GB over 3 weeks, this averages .66 GB per week. .66 x 3 weeks = 1.99.

HOWEVER, IF AT&T USES A DYNAMIC ASSUMPTION, THIS BASES FUTURE USE ON PAST USE, ALTHOUGH LOGICAL, IT WILL LEAD TO INCORRECT DATA USAGE ASSUMPTIONS/PROJECTIONS.

for example, if i used 1 GB in one week, i may not average 1 GB each week of the month. as i said, 2 GB is not much regardless of 3 weeks already of 4 weeks per month, again, for an unlimited plan.
 
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There are plenty of people who use 10+GB of data and are not getting any warnings or being throttled. This is a big topic on HowardForums. No one has been throttled yet an they use a LOT more than 2GB per month.

I'd like to see some screenshots of usage.
i do not know how to do a pc screen shot, but i will gladly copy/past off my online bill from the current usage in this bill cycle. i already deleted the text warnings from at&t, as i do all text messages after reading them, especially with no need to retain them. i have no reason to make this up, and i have NOT used wifi for any of my data usage, which is not counted against/deducted against my usage. wifi data use is not considered "network" data usage, as you may already know.

specifically, i have NOT used wifi outside my home, or inside my home, so my data usage is not over wifi. i do have a 3g microcell. 95% of my data usage is downloading cool space photos off the spaceweather.com website or off the nasa app for wallpapers. the other 5% is using android market, and the stock ap news widget, stock weather widget and the stock widget for market index closings.

you do not have to believe me. however, this is a new at&t policy, i believe mandated by congress, and soon you will find others that have my same experiences. if the people you are addressing with 10 GB have used wifi, wifi does NOT count against our data usage, as you already know. i would guess people have high data usage, but also use wifi @ home and/or public hotspots.

i have 3 pages of data usage, which i posted the sub and grand total below. furthermore, the information below was directly copied/pasted off my current billing cycle real-time usage.

Current Usage Summary - Data

Text/IM
Messaging Text and instant message (IM) usage reflects the total number of messages sent and received during the current billing cycle. These messages are also known as Short Messaging Service (SMS). Data Wireless Internet services used during the current billing cycle, including mobile downloads such as ringtones, graphics, and mobile apps. Usage is measured in megabytes (MB). 1 MB = 1024 Kilobytes (KB); 1 Gigabyte (GB) = 1024 megabytes (MB).402147.3 MB

Total this page 991511KB
Total this page 1109911KB
Total this page 97415KB
TOTAL 2198837KB

ADDITIONAL DATA PURCHASED USAGE

xxx-xxx-xxxx (i blocked this for my privacy)

N/A 2147.3 MB of Unlimited
 
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I know that wifi isn't counted against an Unlimited Data plan. AT&T has no way of knowing how much wifi you use anyway, so that's really a moot point.

I am saying is that they aren't going to throttle you for going over 2GB when you are paying for Unlimited. There are hundreds of people that I know from other forums that go WELL over 25GB per month and have never gotten a notice of any kind.
 
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He posted a screenshot of his extremely low data speed and said he got disconnected from LTE, whether he's lying or confused I don't know.
i really do not know why anyone would lie about this issue. i just don't see a motivation to lie on this, and what the gain would be..... LTE is not on the sgs2 - it is only on the skyrocket.

it could be the crappy dynamic averaging/forcasting at&t currently uses.

for example, if someone uses 1 GB in a single day, their servers might extrapolate/project/assume that person will therefore use 1 GB each day of the month.

and we all know what happens when we assume = ass/u/me.
 
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I was just responding to baldi being so skeptical of these throttling claims. I don't think the poster is lying, but I guess there is a possibility that his data speed tests were not done in a controlled environment and he is incorrectly blaming AT&T.

I don't want any of this to be true, I've had unlimited data since my iPhone 3G and I'm now rooted and occasionally using personal hotspot, so the last thing I want is for AT&T to throttle users.

Someone should start a petition on change.org, I'll sign lol
 
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I was just responding to baldi being so skeptical of these throttling claims. I don't think the poster is lying, but I guess there is a possibility that his data speed tests were not done in a controlled environment and he is incorrectly blaming AT&T.

I don't want any of this to be true, I've had unlimited data since my iPhone 3G and I'm now rooted and occasionally using personal hotspot, so the last thing I want is for AT&T to throttle users.

Someone should start a petition on change.org, I'll sign lol
well, if someone demands to be a detective, they can private message me, i will call them on my land line, and do a 3 way call with them live to at&t, and THEY CAN HEAR IT FOR THEMSELVES. FOR GOD'S SAKES.. what is this - the mccarthy hearings? a communist under every bed??


it is what it is. no one needs to believe me - better yet, no one should believe me. i do not care. what part about dynamic forcasting/projections, statistical sampling, sample sizes, margins of error +/-, do people not get? has no one ever heard of a weather forecast? projections? statistical modeling? i suppose not. no one ever heard a weather FORECAST which later turned out to be wrong? i suppose not.

i suppose others perfer to trust at&t, and believe all they do and design is 100% perfect, and anyone who deviates from at&t being perfect, especially with their new data monitoring system, is wrong. makes sense to me........................ not......
 
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:mad:

11/22/2011

hey fellow at&t unlimited data plans: expect a text warning/reduced data speeds @ ONLY 2 GB of use (non wifi)! happened today.

i am a sgs2 and use microcell @ home, and the sgs2 only has hspa+.

even though i am paying $30 per month for the unlimited plan, it is really now a 2 GB plan, and after 2 GB, they slow you down. i confirmed my data use this month and at&t said it was the top 5%, @ 2 GB. i do NOT use wifi at home, nor outside my home. this is for my non wifi data usage, period.

why do i not believe that i am in the top 5% with only 2 GB??????? hmmmmmmmmm.

per the at&t text message: "your data usage this month is in the top 5% of users. use wi-fi to help avoid reduced speeds in future bill cycles".

this is a lie. they reduce your speed, as explained by customer service, until the end of your CURRENT bill cycle.

Captivate, I'm truly sorry for hearing about this issue, obviously this is not your first month of usage with AT&T please check your previous months bills (2 ~3 ) months worth and see if the data usuage is about the same. Then call and speak to representatives and confront them with this bill or better yet walk into an AT&T store and ask them *in jest* to change your unlimited plan to the 4GB plan... because obviously that will take you out fo the 2GB limit.

HONESTLY, I truly believe this was a *MISTAKE* on AT&T behalf and if you reasoned with them rationally and with a touch of humor... That will make ALL the difference. Try walking into AT&T store first for the HUMAN touch! :)


Good Luck and PLEASE do let us know how it works out for you...!

PS. It's not that NOBODY trusts you and/or conspiring against you, it just seems like it's a mistake (HUGE) on AT&T part but it's affecting only *YOU* not everyone in general. That's why your post has been met with SKEPTICISM, because your OP stated this was an issue for ALL, you would have had less of a reaction if your OP didn't state "General Fellow..." :)

I truly do hope you work out your issues with AT&T billing deptment but as you can by judging all responses this is an isolated incident only to you as no one else is having this issue, myself included...
 
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Captivate, I'm truly sorry for hearing about this issue, obviously this is not your first month of usage with AT&T please check your previous months bills (2 ~3 ) months worth and see if the data usuage is about the same. Then call and speak to representatives and confront them with this bill or better yet walk into an AT&T store and ask them *in jest* to change your unlimited plan to the 4GB plan... because obviously that will take you out fo the 2GB limit.

HONESTLY, I truly believe this was a *MISTAKE* on AT&T behalf and if you reasoned with them rationally and with a touch of humor... That will make ALL the difference. Try walking into AT&T store first for the HUMAN touch! :)


Good Luck and PLEASE do let us know how it works out for you...!

PS. It's not that NOBODY trusts you and/or conspiring against you, it just seems like it's a mistake (HUGE) on AT&T part but it's affecting only *YOU* not everyone in general. That's why your post has been met with SKEPTICISM, because your OP stated this was an issue for ALL, you would have had less of a reaction if your OP didn't state "General Fellow..." :)

I truly do hope you work out your issues with AT&T billing deptment but as you can by judging all responses this is an isolated incident only to you as no one else is having this issue, myself included...
hi, thank you for the thoughtful post.

i did spend about 30 minutes yesterday on this issue, via customer service, and they said i was correct about data usage being statistically forecasted.

of course, remember the customer service and corporate store reps are only as good as their experience and training. being a past at&t employee in outside business account sales (never in wireless), i know actually a lot about their systems and procedures, which are somewhat similar.

i was able to pimp them for 1,000 rollover minutes and they did agree with it being in error. they even told me they had seen 10 GB users on unlimited plans.

however, i stand by my posts above, as it did happen. and yes, it was a warning regardless if i have screen shots or not to "prove it". people are welcome to be sceptical, as i am as well in life.

the unlimited plan i have is only $30. i think the 4 GB is $45, which is not much more, but 12 months x $15 more per month = $180 more per year, plus taxes on it. i posted, in all red above, my opinion why this happened, and at&t did agree with me. however, neither the core store or customer service is going to get into confidential disclosure and internal memos, nor do they even likely know. i will just wait and see what happens next month. my data is usually around 2 GB.

however, core store reps and customer service has messed up my account many, many times, including removing my grandfathered data plan when i specifically and very clearly told them not to, and the core store recently said the only insurance was the $9.99 plan when there was also a $6.99 plan. the core store put on a $9.99 plan when i bought my sgs2, and i later found out about the cheaper $6.99 plan. the core store did this to me also on a iphone 4s i bought for my partner as well, and i also had to undo the $9.99 insurance to the $6.99 insurance.

i definitely agree, and having been with at&t since 1997, 14 years, the human touch has always worked best, and good advice! unfortunately this post has been a nightmare - i wish i never did it......

i will tweak my title a little as you mentioned. however, i bet this will happen to many more before it is fixed. i am sure if this ensnares enough people, they will fix their statistical modeling and not send out messages in error. again, i only used, as of 11/22/2011, 2 GB from 11/1/2011 to 11/28/2011, my bill cycle.

interestingly enough, i did upgrade my minutes, and the rule is if you have more rollover minutes than the plan you are going to, you loose them. i was able to keep them by asking if they could "port them over", which is their language.

thanks again for your very thoughtful post :)
 
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I used almost 8GB last month since I was away from home and did a lot of Tango/Skype/ooVoo type transactions on my GS2 and did not receive any messages like this or any warnings about my usage. I also tethered quite a few. My GS2 is the unlocked international model though. I have no idea if that makes a difference in how at&t is able to keep track of usage... I don't think it does.
 
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Captivate, glad to hear this! :) I too have the unlimited plan and I've been with AT&T since 1995... LOL, I guess we're AT&T lifers!

I originally had the insurance plan but decided to OPT out, why? Because if the phone is ever lost or stolen, they will NOT replace it for free... Years ago pre 2004, if your phone was either lost or stolen they would replace it no additional out of pocket or what they now call a *DEDUCTABLE*... I guess too many people in the NYC had their phone lost/stolen and get free replacements... *sigh* to me the $6.99 or $9.99 just isn't good enough for a deal if they charge a deductible of $199...

I'm glad you gotten AT&T customer service to acknowledge it was a clerical error and again I have no doubts that you did receive the warning notice... :) I just hope they learn from *THEIR* mistake and not make it a 2nd time! :)
 
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I am thinking of class action lawsuit

Anyone?

Dan, if you read ALL of the posts here in the forum, you'll realize that the issue was a ONE off *RARE* issue that was probably due to HUMAN error. There is no conspiracy here to CAP unlimited data plans. As I've suggested to Captivate (OP), please contact your AT&T rep or go to your LOCAL AT&T corporate store with your bill, txt msg, *evidence* in hand that you were warned, and then THROTTLED by AT&T despite having an UNLIMITED data plan.

No one has experienced this issue on a prolonged basis and while it sucks big time that it happened to both you and Captivate, at most it was an error made by an over zealous AT&T employee with *itchy* trigger fingers hitting the big old THROTTLE button...

Good Luck and hopefull for both you, this is a ONE time issue and doesn't get drawn out for more than one billing cycle. Perhaps you could even requests concessions from AT&T in the form of rebates, credits, refunds... :D
 
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not at all an isolated incident.
i received this message, a 15+ year customer and unlimited data plan.
and by "this" message, i am referring to the "in the 5% of data users" message i received via text and email. i deleted the text and email, but copied from deleted mail folder as i hadn't purged yet.
there is absolutely ZERO reason to doubt OP.
not every att, samsung, unlim-data user is on these boards, however a simple google search will yield many other who have encountered this garbage policy. unlimited should be, well, unlimited. i too am :mad: . and since this issue is not device specific....perhaps relocate thread for people with other device to share their experiences and usages.
below is a copy/paste from an email.

google search on att high data use message: https://www.google.com/search?q=att+high+data+use+message&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:eek:fficial&client=firefox-a


High Data Usage Alert
Dear zzzzzzzxxxxxxx,

Like other wireless companies, AT&T is taking steps to manage exploding demand for mobile data. We're responding on many levels, including investing billions in our wireless network this year and working to acquire more network capacity.

As mentioned on a previous bill, we're also taking additional, more immediate steps to help address network congestion and improve reliability. One of these steps involves a change for some customers who use extraordinarily large amounts of data in a single billing period - about 12 times more data than the average smartphone user.

For the current billing cycle, your data usage indicates you could be affected by this change. Here's how it works:

Smartphone customers with unlimited data plans may experience reduced speeds once their usage in a billing cycle reaches the level that puts them among the top 5 percent of heaviest data users. These customers can still use unlimited data and their speeds will be restored with the start of the next billing cycle.

We're writing because you are in the top 5 percent of heaviest data users for this billing cycle. Because we recognize that data usage can change from month to month, you will not see reduced speeds this billing cycle.

Beginning with your next billing cycle, we'll send you a text message if you are approaching the top 5 percent of heaviest data users. We'll also send you a second text message if you cross into the top 5 percent of heaviest users, at which point you may see reduced speeds for the rest of the month.

Customers have several ways to manage extremely high data usage.

Wi-Fi offers great speeds and doesn't add to your wireless data usage. Consider using Wi-Fi when possible for applications that use the highest amounts of data, such as streaming video apps, remote web camera apps, large data-file transfers (like video) and some online gaming.

You may also consider switching to a tiered data plan if speed is more important to you than having an unlimited data plan. Customers on tiered plans can pay for more data if they need it, and will not see reduced speeds.

To estimate how much data different activities use, and find out more about Wi-Fi or tiered data plans, visit https://www.att.com/dataplans or call Customer Care at 800-331-0500.
 
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@Redeye - At WHAT time did I disagree and/or IMPLY that I didn't believe his/her words? I've NOT doubt, AGAIN, no DOUBT this has happened and I believe it has happened to you as well...

HOWEVER...

Isolated rare instances of just three (3) people:

Yourself
Dan
Captivate

Does NOT equal a CLASS action lawsuit!!! Class action lawsuit requires many criterias to be met and so far NOTHING that has been discussed in this thread warrants a CLASS action lawsuit. Ok so now the count is three(3) people strong can we even get 30+ people who have an unlimited plan to CHIME in here on this thread that they've been throttled?

How many times have you've been throttled already? Is it one time, this 1st time? Have you've been harassed for multiple billing cycles where your unlimited plan was infringed upon? Mountains and molehills at this point. This is clearly a case of clerical error and can and ***SHOULD*** be taken up with AT&T customer care's service center...

UNLESS --------->

This has been a repeatable issue and despite you best efforts AT&T has systematically throttled your account. People if this is happening DO NOT discard your TXT msgs, emails, correspondence with AT&T as this will all be evidence to SUPPORT your case regarding UNWARRANTED throttling...

Until we have evidence of many MANY people that have this same exact issue, then this is a moot point about Class action lawsuits, conspiracy theories, AT&T trying to EOL unlimited plan... Oh wait a minute is that Chicken Little I see there, ah... He's running away because AT&T throttling unlimted data plans... :D

In all seriousness, the few people that have been affected does not make this a GENERALIZED case, let *NOT* panic that's all I've been trying to say...
 
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@Redeye - At WHAT time did I disagree and/or IMPLY that I didn't believe his/her words? I've NOT doubt, AGAIN, no DOUBT this has happened and I believe it has happened to you as well...

HOWEVER...

Isolated rare instances of just three (3) people:

Yourself
Dan
Captivate

Does NOT equal a CLASS action lawsuit!!! Class action lawsuit requires many criterias to be met and so far NOTHING that has been discussed in this thread warrants a CLASS action lawsuit. Ok so now the count is three(3) people strong can we even get 30+ people who have an unlimited plan to CHIME in here on this thread that they've been throttled?

How many times have you've been throttled already? Is it one time, this 1st time? Have you've been harassed for multiple billing cycles where your unlimited plan was infringed upon? Mountains and molehills at this point. This is clearly a case of clerical error and can and ***SHOULD*** be taken up with AT&T customer care's service center...

UNLESS --------->

This has been a repeatable issue and despite you best efforts AT&T has systematically throttled your account. People if this is happening DO NOT discard your TXT msgs, emails, correspondence with AT&T as this will all be evidence to SUPPORT your case regarding UNWARRANTED throttling...

Until we have evidence of many MANY people that have this same exact issue, then this is a moot point about Class action lawsuits, conspiracy theories, AT&T trying to EOL unlimited plan... Oh wait a minute is that Chicken Little I see there, ah... He's running away because AT&T throttling unlimted data plans... :D

In all seriousness, the few people that have been affected does not make this a GENERALIZED case, let *NOT* panic that's all I've been trying to say...

ease up brah, my post was not directed at any specific individual...merely providing corroborating statements to OP predicament.
i am not calling for any specific action, however would support appropriate measures in proper avenues.

i am not sure it is just a few ppl....perhaps a few galaxy s2 att owners, which narrows the field substantially, but if ALL unlim-att-device users are accounted for, i would wager the number of folks affected would change.

i haven't been "throttled back" yet, howver the threat is just as insulting and repulsive.

don't get defensive, for your skepticism not misplaced, as i am also skeptic. but, it's not just three ppl. it may be, at this point, three GSII/att/unlim REGISTERED ANDROIDBOARD MEMBERS, but this is a drop in the bucket for att smartphone ulim data users nationwide.

my final point will be that UNlimited should be jus that...not limited.
cheers
 
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Aylone your position on this is confusing, why do you care if people are unhappy about being throttled and want to take further action? You have contributed absolutely nothing to the discussion in this thread except assumptions that this is not a widespread problem based on your tiny sample size of users on Androidforums.
 
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