Friday, March 18, 2011

ATT is attacking jailbroken iPhone owners

ATT is now attacking jailbroken iPhone users. By sending emails to consumers who are using tethering without paying the $20 extra a month to ATT for tethering.
It is easy for ATT to find out who is tethering without paying and sends to their subscribers emails like the one below:

Dear [Customer],

We’ve noticed your service plan may need updating.

Many AT&T customers use their smartphones as a broadband connection for other devices, like laptops, netbooks or other smartphones– a practice commonly known as tethering. Tethering can be an efficient way for our customers to enjoy the benefits of AT&T’s mobile broadband network and use more than one device to stay in touch with important people and information. To take advantage of this feature, we require that in addition to a data plan, you also have a tethering plan.

Our records show that you use this capability, but are not subscribed to our tethering plan.

If you would like to continue tethering, please log into
your account online at Cell Phones and Cell Phone Plans – Wireless from AT&T, or call us
at 1-888-860-6789 Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. CST
or Saturday, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. CST, by March 27, 2011
to sign up for DataPro 4GB for Smartphone Tethering.
Here are details on the plan:

DataPro 4GB for Smartphone Tethering
• $45 per month
(this gives you 4GB in total, combining both your smartphone data plan for $25 and the tethering feature, $20)
• $10 per each additional GB thereafter, added automatically as needed
• Mobile Hotspot capabilities are included for compatible Smartphones

If we don’t hear from you, we’ll plan to automatically enroll you into DataPro 4GB afterMarch 27, 2011. The new plan – whether you sign up on your own or we automatically enroll you – will replace your current smartphone data plan, including if you are on an unlimited data plan.

If you discontinue tethering, no changes to your current plan will be required.

It’s easy to track your usage throughout the month so there are no bill surprises. For example, we send you free text messages when you reach 65, 90, and 100 percent of your plan’s threshold. If you would like to monitor your account more closely, go towww.att.com/dataplans to learn about other ways to track your data usage.

As a reminder, our smartphone data plans also include unlimited usage of Wi-Fi at no additional charge. AT&T smartphone customers can use Wi-Fi at home or on-the-go at any one of our more than 23,000 U.S. hotspots already included in your data plan.

Thank you for bringing your account up to date. We appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve your mobile broadband needs.

Sincerely,

AT&T

I am even not sure if it is by law correct to charge for tethering. Surely it must be because all providers are charging for tethering extra. But I believe it is a scam.

Why do we need to pay twice? Paying for a data plan which is for most people not unlimited $25 a month and then paying another $20 for tethering a month.

I would understand if we have unlimited data plan to avoid "steeling" service from ATT to offer to friends free data connection. But the reality is that the plan is limited and therefore even if we tether it is not possible to steel. We pay for a certain service, and it is our right to do with the service what we want as long it is not harming anybody. Therefore it does not matter if I use the data on one ore multiple
devices. As soon the limit is reached I can't use anyway 3G. Therefore as a consumer I would be very careful when and with who I share my data plan.

I see tethering as another scam from carriers like the double paying for SMS or phone calls. Till today nobody could explain with sense, why somebody needs to pay for receiving a call or SMS, even if it is already paid through sender.

It is the last try for carriers to make a lot of money. They know that soon we will have wifi everywhere that users will not buy phones with data plans anymore. We will move to mobile devices with wifi as phones. This will kill the phone carriers and I honestly hope it will harm them, this should be our payback for the scam they do with us right now.

Paying for tethering is like going to the supermarket buying 5 apples. The cashier asks if you eat alone or with others. If you say with others you have to pay $2 more.


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