More details on AT&T wireless data: grandfathering, checking your data usage

The following is copy of a letter demonsrating how far AT&T will go in order to cut off existing unlimited data plans. In this case, it was an unlimited laptop card data plan which was shown to have been "altered" a year after its inception and where various plan supervisors were "caught" in the act of lying, both in front of us and in front of their own local representatives during a conference call:

"Dear Sirs: To close this file, please be advised that on Aug. 13, we produced documentation showing the subject account was for unlimited data with no reservations by ATT to make any changes. We were shown a data entry by the local ATT representative showing a manual override and unauthorized modification to the account, changing it from it's original terms, to a form of 5 GB limited account.

During the ensuing 20 tel conference among Mr. Gomez, myself, the local ATT rep and you account managers elsewhere in the US, it became clear to the three of us that the account managers were deliberately lying. They were unaware we were seeing the same information that they were seeing.

To her credit, the local ATT rep attempted to get the account managers to state the truth by asking a series of questions. She was clearly embarrassed.

We finally told her to stop and we addressed the account reps directly. We admitted having complete access to our information and being aware of their prevarications. We told them that they were clearly operating on a different set of principles and while resort to the courts was always possible, it made no sense to continue the relationship. The account was terminated and all past due amounts to be waived. Needless to say, they quickly agreed to this.

I can honestly say this was the first time we've been directly lied to by any service company. It was an unnerving experience and we very embarrassed for your local rep.
We will post this experience on the ATT site.

E. Reynolds"

I wanted to say I'm sorry for going off in this thread. While, I'm still upset I think there should be a limit to how much should be vented in this forum.

The flaw in the AT&T "logic" is that if this is truly a way to help customers who use less data pay less, if that were truly the case, why not just add these 2 new plans and leave the existing unlimited plan as an option? I understand that we can't have both tethering and unlimited but why not unlimited for 30 + 20 for tethering? The true highway robbery is paying 20 + 25 for the SAME 2gb. What difference does it make if the 2 gb is from tethering or iphone usage? NONE! AT&T should not be allowed to charge for a feature that Apple's software allows unless they are actually providing some additional service that accompanies it (like additional data).

You'll be sorry when they introduce video calls, netflix streaming, and abc apps into this iPhone 4g... You'll eat up all that 2gb real quick and nobody will be a happy camper!

I love it when the Lemmings defend ATT....Yeah, they did this to help people save money.....And, BP sprung an oil well to get us to use less oil...

That info from Ars is swell and all, but does not apply in any way to the iPad, which is what I'm talking about.

1) It's from November 2009 to the present. The 3G iPad did not become available until one month ago. Therefore, that data does not address iPad usage at all. At. All.

2) The charts do not specifically state that they relate to AT&T usage, though that is assumed. They say "our own data usage." Is that all AT&T?

Bottom line, I'm talking about a 3G iPad.

Using Netflix on a 3G iPad does not make me anything remotely like an "edge case." In fact, accessing video is the very epitome of the mainstream experience on the iPad. I would suggest that people who do not stream video to their iPad are the edge cases. An iPad is not an iPhone.

For iPad users, this is a complete and utter screw job. Anyone who buys the unlimited data plan to actually use the iPad as intended will exceed 200MB in a single day. Easily. And anything remotely like regular use will blow through 2GB with hardly any effort.

Assuming about 250MB for one hour of streaming Netflix, that means you will exceed the 2GB allotment with FOUR films.

So, for $25 from AT&T, you get the privilege of watching four movies in standard definition and then putting your iPad into a drawer for the remainder of the month.

What a sweet deal!

>> When 65% of the users are using 200MB or less, and those users will now be paying HALF what they previously were, then it's a good thing.

And these statistics come from AT&T?

I call straight bullshit on that. I'm saying that's a complete fabrication. A lie.

You can blow through 200MB streaming Netflix in a single hour.

http://www.theipadguide.com/faq/how-much-data-does-netflix-streaming-video-use-ipad-3g

Now, AT&T's strategy is to claim that users who want to stream Netflix are "bandwidth hogs," "selfish," or that using a service like Netflix is "excessive" or "abnormal." In other words, their strategy for their data services is to demonize, marginalize, and insult the very people who use it the most.

I'm 12 days into my unlimited data plan and I've used 700 MB. And I haven't streamed a single Netlix movie yet. And for seven of those days, I used Wi-Fi. So that means without using my Netflix account on 3G, I've gone through 700 MB in just five days. That's just standard browsing and email.

I canceled my Wi-Fi recently just to go 3G only. So, yeah, I'm going to be WAY over 2GB per month. AT&T and Apple sold me one thing and now they're swapping it out for something completely different. To add insult to injury, they've deployed a temp army of astroturfing interns to try to quell the storm by playing up this ridiculous angle about the new plans being a sweet, money saving boon.

Bullshit.

@Tony,

I pay AT&T $6/GB now.

They want me to pay $11-$12.50 per GB under the new plan.

Here's the bigger question. How can they charge an additional $20.00 for tethering, if they are already charging you for data usage - based on actual usage. Under their new pricing structure, they more you use, they more you pay. Therefore, tethering usage should be included in the pricing. It's the equivalent of the cable company charging you for each additional computer you have connected to your cable modem. I really don't find this acceptable.

This is just AOL all over again.

Those of you too young to recall what it was like accessing the Internet with AOL are truly fortunate. It was sheer hell.

Fucking endless CDs coming in the post to offer you additional hours online. "Nine free hours!" "Twenty hours per month, only $49.99!" "Special offer, act now!"