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

[aylonewolf69]

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.

ACP - Not confusing at all. Don't know why it gets to me when people over react but it does. Between the OP's original post that WARNING AT&T will throttle (BUT now changed, thx Captivate) to Dan1000 saying he wants to setup a class action lawsuit, I go into auto-defense mode...

Sorry if my self appointed MODERATOR mode kicked in. Dan, Red, Cap, if I over stepped my bounds and upset you in anyway, I'll be up front and apologize now.

That being said, I still think that people shouldn't over exaggerate or promote themselves as self appoint forum moderators...

I'm guilty as charged! Moving on now people, moving on...

 

[Redeyejedi]

ACP - Not confusing at all. Don't know why it gets to me when people over react but it does. Between the OP's original post that WARNING AT&T will throttle (BUT now changed, thx Captivate) to Dan1000 saying he wants to setup a class action lawsuit, I go into auto-defense mode...

Sorry if my self appointed MODERATOR mode kicked in. Dan, Red, Cap, if I over stepped my bounds and upset you in anyway, I'll be up front and apologize now.

That being said, I still think that people shouldn't over exaggerate or promote themselves as self appoint forum moderators...

I'm guilty as charged! Moving on now people, moving on...

was not offended, nor did i intend to offend.
if there were three droidies, and 2 N1ers, and 4 ipooers...etc, and come january those figures multiply just on the af? and more on other message boards and others....seems more like we stamp that flame out quickly like atm card fees before they become irreversible.

our power is in our dollar and where we spend it.

 

[greggebhardt]

I am thinking of class action lawsuit

Anyone?

That is funny. AT&T is fully in their right to throttle your data down when you reach a limit sent by them. Just what are you going to sue the for?

 

[Bearyournuts]

I also received the notification that my usage is in the top 5% and my data speed will be reduced. I'm sure I was not shown this at the time when I signed the contract. AT&T is Looking for ways to increase its revenue. This is a prelude to more charges later. Someone needs to start a class action suit against these guys like the banks and the bogus $5 debit fee.

 

[Redeyejedi]

it doesn't necessarily need to be a suit. if enough customers threaten to leave the network they may change their policy; similar to what occurred with the banks and their debit card fees. perhaps a petition is in order, as a class action suit doesn't seem feasible at this point, as we weren't 'wronged' per se.
organization is key here.

if one were able to create a webpage with detailed description of the problem and a petition like form where complainants could enter their wireless #s (would be hidden) and that be brought to appropriate accounting department headhoncho, that could be a persuading element to amending this data "over" usage policy.

 

[simbah]

wow.what state are you in? i havent been able to find anyone with an unlimited data plan. and im even with att and paying 45 a month extra for just 4gb of data.

 

[SGS2]

That is funny. AT&T is fully in their right to throttle your data down when you reach a limit sent by them. Just what are you going to sue the for?

but this is regarding "unlimited" data plans....

 

[SGS2]

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...

i wish it was as simple as an employee personally doing it - sending out warning messages. these are automated messages, sent automatically from a database mainframe/server.

let's hope they are bugs, and in error, for my situation, which was only for 2 GB.

also, it is impossible to really know what the top 5% of data users are, be it in the number of people and/or their data usage, as this is highly confidential to at&t.

neither the stores or the service reps have access to top level reports of the overall network data usage, as these statistics are confidential to top management. a need to know. a serice rep does not need to know.

let's hope at&t fixes any bugs in their new data monitoring program, and does NOT hide behind it making it a false flag operation.

i wish i had trust - but i don't.......

i DO know if enough people bitch, like me, at only 2 GB, they will fix it, as you said!

but i need to ask - just what is the top 5% of data users data usage at???

put differently, is the top 5% 10GB, 15GB, 20GB, 30GB?? no one knows, and no one ever will. we just have to take at&t's word for it.

in reality, only at&t will know........

again, let's hope at&t does NOT abuse and make this a false flag operation to harass unlimited data people..........

 

[aylonewolf69]

Over at the XDA forum, one user posted an interesting find. In the last month or two when there were a SLEW of people complaining about their unlimited data plan being hit with a warning notice for 5%, this user was downloading pod casts, music and other such media to about 22GB without penalty. Then on the next billing cycle he decided to UP the ante and stream ONE (1) movie via netflix and then WHAMO, he's whacked with the "TOP 5% usage warning notification" email...

check out the thread here:

What it took me to get in the "Top 5%" (its rigged) - xda-developers

Now quick/informal post... How many of you out there who have received this warning message actually streamed a netflix movie?!??? Extremely curious if the SECRET is out on how AT&T monitors data usage!!!

 

[SGS2]

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. off to read the link now...

back now. i agree, it looks like at&t will just flag web sites and not even look at real data usage, at least for now. reminds me of the vietnam false flag operation on the uss vincenes lbj claimed was attacked when it was not, causing the start of veitnam war (saw it on the history channel).

if at&t descriminates against unlimited data plan citizens, this is most definitely racist, and we must rise up. we need the wall street protesters in the at&t hq in texas to do a sit in....

 

[stereoeclectic]

cnet picks up the story : AT&T throttles speeds for heavy data users | Digital Media - CNET News

 

[Screech]

Read about AT&T adding "feature" this staring Oct 1 over the summer.

As I said before I think They should set a hard number for throttling. As the 5% is not an easy thing to figure, especially with not everyone having the same billing period end day. So if 80% of the users billing cylce ends 2 weeks before me my usage for my billing cycle has 2 weeks of additional usage than 80% of the other people. So I could be counting as top 5% of being in the to 20% - 25% (not figured it that close, but that figure may be a sliding number based on the percent of them that use more monthly data than you anyway) because 80% of the users just reset their counters halfway through my billing cycle. I know the numbers are not factual, just used to illustrate my point.

I also saw AT&T state that without the T-mobile merger they will not be able to keep up with data usage demands. If the merger fails through, as it looks like it may, I'm curious if that top 5% will be changed to top 10-15%.....

 

[tizzyzz]

I use between 8 - 12 gig a month on att data only I never turn on wifi nor configured it. I was told by a corporate office rep that my speed would not be slowed until i went over 10 gig which I have and nothing yet I do have a few phones with them on unlimited and the others added together don't go over 2 gig so maybe (hopefully) that's why they have not chnaged me

 

[Therethennow]

Many, many AT&T wireless users have received the "5%" warning, and not all of these users have the unlimited data plan. I don't think some users even notice the SMS warnings sometimes.

I have no idea what the specific amount of data usage is that will result in getting a warning, but I suspect that the amount varies from user to user, probably based on some sort of average calculated by AT&T's system.

My guess is that any decent-sized variance in one's average, month-to-month data usage stats will warrant the warning SMS to be sent to them, perhaps even if they have not gone over their monthly (tiered) data allowance, or were in the top 5% of the unlimited data plan users.

AT&T's reasoning for the warnings, throttling, retirement of the unlimited data plan, and introduction of the new tiered pricing data plans is all about the bandwidth.

It's like your entire 3rd grade class being punished, not being allowed to go outside with the other kids during recess because that one punk-ass kid in the back row was screwing around during class. So now everyone has to sit inside at their desks miserably, and suffer for the grossly excessive data usage of a few thousand AT&T users congesting the bandwidth highway for everybody else. Awesome!

Between how many different AT&T users I've seen that had received that warning, and SGS getting the warning at just 2GB makes me think it's just a warning in advance for most AT&T users, so that when they get their speeds reduced, AT&T can say that they gave them adequate notice beforehand.

2GB is the average amount of data used by the other 95% of AT&T users each month, which explains why it is the 2GB data plan that is automatically added if you do not already have a smartphone data plan on your line. This is why I doubt SGS will actually be throttled, as he is exactly at AT&T's national average for data use.

I have nothing to do with determining, monitoring, warning, or restricting data on AT&T accounts. I work in the collections department, and simply take payments over the phone. Of all the thousands and thousands of customer's accounts I've seen a note of the 5% warning on, I haven't seen a single one yet that had actually been restricted. Most customers become more mindful of their data usage after receiving the warning, are given options to limit usage and are advised to use WiFi after discussing the issue with an AT&T rep.

Don't kill the messenger. I just work there. I personally gain nothing by this new policy, except a ringing sound in my ears that lingers for several minutes after being screamed at over the phone by an understandably upset AT&T customer a few times a day. I think it's effed up, too. I have unlimited data on VZW, who also throttles, and I feel hopelessly locked into staying with them for the rest of my life, too scared to leave and lose my grandfathered data plan forever, and unable to get the same data allowance with another carrier.

I find it funny that the wireless carriers started cracking down on data usage right as the new hotness, 4G LTE was being pimped to users. Wouldn't the blazing fastness of 4G reduce the supposed bandwidth slowdown that was so problematic that they began limiting the unlimited?

Whatever. When it comes down to it, it's not a charity, it's a business, and like any other business, they are out to make as much money as possible. By that logic, why would they want you to keep your $30 per-month unlimited data plan that you used 2.76GB of data on that month, when they could charge you $25 for 2GB a month, and then another $25 for another 2GB to cover the other 3/4 of a GB you used?

After having to regretfully explain exactly such a charge to a customer one day, he replied,

"God forbid the CEO of AT&T would have to eat farm-raised caviar now, huh?"

Mustering up every ounce of work-professional willpower not to laugh hysterically, I fantasized about responding: "I know, isn't it just so tragic? The poor dear... he can't even afford to eat it with a hand-carved antique ivory spoon anymore."

 

[SGS2]

for several months now, i am getting the warning on just 2 gb on my unlimited plan, period.

they did tell me they have the u.s.a. segmented into eastern, central and western regions for their stupid, worthless comparisons.

i do not trust them, nor do i have a reason to, as i have already explained very concisesly and fully in my above posts.

my warning states i am approaching the top 5%. this is a joke with just 2 gb!

it is a lie. period. end of story.

 

[suprmallet]

I switched to AT&T from Sprint. Used the 1st gen iPhone trick to get unlimited data. In the first month I got a text saying I was approaching the top 5% and may be throttled after 1.5 GB of use. In the second month I got the same message at 1.5 GB. The moment I went over 2 GB I got throttled. This past month I did about 1.8 GB and got no text messages of any kind, nor any throttling. I don't use Netflix on my phone at all.

When I got throttled I called AT&T. They said I was in the top 5% of all data users. I asked to see some data usage numbers to corroborate this claim, and they said they don't publish that data. I asked them how, without reliable data, can users know whether or not they're actually in the 5% or if AT&T is arbitrarily throttling them at 2 GB to strongarm them into tiered data plans? They said there was no way of knowing.

I think there may in fact be a class action lawsuit brought against AT&T for this. Throttling heavy data users I understand. But set the metric at a level that's constant (the 5% number changes dynamically depending on how many people are using the system and how heavily), and give us open and transparent data so we know exactly what kind of data use is taxing the system.

 

[Txbabyblu]

I too received this message yesterday from AT&T. Here's the text I received. "ATT Free Msg: Your data use this month places you in the top 5% of users. Use Wi-Fi to help avoid reduced speeds. Visit AT&T website (I cant list it since I'm a newbie) or call 8663447584". I received the email as listed earlier as well. I stream my music at work on Pandora since I do not have access to anything else. I immediately checked my usage and I was just under 2gb. You mean to say that the top 5% uses 2gb??? Uh no way! I called AT&T about this as well and they confirmed my usage was just over 2gb. I do not understand how they can do this when I am on an unlimited plan! If someone creates a class action law suit or petition, please let me know about it!

 

[92hatchattack]

Hey guys. I got the warning yesterday at 2gb and was INSTANTLY throttled. My speeds are now .15mb down, virtually unusable.

This is insane! How can they legaly do this to us? This my friends is how unlimited data is going to die for us.

Where are the lawyers? Something has to be done about this. I am not even on LTE. 2gb is NOTHING!

 

[artaqaf]

that stinks. question: were you tethering it to another device?

 

[92hatchattack]

^^^ No

 

[Rico ANDROID]

I too received this message yesterday from AT&T. Here's the text I received. "ATT Free Msg: Your data use this month places you in the top 5% of users. Use Wi-Fi to help avoid reduced speeds. Visit AT&T website (I cant list it since I'm a newbie) or call 8663447584". I received the email as listed earlier as well. I stream my music at work on Pandora since I do not have access to anything else. I immediately checked my usage and I was just under 2gb. You mean to say that the top 5% uses 2gb??? Uh no way! I called AT&T about this as well and they confirmed my usage was just over 2gb. I do not understand how they can do this when I am on an unlimited plan! If someone creates a class action law suit or petition, please let me know about it!

You see! I knew it! Ma Bell's "5%" can be whatever she wants it to be month by month depending on what she deems the highest 5% for a given month! Yep, they are trying their dayamdest to squeeze our unlimited from us...

Sheeesh! and i STILL dont believe that CEO when he was quoted "..we listen to our customers and they said they wanted a tiered plan instead fo unlimited".. as if we are babies who need our hands held and fed how much data we can "digest"

Mama sez:
"You take what i give you"

 

[chall80]

it was explained to me that because i live in a suburb of Houston, TX that has its own city name...ATT's system doesn't group me into the pot of people in Houston with unlimited plans...just the ones in Cypress, TX. After spending lots of time on the phone, we came to the conclusion that 36 people in Cypress have unlimited plans. the top 5% is 1.8 people...

 

[Rico ANDROID]

it was explained to me that because i live in a suburb of Houston, TX that has its own city name...ATT's system doesn't group me into the pot of people in Houston with unlimited plans...just the ones in Cypress, TX. After spending lots of time on the phone, we came to the conclusion that 36 people in Cypress have unlimited plans. the top 5% is 1.8 people...

Are you saying that att takes localized "city level" usage as in per town and dependimg on what users within thst town uses , they take THAT info and calculates your top 5 percentand flag you according to your own locale? Meanimg your top five may be different from the top 5'n in my area?

ATT is full of crap...thats not right

 

[chall80]

its not right, and here's the deal...i can't fight it...I have 5 lines. each one upgrades at a different time, and there isn't really any way around it except to pay full price. I dumped my unlimited plan last week because in my locale I AM the top 5%. I only used 2.6gb. A friend who lives 4 miles away with a "Houston" address used 8 gb last month, and got no email. Sooner or later they will get you too...they know it, so they just sit back and wait...

 

[Rico ANDROID]

its not right, and here's the deal...i can't fight it...I have 5 lines. each one upgrades at a different time, and there isn't really any way around it except to pay full price. I dumped my unlimited plan last week because in my locale I AM the top 5%. I only used 2.6gb. A friend who lives 4 miles away with a "Houston" address used 8 gb last month, and got no email. Sooner or later they will get you too...they know it, so they just sit back and wait...

This is tge very reason att wont respond to requests to provide how they track top5 to the media. Looks like a csr spilled the beans in letting you know this.

This is grounds for a huge class action suit for sure! This measure for calculating isage is NOT fair. Who ever heard of being charged according to your locale and the number of customers within your area with certain plans? Yep this is wrong.