AT&T Smart limits plan

[R2D4]

Okay AT&T, great idea! I understand this is a great feature and you need to profitable but where do you draw the line between making a ton of money and being a responsible company to your clients? How is this showing your industry that you are a leader?

Am I the only one who thinks this idea is down right sleazy? I mean, why do we have to pay for this? It should be a law that they have to provide this for free.

 

[AllergyDoc]

AT&T charges for EVERYTHING.

Check your local newspaper. About the only advertisers buying full page ads these days are either satellite TV providers or cell phone companies like AT&T: 2 industries raking in the cash.

 

[jack_bauer]

World of Warcraft gives you this feature for free

 

[coop]

I think all the companies charge to do this.

I myself am thinking of switching to boost, nationwide unlimited everything for $50 a month. It would save me around $125 a month campared to my AT&T plan.

 

[BlueRod37]

except for Content limit and number restriction it looks to me that it's a basic "blocked" plan.

here in france you can get a this kind of plans where there is no way you can get ahold of you € limit (or you would have to buy credit in stores then enter a code in your phone to get more credit : it's called to tap up or to top up i think)

but geez 5$ for this it's a bit expensive espcially when you have to pay to get incoming calls :mrgreen:


can someone give me an estimate of the savings i have done during the last 3 years calling approx 20 hours a months and being called 15 hours each months because here (in France)
i only paid 24€/month
PS : it's not weekly comms nor after 9pm ones, it's 24h 7d communications


you know it's been almost 1 week i'm laughting because you have to pay to get reached. but in a certain way it could be usefull to get rid of the mother-in-law :

"Sorry i only have 15min left on my plan i really can't let you call me. your daughter makes me say that you are invited sunday for noon"



Guillaume

 

[d4m.test]

I have a much easier way to limit my childs cell phone ussage and its 100% completely free!

DONT GIVE THEM A CELL PHONE UNTIL THEY ARE 18 when they can sign the contract and pay the bill.

My 3 and 4 year olds started school yesterday (preschool). At the orientation the teacher actually made it perfectly clear that the children WERE NOT allowed to bring cell phones to school. Last year they had taken 6 cell phones away from pre-schoolers... WTF???

My 14 year old does not even have one, (he did, but when he broke it I refused to replace it) and he will NOT be getting another one.

Parents need to learn that parenting DOES NOT involve giving in to each and every request or demand of their children.

 

[hk45ca]

why do children have cell phones in the first place? that has to be the most unnecessary luxury/expenditure i have ever seen in my life. i am 51 and had no problem communicating with my mother and father when i was a child.

 

[coop]

+1

 

[fakemaster]

A law? That was a joke right?

DONT GIVE THEM A CELL PHONE UNTIL THEY ARE 18 when they can sign the contract and pay the bill.

RMFAOL. I say that to people all the time and they stare at me. Especially if they are from generation W.

 

[Fiddo]

why do children have cell phones in the first place? that has to be the most unnecessary luxury/expenditure i have ever seen in my life. i am 51 and had no problem communicating with my mother and father when i was a child.

Agree......I also ask myself the same question. Why do I need this thing?

 

[russtang]

I have a much easier way to limit my childs cell phone ussage and its 100% completely free!

DONT GIVE THEM A CELL PHONE UNTIL THEY ARE 18 when they can sign the contract and pay the bill.

My 3 and 4 year olds started school yesterday (preschool). At the orientation the teacher actually made it perfectly clear that the children WERE NOT allowed to bring cell phones to school. Last year they had taken 6 cell phones away from pre-schoolers... WTF???

My 14 year old does not even have one, (he did, but when he broke it I refused to replace it) and he will NOT be getting another one.

Parents need to learn that parenting DOES NOT involve giving in to each and every request or demand of their children.

Hear hear! +1000

When my kids are old enough to warrant a luxury item like a cell phone, they will pay for it themselves. And it will be a pay as you go phone (no contract) so when they run out of minutes/texts after a week, the idea of rationing will be reinforced.

 

[hk45ca]

when i was told to be home at a certain time i did it or got my ass busted. i was told if i was going to be late for a good reason to call, it was up to me to find a phone. if i didn't call? i got my ass busted. i quickly saw a pattern, do what they ask me to and i didn't get my ass busted. it worked pretty well. :wink:

 

[R2D4]

Ok good points T. I do think parents have a big task to teach their children how to use restraint. I am lucky with my 20 and 15 year old children as they know the limits of what they can and cannot do.

My problem with this add on that Att is pushing is that you can call AT&T and have texting and data removed at no charge so no big deal there. But if you have a family plan this becomes more difficult. Some devices have a browser built in and you cannot move the icon or disable a button. My son accidentally hit a browser button trying to turn off his alarm. Later that morning he discovered his mistake, reported it to me and apologized. AT&T charged me for that at their highest rates. I talked them into only charging me for a month of data on his phone.

This is only one simple example of why you should be able to disable this on all phones and plans, yourself, without charge. If there is ever a class action suit on this I am climbing on board. Enough is enough. :evil:

Btw, my children have had phones when they started 8th grade. They participate in sports, after school practices, activities, get high marks and are frequently away from the house. I want them to have every opportunity to contact us with no excuses. This is not a problem for me. They use it very responsibly. They are very respectful and grateful.

 

[russtang]

Good to hear your children are respectful of what they have. I don't think my kids will be a problem when it is their wireless time either.

I think everyone got caught up in the "kids these days" discussion and may have forgotten your original point. And that is that AT&T are a bunch of thieving crooks! If you're not under contract any more, a chat with a rep in the retention department would probably get you that plan free of charge. After you mention that you were thinking of switching to T-Mobile of course.

 

[d4m.test]

when i was told to be home at a certain time i did it or got my ass busted. i was told if i was going to be late for a good reason to call, it was up to me to find a phone. if i didn't call? i got my ass busted. i quickly saw a pattern, do what they ask me to and i didn't get my ass busted. it worked pretty well. :wink:

So next time I call you "brother" there will be more meaning than previously thought... When your father is 6'5", 275 pounds of pure muscle and happens to carry an uzi under his coat you tend to be respectful of the limits set for you. My dad had NO PROBLEM at all imposing his will upon me. It took one or two good beatings at a fairly young age (around 7-8) and I realized that he should get what he wants.

 

[d4m.test]

R2, I was in NO WAY implying that yours or any other children of members were irresponsible of un-trustworthy. I was simply stating what MY parenting practices were, and not trying to convince anyone else that this would work for them.
I was a child of a VERY strict household, and although I may be an utter failure in some respects... I think I make a pretty good parent. And to me, THAT is what is important.

NOW, in respect to ATT... I DESPISE AT&T. In fact, so much so that after a few weeks of having the new Iphone for myself, my ex and my brother in law I returned all three phones and canceled my service with them. I was so displeased with the service, the rates and the damn customer service that I would rather pay the cancellation fees and move to another carrier than deal with them any longer. I recall the day that I returned all three I Phones. There was still ALOT of people buying them, and as I walked in with three boxes to return I must have been asked 10 times what the problem was. Me being the arse that I am, I held a mini "review" right in the AT&T store while I waited in line.

I now have T-Mobile and have been VERY PLEASED with them. I especially like the "fav 5" because... well, I only have 5 people who I call/call me. SO basically all my calls are free. And with the use of Google Voice, I can now call ANYONE ELSE in the US for free. So I was able to cut my plan drastically.
OH, and when I blocked internet on my former brother in laws phone, it was a simple phone call and there was no fee or monthly charge. If he tries to connect to the internet, he gets an error message.

 

[AllergyDoc]

None of you are mothers. It's the moms that insist on their dear ones getting cell phones.

Her: "But what if she misses the bus?"

Me: "She can walk home. Tomorrow she won't miss the bus."

Her: [Images of kidnappers and rapists pass through her mind...] "She's getting a cell phone."

Me: Sigh

[END OF STORY]

I did get the texting and Internet access turned off everyone's phone, though.

 

[d4m.test]

Good point Doc... Now I am ALL FOR implanted GPS locaters! And as soon as I find a doctor willing to do it, all 4 of my sons will have them (Im only partially kidding).

 

[R2D4]

Funny stuff Doc. I am with you on that. Anyway, no offense was taken T. My boy's phone is a slider and they claim that the button is not disable-able which I know is total bullshit.

Putting my situation aside and your comment about disabling the feature, don't you think that charging people who have young children for this service is tacky? That's the point I am voicing here. It should be free.

 

[d4m.test]

ABSOLUTELY... It should be free, and something tells me that if enough people got together, there could be something done about this.
Regardless of the button working/not working... they can shut it off in the system. They PROVE THAT by offering it as an additional service.