Carrier So tired of AT&T, I switched.

[rafale]

Be aware of AT&T tricks. Just sharing my experience so others can avoid being roped into the same thing.

I just switched my ipad from AT&T to T-mobile. Did not realize that I don't even have to pay a monthly fee anymore unless I exceed the 200mb data.

I had experience with my first ipad on AT&T with full access to my account and having a pay as you go, renewing my data plan on a monthly basis as needed. I recently bought another one.

AT&T have horrible service! I went to the local AT&T store to buy a SIM card for my ipad a few months ago. (I bought my ipad without a SIM card) Should take only 5min right? wrong! spent 1hr there. The guy who sold me the SIM card, charged me activation fee and set me up on a pay forward data plan and never told me anything about it. I was left paying a bill every month with no access to my account from my ipad settings which I found odd. I never wanted him to activate my line. When I tried to correct it, just to try to access my account info through the ios settings, I first called, the customer service, I was told I have the wrong type of account... What different kind of accounts do they have for data? When I asked to get it corrected, She put me on hold then hung up on me. I then went back to the store. I put my name on the wait list and saw I had two customers in front of me. I should wait for 15mins at the most. I left 1 hr later with now 4 people in front of me. How does that work? Why does it take them more than 1hr to activate a line? And how do people cut in front of me? I was sitting in the store the entire time!
I then decided to call customer service again. Explained my situation, and the conversation got heated. The agent first told me she had to contact the store so the store can access my account and correct it. Why can she not help me. She went on to tell me I can access my account using their app and finally explained to me that I have a pay forward subscription account which does not enable me to turn my data on and off. I can only suspend the account. I then asked to get it changed and now was told I need to go to the store to change the SIM card... Why I asked. Because they need to terminate the account and the SIM card and get me a new one. She then told me it is only $16 something a month! It got me boiling because with this type of account I am also paying some taxes and regulatory fees which do not apply on a "normal" pay as you go ipad account.
I got tired of it and asked to terminate the service. She then connected me a supervisor who gave me instructions to switch the account by cancelling my service then going to the store to restart a new account, and finally got my account terminated.

Went to a T-mobile store, bought a SIM card, got it activated in the store in less than 5min and for only $10. No monthly fees to pay for the data plan I need, no activation fees. I was scammed by AT&T for an activation fee, the cost of a SIM card and a lot of time.
Not going back to AT&T...

 

[braddick]

Realize though there are stories where T-Mobile is the villain.

 

[ugcop]

ATT does in fact offer two types of accounts and if you don't specify exactly what you want, you get what they give you. In the store's defense, they usually don't see the customers who are on the regular prepaid accounts. You buy your iPad with a sim already in it and activate it from home.

If TMO works for you great but their coverage is spotty. I'm willing to pay ATT because they have good coverage everywhere I travel. I live on a relatively small island and never really thought we would see LTE but it rolled out here rather quickly. With every business I feel the better educated you are about their service, the better response you will get from them..often the case is that I know as much about their product as the store employees. Research and knowledge ...

 

[JackieInCo]

I gave up AT&T scrappy service after 7 years and bought my first iPhone using their service back in November. I have been using my iPad on T-Mobile since June so I knew how much better their service was here in Denver. They have AT&T beat by miles and I am not joking. They just happen to be better here in Denver but like others say, that is not always going to happen in other locations, I am just lucky.

I get 0.00 speeds on AT&T at my house and up to 46Mbps on T-Mobile at the same place.

Enjoy your iPad!

 

[2298754]

OP got screwed at the AT&T store. It's not their fault that you didn't check anything over before you left. You got swindled.

There are sleazy TMo/Sprint/VZW/AT&T dealers everywhere.

If OP knew what he/she was doing, they'd walk into the Apple store, ask for a SIM (they hand them out for free), and set it up yourself using the built-in account manager. Same thing can be done with a T-Mo/VZW sim.

People need to start doing research and stop blaming others for their incompetence.

 

[rafale]

OP got screwed at the AT&T store. It's not their fault that you didn't check anything over before you left. You got swindled.

There are sleazy TMo/Sprint/VZW/AT&T dealers everywhere.

If OP knew what he/she was doing, they'd walk into the Apple store, ask for a SIM (they hand them out for free), and set it up yourself using the built-in account manager. Same thing can be done with a T-Mo/VZW sim.

People need to start doing research and stop blaming others for their incompetence.

Well, not every customer has to know every plan options offered. I was assuming that there was only one type of plan for data and had never seen anything published that said otherwise. All I wanted to do was to get the SIM card and indeed setup the account myself. At the store they did not give me the option. And where do you research this type of info?

 

[jav6454]

Well, not every customer has to know every plan options offered. I was assuming that there was only one type of plan for data and had never seen anything published that said otherwise. All I wanted to do was to get the SIM card and indeed setup the account myself. At the store they did not give me the option. And where do you research this type of info?

There are several data plans out there on AT&T. You got screwed because you didn't do your homework.

Asking for a SIM costs around $15 on AT&T. If they offer anything else, just say no thanks and walk. They don't want to sell it? Then go to another store. I am sure there must be more AT&T stores around you.

Also, talking to customer service about an account issue is kinda of irrelevant since they are sometimes bounded by what the guy at the store did in the computer.

 

[deeddawg]

You got screwed because you didn't do your homework.

Plus you have to sign documents that very clearly lay out the details.

I'm no fan of AT&T and don't mean to defend them, but it's difficult to have any sympathy for the OP. A buyer who doesn't educate himself beforehand and who doesn't read/understand the document he's signing is going to get screwed.

Asking for a SIM costs around $15 on AT&T. If they offer anything else, just say no thanks and walk.

Heck, should be free. I got an AT&T SIM just by asking at a corporate store back in October or November. Took no disucssion or trouble, I was out of there in under five minutes. Put it in my (verizon) ipad and signed up to an AT&T prepaid data plan the next day.

 

[ricktat]

T-mo store also screwed you because SIMS from T-Mo direct are Free or just 99 cents if they aren't running the promotion and you save gas.

 

[baypharm]

I think you erred and did not do your due diligence. First of all, you should have walked out when they tried to sell you a sim card. Verizon, AT&T, and T Mobile all give away their sims in hopes that you will give them $$$$ on a regular basis by virtue of data plans.

I think you have to be careful where you do business. When you go to a corporate store, sims are free. All you have to due is walk in and say you want a sim card for your new iPad, for example. You will be asked if you brought your iPad with you. Say no. And then they will try to sign you up on a shared plan: just say no. You want a month to month no contract plan - you will walk away with a free sim.

If you go into an "authorized" retail store, then you probably will be charged for a sim. Just walk out. FYI

 

[deeddawg]

T Mobile all give away their sims ... When you go to a corporate store, sims are free.

Careful. T-Mobile corporate stores *do* charge for prepaid SIMs *and* they charge a higher price than online. Confirmed this with T-Mobile customer service reps on their forums a while back. Yes, it's stupid, but it's also how it is.

To get a T-Mobile SIM for 99 cents (or free) you need to wait for a promo and order online.