AT&T cell phone users, hidden new charges?

DYI hunting

Senior Member
We have 4 AT&T phones, one for each member of the family. I see data use charges of just under a dollar every month because the phones have an internet button that is easy to accidentally hit.

We got hit with a minimum charge for 1 megabit of access for $2.00 each this month. My phone keeps track of internet, and I looked at it when I got the bill...0.21 kilobits. That amount of data would have cost less than ten cents in the past.

Has AT&T started charging by the megabit for internet with a minimum charge of 1 megabit if you access the internet at all? If so, that is going to add $8 a month to my bill because these stupid cell phones have an one-button access for the internet. :banginghe
 

contender*

Senior Member
I just went through the same type thing. I ordered my son his first phone. I ordered a samsung flight. Got it and activated the SIM and handed it to him. I checked the usages the next day for his phone and there was internet charges. It seems that his phone is just like yours with buttons and icons that you hit one time and it tries to connect to the net. I sat around almost all day the next day trying to get those icons removed and the button options changed to no avail. I could not get the icons removed because the phones are set up to deny deletion of them. I had to take his phone away, he was not happy. I believe that ATT has figured out to milk us for every dime they can get through ease of access to the net. We don't use our phones for the net, just for calls and texting. It's really got me irritated.:banginghe:banginghe
 

crackerdave

Senior Member
I just went through the same type thing. I ordered my son his first phone. I ordered a samsung flight. Got it and activated the SIM and handed it to him. I checked the usages the next day for his phone and there was internet charges. It seems that his phone is just like yours with buttons and icons that you hit one time and it tries to connect to the net. I sat around almost all day the next day trying to get those icons removed and the button options changed to no avail. I could not get the icons removed because the phones are set up to deny deletion of them. I had to take his phone away, he was not happy. I believe that ATT has figured out to milk us for every dime they can get through ease of access to the net. We don't use our phones for the net, just for calls and texting. It's really got me irritated.:banginghe:banginghe

AT&T has irritated me more times than I can count. I don't like 'em!
 

DYI hunting

Senior Member
I called AT&T, the new minimum is indeed $2 for ANY access of the internet. Plus they bill by the megabit so it is $2 per megabit now instead of by the fraction of the MB. Only way to stop it is block internet access which also blocks picture/multimedia texting which we use a lot.

Every phone we have has a nice intenet connect button. I think their R&D department spent months designing the location so it will be inadvertently hit. ::ke: :stir:

Got to figure something, maybe new phones?
 

Tuffdawg

Banned
The new straight talk from verizon isnt such a bad plan. You buy the phone. And buy a $45 card every month. No contract. Unlimited talk, text and internet.

You couldnt make me get a contract with ANY cell phone company ever again.
 

DYI hunting

Senior Member
The new straight talk from verizon isnt such a bad plan. You buy the phone. And buy a $45 card every month. No contract. Unlimited talk, text and internet.

You couldnt make me get a contract with ANY cell phone company ever again.

At the rate they are going with all these charges, I am about ready to find another company. How is Verizon's service?
 

gtgeorge

Senior Member
Verizon has started to fall apart since buying out Alltell in my opinion. Over the last few months we are all getting dropped calls and other issues. It's too bad cause we have been happy for quite a few years. Contracts aren't for me again either.
 

contender*

Senior Member
The new straight talk from verizon isnt such a bad plan. You buy the phone. And buy a $45 card every month. No contract. Unlimited talk, text and internet.

You couldnt make me get a contract with ANY cell phone company ever again.

I have four phones, that comes to 180 bux a month, my bill is 120 bux a month. 60 bux is a lot of money when your feedin 2 kids.
 

secondseason

Retired Administrator
I have been with AT&T for 20 years for cell phone service. I started with them when they were Bellsouth Mobility. They have always treated me right.

That being said my son has the same problem with his phone. I just blocked the internet service. He has a digital camera he can take a picture and show it to me when he gets home, or if the camera and mms service is that important I will get a different phone for him that doesn't have the easy to touch keys.

His phone has a key lock feature that he uses when disconnecting from a call to keep from hitting the key inadvertently.
 

georgia357

Senior Member
I have four phones, that comes to 180 bux a month, my bill is 120 bux a month. 60 bux is a lot of money when your feedin 2 kids.

They also have a $30 a month plan. I think it's something like 1000 min talk, 1000 txt msg and some kind of mb thing. Not sure what that is, maybe for internet connection?
 
They also have a $30 a month plan. I think it's something like 1000 min talk, 1000 txt msg and some kind of mb thing. Not sure what that is, maybe for internet connection?


I'm seriously thinking switching to that plan from Cingular.

I don't text, I don't e-mail, I don't surf from my phone, and my $40.00 a month plan somehow ends up being $70 -80.

A big month for me is maybe 150 minutes.

Only downside to the Verizon plan is you have to buy a phone that's a generation back.
 

Monti61

Member
Page Plus and Straight Talk both use Verizon towers. So they have the same coverage as Verizon, which is the best available carrier. Page Plus has 1200 talk and text for 29.95 total, no tax, no 911 fee, no hidden charges. They have the unlimited for 44.95. Same deal, no taxes and other fees. You can also get 400 minutes for 25$, or 1000 minutes for 50$, which will rollover for 4 months. They have other plans also (100min-10$, 2000min- 80$) Their plans are available online or at a lot of convenience stores. Straight Talk has the unlimited for 45$ or the 1000 T&T for 30$, but they do charge tax, and they don't offer a minutes package. With Page Plus, any Verizon phone will work, not so with Straight Talk(straight talk phone only). PP dealers charge an activation fee, but you can do it your self online free, and port your same number
 

Todd E

Senior Member
You answered my thought with your consequent reply.

We have four phones under family plan. I put my foot down and blocked internet and multi media. That is the sure fire way to avoid any issues. We only talk/text. I explained the home puter and notebook is for accessing www and sending pictures....................
 

contender*

Senior Member
I have been with AT&T for 20 years for cell phone service. I started with them when they were Bellsouth Mobility. They have always treated me right.

That being said my son has the same problem with his phone. I just blocked the internet service. He has a digital camera he can take a picture and show it to me when he gets home, or if the camera and mms service is that important I will get a different phone for him that doesn't have the easy to touch keys.

His phone has a key lock feature that he uses when disconnecting from a call to keep from hitting the key inadvertently.

So he can still text just not send pics? If so I'm callin in tomorrow.
 

Rabbit Hunter 101

Senior Member
So he can still text just not send pics? If so I'm callin in tomorrow.

Yes. He will be able to send text with words only. No pictures sent or recieved.
Double check with at&t person though cause they change things daily it seems.
 

Todd E

Senior Member
Yes, contender.........remove internet and multi media. You can talk and text with no other worries. People can try to send you multi media, but it will never show up. My friends ask me all the time if I got the pics and I say no......they are not allowed to my number.
 

Grub Master

Senior Member
Phone bill

I'm seriously thinking switching to that plan from Cingular.

I don't text, I don't e-mail, I don't surf from my phone, and my $40.00 a month plan somehow ends up being $70 -80.

A big month for me is maybe 150 minutes.

Only downside to the Verizon plan is you have to buy a phone that's a generation back.

If you will take your bill to an ATT store they will look it over and show you where the problem(s) are. They have always been fair to me when I had a service I did not need or use. $70-80 a month for you is not right.
 
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