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waiving data charges

ATT sent me a text last night saying I have gone over $200 worth of data charges and my data line is being disabled. Called them today to find out My captivate does NOT have a data plan and instead I have pay per use? (I did not knnow this was possible with smartphones anymore) Anyway I asked to have the charges waived since this was my first time with such a high bill and told them I was having issues with my phone. The rep told me all she can do at this moment is give me a $25 credit towards it, mainly because she can't do anything until its officially on the next bill.
Anyways 3 questions:
1. Has anyone had experience with AT&T being nice and waiving this first time offenses?
2. How the hell do I NOT have a dataplan? I thought at&t was on point with adding data plans to smart phones.
3. Is there a better app for limiting all data except mms? I've been using the free apndroid and it seems buggy on my phone and I never know if its truely limiting data or not.
Thanks in advance

When I first bought my Cappy from best buy they made me set up my data plan right then and there.

They definitely can. When I bought the captivate I had very similar thing happen to me and they fully reversed the charges. It took a couple calls and repeatedly asking for a manager and/or somebody in the complaints department, but I did get my money back.

silverslotcar said:
When I first bought my Cappy from best buy they made me set up my data plan right then and there.
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They did that to me aswell and also at bestbuy. BUT I used another lines upgrade on our plan to get this phone. So I assumed it would switch to mine when we swapped sims.

No thats absolute garbage, I used to work as an inbound ATT Customer Service Rep, first of all, they can give you up to a $250 credit without asking anybody, I used to do it routinely for people, especially when something like this happened and they wanted to add the plan, I'd wipe the charges, and set em up on the unlimited.
I'd call back or go back in and raise hell, say that it's their fault if they didn't provision you with a plan, it says right in the contract you need to have one. Don't worry, they'll take it off, as far as limiting data, I'm not entirely sure, I don't worry about it op much since I still have my unlimited plan. Good luck tho!

mike3000 said:
They did that to me aswell and also at bestbuy. BUT I used another lines upgrade on our plan to get this phone. So I assumed it would switch to mine when we swapped sims.
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Aah yeah I bet thats the issue, is the Data plan is on the wrong line, I don't think it'll automatically switch just from swapping sims.

mike3000 said:
ATT sent me a text last night saying I have gone over $200 worth of data charges and my data line is being disabled. Called them today to find out My captivate does NOT have a data plan and instead I have pay per use? (I did not knnow this was possible with smartphones anymore) Anyway I asked to have the charges waived since this was my first time with such a high bill and told them I was having issues with my phone. The rep told me all she can do at this moment is give me a $25 credit towards it, mainly because she can't do anything until its officially on the next bill.
Anyways 3 questions:
1. Has anyone had experience with AT&T being nice and waiving this first time offenses?
2. How the hell do I NOT have a dataplan? I thought at&t was on point with adding data plans to smart phones.
3. Is there a better app for limiting all data except mms? I've been using the free apndroid and it seems buggy on my phone and I never know if its truely limiting data or not.
Thanks in advance
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Click to collapse
Yes. They do! Not just these, they even waive accidental charges based on ur history with them. Just be polite and nice with them, and they would do it. It all depends on how u talk to them.

Thank you all for the posts, made me breathe a sigh of relief. Should I still wait until the bill becomes official? Or keep raising hell with them now?

mike3000 said:
Thank you all for the posts, made me breathe a sigh of relief. Should I still wait until the bill becomes official? Or keep raising hell with them now?
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No bother too much. Call up customer care, and tell them to convert ur "pay per use" into a $15 or a $25 plan, and to back date it from the start of ur current billing cycle. this will eliminate surprises when bill comes.
Edit: I did it just in last month's billing cycle. I had the 200 MB plan. But I used like 250 within the first 2 weeks. So I went online, and changed my plan to 2 GB plan and back dated it. All I got this month was a $10 extra, but that's expected since they would charge $25 for this month too, and not $15.

diablo009 said:
No bother too much. Call up customer care, and tell them to convert ur "pay per use" into a $15 or a $25 plan, and to back date it from the start of ur current billing cycle. this will eliminate surprises when bill comes.
Edit: I did it just in last month's billing cycle. I had the 200 MB plan. But I used like 250 within the first 2 weeks. So I went online, and changed my plan to 2 GB plan and back dated it. All I got this month was a $10 extra, but that's expected since they would charge $25 for this month too, and not $15.
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I'd like to keep the payper use and just make sure my phone never ever accesses data (besides mms). I'm surrounded by wifi practically everywhere I am and I see no point in me paying for data.

mike3000 said:
I'd like to keep the payper use and just make sure my phone never ever accesses data (besides mms). I'm surrounded by wifi practically everywhere I am and I see no point in me paying for data.
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No worries. Tell them to back-date ur data plan. And when ur next month billing starts, convert that back into a pay per use.
You could consider keeping ur data turned off to avoid these "accidental" usages in future. AT&T might not listen to these requests if repeated.

Log into the att profile and match the phone to your account
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Just be nice and explain that you were never told by a rep when signing up about data and you assumed data would automatically be turned off.
I'd advise on getting the $25 Data plan.

When I first added texting, the person screwed it up and didn't actually add unlimited texting.
Two days later I got a text saying that I had $50 worth of texting fees.
They took care of it, but I think that we ended up paying a $200+ bill and then a sub $100 bill to offset it.

^Good luck with that. They are now requiring ALL smartphone users to have at least the minimum data plan.

I had this happen when I gave my brother an old MyTouch. It was only a $60 charge but I simply called them and told them we didn't realize it was transmitting data (he wasn't using any of the data, it was just background stuff) The rep told me they could reverse the charges and add a retroactive data plan to the beginning of the billing cycle. Brought the $60 charge down to only $15. Simple phone call, just be nice, no reason to cause any trouble with them. Good luck!

rrrrramos said:
I had this happen when I gave my brother an old MyTouch. It was only a $60 charge but I simply called them and told them we didn't realize it was transmitting data (he wasn't using any of the data, it was just background stuff) The rep told me they could reverse the charges and add a retroactive data plan to the beginning of the billing cycle. Brought the $60 charge down to only $15. Simple phone call, just be nice, no reason to cause any trouble with them. Good luck!
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+1
be nice to them, that's the key. the will reverse the charges. but i don't think they would let u use pay per use. since u have a smartphone u would need to have a min. $15 data plan.

I work for at&t and its common practice to reverse these charges by re-rating the plan. However if youre asking for a credit and not adding a data plan it will be a lot more difficult. In addition data is mandatory on PDAs and you'll have to fight that battle also.
Ps. Like everyone else already said. Be nice!
Sent from my SGH-I897 using Tapatalk

Wow! a $200000 phone bill

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2394939,00.asp#fbid=M227xC8oyTv
A T-Mobile customer in Florida was "shaking and crying" when she received a phone bill of more than $200,000 last month, largely because her younger brother didn't turn off data roaming during a vacation in Canada.
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they really need to offer more unlimited plans, including unlimited roaming, and unlimited internationals

AllGamer said:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2394939,00.asp#fbid=M227xC8oyTv
they really need to offer more unlimited plans, including unlimited roaming, and unlimited internationals
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I thought this was funny as hell least tmo was nice n cut it
Sent from my PC36100 using xda premium

Ohhhh....that had to be terrifyingly devastating to see. T-Mob really ought to drop that, or at least drop it down to where it's reasonable.

I would say even 2500 is just, I can't even put in to words. I would never use them again and I would take them to court over it. ( I never herd of more than a $1500 phone bill and that was a mistake.) I mean 250 would sting, but you could likely pay that and not do that again. T-mob you are just, can't put in words bad.

And stupid crap like this is why the government wants to step in.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App

If that idiot brother kept texting and using data and was getting the $50, $100, etc warnings like Tmobile said he was getting, it is completely his fault. It wasn't like he just left roaming enabled during his vacation. He actively used the connection without knowing the consequences. I think they should have to pay more than $2500.

!
Hey Zeus Christo!

Teenager brother (porno lover) + Trip abroad (no girlfriend) + Roaming (no WIFI) = BAD COMBINATION

Cpl of u miss the part where it says they are deaf? They weren't retarded
Sent from my PC36100 using xda premium

ckoadiyn said:
Cpl of u miss the part where it says they are deaf? They weren't retarded
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i personally have an in law that is born deaf, so i feel for the lady paying the bills
Texting is their only way of communication with the rest of the "human" word

Wow...that's a nasty phone bill. About a year and a half ago i got a bill for my landline for over 300 GBP. That's just over 400 USD i think. my cousin and others had been using the phone a lot to make international calls. The bill was for a 3 month period or something like that. Can't remember. But yeah...and i thought that was bad!
Oh well....that's how it goes sometime. Still...a six figure phone bill is insane. The overseas data charges are crazy high all over it seems.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

ckoadiyn said:
Cpl of u miss the part where it says they are deaf? They weren't retarded
Sent from my PC36100 using xda premium
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Ignoring warnings that you've run up $50, $100, $200, $500 in data roaming is pretty stupid.
O2 sends out warnings at £20, £40, and caps it at 50MB, unless you've agreed more.

con247 said:
If that idiot brother kept texting and using data and was getting the $50, $100, etc warnings like Tmobile said he was getting, it is completely his fault. It wasn't like he just left roaming enabled during his vacation. He actively used the connection without knowing the consequences. I think they should have to pay more than $2500.
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you wouldnt be saying that if it was your account and your younger brother. get real.

cobraboy85 said:
you wouldnt be saying that if it was your account and your younger brother. get real.
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+1
I think they should cut it to 250 and change how they bill things.

I just can't believe how little consumer protection regulation there seems to be in the US.

Damn, that's a house right there.

xaccers said:
I just can't believe how little consumer protection regulation there seems to be in the US.
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It's only recently that UK/Europe has had protection to roaming fees, and it ONLY applies within the EU. In fact, only recently, Watchdog was talking about people who didn't turn off data when abroad and got hit with ridiculous bills.

holy crap. i would think that the carrier would have disconnected the phone way earlier.
thats insane!

I worked at Verizon Wireless for over a year. The worst I ever saw was 40K. Damn data roaming...
Seems like it's mostly her brother's fault. But at least they're taking care of her.

Ouch, that's all I can say.
Sent from my HTC Desire using xda premium

Verizon's "Screw Everyone Plan"

OK, so I realized that our long standing unlimited plans are going away. Fair enough, but I've finally done the math and we are all going to get boned in a BIG way (minimum of 25% increase in bill). This is almost enough to go back to the dark ages and forget my stupid cell phone service all together. But before I take the leap out into the vast void, I figured maybe someone else was pawing over this and done some research of their own?
So here's the question I pose:
What's the smartest route to go now? I've been thinking about coverage issues, and obviously Verizon has the biggest reach, but I'm thinking this last "less than tactful" boning was the last straw.
Is anyone else about to flush Verizon, or am I alone in this?
6GB + Cell = $120. 4GB + Cell = $100. I'm not sure whether to laugh, or cry?
I'm paying ~$70... Umm... Seems like Verizon is the new Ma Bell on the block?

Verizon has definitely screwed over the single phone customers.
with that, it's not any better... $59.99 for 450 minutes/unlimited text, plus $30 for 2GB of data
a huge savings of $10.
edit: forgot to mention, if you want more than 2GB, you have to go with the Shared Everything plan even though you're just one person. totally blows.

mrhomiec said:
Verizon has definitely screwed over the single phone customers.
with that, it's not any better... $59.99 for 450 minutes/unlimited text, plus $30 for 2GB of data
a huge savings of $10.
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Ah... Unlimited text. Hmm.. I forgot people are big into texting. OK, so I guess this won't be a system shock for everyone like it is for me. More like slowly turning up the heat on the frog in the pot.

I currently pay about $82 a month for 4GB 450 minutes and 250 texts with nights and weekends and mobile to mobile I don't even get close to the limits on anything. If I had to switch to the share 1GB would be $90 and the 4GB like I have now would be $110 and that doesn't even include taxes and fees. You can get the prepaid smart phone with 1GB for $80 but even that would be more that we are paying now. The only people who save money with these plans are going to be people with multiple devices that don't use a lot of data. It's a good deal if you use a lot of minutes or text a lot, but there are so many alternatives you can use that I cant see this being good for anyone really. I will stay as long as I can keep my current plan otherwise I will just switch to Sprint.

Was just looking at Sprint...
jrb0408 said:
I currently pay about $82 a month for 4GB 450 minutes and 250 texts with nights and weekends and mobile to mobile I don't even get close to the limits on anything. If I had to switch to the share 1GB would be $90 and the 4GB like I have now would be $110 and that doesn't even include taxes and fees. You can get the prepaid smart phone with 1GB for $80 but even that would be more that we are paying now. The only people who save money with these plans are going to be people with multiple devices that don't use a lot of data. It's a good deal if you use a lot of minutes or text a lot, but there are so many alternatives you can use that I cant see this being good for anyone really. I will stay as long as I can keep my current plan otherwise I will just switch to Sprint.
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Based on the reviews here in Colorado, and the price difference, as well as the good selection of phones, I'm 99% confident that if Verizon doesn't pull their heads out by summer/fall of next year, I'm jumping to Sprint as well.

This is why I haven't been looking to upgrade. Red might loose a long time customer.

jrb0408 said:
I currently pay about $82 a month for 4GB 450 minutes and 250 texts with nights and weekends and mobile to mobile I don't even get close to the limits on anything. If I had to switch to the share 1GB would be $90 and the 4GB like I have now would be $110 and that doesn't even include taxes and fees. You can get the prepaid smart phone with 1GB for $80 but even that would be more that we are paying now. The only people who save money with these plans are going to be people with multiple devices that don't use a lot of data. It's a good deal if you use a lot of minutes or text a lot, but there are so many alternatives you can use that I cant see this being good for anyone really. I will stay as long as I can keep my current plan otherwise I will just switch to Sprint.
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I currently pay around $150 with 1 smart phone and 4 basic. 1400 mins and 150 mb. The new Screw me plan for the exact same except 2 gb would cost me $220 and I lose most of an employee discount for where I work. I checked T-Mobile and they have a comparable plan to where I'm at and u would wind up paying right around where I am right one. Vzw will lose this customer from 1999.
Sent from my VS910 4G using xda app-developers app

I had 2 phone line with 1400 mins shared and 4g on each phone. I used all 4 every month and my wife hardly used any. I also had unlimited texting. Now i have unlimited calls and texting and 4 g shared and im saving 30 a month. So i guess it helped me out. Seeing as we were only using 4g a month anyways.
Sent from my DROID4 using xda premium

I'm currently grandfathered in with unlimited text and data and pretty much refuse to sign a new contract under these new guidelines so I will just keep this plan I have and won't bother buying my phones from them now if their gonna try to charge me full retail, I just picked up a new nexus for $300 on ebay FU Verizon!!!

same boat here... im grandfathered in under the old unlimited plan, but once this contract is up come next May, im jumping on my wife's family share plan with Sprint. Then ill have a better phone, unlimited everything again, and only pay 35.00 per/mo since its chipping in on the plan. WAY better then the 76.00 im paying now and that includes an 18% corperate discount..
Seriously Verizon? get real.

jaymazz13 said:
I'm currently grandfathered in with unlimited text and data and pretty much refuse to sign a new contract under these new guidelines so I will just keep this plan I have and won't bother buying my phones from them now if their gonna try to charge me full retail, I just picked up a new nexus for $300 on ebay FU Verizon!!!
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word it's all about just not upping on a new contract. well worth the price of a phone

youknowmeman said:
word it's all about just not upping on a new contract. well worth the price of a phone
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I am thinking going the ebay route, but I am afraid I will get a stolen phone....

I'm grandfathered in on my unlimited too. I got my Revo before they made the upgrade change...lucky me...I have my DX to my partner and her D1 to our daughter. My daughter doesn't need a 4G phone...and because my partner only uses her phone to call people...and doesn't need a 4G either.
I pay way too much a month for only 2000 shared minutes...family and friends (10)...unlimited text and data = $245 on 3 lines.
We is decide to buy Amazon or eBay for upgrades if we decide to get better phones for them.
Sent from my VS910 4G using xda app-developers app

osafer said:
I am thinking going the ebay route, but I am afraid I will get a stolen phone....
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even if you buy retail i think it's still worth it for the unlimited data.. that being said usually stolen phones won't come with the box & docs so that's a safe way to tell

I bought my past few phones off craigslist, cheaper than ebay, and I always have them meet me at a verizon store.

So you have Verizon activate the phone and then you pay the person you're buying it from after you know it's good to go?

YUP! Well that's what happened last time. Most of the time you can just meet at the Verizon store and have one of the clerks check the ESN# to make sure it hasn't been reported lost or stolen, so normally you dont need to have the seller wait round for activation.

Great tip!

youknowmeman said:
even if you buy retail i think it's still worth it for the unlimited data.. that being said usually stolen phones won't come with the box & docs so that's a safe way to tell
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I agree. I sold my REVO and got a Galaxy Nexus so I could keep my unlimited, and I'll never buy a phone from a Verizon store again. I'll keep upgrading via ebay or craigslist and just keep replacing my phone. That way I never have to renew my contract and I get to keep unlimited.

I'm on a family plan. Does this mean upgrading any phone would cause a change in the plan for all of us? I don't think I could hold off all the family members very long to keep the old plan.
Sent from my VS910 4G using Tapatalk 2

Bad Carrier Stories

I need to vent-out folks. Is there such a thread already? Anyhow, I'm fed up with the T-Mobile customer service. They are naturally stealing my money! Here is the story.
I have switched to Verizon for better reception and canceled my family plan this summer. But T-Mobile continued to charge me for 6 (SIX) month after that. I have called them 4 (FOUR) times. They were doing cancellation with me on the phone EACH time, reassuring that everything is great now. But they have continued to charge my card after that month after month. After the 4th call they have refunded part of my money. But in the form of an AMEX credit card, which is not working in the places I'm shopping! And yes, they DID charge me for the canceled and refunded service a month later AGAIN! AVOID this robbers!

After being charged 2(TWO) times you must go to the credit card company 1(ONE) time and tell them your story and 4(FOUR) times so that they don't charge you the 3rd(THIRD) time.

Sure thing, lazy pays twice.

My worst carrier story.
Back in 2006 when I was still in the Marines I spent 2 weeks on the USS Essex, a small deck aircraft carrier. Well that thing is like a floating city and I got lost on it one day for like 20 minutes and it made me late to my shift on watch. It was definitely the worst carrier experience I ever had.

StormMcCloud said:
My worst carrier story.
Back in 2006 when I was still in the Marines I spent 2 weeks on the USS Essex, a small deck aircraft carrier. Well that thing is like a floating city and I got lost on it one day for like 20 minutes and it made me late to my shift on watch. It was definitely the worst carrier experience I ever had.
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Haha i love you for this, but seriously though, on att we were once charged $550 for a month when we should have paid 120 for the three of us and my dad's data plan, we called them and they said there was nothing they could do at first, then we hung up and talked to someone who could fix it. We even got a discount for our troubles.
Sent from my HTC Sensation using Tapatalk 2

It was not mine, but my moms, She is supposed to only be charged Php500 a month when she was on Smart, then she is usually charged Php600+ a month, we left that carrier ever since.
__________________
Sweet Devil >_<
GT-P3100
Android 4.0.4 ICS
Sun Cellular
"LG should go bankrupt"

I'm on Airtel since 2006. Never ever changed the sim/service or taken another one. After I've activated the DND Mode (Do Not Disturb) I'm feeling pretty good for not getting their tele-marketing calls. Still text message spams occur.

Im on VIVA since 2012 and im satisfied with their offers. Though the speed of 3G data is really slow!
Sent from my GT-S5660 using xda app-developers app

Over the past 2-3 months, people living in the Pacific northwest have been having serious issues with AT&T's LTE. Calls & texts never go through, sometimes it takes over 4 hours for voicemail or texts to show up. There have been massive complaints on AT&It's support forums & Facebook page.
If I haven't been with them for so long, and grandfathered into the unlimited data, I would split in a heartbeat.
Sent from my SGH-I717 using xda premium

Ah T-Mobile... How I hate you. Though KPN isn't that much better...
Living on the border is a hassle no matter which carrier you have. You Americans are a lucky lot, you don't have to deal with that.
Most ridiculous thing is this: I have an unlimited data plan, with 35 euro a month deposit into my mobile wallet, that transfers into the next month. So by now I have about 840 euros of mobile cash to spend. (I still pay per minute, as opposed to having an amount of minutes per month.) But 080x, 090x and service numbers fall outside my package (meaning they are withdrawn directly from my bank account.). Calling, being called, texting and browsing in and from abroad also falls outside my package.
So I have no hope of ever getting rid of those 840 euros, simply because everyone uses What'sapp these days, and I don't have a data limit.
They won't give me a refund, they won't put the money towards a new phone, and if I ever tell them I bought another phone, they'll switch my package around to one with a limit, and I'll lose everything. Lovely, isn't it? I had to trick them into giving me a new microsim, because obviously all new phones can't use the old, big ones anymore.

ShadowLea said:
Ah T-Mobile... How I hate you. Though KPN isn't that much better...
Living on the border is a hassle no matter which carrier you have. You Americans are a lucky lot, you don't have to deal with that.
Most ridiculous thing is this: I have an unlimited data plan, with 35 euro a month deposit into my mobile wallet, that transfers into the next month. So by now I have about 840 euros of mobile cash to spend. (I still pay per minute, as opposed to having an amount of minutes per month.) But 080x, 090x and service numbers fall outside my package (meaning they are withdrawn directly from my bank account.). Calling, being called, texting and browsing in and from abroad also falls outside my package.
So I have no hope of ever getting rid of those 840 euros, simply because everyone uses What'sapp these days, and I don't have a data limit.
They won't give me a refund, they won't put the money towards a new phone, and if I ever tell them I bought another phone, they'll switch my package around to one with a limit, and I'll lose everything. Lovely, isn't it? I had to trick them into giving me a new microsim, because obviously all new phones can't use the old, big ones anymore.
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I actually love kpn. Best network in the netherlands, fast internet. Only i bit more expensive. I think you just took the wrong subscription.
Sent from my LT15i using xda app-developers app

My worst carrier story was with T-mobile when I upgraded my line 4 months before my contract was up... I called up customer loyalty and told them I wanted the Note II... This was back in late october when the phone first came out and they told me they'd do an early upgrade for me and the price is $419 and a $50 rebate and i told them that was TOO damn high. The lady on the other end ended up giving me the phone for like $200 after the MIR and gave me a free month. When the statement came that month, I still got charged for the month, I was so angry about this I called them back and was wondering what happened to my free month. They ended up crediting my account and telling me not to pay the bill... Can you believe they wasted 15 minutes of my time in total going through all that trouble?

AT&T mobile = complaint to FCC
FCC = resolution to complainant

spromper said:
I actually love kpn. Best network in the netherlands, fast internet. Only i bit more expensive. I think you just took the wrong subscription.
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No, it's just an old one. 3.5 years, by now. Relax 25. Advantage of it is that I pay 30 euro's a month for truly unlimited Internet. A similar subscription today costs 92 euro's a month....
KPN is ridiculously expensive, and a real terror when it comes to borders/abroad. Since I live on the German border, T-Mobile makes more sense. I don't have to hitchhike onto another carrier's signal.

Aah, like that. Mine is 2years old, 1gb limit. Thats enough for me and its fast. i dont go abroad very much so for me kpn is awesome.
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Ptel Service for $41.24/mo w/ Coupon - Tmobile USA MVNO

The original HOT deal has ended. See below for the latest 25% discount. I've been meaning to post this for a couple months now and kept putting it off thinking that a) the promo was about to expire and b) most people might find this too much of a hassle. I however think this is a steal and I'm willing to move to Ptel while it's this price and switch elsewhere if the deal ends. The joys of using Google Voice means I don't really care if the phone number associated with my SIM changes. If you fall in to the same camp, read on.
*********
Plans
Ptel offers two "unlimited" plans:
$40 unlimited talk and text. First 250MB at 4G speeds then throttled.
$50 unlimited talk and text. First 2GB at 4G speeds then throttled.
Both plans include unlimited international text, MMS, and 411. Also, unlike all other prepaid companies I've tried, Ptel includes conditional call forwarding so Google Voicemail is not a problem.
Promo Codes
PTELG25 = 25% off ($4.99 SIM Card & Free shipping) = upfront cost of $41.24 for the unlimited 2GB plan -OR- $33.74 for the unlimited 250MB plan
This code requires you to buy a sim/top-up card combo each time, unfortunately. I don't see any way to use the coupon code when simply topping up.
Expired Codes
PTELSLICK20 = $20 off (Free SIM Card & shipping) = $30.00 upfront cost
-OR-
PTEL25BRAD = $25 off (Free shipping) = $29.99 Final upfront cost
-OR-
PTELSTUD25 = 25% off your order and free shipping (not really useful IMHO unless you're buying a phone)
Additional Savings (Cashback)
Befrugal changed their policies effective July 2013. No more cashback from them when buying minutes. If you find another site that will do so, please share! In addition to getting their unlimited deal for $30 $41.24, you can get 20% cashback via BeFrugal making the final cost $24 $32.99! BeFrugal will only allow you to cash out after your account reaches $25. For those of you that are new to cashback sites, just know that in order to qualify, you must click through on the cashback site before you go to the carrier's website. I will often open up a different browser, just to make sure I don't mess anything up. For other cashback options, see here:
http://cashbackwatch.com/store.php?store=PlatinumTel
Buying Multiple Months
The deal has been going on since December at least. So, while it's not "guaranteed" $30 service, it has effectively been that for a few months now. Another option to consider is buying several months worth of SIMs if that makes sense for you. Some might consider this to be counter to the premise of buying an unlocked Nexus. My brother is one of those people that thinks buying a years worth of service up front is a bad idea. "I guess it comes down to principle. Buying 13 months is like having a 13 month contract, more or less. I'm not cool with that."
Either way, it's your call. I bought enough for 3 months and as long as the promo continues, each month I buy one more SIM.
Here are more details which I found out from a Ptel customer service rep:
1) You must order a new SIM each time you use the coupon. There's no way around that.
2) The "Activation PIN" that comes with the SIM card can be applied to your original SIM. No need to change numbers each month by using the new SIM they send you.
3) Top-up cards in any denomination are good for a full year, but...
4) Once you activate the card, you must use it up within a certain period of time. For the $50 card, the term is 180 days. Totally fine if you're just using it for the unlimited plan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, the max number of cards you can buy at once would be 13, I think. Feel free to correct me if my math is off.
Odds & Ends
Other things to keep in mind:
They send you a standard size SIM card. It's too big for the Nexus 4 so you'll need a SIM card cutter. Or you can always ask someone at a Tmobile store to cut it for you (if they have a cutter one available). I bought mine on eBay for a couple bucks. EDIT: As of April 2013, Ptel now sells Micro SIMs too (labeled as Combi Card 2FF/3FF).
Ptel has been around since 2001, but only just switched to GSM (SIM-based) service in December. It seems this promotion is their way of drumming up business on their new plans/network.
I've been on Ptel since January 2013 and have had great luck so far. Good customer service. Fast HSPA+ service in Boston. 16mb down. Zero complaints. If you have any questions, just ask.

Just figured I'd give this post a bump. Just bought another month's worth of Ptel service. The PTEL25BRAD code still works. So, $29.99 service is still in effect (before the $6 cashback).
I don't understand why no one else jumping on this? Give it a try people!

Definitely giving this a try. Thanks for the info.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

Thanks again for the tip. Picked one up last night. My total was only 20 not bad for a whole month of service. Certainly beats my old Verizon plan
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

bkarlsen said:
Thanks again for the tip. Picked one up last night. My total was only 20 not bad for a whole month of service. Certainly beats my old Verizon plan
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
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Glad to hear it! How'd you get it down to $20? Or are you doing the first tier of 4G that throttles after 250mb?

Conditional call forwarding works on Straight Talk.

Op you sound like you work for them buddy.

adamr240 said:
Conditional call forwarding works on Straight Talk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Didn't realize that. I was on Tmobile's $30 plan before and had to call and ask them to disable voicemail altogether for GV voicemail to work well.
Underground_XI said:
Op you sound like you work for them buddy.
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Haha. Well, if my XDA account was a new one, then maybe that'd be a red flag. That and and if I wasn't finding ways to pay nearly 50% what they charge per month...that too. I'm just a penny pinching mf.
It does sound too good to be true though, I admit. I hope it lasts for a while longer. At this rate, the savings will pay off my N4 by September. The only thing keeping me from buying even more cards at a time (well one of the reasons at least) is that it might be nice to have LTE at some point. It's still not clear if Tmobile will allow MVNO's to use that network.

how is tmobile's own unlimited everything for $50 any worst than this? considering you'll probably get better customer service, choice of buying a new phone and making payments, no contract or buying upfront, discount monthly bill if you're a student or have corporate discount, and last but not least like you've mentioned, simplicity?

Great tip. Ordering
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

khanh1289 said:
how is tmobile's own unlimited everything for $50 any worst than this? considering you'll probably get better customer service, choice of buying a new phone and making payments, no contract or buying upfront, discount monthly bill if you're a student or have corporate discount, and last but not least like you've mentioned, simplicity?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At Ptel's normal monthly fee, the only benefit would be 2gb of unthrottled service instead of 500mb. With the coupon codes in the OP, plus cash back, Ptel's a no brainer in my opinion.
Sent from my Nexus 4

Yeah I went with the first tier. In their terms it only throttles to 3g after 250mb. Can't beat 20 bucks for a full month of unlimited everything even if it is at 3g speeds. I really appreciate the tip.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

bkarlsen said:
Yeah I went with the first tier. In their terms it only throttles to 3g after 250mb. Can't beat 20 bucks for a full month of unlimited everything even if it is at 3g speeds. I really appreciate the tip.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it's 2G, at least according to their official twitter account.
https://twitter.com/ptelmobile/status/285848003506483201

adamr240 said:
Conditional call forwarding works on Straight Talk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only for Straight Talk AT&T SIM....
it does not work on Straight Talk T-Mobile.

khanh1289 said:
how is tmobile's own unlimited everything for $50 any worst than this? considering you'll probably get better customer service, choice of buying a new phone and making payments, no contract or buying upfront, discount monthly bill if you're a student or have corporate discount, and last but not least like you've mentioned, simplicity?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is just another option offered up by the OP. I personally think it will work out better for me, but if it doesnt I can just toss the sim and go back to Tmobile. But for $20 I felt it was at least worth trialing. That is one of the benefits of using my N4 with prepaid carriers. I can try out whomever I like or switch plans if I wind up needing more 4G data later on. For right now though I use mostly wifi at home and work so I just needed the data for times in between those two.
---------- Post added at 04:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:07 PM ----------
nomadism said:
I think it's 2G, at least according to their official twitter account.
https://twitter.com/ptelmobile/status/285848003506483201
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My error, I thought I had seen a note on their website about it being throttled back to 3g if I use up the 250mb. Still I dont mind the slower speed for now. And I can always switch up to their 2gb plan if their services is adequate after my test run with them. Thanks for the info. I will try to put a quick update in a week or so after I have had some time to test out their service.

khanh1289 said:
how is tmobile's own unlimited everything for $50 any worst than this? considering you'll probably get better customer service, choice of buying a new phone and making payments, no contract or buying upfront, discount monthly bill if you're a student or have corporate discount, and last but not least like you've mentioned, simplicity?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because PTel's $50 plan gives more data, and with the coupon alone it costs significantly less. Plus you can save even more with the cash back.
If they ever stop having the coupons, then you can always switch to TMobile, but as long as you can save $20 to $30 per month over TMobile, why not go with PTel?
You can get TMobile refills at a discount as well, but I haven't seen any for effectivly 60% off.
More info here:
http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php/1793983-Took-the-plunge-spent-600-real-money-in-credit
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

I went on to buy a few more and it looks like they are now offering micro Sims and the promo codes are still working. I am still stunned that I can get service for 16 a month after befrugal. Thanks again OP
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

bkarlsen said:
I went on to buy a few more and it looks like they are now offering micro Sims and the promo codes are still working. I am still stunned that I can get service for 16 a month after befrugal. Thanks again OP
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
Cool. Thanks for the update. I wouldn't mind a proper micro SIM. Didn't do a very good job cutting mine down and I'm honestly worried it may not come out without a fight. We'll see!
Oh, and I noticed they're selling the N4 now too, albeit for $399.
Sent from my Nexus 4

OK10 said:
I wan to buy a few too, and it seems to good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought so too but tested out the service this week and it works everywhere T-Mobile does. Plus unlimited phone ,text,and data for that price is amazing. Already bought 6 months worth of cards just in case promo changes. Definitely recommend buying through the befrugal link to save the extra 20%. At this rate switching to my nexus 4 will more than pay for itself.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

Just bought another month. Still working.