AT&T Sent Threatening Text Message

[AndrewBucklin]

Just got this message this morning:

AT&T Free Msg: iPhone 3G requires a data plan. Please call 611 to add or AT&T will add a data plan to your account within 24 hours.

I purchased an unactivated iPhone and put a GoPhone Pay As You Go SIM card in it, and purchased the $20/mo unlimited internet package... I quickly checked to see if my 3G internet still worked and it did...

Anyone else get this message whether on PrePay or not? I'm not sure what exactly they would "add" to my account, since on a prepay account, there is no option for the "iPhone Data Plan"

[ride]

LOL.... Sweet!!! What do you plan to do? Keep us posted. I'd be really interested in knowing what they think they can do on a pay as you go plan.

[AndrewBucklin]

Well, for safe measure, I just have the phone in airplane mode right now, in case they try to ping my phone and see what phone I have or something... Ya, I'm not really sure what they will be able to do, at least on a PayAsYouGo SIM, since they have no way of billing me if my account balance is really low.. Right now I only have $14 in my account. I only refill my account each month when I need to buy another month of $20 unlimited internet. I do not use the iPhone for texting or calling.

[SundayDuffer]

I had the first Gen and was on the $20 plan (plus $10 for 1500 sms). I traded my first Gen with a friend for the 3G. Popped in my SIM...works like a charm...3G signal good...and still on the $30 data plan...NO threatening sms from ATT yet. i hope not.

[AndrewBucklin]

Odd. I would have thought people like you, or people who had a SIM from a regular phone with MediaMax Unlimited on it would have also gotten the text message as well. Am I the only one? lol. Maybe it's region based... I am in San Antonio, TX right now... Will be traveling back home to VA on Monday... Hmmmmmmm....

[tyfly867]

what can they do? I guess maybe block your account?

[AndrewBucklin]

Well, it's been more than 24 hours, and everything is still working fine...

[shadowck5000]

thanks for this help, so I'm not scared of ATTs 24 hour threat, but I would like to know exactilly what you do to get 3G data only/prepay. Even if it's $30,$40 a month cua all I do Is Internet. Also anyone got more on changing the phones ID thing so they think it's a crappy 3G flip?

[Eurisko]

Not really sure how that message constitutes a "threat". Maybe if it said, get a data plan or we're coming to your house to break your legs....

Can you use EDGE right now?

[AndrewBucklin]

thanks for this help, so I'm not scared of ATTs 24 hour threat, but I would like to know exactilly what you do to get 3G data only/prepay. Even if it's $30,$40 a month cua all I do Is Internet. Also anyone got more on changing the phones ID thing so they think it's a crappy 3G flip?

All I did was but a prepay phone, activated it, and added money to the account. Purchased the $20 "unlimited internet" which lasts a month. Put the SIM card in my new 3G iPhone and I'm just careful not to make any calls from it ($0.25 per minute is killer!) --I have another phone with Verizon that I use to make calls through my work...

Not really sure how that message constitutes a "threat". Maybe if it said, get a data plan or we're coming to your house to break your legs....

Can you use EDGE right now?

lol. Ya. --As far as EDGE, I'm sure I can access it as well... I've been in San Antonio all week, which has 3G coverage, and it is still working just fine....

[loocfa]

I called att as my pay as you go credit was being eaten by the egde charge I thourght I had turned off ( due to the 2.0 firmware update) I told them I don't know where my credit had gone.
They accessed my account and told me I had an iPhone!!! I have never set up a proper account with them and some how they knew I was on an iPhone. I told the AT&T guy that I did not want this service on my first gen iPhone, and it never worked anyways (true) and he turn it off this service for me, all I had to do was tell him my phone ime number. And they added 12 bucks on my account for wasted Internet charges.
AT&T have either gone soft or just don't care about people with first ten iPhone. If it ain't got 3g on it and they can't charge you stupid money for have "fast" internet in your pocket you aint worth ****.
Thanks att.
Can't connect to egde at all and had not other issues since this happen.

[AndrewBucklin]

That makes sense. I bet they're scared of the 3G network becoming over saturated. --But why would you want an iPhone with no data plan? :-(

--So you actually had the AT&T guy completely disable EDGE internet for your account? I wonder if they can do the same for me with text messages. I get random texts from people, and it eats up my account balance... :-(

[smirkis]

i can disable text from the website login but im tmobile, but im sure at&t can do the same. actually im positive they can.

but i know a lot of people without edge data, its so slow they can't stand it. i jus pick what i want and set it on my lap while im doing something n poke back to see if it finished loading yet lol. some people don't have the patience. wifi usually suites them, but if ur not around wifi, i don't see the point of having an iphone

[Drkeys]

Yeah for some reason

I have 3 iphone 3G lines, and all of them are not on the iphone 3G data plan (they are all on the old iphone 1st gen 20.00 plan)..

only 1 of the iphone 3G got the AT&T text message saying that you need an iphone 3G data plan, and the other two didn't.

the question is, if all my lines are on iphone data plan (technically i mean its an iphone, and its on iphone data plan) just not 3G plan. i don't see anything wrong with that, it's not like i'm using media max plan.

didn't AT&T put out a fine print where, (previous iphone owners, when upgrade to the iphone 3G will able to keep their current 20.00 data plan and don't have to upgrade to the 30.00 data plan?)

what do you guys think?

[shadowck5000]

That keeping the $20 would be nice because well my SIM says 3G. That info you gave was nice to know because loosing 200 texts and paying $10 is not cool.

[silverzz28]

Ok lets say I go in a buy a 3g iphone. They activate it there and put a 30 data plan on. If I go home take my sim card out and put it in a crappy flip phone can i call and tell them my ipphone got wet. That way they will remove the 30 and I could put the $15 medianet on then slide my card back in the iphone?

[rotaryheadrx7]

Ok lets say I go in a buy a 3g iphone. They activate it there and put a 30 data plan on. If I go home take my sim card out and put it in a crappy flip phone can i call and tell them my ipphone got wet. That way they will remove the 30 and I could put the $15 medianet on then slide my card back in the iphone?

In theory you can however they will know that you are using an iPhone 3G again. Its a matter of whether they decide to do anything about it or not.

[loco_dos]

Not really sure how that message constitutes a "threat". Maybe if it said, get a data plan or we're coming to your house to break your legs....

Can you use EDGE right now?

lol I was thinking the same thing.

[AndrewBucklin]

Yeah for some reason

I have 3 iphone 3G lines, and all of them are not on the iphone 3G data plan (they are all on the old iphone 1st gen 20.00 plan)..

only 1 of the iphone 3G got the AT&T text message saying that you need an iphone 3G data plan, and the other two didn't.

the question is, if all my lines are on iphone data plan (technically i mean its an iphone, and its on iphone data plan) just not 3G plan. i don't see anything wrong with that, it's not like i'm using media max plan.

didn't AT&T put out a fine print where, (previous iphone owners, when upgrade to the iphone 3G will able to keep their current 20.00 data plan and don't have to upgrade to the 30.00 data plan?)

what do you guys think?

Well, I know for a fact if someone upgrades to the 3G phone, the AT&T rep definitely changes over the data plan as well... I guess if you just got an iPhone some where else, and swapped SIMs then you could keep your current data plan; --or if you called AT&T and said you weren't ready to actually start using the 3G iPhone and wanted to continue using the 2G iPhone, then they just tell you to put the new SIM in the 2G phone and they lower your rate plan back down...

Either way, I'm still working off the $19.99 prepaid... I just don't abuse it because I know I'm getting a deal...

[dpowre]

sorry bud, but it looks like your out of luck.

Data Plans: An eligible data plan for iPhone is required. This data plan covers data usage in the U.S. and does not cover international data usage and charges. If it is determined that you are using iPhone without an eligible data plan, AT&T reserves the right to add an eligible data plan to your account and bill you the appropriate monthly fee. © 2008 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T and the AT&T logo are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property. Subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. provide products and services under the AT&T brand. © 2008 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPod, iTunes, and Mac are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iPhone, Multi-Touch and Safari are trademarks of Apple Inc.