Reason #254 why AT&T sucks

I'm really starting to think I've hit a lick of smartphone bad luck. It started with my HTC's screen crapping out, then buying a new Sony Xperia only to decide that it was too small, repairing the old HTC to hold me over, buying the larger version of the Xperia only to discover I couldn't remove the SIM lock, then the HTC screen crapped out AGAIN, so I was back to my Nokia until I could find a SIM unlocked Xperia. Then everything is peachy-cool, I love my new phone (it has PURPLE lettering on the keyboard. How cool is that?!), its software is behaving and seems to be pretty sturdy.

I don't have a data plan and don't really want one – I'm glued to a computer 8 hours a day, and being unplugged from the internet forces me to actually interact with the world, so I have the mobile data switched off. It works pretty well, unless someone send me an MMS. Until they figure out how to allow us to download MMSes via wifi, I'm stuck with having to turn HSPDA/EDGE on, download the message/picture, then shut it back off.

Yesterday one of my coaches sent me someone's number in .vcf format... teeny tiny little message, all of 1 KB of data. I did my usual on/download/off routine, got the contact info, and went on my merry way.

Imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning to find a text message from AT&T:

"Did you know a data plan is required for your Smartphone? We have added an appropriate data plan. Learn more at blahblahblah..."

Whaaaaa?! That's absurd! I've had a smartphone for over three years on this non-data, voice/text only plan and have never had this kind of message appear.

Well, apparently AT&T is really effing sneaky. Their policy is that any smartphone must have a data plan, regardless of where you bought it from. I assume they've been enforcing the policy by slapping data plans on people who buy phones directly from AT&T. Since all my phones have been bought from a third party and are carrier-unlocked, AT&T has no idea what phone I'm using since I haven't upgraded through them for 4+ years.

I was ready to call them and unleash some mild-mannered fury: "I've been a customer for more than ten years, this particular family plan was signed back in 2004 when there was no such thing as a mobile data agreement, so how is this possible?! Turn it off, or I'm having my dad switch to another carrier!"

When I called, I was ready to get angry, until the person on the other end sounded REALLY nice. I couldn't pull it off. Rather than give her a hard time, I fibbed. (As I've said before, I hate lying and suck at it, but I also suck at being a hardass.) I said that I had a Nokia (the last phone they provided to me), but yesterday I had put my SIM card temporarily in a friend's unlocked T-Mobile phone* to test it. Then this morning I got that message, and could she please remove the new data plan that was added?

*This wasn't a total lie – I had put my SIM card in a T-Mobile phone (my aforementioned HTC that broke), but it's now in an unlocked Xperia, not a Nokia.

Fortunately, she was very kind and removed the plan from my family account.  I'm sure my dad would have been THRILLED to find out that AT&T did this without his permission, because he's the curmudgeony type that hates these types of shady-yet-legal practices.

I thanked her and hung up, happy that I was able to dodge the data plan bullet. Unfortunately, this also means that I'm going to be screwed when MMSes arrive. The only workaround I can think of is putting my work phone's SIM card in my phone (since work has unlimited data/text/whatever) if it's imperative. Until then, I guess I have to be the asshole that replies back, "Can you send me that via text? I can't read it."

Oh, and thanks, cellular phone service providers, for not asking customers' permission to do things like this. I'm pretty sure that'd fly over *real* well in other businesses: "Here's a piece of cake. You don't want it? Oh, too bad... you're going to have to pay for it anyway." Jerks.

And I go at sleepy time

Yeesh. Long time, no blog!

I've actually been really busy at work (which is when I usually write my blog posts, in between spurts of productivity), so I haven't had a chance to read anyone's posts. Hoping everyone is healthy and sane. :) 

Additionally, my unnamed sport/hobby that takes-up-most-of-my-time is back in full swing, so I'm leaving the house at 8:30 AM (really should be more like 8) and not returning before 8 PM. When I get home, I am so exhausted by the day that I barely have enough energy to eat some dinner, shower, and then zone out for a bit in front of the TV before dragging myself to bed.

Speaking of bed, I got a new mattress! A few weeks ago, I woke up one Sunday to major back pain and thought, "This is it. I cannot STAND to sleep on this mattress anymore. I don't sleep well, I'm always tired, and I'm getting much too old for this." I made a trip to a couple mattress stores, hated the whole used-car mentality of it (and the prices were absurdly high), and then decided to go to Sears. They were having a 50% off sale, which I'm guessing is permanent because no one wants to pay $1000 for a mattress. After about an hour of rotating between mattresses, I found one and bought it. And additional 10% off and no boxspring needed meant it was even cheaper than I thought. Yayyyyy!

I had it delivered to my house last Saturday, and schlepped it into my bedroom. It didn't dawn on me how gigantically thick the mattress  until I threw (well, dragged) it on top of my beloved IKEA plaform bedframe. The thing is fucking enormous. I have to use the f-word there to describe how large it is, because it was so tall that it actually blocked my headboard. (Granted, the headboard isn't super high to begin with, but still.)  My reaction: "Erkk!"

I measured the thickness of the mattress, and it's a whopping 15" thick since it also has a pillowtop. The old mattress was about 7 ½ inches thick. Big difference there.

Thankfully, I remembered that this particular IKEA bedframe is adjustable. You can adjust the sides to be higher or lower, as well as the rails that hold the wooden slats up. The slats were on the highest position since my very first mattress with this bed was one of those 4" high foam things. I tried to remove the pegs that allow for the sides to be lowered, only to find the previous owner had glued the pegs in. Oh well.

After reassembling my bed, I put the slats back on and tried again. MUCH better. Still higher than the old mattress, but at least this time I didn't need a ladder to get into bed and could actually see my headboard. However, it makes the bed a bitch to put sheets on, because it's nearly impossible to lift the edge of the mattress.

As for sleeping, I'm still in the adjustment period. At first I was afraid it was too hard – the one in the store was firm but the pillowtop was cushy – but I did some reading and apparently the materials need to settle and break in... which makes sense, since the store one has probably been  laid upon hundreds of times.

So far, no back pain, and I think I'm sleeping more soundly. But I've also made an effort NOT to sleep on my stomach, which I'm 90% certain is the cause of it. I tend to take up in the early morning and roll over on my stomach, which feels comfortable at the time, but then I wake up feeling like a 6 year old has been sitting on my back for two hours.

That's about it for now... I did go a date with the friend of a friend, but that'll have to wait until next time!




Post title song reference: "Cornflake Girl" - Tori Amos