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.
I'm a firm believer that if you don't have or want a data plan, then don't get a data compatible phone. Because taking a smartphone and trying to turn it into a regular phone is a nightmare and just not worth it in the end.
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, but the phone works beautifully with WiFi, plus it has an internal GPS for my ever-lost self. :) Unfortunately the majority of non-smartphones don't have either of these, so I'm stuck between the two.
ReplyDeleteWhy does AT&T suck? I worked in their billing department for 2 years and I will tell you. I was on the other end of Live Chat at www.att.com. What you folks don’t know is that we are forced to take on 2 customers at the same time. Ever wonder why the rep you have been chatting with is slow or doesn’t respond with empathy to your situation? That’s cus the rep is flying back and forth between your concern and some one else the queue dumped on them. Yup, in an effort to squeeze every penny out of the worker the corporate scum at the top have exploited them to unheard levels—until now.
ReplyDeleteAnd, if there is 1 bad customer satisfaction survey against the agent, no matter what was said or how hard they tried to resolve the situation—you guessed it, the rep gets berated with the blame. Trust me, there was no “opportunity for coaching,” it was just blame the rep and focus on what they didn’t say and rip apart what they did say.
Now here is what you can do. At www.att.com under Contact Us or you can write: AT&T Mobility Customer Care P.O. Box 755 Atwater Ca, 95301, you can blast the corporate schills and demand that you be treated to better customer service. Demand that they drop the 2 chat policy and focus on you one-on-one. It’s your right to be treated fairly. The coporation does not have the right to establish a failed system and not take responsibility for the insane policies they create. Let them know that you are on to their double-chat policy and that you think it’s unfair. Force these fat cats back on their heels by bombarding them with criticism and complaints. Because in the end you deserve better.