 
balazone
60 billion
Premium
join:2002-04-01
Wheeling, WV
 ·Comcast Formerly ..
| People don't understand The problem is that even though the terms are spelled out most people don't understand them. They only see that they can get a $100 netbook and have no clue what 5GB is or how to measure it.
It's almost where you have to go back and explain it in terms of you can download X number of webpages, songs, emails etc... and people would still run over caps.
What is needed is a utility that you can set your download limit and once you reach it, it alerts you before you download more. | |
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 | Joe12345678
join:2003-07-22
Des Plaines, IL
| Re: People don't understand why can't the additional data be shower with it's cost per MEG not KB.
Why is there no 10gb plan or way to buy data blocks at the lower rate?
why can't they have a fap like slow down with no additional data fee or you pick to have full speed with additional data fee?
Data roll over like they have on the voice side? | |
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KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
 ·AT&T Yahoo
·AT&T DSL Service
·Cox HSI
| Re: People don't understand said by Joe12345678  :why can't the additional data be shower with it's cost per MEG not KB. Why is there no 10gb plan or way to buy data blocks at the lower rate? why can't they have a fap like slow down with no additional data fee or you pick to have full speed with additional data fee? Data roll over like they have on the voice side? Because then they couldn't charge people hundreds of thousands of dollars at massive profit margins to make insane dollars.
For every user we hear about with some multi-thousand dollar bill, there are HUNDREDS if not thousands of other users who have bills of several hundred dollars they end up stuck paying because they didn't understand what they were going to be charged.
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"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." -- Benito Mussolini
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| | | k1ll3rdr4g0n
join:2005-03-19
Homer Glen, IL
| Re: People don't understand said by KrK :said by Joe12345678 :why can't the additional data be shower with it's cost per MEG not KB. Why is there no 10gb plan or way to buy data blocks at the lower rate? why can't they have a fap like slow down with no additional data fee or you pick to have full speed with additional data fee? Data roll over like they have on the voice side? Because then they couldn't charge people hundreds of thousands of dollars at massive profit margins to make insane dollars. For every user we hear about with some multi-thousand dollar bill, there are HUNDREDS if not thousands of other users who have bills of several hundred dollars they end up stuck paying because they didn't understand what they were going to be charged. BINGO, KrK, you have won the million dollar prize!
All these multi-billion dollar companies have this down to a science. It is no longer a matter of afixing the pricing so you make a profit but how many people you can screw over so you can line your pockets with people's cash. They know a percentage of people will call up and complain about it and they know the CSR will probably take off the fee or charge...however, there are a percentage of people who are lazy or dumb and think that they can't do anything about it and just pay it.
Consider the formula:
((m - n) - cost of operation) + net profit = $$$
Let n = the number of people who complain
Let m = the number of people who are screwed over
I have no proof of this but I would venture to guess ((n-m) - cost of operation) > 0
The average person does not understand the concept of how data is measured, I know this, you know this, and the billion dollar corporations know this...so what do you think the greedy people would do with this knowledge? | |
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| | me1212
join:2008-11-20
Pleasant Hill, MO | Re: People don't understand »millenicom.com/ resells verizon mobile wireless and has no cap, jchambers28 so you can get mobile now if you want. | |
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| | | | me1212
join:2008-11-20
Pleasant Hill, MO | Re: People don't understand Ok, did not know that. All I knew is that millenicom has no cap. Thanks for the info dude. | |
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| | | | me1212
join:2008-11-20
Pleasant Hill, MO | Re: People don't understand No problem dude, I like to help where I can. | |
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| | lefty1
join:2002-10-25
Clay, NY
| said by jchambers28 :They need to go back to unlimited plans or change their ways of metering. Not gonna happen. There may eventually be an adjustment to their pricing, but the gamers and movie downloaders shot down the unlimited plans. I do think they should offer something like $15/month for each additional GB used. 5GB is approximately 500,000 e-mails per month. Or over 33,000 average-sized web pages per month. If you're not a major up- or downloader, 5GB isn't gonna be an issue. If you are, well, maybe it's not the right plan for you.
I'm not sticking up for AT&T, but the 5GB cap is not a state secret, and they do notify you when you start getting close to it. Still, $28,000 is obscene, even if he streamed all month. | |
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KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK | Re: People don't understand Way too high. $1 or $2 per GB, tops. | |
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| nitzan
Premium,VIP
join:2008-02-27
 ·ViaTalk
·Comcast
| said by balazone :The problem is that even though the terms are spelled out most people don't understand them. They only see that they can get a $100 netbook and have no clue what 5GB is or how to measure it. Agreed. Those people THINK they're buying an "unlimited" plan because they're being offered an "unlimited" plan. If the carriers were selling a "5GB plan" we'd see a whole lot less of these cases. (because people would either research what "5GB" means - or they simply wouldn't buy)
You can't hide low caps in your TOS and expect people to find it. If you're selling a LIMITED plan you CANNOT sell it as an "unlimited" plan. This practice needs to be illegal. | |
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Mac Bridger
Beat It Again Bill
Premium
join:2001-01-11
Smithton, PA
clubs:
 ·Cricket Broadband
| Re: People don't understand Here's the issue. Companies are running million dollar ad campaigns that say "unlimited broadband" and NEVER mention there is a cap. The caps are NEVER mentioned in any of the advertising. Only when the TOS pops up is the cap mentioned.
So the issue is false advertising. How they're getting away with it, I don't know.
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Fight Cancer! Join DSLR's Team Discovery | |
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NyQuil Kid
8f The Nyquil Kid
join:2001-01-06
Brick, NJ | One idea, if it isn't already employed, is for the data vendor to create/modify their connection software to visually alert someone when they are close to the cap.
[8F] The NyQuil Kid | |
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Siryak
join:2005-11-26
 ·WildBlue
| The problem is that they are labeling limited data plans unlimited. There is absolutely no excuse for this IMO. If it says unlimited then it needs to be unlimited! If you are going to put a 5GB cap on it then say so. This is flat out intentional false advertising. | |
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insomniac84
join:2002-01-03
Schererville, IN
1 edit | Re: People don't understand They no longer advertise unlimited. But that doesn't really get them out of trouble. Because for years they advertised "unlimited". Just removing the word from future advertisements doesn't really advertise that there are now caps. It's very misleading. Removing an advertised detail should never be considered adequate notification of a change. They should have to advertise the cap and the per gigabyte price after the cap, otherwise they are tricking customers who don't realize they went from unlimited to grossly limited. | |
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| | lefty1
join:2002-10-25
Clay, NY
1 edit | said by Siryak :The problem is that they are labeling limited data plans unlimited. You obviously don't know what you're talking about. They are clearly NOT labeling their plans as unlimited. If you have something to the contrary, post it... | |
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| | | Skippy25
join:2000-09-13
Hazelwood, MO
| Re: People don't understand Well straight from sprints website. This is their Simply Everything plan. Which has... you guessed it a 5GB cap.
This plan includes:
* Unlimited data: Web surfing, email, BlackBerry Internet Services (BIS), GPS Navigation, Music Premier, TV Premier, NFL Mobile Live, NASCAR Sprint Cup MobileSM
* Unlimited Direct Connect: Direct Connect and Group Connect (for capable phones)
* Unlimited messaging: Text, pictures and video
* Unlimited talk: Unlimited anytime minutes, nationwide long distance and no roaming charges
Actually I would challenge you to find where they even inform you anywhere on that page or the additional info page that even begins to mention a limit on data in any form. | |
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Hazy Arc
join:2006-04-10
Greenwood, SC | You Are Wasting Your Time... No one in their right mind reads word-for-word those entire contracts. It's the same as the end user agreements with software that are so verbose. Companies have used the fine print as a crutch for years and it's highly anti-consumer. | |
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Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02 | Re: You Are Wasting Your Time... Except in this case, the fine print on the contract is accompanied by very clear references to the 5GB largely everywhere at this point (see the image above, which is from the very first data plan choice screen)... | |
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funchords
Hello
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-11
Washington, DC
·Verizon Online DSL
·Skype
| Re: You Are Wasting Your Time... said by Karl Bode :Except in this case, the fine print on the contract is accompanied by very clear references to the 5GB largely everywhere at this point (see the image above, which is from the very first data plan choice screen)... I almost don't care what the contract says: A 5 GB cap on a netbook is as predatory as a credit-card company putting a 27-day billing cycle and a $1000 late fee in their disclosure, knowing that people won't read it and will sooner or later make a late payment.
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Robb Topolski -= funchords.com =- Hillsboro, Oregon -- KJ7RL
... Do something! ... | |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| Re: You Are Wasting Your Time... said by funchords :I almost don't care what the contract says: A 5 GB cap on a netbook is as predatory as a credit-card company putting a 27-day billing cycle and a $1000 late fee in their disclosure, knowing that people won't read it and will sooner or later make a late payment. Then don't agree to such things.
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Blagojevich / Madoff 2012! | |
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Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02
Host:
Road Runner
PC gaming GAMES
PC gaming Tech
| I almost don't care what the contract says: A 5 GB cap on a netbook is as predatory as a credit-card company putting a 27-day billing cycle and a $1000 late fee in their disclosure, knowing that people won't read it and will sooner or later make a late payment. But whether the 5GB cap is a good idea is a different discussion from whether it's clear that it exists. I'm simply saying AT&T (unlike a lot of these carriers) makes it pretty clear, though more needs to be done to protect consumers from out of control data bills. | |
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| | | AmberinSLC
join:2009-02-11
Salt Lake City, UT
·Comcast
1 edit | said by funchords :said by Karl Bode :Except in this case, the fine print on the contract is accompanied by very clear references to the 5GB largely everywhere at this point (see the image above, which is from the very first data plan choice screen)... I almost don't care what the contract says: A 5 GB cap on a netbook is as predatory as a credit-card company putting a 27-day billing cycle and a $1000 late fee in their disclosure, knowing that people won't read it and will sooner or later make a late payment. The burden of reading the contract lies with the consumer. If you don't read your contract, you deserve all the nasty things they can do to you because you signed it! | |
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marigolds
Gainfully employed, finally
Premium,MVM
join:2002-05-13
Saint Louis, MO | Re: You Are Wasting Your Time... Deserve does not mean "legally obligated to allow". | |
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| | | | | AmberinSLC
join:2009-02-11
Salt Lake City, UT | Re: You Are Wasting Your Time... A contract is binding. If you choose not to read it, that would be your fault. It is all presented to you. If you don't understand it, get a lawyer. | |
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marigolds
Gainfully employed, finally
Premium,MVM
join:2002-05-13
Saint Louis, MO
| Re: You Are Wasting Your Time... said by AmberinSLC :A contract is binding. If you choose not to read it, that would be your fault. It is all presented to you. If you don't understand it, get a lawyer. Illegal terms are not binding even if you agree to them.
And it is not reasonable to require someone to get a lawyer to sign an agreement to use a $50 product which they have already purchased.
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ISCABBS - the oldest and largest BBS on the Internet
telnet://bbs.iscabbs.com
Professional Geographer
Geographic Information Science researcher | |
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| | | | | | | AmberinSLC
join:2009-02-11
Salt Lake City, UT | Re: You Are Wasting Your Time... Then don't sign. | |
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marigolds
Gainfully employed, finally
Premium,MVM
join:2002-05-13
Saint Louis, MO | Re: You Are Wasting Your Time... I don't think you understand how the deal works...
once you purchase the laptop, you must sign the agreement or return the laptop. You don't get to see your agreement for the data card before you purchase the laptop. | |
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KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK | It is absolutely predatory, that is for certain.
They encourage and try to set you up for the fall. | |
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| | | | AmberinSLC
join:2009-02-11
Salt Lake City, UT
·Comcast
| Re: You Are Wasting Your Time... said by KrK :It is absolutely predatory, that is for certain. They encourage and try to set you up for the fall. Nobody is twisting your arm to sign | |
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KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
·AT&T Yahoo
·AT&T DSL Service
·Cox HSI
| Re: You Are Wasting Your Time... said by AmberinSLC :said by KrK :It is absolutely predatory, that is for certain. They encourage and try to set you up for the fall. Nobody is twisting your arm to sign No, the arm twisting (or more aptly, the ripping of your arm from the socket) comes immediately afterwards, after they snared you into the trap.
It's like someone putting landmines everywhere then posting signs saying "Warning: Landmines are in random places. Don't step on one or it's your problem."
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"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." -- Benito Mussolini
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| | | | | | AmberinSLC
join:2009-02-11
Salt Lake City, UT | Re: You Are Wasting Your Time... It is called personal responsibility. This is a concept you might find useful when entering into a contract for a service. | |
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ninjatutle
Premium
join:2006-01-02
San Ramon, CA
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| I'm on teh service now. ATT 3G + Netbook..But I bought my MSI netbook before they came out with this deal.
As long as you keep it under 200MB/day, you're good. | |
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SLD
Premium
join:2002-04-17 | Re: You Are Wasting Your Time... But we all now you are a closet P2P user - what are you going to do??? | |
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major marco
Res Firma Mitescere Nescit
Premium
join:2003-02-13
Stepford, CA
clubs:
| said by Karl Bode :Except in this case, the fine print on the contract is accompanied by very clear references to the 5GB largely everywhere at this point (see the image above, which is from the very first data plan choice screen)... So I take it that you're OK with the exploitation/fleecing of technical illiterates/clueless consumers in the name of making a buck? What's a fifty thousand dollar cell phone bill to Joe Blow when you can just point to your TOS and say Oh so you didn't read/understand the terms of your contract? Too bad so sad. Fuck you. Pay me.
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The Toll
Tracking Lord Stanley
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| said by Hazy Arc :No one in their right mind reads word-for-word those entire contracts. Speak for yourself. Some of us prefer to know fully to what we are agreeing before we agree to it.
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Blagojevich / Madoff 2012! | |
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| fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| said by Hazy Arc :No one in their right mind reads word-for-word those entire contracts. Which is what they are supposed to be reading. It's like buying a car and saying "that bill of sale contract with all that writing in small print wasn't worth my time to read" when in fact is IS the very item you need to be reading.
said by Hazy Arc : It's the same as the end user agreements with software that are so verbose. Companies have used the fine print as a crutch for years and it's highly anti-consumer. The fine print, as you call it, defines your terms. So, okay.. no one wants to read the "fine print" right? Then what? Put it into 10 point type? ... with 14 pages? Then it will be "It was 14 pages, and they bury it in the multiple pages of word after word"... and so on.
What you don't understand is that every thing in an agreement is enforceable. EVERYTHING in the agreement protects the company against those that claim "I didn't know" or "you never told me" ammo they sue over. Everything in that contract spells out the questions that people say they have about "well? What are you selling me?"
You can' write out a terms of service contract in the form of a FAQ.. besides, the FAQ would either become small print or pages of questions no one would read in the first place.
So... as you sit here and bash the small print as a crutch and anti-consumer.. then, please, spend some time telling us how you would change it? Invent your own fictitious wireless company and spell out the terms of your service and how you're selling it. Post it here in a message and lets see what you come up with.. after you do, let us all post back to you our gripes we have and as we do, point to your "terms" and defend yourself.
Once you do that, you too will embrace these so called "crutches" and "anti-consumer fine print" statements.
The fine print anti-consumer documents are there to protect themselves from the lazy ignorant people that purchase their service. If you left it all up to advertisements and customer service reps to define the service to the customer, for one, you'd be on the phone for 30 minutes to hear about all the terms, and then you'd still have a he-said she-said situation.
Your argument about not reading the contracts word for word, alone, has so many things wrong with it, much less sitting here complaining about fine print and anti-consumer. You come to complain, and you have no alternative, right? How do you fix the so-called problem?
You can't sole consumer laziness. Contracts are there for are reason.. choosing not to read them WORD - FOR - WORD is not the problem of the person's who's agreement you chose not to read. | |
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Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02 | Re: You Are Wasting Your Time... What a dumb down society we are now. Ironic. | |
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martmann
join:2000-12-11
Federal Way, WA | Re: You Are Wasting Your Time... Exact what I was think! | |
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funchords
Hello
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-11
Washington, DC
·Verizon Online DSL
·Skype
1 edit |  These are OUR AIRWAVES being profiteered-- Paging the FCC
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Robb Topolski -= funchords.com =- Hillsboro, Oregon -- KJ7RL
... Do something! ... | |
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jchambers28
join:2007-05-12
Alma, AR | Re: These are OUR AIRWAVES being profiteered-- Paging the FCC your right these are not reasonable charges. | |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA | They do charge reasonable for a reasonable amount of data... its the overage fees that are high.
If all wireless data were 'unlimited', I wouldn't expect a $60/month bill for service, but a much higher bill to start with. | |
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| patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY
| said by funchords :It is the FCC's mission to "make available so far as possible, to all non-natural people of the United States, fixed it for you. | |
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dmelling
join:2009-02-26
New Paris, OH | How about a meter? They could also enable a meter that shows how much data is used or left......for those that do not understand, make it a percentage meter...... | |
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Steve B
join:2004-08-02
Seattle, WA | Funny..... RadioShack carries the carrier's brochures which people look at and they clearly show the amount of data provided is 5GB. To me its another case of where people just fail to research and just read some basic info. | |
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rcabor
join:2007-04-17
Grand Prairie, TX
| Greed Why not just turn off the service when the cap is reached. Because these companies are greedy thats why. Many people dont realize what the cap is or that they are nearing it. If they automatically turn it off at the cap, if someone were to call in and complain, then they could be informed that they are going to take it in the kazoo if they want to re enable it. But like Time Warner, they want to just make you pay out the hooha after you get the bill, not stop you from "overloading" their network. To use above the cap, they should have a feature that you have to approve before you rack up a big bill, but they dont want to bring attention to their rape their customer intent. | |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD | AT&T Should Countersue This woman signed a contract without reading it, on what grounds does she have to sue anyone?
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Blagojevich / Madoff 2012! | |
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jsz0
join:2008-01-23
Jewett City, CT
·Comcast
| It's a reasonable point... If the mortgage crisis has taught us anything it should be that the fine print does matter. If you're going to get involved in a contract you should probably read it. If you don't understand it you should find someone who does and have them explain it to you. It bothers me how entitled some people feel about their own ignorance. It ends up hurting all consumers because companies can just slip something into the fine print knowing most of their customers will never take the time to read it. | |
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| rcabor
join:2007-04-17
Grand Prairie, TX
| Re: It's a reasonable point... Have you ever read that fine print and not understood something, then asked the sales guy what it means. Maybe he knows and tells you, maybe he doesn't know, but makes something up that's not true. Is it your fault? Or when we buy phones, we are supposed to bring our lawyers along? | |
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jsz0
join:2008-01-23
Jewett City, CT | Re: It's a reasonable point... Probably, yeah. The possible charges are enough to justify it I'd say. | |
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Bit
Premium
join:2009-02-19
00000 | Tell that the the Verizon Agents who couldn't tell callers accurate rates for their services and certainly AT&T's agents are no better.
»verizonmath.blogspot.com/ | |
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| xA4Hx
join:2005-10-23
Indianapolis, IN | Hate to say this but I believe 5gb is right on the first page of the contract in bold. She should be out of gas. If the tool warns u of ur usage, what more can you ask?
-illusion | |
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Bit
Premium
join:2009-02-19
00000 | Re: It's a reasonable point... That AT&T stop using the word UNLIMITED unless they actually mean UNLIMITED. | |
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| xA4Hx
join:2005-10-23
Indianapolis, IN | Re: They wouldn't have big bills if AT&T didn't lie That is a phone not an aircard. | |
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| | rcabor
join:2007-04-17
Grand Prairie, TX | Re: They wouldn't have big bills if AT&T didn't lie so the phones have no cap, but only aircards do? | |
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| | | xA4Hx
join:2005-10-23
Indianapolis, IN
1 edit | Re: They wouldn't have big bills if AT&T didn't lie Aircards say 5gb data , if you scroll up u would see a possible page. Phones still say unlimited for now, so if there is an issue with phone data then you would have a case since all documents on phone say unlimited but documents on aircards have said 5gb cap for a while now. Because I remember complaining about it and saying all the customers going to go to sprint for unlimited then sprint went 5gb later on as well. I dont work for ATT or Sprint but a third party.
-illusion
PS. But if your thinking of tethering, they have tether plans for phones and they have a 5gb cap on them as well but right now there is not a cap known for phones, bet if you went over 5gb on a phone they look into it to see if u found a way to tether. | |
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ninjatutle
Premium
join:2006-01-02
San Ramon, CA
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| Re: They wouldn't have big bills if AT&T didn't lie Yep, scroll up to my post and you will see aircards do not have unlimited anywhere. I wish it were unlimited still but Verizon started this whole 5GB mess years ago....Data on yer phone is still unlimited. Meaning browse where ever the #$#@ you want and don't worry.
»Re: You Are Wasting Your Time...
Cell phone contracts are actually some of the easiest things to read. 500 mins for $40 or so. Want some unlimited text? Gimme $10 bucks more a month. Want this phone for free? Stick with us for 2 years and its yours  | |
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TwoCpus4me
join:2003-10-16 | How about a reasonable contract provision Contracts for commodity electronics, cable, phone or similar not to exceed 4 paragraphs or 2000 words and be printed in no less than 12 point font, written in terms a fifth grader can understand and read in under five minutes
Problem solved. | |
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| xA4Hx
join:2005-10-23
Indianapolis, IN | Re: How about a reasonable contract provision cellphone contracts for att that are printed out are 3 pages one of them is summary of first and regular month charges.
So this is totally customer to blame.
-illusion | |
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stufried
Premium
join:2003-10-13
·Verizon BroadbandA..
| How About $10 for Each Extra Gig? When they switched to a five gig cap, they called it a "soft cap" which implies to me that if you go over once in a great while they won't enforce it or that they would throttle you or something. What I don't get is why they won't charge overages in some non-punitive manner, e.g. $10 per each extra gig. | |
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BF69
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN
| Re: How About $10 for Each Extra Gig? said by stufried :When they switched to a five gig cap, they called it a "soft cap" which implies to me that if you go over once in a great while they won't enforce it or that they would throttle you or something. What I don't get is why they won't charge overages in some non-punitive manner, e.g. $10 per each extra gig. $10 is still a rip off. If they just wanted to charge someone the actual cost of the exr bandwidt it's be les than 25 cents per GB.
The outrageous cost is to discourage people from actually using the service very much ins tead of say taking some of the insanme profits they are making and making sure their system can handle that amount of bandwdith useage and more.
the thing is they could be making millions if not billions from rual customers that can't get DSL/cable if they upped the caps and lower the overage fees. When you can't even be a vialble alternative to satellite internet you suck. | |
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htech007
join:2006-10-18
Lincoln, NE
·Windstream
·VOIPo
·Qwest.net
| DTV switch too hard for consumers but 5GB data cap not? ok so we delay the switch to digital tv because the public can't figure out they need a converter box to watch digital signals but it's ok for companies to not be completely forward about these charges? I admit you got to know what you are doing and read up on the services to make sure you are using them correctly. But we all know RadioShack and how they would do anything for a sale (heck the employees prob didn't even know). I don't think a vast majority of people who are non technical (i.e. don't come to dslreports) users are going to even know they need to look at the TOS or what a cap is. It's sure not to clear in the commercials. | |
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Murdoc
join:2009-02-08
Manitowoc, WI
1 edit | pretty sure I saw an unlimited att ad on tv. Im pretty sure it was like 2 days ago, Im pretty sure it was a 3G one too. | |
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Transmaster
Don't Blame Me I Voted For Bill and Opus
join:2001-06-20
Cheyenne, WY
·Qwest.net
| These people are idiots Because I now have an iPod Touch I have am lurking on some of the Forums for the Touch and the iPhone. I am here to tell you the people there are total idiots. some of the problems these people are whining about could be fixed by most anyone on this forum in seconds. I did have a little trouble setting up a WiFi network for my touch but that was because of the crappy instructions Apple supplies with it. With the lack of cognitive functionality these people exhibit there is no wonder they are racking up gillion dollar bills.
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I am quite sure now that often, very often, in matters concerning religion and politics a man's reasoning powers are not above the monkey's.
- Mark Twain in Eruption | |
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michaelp95
Premium
join:2001-08-23
Tucson, AZ
·Comcast
| Why not just shut it off When you hit your cap, the system should just shut down any more usage until you call in and get more data or just restart over again the next billing cycle. Too simple, I know but they hope to make extra $$$ and shove it to you...but never fear Barack will give us all free internet one day and this will be a distant memory  | |
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lordfly
join:2000-10-12
Homestead, FL
·AT&T Southeast
| Got a 3G business account last month I negotiated a 3G business account last month and the rep made it clear, which I already knew, that the first 5GB is included in the $60, but after that it is $2500 for the next 5GB. I am having to use it in a remote site where I can't get DSL or Cable.
Unfortunately, I just sent my rep an e-mail today because I need to monitor the usage online. The site the e-mail I have sends me to tells me that my account type is not supported.
Also the contract does not say Unlimited, it specifically says 5GB. I agree that the word Unlimited needs to be limited. This is as bad as when you go to download a program and it says 'free download'. That doesn't mean it is a free program. | |
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| compton
join:2002-02-08
Brooklyn, NY
| Re: Got a 3G business account last month said by lordfly :I negotiated a 3G business account last month and the rep made it clear, which I already knew, that the first 5GB is included in the $60, but after that it is $2500 for the next 5GB. I am having to use it in a remote site where I can't get DSL or Cable.
Most people here wouldn't have a problem with that. The terms were verbally dictated to you in very clear language. That's my point; why can't they explain to the customer at the point of sale the important points, and a usage limit is as important as it gets.
These companies are not upfront about the 5 GB limit or perhaps (unknown to the company) the sales person is not upfront about it. You would think that they would try to protect the customer from a bill that could be 4,067% higher than the customer expects by telling that customer in no uncertain words about the 5 GB limit, and what it means to go over it. | |
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marigolds
Gainfully employed, finally
Premium,MVM
join:2002-05-13
Saint Louis, MO
1 edit | The text of the contract Here is the relevant contract text:
If you are on a data plan that does not include a monthly megabyte allowance and additional data usage rates, the parties agree that AT&T has the right to impose additional charges if you use more than 5 gigabytes in a month. Prior to the imposition of any additional charges, AT&T shall provide you with notice and you shall have the right to terminate your service. Now here is the problem I have with that...
On the AT&T page, there is clearly 1) an allowance and 2) an additional data usage rate.
That allowance and additional data use rate being displayed on the page would seem to imply that this clause of the contract does not apply.
Except, this clause does apply. The 5 GB is an included monthly data purchase and is not a monthly megabyte allowance. Pooled DataConnect Plans (as opposed to standard DataConnect plans) for Corporate Responsibility Users have a monthly allowance. But DataConnect plans have "Included Domestic Data Limits".
The person suing used just under 10GB. Doing the math, that should have been a bill of around $2600.
Instead, she was hit for an additional $2500 based on the "right to impose additional charges" on top of the additional domestic data per KB rate for a total bill over $5000.
Is that really what everyone else got out of that? That if you broke the 5GB limit you paid for the extra data according to the advertised rate plus an additional 2x penalty?
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Professional Geographer
Geographic Information Science researcher | |
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DaveNJ
No Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey
·Comcast
·Patriot Media
| when will people take care of each other Any reasonable person doesnt or read, or understand there contracts. So ATT should cut service off if its excessive. But also the customer should be sent a very clear reasonable email explaining the situation. This isnt a pro-business or pro-customer things, its called be reasonable.. | |
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a333
A hot cup of integrals please
join:2007-06-12
Rego Park, NY
·Cingular Wireless
·Verizon Online DSL
| RE: Go to the site... I dunno about these people, but you don't even have to read a contract to know there's a cap... it's marketed as such. But of course, it's too much a waste of their VALUABLE time to even check AT&T's website, innit?
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Linux: Because a PC is a terrible thing to waste
My Location: /universe/earth/north-america/USA- fsck that!!! | |
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amungus
Premium
join:2004-11-26
America
clubs:
| what a bunch of crap 5GB is too little. Seriously. While I do agree with some posters here that people DO need to read their contracts and understand them, I also agree that it's just flat out stupid to overcharge so much; especially if the initial part only cost ~$50-60.
Besides trying to inform people, they really should simply CUT IT OFF at 4.5GB and redirect all web traffic to a page explaining that if they continue, they'll be held accountable. That, or be nice and maybe just slow the transfer rate to 1/2 for the rest of the month and let it go.
If Cox can redirect web traffic for new modems, 'pirates,' or those who've been hacked by every bot out there, surely the wireless companies could set up a web server with a simple page on it saying "HEY YOU! YOU'RE ABOUT TO GET CHARGED MORE MONEY THAN YOU EVER IMAGINED IF YOU KEEP GOING"
...Oh, and while looking up Alltel's service, I found this:
"Extended Wireless Internet Wireless Internet Card Pay one monthly fee for unlimited data usage domestically and in Canada - $99.99/month" (bold mine)
Really? ...Are they sure??????? | |
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Maccawolf
Premium
join:2001-02-20
Hillsdale, NJ
| Re: what a bunch of crap While I agree. AT&T charges a FORTUNE for overages, and that 5GB really isn't UNLIMITED, when does personal responsibilty kick in?
It's the same as everybody blaming the mortgage brokers for the R.E. fiasco.
BUYER BEWARE........
READ the fine print before you sign on the dotted line.
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Mom and Crockett...... I miss you both! | |
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