Change in ATT Data plans

[wkramer]

I'd like to see if an auto manufacturer would get away with advertising cars for sale with gas for $50 a month for unlimted miles per month and then 1 month after selling a million cars saying that the gas company had changed its policy and you can pay $45 a month for 100 miles of driving. It does not matter if 95% of the people who bought a car thinking they would get unlimited miles only drive 90 miles a month. Even if current owners are grandfathered in they cannot use the month to month that was advertised without losing the unlimited choice.

If a product is sold with a specific feature (unlimited data) it is reasonable to expect that that feature would be available for a reasonable length of time (nothing is forever). Otherwise the product was sold using false advertising. Doesn't matter if Apple had no idea that AT&T was going to change its pricing. Apple has a responsibility to its customers to have ensured that no changes to its advertised features would be made in such a short period of time (even to those who already have an IPad in hand your month to month data plan choice is gone). As stated before they are still advertising the unlimited data plan on their website even though you cannot buy and recieve an IPad from them in time to take advantage of the unlimited data plan. That is false advertising and the FTC should fine them big time.

Just found out if you order a 3G by June 6th you will still get unlimited data plan. Good for me not good for others ordering after the 6th.

 

[mcbrew]

I could be wrong... And I'm sure someone will point it out. But i don't remember seeing and apple ad that talked about unlimited Internet. Insaw media outlets talking about it... And I say links to ATT talking about it. The only place I ever saw apple talking about it is on their website when you click on 3G information. Then they show the price, which is still current by the way. I do think they should update that, though. However, i don't remember apple using unlimited data packages in any of their ads. Again, I could be wrong.

 

[mcbrew]

I just looked at AT&Ts website, and they haven't updated pricing information either. Still says unlimited.

 

[wkramer]

A website displaying a feature that is included in a product you are going to buy from that website is an advertisement. The Apple store website is one big advertisement.

 

[epb]

I just looked at AT&Ts website, and they haven't updated pricing information either. Still says unlimited.

As it should - the plans don't change until Monday.

 

[Pipper99]

Hmm, I was going to get the new iPhone 4 when it comes out this month, but now I'm not sure. I'm still under contract on my 3GS with AT&T, so I would have to pay full price for the new iPhone, but I've got a $400 AT&T reward card from Uverse, and the sale of my 3GS would offset it. If I get the new iPhone under my current contract, am I still grandfathered? I've been using MyWi from Cydia to tether my iPad to my iPhone. Hmmm, just trying to think this through.

 

[cherhall]

You should be able to keep your old unlimited plan even if you get a new iPhone. It was stated in the AT&T changes, that you'd be able to keep your old plan even if you update your device. However, you wouldn't be able to take advantage of tethering without switching to the new pricing, which is the part I'm least happy about.

 

[Pipper99]

I guess that if I get the new iPhone, I'll have to wait for a jailbreak to be able to tether with MyWi again.

 

[IPPlanMan]

File a complaint with the FTC against Apple/AT&T- It's easy!

Go to FTCComplaintAssistant[dot]gov

Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. §§ 41-58, as amended)
Under this Act, the Commission is empowered, among other things, to (a) prevent unfair methods of competition, and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce; (b) seek monetary redress and other relief for conduct injurious to consumers; (c) prescribe trade regulation rules defining with specificity acts or practices that are unfair or deceptive, and establishing requirements designed to prevent such acts or practices; (d) conduct investigations relating to the organization, business, practices, and management of entities engaged in commerce; and (e) make reports and legislative recommendations to Congress.

 

[IPPlanMan]

You can also file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau....

www[dot]bbb[dot]org/us/

 

[CNY]

File a complaint with FTC - SHAME on AT&T and APPLE

Don't just talk about it, File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). It is more than justified in the case. This is the worse example of blatant

bAiT & swiTch

that I've seen in years.

I filed the complaint against both AT&T and Apple as this was a joint venture between both of them. The marketing model and unlimited data pricing was advertised on BOTH AT&T and Apple websites. There is no way that APPLE would have marketed such a pricing plan in conjunction with their PARTNER (the only data service available for the iPad) and NOT have had an agreement in place on minimum duration of the data plan to be marketed with the iPad. If they didn't, then they were negligent as well as foolish. Let's not forget, the "Unlimited Data" plan helped Apple sell a LOT of the 2 Million iPads sold in 2 months.

Shame on you AT&T and Apple... HUGE Black Eye on you both.

And Apple... if you didn't know (which I don't believe), "If you lay down with dogs... you wake up with fleas."

iSad, iMad, iHad a better opinion of you Apple.

I can't take credit for this (below), but it is straight and to the point and I couldn't agree more... I filed a formal complaint on the FTC website minutes after reading this. It's easy to do.

This post is from:

www[dot]gearlive[dot]com/news/article/apple-att-ipad-3g-pricing-q310/]How Apple and ATT can fix the iPad 3G pricing bait-and-switch | Gear Live

and credit goes to "IPPlanMan" and I couldn't agree with him more. I posted this to assist those who are Fed Up with Abusive Corporate Practices and want to hold those Corporations accountable for abusing consumers, AKA their "customers."


"File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC is empowered by law to investigate and address deceptive marketing practices such as these by Apple and AT&T.

It’s easy and takes only a few minutes to file a complaint.

www[dot]ftccomplaintassistant[dot]gov/

Here’s the company info to make filling out the forms easier:

Apple
1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino, CA 95014
408-996-1010

AT&T
175 East Houston Street
Dallas, TX 78205-2255
210-821-4105.

I believe that the key points are:
Apple touted and advertised the $29.99 data plan as a major inducement to buy the iPad 3g.
Apple described it as a “breakthrough deal†with AT&T, leading consumers to believe that Apple had locked in the terms and price.
A key, heavily advertised, feature was the ability to jump between plans or have no 3G plan as dictated by needs and budget.
The “grandfathering†announced by AT&T forces customers to either keep an unlimited plan continuously active in order to not lose it.
The change in the plans has significant impact on the value of the device and the manner in which it can be used.
We want AT&T and Apple to honor the advertised deal, not give us money, a coupon, a refund, free service for a month, etc. (That’s what I want, anyway.)

If you’re one of the people cheering because your bill got cut by $5 per month, don’t bother with replying to this. This is a legal issue related to FTC rules and regulations on false and deceptive advertising, not whether you like the new plans better because you don’t happen to move more than 2GB per month."

 

[IPPlanMan]

Great!

Great! Glad you did that.

You should also file an online complaint with the Better Business Bureau. It’s very easy to do and you can reuse the same info as before.

The link is here: bbb[dot]org/us/

You can also contact your Congressional representative (email and phone) and explain that you have filed a complaint with the FTC and BBB and that you want him/her to be aware of a fraudulent market practice by Apple and AT&T that’s occurring in their district.

Find your representative here: house[dot]gov

You can also contact your State’s Attorney General. Find out who yours is on Google/Bing, etc…. Tell them that you’ve done all the above.

This will blow up big time… It really will.