[borderpatrol1987]

This is why I'm staying with Tmobile

Tmob requires data plans as well.

I sell them and it is part of the training.




T-Mobile to Require Data Plans for Smartphones.

[barbwyr]

Before this starts another debate and the thread gets ugly - I can promise you this is close to happening - I want to be sure that all sides are covered in this discussion.

I agree 100% that a Blackberry is designed and intended to be used with a data plan. To get the full functionality of the device, a data plan needs to be used.

With that said, there are people who do not need a data plan but at the same time can enjoy the other benefits that the Blackberry can offer. It is a smart phone and has great features available even without a data plan. Also now that WiFi is available on the newer models, it is possible to get by without a data plan but still get some of the benefits a data plan offers such as surfing and email (albeit not push mail) via 3rd party applications. It will take more time to get everything setup but it is possible to get some additional functionality with the WiFi connection.

I do think its ridiculous for a carrier to require a data plan for a Blackberry if you did not purchase it at the subsidy price. I highly doubt that AT&T is going to require this because it is too difficult for them to keep up with but at the same time it wouldn't surprise me if they tried anyway. If you paid the full price for a Blackberry then I think its your prerogative to use a data plan on the device or not. On the other hand, if you purchased the device at the subsidy price then you should expect to pay for a data plan because that is part of the terms of agreement to getting the device at the cheap price.

THANK YOU!! Finally some one with a clear and logical mind..lol. And for now there is still Pay Per Use for those in bewteen.

As for the SIM card swap trick....it will only work if you already have a smart phone and no data plan on account. New subsrcibers, upgrades, contract renewals AND all discoverable smart phones added to a non-grandfathered line will result in a data plan being assigned. Do I have policy quotes to back all this...no....this is purely my opinion based on what I have been told by AT&T reps. I myself have BBs on my accounts with no data and am grandfathered in so when I have the funds to buy it I will be getting the 8900 from Crackberry Wireless and swapping in my sim and continuing to use my PPU until they decide to block that too.

Also!!! As of right now the AT&T website, while indicating that a data plan is required for the purchase of a smartphone, their shopping page still has this statement under each BB.
**
Two-year contract and new activation required. Mail-in rebate requires activation on a $30 or higher data plan. Feature can be canceled at any time.
**
So, if you order it online I would suggest you make a screen cap of the page with a dated newspaper so you can cancel it when you want to.

[yfnumber5]

I dont smoke but I dont like being told I cant .same of a blackberry I cant imagine it without data but I believe you should have the right to use it as u like . As this site has proven over and over where theres a will I am sure there is a way . As pointed out there are many more things crackberry than meet the eye...lol

[borderpatrol1987]

Sprint requires one of their everything plans, so AT&T is the Last of the big four to require it, and yet everyone gets in arms.... hmmm..

[aristile]

Sprint requires one of their everything plans, so AT&T is the Last of the big four to require it, and yet everyone gets in arms.... hmmm..

So because Sprint and Verizon screw their customers over then that makes it ok for every other company to do the same thing? Get real ... seriously.

[borderpatrol1987]

So because Sprint and Verizon screw their customers over then that makes it ok for every other company to do the same thing? Get real ... seriously.

No, simply asking where was the outrage with this practice was first started? Why only outrage with the last of the four do it? Seems a bit late to complain then.

you also dont need to get nasty, i wasn't being nasty to you.

[aristile]

No, simply asking where was the outrage with this practice was first started? Why only outrage with the last of the four do it? Seems a bit late to complain then.

you also dont need to get nasty, i wasn't being nasty to you.

I wasn't being nasty at all, I just can't understand that position. When people say "well because someone else does this, it must be ok" I just don't get that kind of logic. Who says there wasn't complaining when Sprint and Verizon changed their policies? There's a handful of reasons why I personally do not do business with Sprint, Verizon or AT&T and that is one of them.

[borderpatrol1987]

I ain't saying its ok. I just don't remember this level of outrage when it was announced that the other three did it. I just hope it don't add it to my ATT employee Line.

[Xpimp]

I ain't saying its ok. I just don't remember this level of outrage when it was announced that the other three did it. I just hope it don't add it to my ATT employee Line.

As long as you don't upgrade or renew your contract you don't have anything to worry about.

[siccmade00]

You can leave a dumbphone active on your account and then just put your SIM in your Berry and it'll work just fine. Do you have a backup phone laying around you can put on your account?

You can pretty much use any AT&T phone on your current account just by putting your SIM in it. It makes surprisingly little difference what phone is actually on your account at the time.

What he said... They have no idea what phone you are actually using. There is an lg vu on my account now for my wife. Sold it, put the sim back in her berry, and bam. She has no data and att is none the wiser.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[borderpatrol1987]

I have no contract and its a tmob 8100 cause there is no discount for the employee lines.

[borderpatrol1987]

What he said... They have no idea what phone you are actually using. There is an lg vu on my account now for my wife. Sold it, put the sim back in her berry, and bam. She has no data and att is none the wiser.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

they can check and see what IMEI was used when the call was made. They CAN check, the question is will they?

[mexiken]

I guess I should clarify:

All smartphones released AFTER Sep. 6th will have a discoverable IMEI, system wise. Until now, AT&T could sniff out your real IMEI through Online Account Management (OLAM) but not through its internal system (which actually bills you)

What they are saying now, from what I've researched, is that the phones coming out now + adding a feature code to the account at the time of upgrade/activation = them KNOWING your true IMEI and being able to actually add a plan to it automatically.

[borderpatrol1987]

sounds about right

[barbwyr]

Here's the policy term I have been waiting for them to add.
*****
Data Plans: An eligible data plan is required for certain devices, including iPhones and other designated Smartphones and PDAs. Eligible data plans cover data usage in the U.S. and do not cover international data usage and charges. If it is determined that you are using an iPhone or other designated Smartphone or PDA without an eligible data plan, AT&T reserves the right to add an eligible data plan to your account and bill you the appropriate monthly fee.
***

Here's the link to the page that contains it.

PLAN TERMS | AT&T

[bgrlqn]

THANK YOU!! Finally some one with a clear and logical mind..lol. And for now there is still Pay Per Use for those in bewteen.

As for the SIM card swap trick....it will only work if you already have a smart phone and no data plan on account. New subsrcibers, upgrades, contract renewals AND all discoverable smart phones added to a non-grandfathered line will result in a data plan being assigned. Do I have policy quotes to back all this...no....this is purely my opinion based on what I have been told by AT&T reps. I myself have BBs on my accounts with no data and am grandfathered in so when I have the funds to buy it I will be getting the 8900 from Crackberry Wireless and swapping in my sim and continuing to use my PPU until they decide to block that too.

Also!!! As of right now the AT&T website, while indicating that a data plan is required for the purchase of a smartphone, their shopping page still has this statement under each BB.
**
Two-year contract and new activation required. Mail-in rebate requires activation on a $30 or higher data plan. Feature can be canceled at any time.
**
So, if you order it online I would suggest you make a screen cap of the page with a dated newspaper so you can cancel it when you want to.

So, you are saying that if a blackberry has been activated on that account before, and I buy one, I am grandfathered in? Because, the thing is I have used my mother's blackberry on my line before, granted it was only for about 5 hours. Does that mean that I my line is grandfathered?

[barbwyr]

So, you are saying that if a blackberry has been activated on that account before, and I buy one, I am grandfathered in? Because, the thing is I have used my mother's blackberry on my line before, granted it was only for about 5 hours. Does that mean that I my line is grandfathered?

I doubt it....the leaked email said existing smartphone users so the odds are the system was set in place to annotate all accounts that had an active smartphone ON Sept. 6th. This was probably tied to the system that displays the phone you have on your account page.