AT&T wireless forced me to have an Internet "data plan" (is that legal)?

I tried to drop my expensive data plan on my year-old AT&T blackberry bold but AT&T told me that since September of 2009, they now are "enforcing" that you must keep the Internet wireless data plan (if you have a smart phone).

The say I must keep the data plan until next January when the 2 years are up or pay $125 cancellation fee.

What I don't understand is that I can move the AT&T SIM card to any (unlocked) phone and it will still work, so, what does the cell phone have to do with the Internet data plan?

Reply to
Elmo
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On Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:11:52 +0000 (UTC), Elmo wrote in :

I'm guessing you bought the phone from AT&T, which subsidized the price you paid in return for a service commitment from you (contract). Not surprisingly, AT&T wants to recover that subsidy from you, and the data plan is part of that process. It's legal because you agreed to the contract.

Reply to
John Navas

As you have been told, check your agreement. At $125, feel lucky. At Verizon it $175, and even that is going up for new subscribers.

Reply to
Richard Johnson

I think I may have figured a way around the AT&T new ruling and will try this with AT&T today.

If I just tell them I'm not using the smartphone blackberry, I will "tell" them I will switch my phone to another phone (perhaps I'll say the blackberry is broken).

Then I'll see if I must have a data plan on the dumb phone I tell them I will be using instead of the Blackberry.

I may need to look up a bogus IMEI in case they ask and let you know the results (any ideas where to get a bogus but real-sounding 15-character IMEI number)?

Reply to
Elmo

Elmo wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@tioat.net:

This doesn't have anything to do with SIM cards.

What does your contract with AT&T say?

Reply to
Deadrat

all the carriers subsidize the cost of the phones, and make it back up by the monthly plans...

BTW - not sure why you posted in the "alt.internet.wireless" group vs any of the "alt.celluar.xxx" groups -

Reply to
ps56k

Be aware that if you do this, your Blackberry's data functionality will largely cease to work (even when you're on wifi). Email specifically will cease or disappear entirely.

Reply to
DevilsPGD

"ps56k" wrote in news:hjkots$uia$1 @news.eternal-september.org:

Think of buying a subsidized, overpriced sellphone as a Sears Revolving Credit Account. You're buying a dryer including the electric to run it.....on time at horrible interest rates.

Reply to
Larry

You know that. I know that. But tell that to AT&T!

It worked! was able to remove the data plan by telling AT&T that I was using the SIM card in a different phone!

Here's what happened ...

I called 611 from the Blackberry. I told them my Blackberry was broken (they asked if I wanted it replaced under warranty and I told them no, that I'd be using a Motorola RAZR instead).

I borrowed a friend's IMEI number (he's on T-Mobile) for his Razr and gave them his IMEI number (but I changed the last digit of the 15-digit number just in case).

Once they had the IMEI number of a non-Blackberry phone, they let me remove the Blackberry data plan for free!

So far, the Blackberry is still working as a phone (which is all I want). I will need to check WiFi but I don't see how AT&T has anything to do with WiFi so I'm assuming that will work.

Lesson learned: If AT&T insists you keep a data plan, just tell them you're using the AT&T SIM card in a non-smartphone, and they'll let you remove the data plan!

Reply to
Elmo

I didn't see any alt.cellular.att group! (I wish there was a decent search engine just for groups).

In the end, all I had to do was tell AT&T I was going to move the SIM card from the "subsidized" smartphone (which I've had for more than a year) to a two-year old Motorola RAZR.

AT&T asked for the IMEI and I gave them the IMEI of a friends's Motorola RAZR (with one number changed) and they then removed the data plan "since I wasn't using the Blackberry" anymore.

So far, the Blackberry is STILL working so they didn't turn anything off (yet). I didn't check wifi or web yet (I never use them anyway) so I think it worked.

That's what irks me about this "new" policy (according to 611, AT&T only started enforcing the mandatory data plan in September 2009 and I bought the phone about a year prior to that).

End result: You don't need a data plan if you TELL AT&T you are not using the smartphone (even if you are using it).

Reply to
Elmo

Elmo wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@tioat.net:

I think I understand. Your contract with AT&T allows you to drop the Internet data plan if you change your phone to one that's has no internet capability. But you still want to use your Blackberry. Have I got that right?

What you did you change the checksum digit, which is always sent as a 0. So you've got the worst of both worlds: if AT&T ever checks your number, they'll know it's fraudulent because the checksum doesn't match, and if AT&T ever uses the IMEI number you gave them for anything, it will affect your friend's phone.

So you've defrauded AT&T and you're bragging about it on a public forum?

Have I got that right as well?

Reply to
Deadrat

Meanwhile, at the alt.internet.wireless Job Justification Hearings, Deadrat chose the tried and tested strategy of:

What's fraudulent? He's still giving AT&T money, and it's not like they're going to be giving him service he's not paying for.

Reply to
alexd

alexd wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@ale.cx:

I haven't seen the OP's contract with AT&T, but from his machinations, I'm gonna guess it says something like "You agree to buy a Blackberry from us and in return we agree to provide phone and internet service at fixed price for two years. During the duration of the contract, if you switch your service to an internet-incapable device then and only then we will cease charging you for the internet portion of the service agreement."

The OP has kept his Blackberry while knowingly providing an incorrect IMEI number to AT&T. He has thus deceived AT&T into obtaining service on his old internet-capable device while not paying the contractual amount he agreed to for such a device.

Now, it's absolutely true that the OP pays for and only for the current service he uses on the Blackberry, but it's not up to him to unilaterally change the contract he has with AT&T, even if he feels that AT&T is being unreasonable.

AT&T's policies don't always make sense. Please believe me when I say I speak from long and painful experience. But in this case, AT&T may have subsidized the OP's purchase of the Blackberry, which money they expect to make back during the service period, partly by charging for internet service. The OP now has a much niftier device than a RAZR even if he uses it only as a phone+PDA. Especially niftier (from his point of view) because he got AT&T to pay some of the freight in violation of his agreement with them.

Even if the OP bought the Blackberry elsewhere, in general, he still isn't allowed to unilaterally change a contract he entered into.

Clear now?

Reply to
Deadrat

On Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:27:14 +0000 (UTC), Elmo wrote in :

There is:

Reply to
John Navas

No there isn't. The search engine on the web google is fantastic, bar none; but the search engine on google groups is atrocious.

Try it yourself.

Look for a group using any common keyword. For example, type in "cell phone" and see what you get.

Reply to
Elmo

But how do we come up with a decent IMEI number?

Reply to
Elmo

Agreed--at least on that example. Google's group search does a great job of pointing out relevant google groups, but doesn't give you a good usenet only search.

Try this instead:

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Reply to
Regis

Meanwhile, at the alt.internet.wireless Job Justification Hearings, Deadrat chose the tried and tested strategy of:

Who doesn't allow him to? He's just done it [apparently] by asking AT&T.

No. What appears to have happened is that the OP has decided he wants out of the contract, and AT&T have just said "oh, alright then". I'm unsure how AT&T can avoid losing money on subsidising handsets if their customers can end the contract at will without penalty. There's obviously more to this little tale than I'm privy to.

Reply to
alexd

alexd wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@ale.cx:

I don't know. How can Cricket NOT force you to sign a contract, and NOT charge an ETF when you cancel your line. Yet have stil been in business for over 10 years ? Yes, they make you buy the phone first.

For the ones that 'give' you the phone, you pay for it many times over the life of the contract. That's how they hook you in....'but you get a free phone'.

Reply to
DanS

Wow. What a difference!

When I search for "cell phone" in groups.google.com, the groups that show up are (in this order) the ridiculously off base "alt.guitar.tab", "do-you-have-microwave-sickness", and "misc.activism.progressive".

On the other hand, when I type the same search into

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I get a much more realistic set of groups, namely "alt.cell-phone", "alt.cell-phone.tech", "comp.theory.cell-automata", "alt.tv.cell-block-h", "comp.dcom.cell-relay", etc.

Neither comes up with the best groups (alt.internet.wireless and alt.cellular.cingular) but at least giganews is vastly better than google groups' search.

Reply to
Elmo

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