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Hi, I've recently heard that AT&T has a way of now detecting if you're using a smartphone and will automatically bill you with a data plan if you dont already have one. I was wondering if rooting the phone would help bypass this cause my brother is using a jailbroken iphone without a data plan. Thanks guys!
illegit said:
Hi, I've recently heard that AT&T has a way of now detecting if you're using a smartphone and will automatically bill you with a data plan if you dont already have one. I was wondering if rooting the phone would help bypass this cause my brother is using a jailbroken iphone without a data plan. Thanks guys!
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to accomplish this you would have to get involved in much more complicated and nefarious things than just rooting your phone.
This forum is not the place for it, so for you the answer is no.
It is not so much they can detect a smartphone, but they can detect the type of phone, iPhone, Captivate, etc. If these are on the smartphone list, they will add a dataplan if you don't have one - or if you have the wrong type.
You can't change this -when the phone is on the network, it broadcasts information about itself - rooting doesn't change this.
AT&T has millions of subscribers and this information probably has to be mined out of a data base - pull list of all smarthpones seen on the network in the past X days; check all accounts related for data plans, etc. They probably have a bunch of older unconnected systems too. So, it may not happen the first day you connect or even 3 months later, but at some point they will figure it out.
Its true. Before I got my fiance her iphone 3gs, she had a blackberry pearl without data and a few months before she switched they added data to our bill unexpectedly and wouldn't let us drop it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
i dont get why someone buys a 500 dollar phone if they are too cheap to get the datra plan with it.
I could understand if you got a blackjack, but come on now....
iamamp3pimp said:
i dont get why someone buys a 500 dollar phone if they are too cheap to get the datra plan with it.
I could understand if you got a blackjack, but come on now....
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I think some people are convinced they are near wifi all day and don't want to waste the money on data they won't use.. But they do have that 200MB plan for $15 - i think it is overpriced - should be $5 - but if you buy a smartphone you should be ready to add a data plan.
If you don't want to add data, get a dumb phone and ipod Touch.
I work for AT&T so I'll give you some inside info. The phones have a sim registration program that talks to the local server through the towers. Within 60 seconds of your phone being turned on it tells the network what kind of phone it is. It can tell the network the make/model but not the IMEI. If it could detect the IMEI then stolen phones would pretty much be useless. The only way around the forced data plan is to have a tag on your account for "smartphone exclusion". Everyone got this tag in September 2009 so we could all be grandfathered with no data plans. When you upgrade to a new phone with a 2yr agreement it removes the tage automatically. But if you buy your own smartphone, this tag allows you to keep data removed if you dont want it. Or in my case it allows me to have a samsung captivate with the $10 family data unlimited plan for dumbphones. The network knows I have a captivate but it cant force the data plan because I have "smartphone exclusion". You can go to a local AT&T store and see if someone is willing to tell you if you have this tag. If you don't have it then it is pretty much impossible to get it. And no I can't add it for you. Hope that helps.
Actually the IMEI is reported when the phone talks to the network. It is part of the GSM protocol. Europe enforces a ban on stolen phones via IMEI. American carriers just dont seem interested in banning stolen phones as they would rather have the revenue and not turn off the ebay buyer.
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alphadog00 said:
Actually the IMEI is reported when the phone talks to the network. It is part of the GSM protocol. Europe enforces a ban on stolen phones via IMEI. American carriers just dont seem interested in banning stolen phones as they would rather have the revenue and not turn off the ebay buyer.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
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while this is true at&t actually uses the IMSI on the SIM to do its dirty work. Also the captivates ONLY transmit the IMSI while on 3G (reduces over head for more throughput on EDGE) which is why the option to force 2G is hidden on the captivate.
captivatesuperuser said:
The only way around the forced data plan is to have a tag on your account for "smartphone exclusion". Everyone got this tag in September 2009 so we could all be grandfathered with no data plans.
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I've been with AT&T since before 2009, does this mean I'll automatically have the tag? And how would I know if my account has this tag or not?
When you upgrade to a new phone with a 2yr agreement it removes the tage automatically. But if you buy your own smartphone, this tag allows you to keep data removed if you dont want it. Or in my case it allows me to have a samsung captivate with the $10 family data unlimited plan for dumbphones.
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Do you mean buying your own smartphone outside of AT&T? I currently have the $10 unlimited data plan for my "dumbphone". Talking to AT&T indicated there was no way to keep the existing data plan and I've have to move to one of the 2 new plans if I got the Captivate.
iamamp3pimp said:
i dont get why someone buys a 500 dollar phone if they are too cheap to get the datra plan with it.
I could understand if you got a blackjack, but come on now....
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I would be interested in this simply because i want unlimited data. Hell i would pay the extra 5 bucks if they would let me in on the unlimited smartphone plan but it seems like fooling their network would be an easier task lol. Also i have had my sim for over 2 years now and they still were able to change me from the dumbphone plan to the smartphone one.
Hey guys,
I'm thinking about getting the Captivate and I was wondering if I can get it without the $15/$30 per month data plan because 90% of the time I'm surrounded with wifi. I did some research and it says that AT&T will be able to track what phone your using with the IMEI number. I was wondering if I can bypass that if I get the Samsung Vibrant and then unlock it so I can use it with AT&T.
I also heard that data block might work is that true? Thanks for all the advice.
Seems kinda silly to get a smartphone and then cripple most of its functionality by not getting at least a minimal data plan. Even if you have ready access to wifi, there are situations where a little data access comes in handy.
I've got around att's data plan by taking a free dumbphone which i got with the "Add-a-line" option, and I swapped it out with an unlocked, not att branded device. Its been over 1.5 years, and I haven't had any data charge.
Just be careful the phone doesn't get any push email or anything like that. I once got charged for getting an email, because when you dont have a data plan, its pay per mb used
Its weird though, my friend did the same exact thing as me, but he bought a different phone, and he gets charged a data plan
EDIT: Actually, I think I got "grandfathered" in. You're most likely going to end up being forced into a data plan. Look at this article
It may sound silly but I am literally surrounded with free wifi wherever I go. Is there no way around this? What happens if I get a different smartphone instead?
If you use wifi there is no data plan utilized. AT&T has no idea what you do when you use wifi. Turn on wifi and enjoy email, the market, surfing...whatever you want.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
I'm using edge on mine. I have tmobile and just unlocked the captivate so that i could bypass the data plan. You could probably do it the other way around
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just get the phone, you will have to add the data plan to be able to buy it, but a few days later, tell them you lost it and you want to cancel the data, but tell them not only to cancel it, but to block it, because if they do not block it and you go online, they will charge you per MB of usage, but if they block it, there is no way to get any traffic if it isn't thru wifi
is that possible? wont they still be able to detect thatI'm using the Captivate?
A data plan is now required for any smartphone sold by AT$T or one of its authorized agents. So long as the SIM card is in it (it will show what phone it is in on the system and online in your account) they will not cancel the data plan for you. What some people do is put the SIM in a dumb phone, call and cancel their data plan, and then reinstall the SIM to their smartphone. Better be sure you don't use any data, though.
I found a couple of things that absolutely require a data plan and can not be done over wifi. For one, I have Market setup to bill to my AT$T account. When I buy an app this way I have to be on data connection, not wifi, or the charge does not go through. I'm guessing my account info needed to approve the purchase is not accessible via wifi. I also had a program tell me to turn off wifi so it could connect. Can't remember what it was, but it could not work over wifi, only the data connection. aGPS needs a data connection, as well, so you'd be rendering all your GPS apps useless without a data plan.
Process of putting a sim into a dumb phone used to work but it no longer does. Only customers that are grandfathered in can use a smartphone without a data plan provided they did not sign a new 2 year contract agreeing to the new terms and conditions. With a recent upgrade to their system they can detect what type of device the sim is in resulting in a text :data will be automatically added your account.
so nothing can be done?
kenwarez said:
so nothing can be done?
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Only way is purchasing an unlocked smartphone from a different country. At&t system goes by imei and if it can't recognize the serial it will not classify it as a smartphone. I'm sure there is another way with all the custom options out there but not sure about that one.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk
I'm not from USA and I don't know much about your carriers, but coudn't you alegate that the data service drains your battery till the.point you find your phone unusable and ask for at&t to block it threatening of changing your provider? The last part works for almost anything in my country. Also with a good excuse you can build up a consumers defense case asking to be removed from the plan. Like phone racism, all phones should be able to access all plans, and if for example you are on a no data area they are charging you more for the same service.
Just a few ideas... not sure if any of them could work
rastanthology said:
I'm not from USA and I don't know much about your carriers, but coudn't you alegate that the data service drains your battery till the.point you find your phone unusable and ask for at&t to block it threatening of changing your provider? The last part works for almost anything in my country. Also with a good excuse you can build up a consumers defense case asking to be removed from the plan. Like phone racism, all phones should be able to access all plans, and if for example you are on a no data area they are charging you more for the same service.
Just a few ideas... not sure if any of them could work
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i thought the iphone was the only ATT phone they could force you to have a data plan on even when purchased off contract? I know they may try to turn on your data plan if you are using an off contract but in my past experience when you raise a fuss they take it back off and say it was a mistake (this was on my last phone...a TILT 2). I had purchased it off contract and after a about 1.5 years use without data plan one day i got a text saying it was required and had been added. Logged onto my account and couldn't disable. Called them and told them i did not want the plan added, that i had purchased the phone off contract, and had been completely happy using it for the past 1.5 years without a data plan. They said it was a mistake and removed it. Continued to use it for another 6 to 7 months without data plan then finally decided to add an unlimited plan before they disappeared.
Unless something has changed (which it may have) the iphone was the only phone that they forced the data plan on even when you purchased it without any discount or part of a 2 year agreement to have a plan.
alaimar said:
Process of putting a sim into a dumb phone used to work but it no longer does. Only customers that are grandfathered in can use a smartphone without a data plan provided they did not sign a new 2 year contract agreeing to the new terms and conditions. With a recent upgrade to their system they can detect what type of device the sim is in resulting in a text :data will be automatically added your account.
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ah..sounds like it has changed this use to only apply to iphone...didn't matter how or when you purchased them once the system saw it you were getting a data plan like it or not.
Look at any smartphone on the AT$T site. All have an asterisk stating that a data plan is required. You used to be able to request a data block, but their thinking now is that if you buy a smartphone on contract, you are doing so knowing that some level of data plan is required. AT$T has no obligation to customers that buy phones from other sources like eBay and Craig's List. I had a grandfathered $15 unlimited data plan since February 2009 that I used with my LG Incite. Last July I bought an HTC Tilt 2 off eBay. Almost as soon as I put my SIM into it AT$T tried to upgrade my data plan (since it was not a smartphone plan) I told them I did not want them to change anything as I would not be using the Tilt 2 for long and would probably be using my upgrade (new contract) in December. They weren't happy about it, but they left me alone until I did just that and got the Captivate a couple weeks ago. They are trying to close the loopholes and move people to one of the current data plans they offer. What does piss me off is that they still have the true unlimited data plans (no caps) available just for iPhone customers.
alaimar said:
Only way is purchasing an unlocked smartphone from a different country. At&t system goes by imei and if it can't recognize the serial it will not classify it as a smartphone. I'm sure there is another way with all the custom options out there but not sure about that one.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk
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Sorry but no. If AT&T decides to carry that phone later, it will be sweep into the AT&T data plans. It happened to my Rogers X10a. Once AT&T decided carrying it, I got a text message that they were switching me to the proper data plan. So hope that whatever unlocked phone you want to buy will never be sold by AT&T.
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Like I said before, are you sure you can't just unlock the Vibrant from T mobile and use that without the data plan? Sure, it isn't the captivate, but it is basically the same thing and could work. I purchased my captivate from some guy off contract and all I had to do was unlock it and it works perfectly without a data plan on T-mobile.
does the sim card affect anything because I have a Cingular SIM card.
I bought a locked at&t captivate on ebay for my girlfriend and she's been using it for almost 3 months now with no data plan and at&t has not added one to her line yet. the asterisk on the at&t website saying a data plan is required is only to get that discounted price on the phone itself. ($200 instead of $500 or whatever)
My friend had a samsung impression (not an android) with an unlimited data plan. She's looking into getting a captivate off craigslist as her phone went spazz... Will her data plan be compatible or will at&t force her to upgrade to another kind of data plan?
Thanks!
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Because thats not a smartphone I am assuming she has the feature phone data plan. So yes she will have to go to either the $15 for 200mb or $25 for 2gb data plans
Oxirane said:
My friend had a samsung impression (not an android) with an unlimited data plan. She's looking into getting a captivate off craigslist as her phone went spazz... Will her data plan be compatible or will at&t force her to upgrade to another kind of data plan?
Thanks!
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
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Depends what type of data plan it is because I have the unlimited data plan that included all options for a smart phone on my wifes line because she was getting one in the very near future and didn't have to make any changes although they will try and get you to drop it, walk into a Best Buy store if you have one near and let them check it out for you- I have used them for my last few upgrades and have had no issues- They ironed out the issue when ATT tried to convince me my unlimited data plan had to go
I have heard from different sources that ATT will force you on the data plan they think you should have
Your friend already has the unlimited data plan so under the grandfather rule she will continue to have it unless she decides to cancel it for another data plan. But once you cancel it you can never get it back.
bennijai said:
Your friend already has the unlimited data plan so under the grandfather rule she will continue to have it unless she decides to cancel it for another data plan. But once you cancel it you can never get it back.
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It needs to be the smartphone data plan to be grandfathered.
Sent from my Captivate
Not sure if anyone know's but let's say I get two of these phones one for me and one for the wife and Only one needs Data considering I am home all day with wi-fi access. Is there a way to get it so I can call in and drop one of the data plans after getting the phone?
The only way you could do that is if you buy it off contract. The carrier will force you to have a data plan.
Sent from my LG Thrill 3D using XDA Premium
Well what if I buy it and say I sold the phone and plug in My OLD Motorola Rokr to the Sim when I call them. I mean they can't prove that I didn't sell it.
But the network knows your imei and att will know what kind of phone it is.
Would your plan work? Probably. Would it be surprising for att to surprise you with automatically adding a data plan later? No.
If you look online at your account it will show you what phone you have. I once tested their system with a few phones I got from friends. One was an att branded flip phone, one was a unlocked HTC WinMo phone with a custom ROM, and another was a TMo blackberry. Each time within a day or two the website updated itself with my phone.
Sent from my Captivate running Continuum 5.6
you'll be able to switch to another data plan when you change device
or outright remove it
but when you switch back to the thrill it will detect it and automatically add the $15mb 200 meg data plan
just do the iphone or unlocked smartphone idea to get her unlimited data. that way at least she can listen to pandora, stream videos, and use gps when she's out.
againareku said:
you'll be able to switch to another data plan when you change device
or outright remove it
but when you switch back to the thrill it will detect it and automatically add the $15mb 200 meg data plan
just do the iphone or unlocked smartphone idea to get her unlimited data. that way at least she can listen to pandora, stream videos, and use gps when she's out.
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I have heard of the iPhone idea but what's the unlocked Smartphone idea. I mean I have an unlocked T-Mobile Mytouch 4G (That Work?)
plenty of other ways, port out number to another carrier.....port it back in, dont have to use same rate plan when you come back, dif phone now, no data needed...
Any time you put your Sim card in a smartphone, the phone will update the IMEI on your account and send you a text saying it added the plan within about two days of use. Pretty much no way around it that I know of.
Sent from my LG-P925 using xda premium
The price of your phone is subsidized by the contracted data plan. As far as I know they would leave it on your account no matter what actual phone you are using, since they gave you a $550 phone and will be getting their money back one way or another.
Not actually. You can start a contract with a smartphone but later change your IMEI to a regular phone and drop the data altogether. They get their money back from your monthly rate plan.
Sent from my LG-P925 using xda premium
TylDurden said:
The price of your phone is subsidized by the contracted data plan. As far as I know they would leave it on your account no matter what actual phone you are using, since they gave you a $550 phone and will be getting their money back one way or another.
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If you got the phone for a reduced price then switched to a non smart phone you could drop the data, but if you use any smartphone with att they add a data plan.
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AzraelsVoice said:
Not actually. You can start a contract with a smartphone but later change your IMEI to a regular phone and drop the data altogether. They get their money back from your monthly rate plan.
Sent from my LG-P925 using xda premium
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So why are data plans contracted and required on some (smart) phones and not others?
Data plans aren't contracted. smartphones require data plans because of the large amounts of
data they consume due to the full html browser, app downloading, and app data use.
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Interesting. I don't have too much experience with ATT but on TMobile when I got a BB and sold it, I attached a different phone and tried to remove the Data plan and it gave me a disconnection fee. I had to get a sales rep friend work some magic, when ATT says that a phone "requires data and a 2 year contract" I just put 2 and 2 together. Glad to hear I'm not locked into a data plan.
That's crazy that t mobile contracts plans. No wonder they're going out of business lol. with AT&T, pretty much the only thing that is contracted is your service. You can change any rate plan or data plan anytime as long as it's within the guidelines for your device.
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AzraelsVoice said:
That's crazy that t mobile contracts plans. No wonder they're going out of business lol. with AT&T, pretty much the only thing that is contracted is your service. You can change any rate plan or data plan anytime as long as it's within the guidelines for your device.
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Makes sense to me. Data usage of a phone has nothing to do with a required data plan. You can always turn it off (the data) from the phone. Getting money back for a more expensive phone is a much better excuse to require data. I'm still doubting that I can just change to a flip phone and turn off my data plan on ATT. I liked tmobile (and still do) better than ATT. I just wanted a Thrill and I joined my Dads plan so I pay less, but I almost payed the same with my own plan on Tmobile without splitting the bill with anyone. ATT is way more expensive.
TylDurden said:
ATT is way more expensive.
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I keep hearing this. I shopped around and couldn't find another carrier that had a significantly reduced rate from what I pay.
5 lines
2 smart phones w/unlimited data
2 non-smart phones w/unlimited data
1 non-smart phone not on any data plan
1500 minutes
unlimited text
Total monthly=~$230
We had 2100 minutes but since AT&T went free mobile to mobile calling and up 10 non-cell lines free to and from calling, we had a ton of rollover minutes.
US Cellular was like $250
Verizon was $160 before you even threw in data plans and insurance
Sprint is terrible in my area for reception
T-mobile was ~$240
Granted I get 15% off my bill so it'd be a bit more expensive. But when price comparing, all the companies are about the same when it comes to family packages.
I have 4 lines
3 smartphones w/ $25 data
1 regular Joe
Insurance on all 4
Unlimited texting for all
Around $225 before my discount
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Mobile to Mobile is sweet
Clearing things up
Ok ok ok, so I work for ATT Customer Care, and I have to deal with this every darn day. ATT's systems are smarter than you, sorry, it's true. They do random sweeps and see what IMEI (id for phone) the sim card is attached to. They also look at the calls, and every call has an IMEI attached to it. I promise you, even if you buy the phone outright, or say you have a different phone, it will catch you. It will also notify you saying your busted, and it will put on the $25 2gb with $10/1gb overage on it. You cannot get around it, sorry. The only way was to have a smartphone exclusion on the acct, and that is not possible because you are changing IMEI's. Sorry, deal with it.
On a side now, if you want unlim data, then buy an ORIGINAL iPhone, put it on your acct for a few days, call back in and have the imei changed to the thrill, and you get to keep the data package.
Have a great day!
a friend of mine had a G2 from T-mobile rooted and sim unlocked, that he was using with at&t contract without a DATA PLAN
"dumbphone"
I gave him my vivid, wich is rooted and running virtuous ROM. He turned off DATA in phone settings, but a day of use and received a text from AT&T asking him to purchase a data plan.
is there a way to use this phone without a DATA PLAN? he does not need or use data at all, unless on wifi.
will SIM Unlock fix this problem?
just dont put one on...thats just att letting him know if he wants to get the most out of his smartphone/lte then he needs a data plan
if you bought the phone off contract then no data plan is required. AT&T cant force a data plan or cancel his service if it was bought off contract...so just dont worry about it, ignore the message you will be fine-my brother has a vivid without a data plan
seeing as your friend didnt get the phone on contract (you did) he does not need the data plan...only you need the data plan. he is not binded to the smartphone data plan contract
mg2195 said:
just dont put one on...thats just att letting him know if he wants to get the most out of his smartphone/lte then he needs a data plan
if you bought the phone off contract then no data plan is required. AT&T cant force a data plan or cancel his service if it was bought off contract...so just dont worry about it, ignore the message you will be fine-my brother has a vivid without a data plan
seeing as your friend didnt get the phone on contract (you did) he does not need the data plan...only you need the data plan. he is not binded to the smartphone data plan contract
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IIRC they won't let you, even if it is off contract.
Sent from my HTC Holiday using XDA Premium App
At&t has been known to add a data plan to contracts of people when they use a smart phone that they have the imei number in their database. As long as the phone is branded at&t they will get you.
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Well my brother doesn't have a data plan on his vivid...and I don't see how they can force a data plan on you if you are not on a contract...if they put you on one call them and demand to be taken off...you never agreed to anything that would force you into a data plan...if that happened to me I would force att to take it off...
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2
mg2195 said:
Well my brother doesn't have a data plan on his vivid...and I don't see how they can force a data plan on you if you are not on a contract...if they put you on one call them and demand to be taken off...you never agreed to anything that would force you into a data plan...if that happened to me I would force att to take it off...
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2
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I think it is in their terms of service, not the contract. Perhaps I wasn't persuasive enough, as I have 2 lines off contract, but they picked up the Captivate on the IMEI basis on a former "dumbphone" line and could not remove the data plan. I spoke to both level 1 and level 2 customer support on 3 occasions, and neither would do it, regardless of how calm or aggressive I got with them.
Tl;Dr: They use an IMEI database to pick out their smartphones and auto enroll them in a data plan, and you can't opt out.
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Aus_Azn said:
I think it is in their terms of service, not the contract. Perhaps I wasn't persuasive enough, as I have 2 lines off contract, but they picked up the Captivate on the IMEI basis on a former "dumbphone" line and could not remove the data plan. I spoke to both level 1 and level 2 customer support on 3 occasions, and neither would do it, regardless of how calm or aggressive I got with them.
Tl;Dr: They use an IMEI database to pick out their smartphones and auto enroll them in a data plan, and you can't opt out.
Sent from my HTC Holiday using XDA Premium App
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Lol well that sucks....hope they add my bro to a data plan in the future...I already knew they use the imei to detect the type of phone
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so how can one person use an unlocked t-mobile smartphone with at&t and not pop up on at&t's radar?
zeppler said:
so how can one person use an unlocked t-mobile smartphone with at&t and not pop up on at&t's radar?
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Att doesn't have every phone's imei....if its an att branded phone then they will for sure have the imei number in their data base...if it isn't an att phone then theres like a 75% chance the imei isn't in their data base...
That is why people with international phones (like the sgs3) are able to put there international smartphone onto the att unlimited dumbphone plan...
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makes sense, thanks for the answers guys. I guess he is going to end up either getting a data plan, or get a gsm unlocked phone.