How to upgrade & keep "current" features that are "retired" for new accounts?

[ChrisB01]

Using the AT&T web site, I choose to upgrade my line, select the new phone, then proceed to selecting other plan features.  In reality, I don't want to change ANYTHING about my plan... just the phone upgrade and contract extension.  How do I do this?

Here are some examples... I currently have the Messaging 1000 plan for $10, which is not available to new customers, but I'm almost certain I read that I can keep that plan as long as I like as an existing subscriber.  Also, I currently have a 2GB Data plan for $25 (I think), and that is no longer an option either.  The lowest DataPlan is the 300MB or 3GB plan (for $5 more).

These issues are keeping me from pulling the trigger on an upgrade and contract extension!!!

Also, on a side note... when I go to Amazon or SamsClub to upgrade, the phone upgrade is $50 cheaper than the AT&T web site.  In reality, I'd like to order my upgrade and extend my contract via Amazon to save $50... but I have the same issue on their web site, where my current features are not available for selection.

My fear is that if I order the upgrade and try to work it out after the fact, AT&T hold my feet to the fire because I actually selected the newer plan features, thereby forfeiting my right to those features going forward.

One more question, when I owned an iPhone 3G, I was on an unlimited data plan... I hear people all the time talk about their unllimited data plan they've kept through the years and also through multiple phone upgrades.  At the time when I upgraded to my iPhone 4, I was not given the option and told I MUST switch from my umlimited plan to one of the newer capped plans.  Is this correct?  If not, can I get my unlimited plan back?

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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ChrisB01 wrote:

Using the AT&T web site, I choose to upgrade my line, select the new phone, then proceed to selecting other plan features.  In reality, I don't want to change ANYTHING about my plan... just the phone upgrade and contract extension.  How do I do this?

Here are some examples... I currently have the Messaging 1000 plan for $10, which is not available to new customers, but I'm almost certain I read that I can keep that plan as long as I like as an existing subscriber.  Also, I currently have a 2GB Data plan for $25 (I think), and that is no longer an option either.  The lowest DataPlan is the 300MB or 3GB plan (for $5 more).

These issues are keeping me from pulling the trigger on an upgrade and contract extension!!!

Also, on a side note... when I go to Amazon or SamsClub to upgrade, the phone upgrade is $50 cheaper than the AT&T web site.  In reality, I'd like to order my upgrade and extend my contract via Amazon to save $50... but I have the same issue on their web site, where my current features are not available for selection.

My fear is that if I order the upgrade and try to work it out after the fact, AT&T hold my feet to the fire because I actually selected the newer plan features, thereby forfeiting my right to those features going forward.

One more question, when I owned an iPhone 3G, I was on an unlimited data plan... I hear people all the time talk about their unllimited data plan they've kept through the years and also through multiple phone upgrades.  At the time when I upgraded to my iPhone 4, I was not given the option and told I MUST switch from my umlimited plan to one of the newer capped plans.  Is this correct?  If not, can I get my unlimited plan back?

[corrected name in quote to reflect change]

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Some of the grandfathered features are not available to carry over to the upgrade. As far as getting back the unlimited plan, chancesd ar slim to none, if you would have asked about it shortly after was removed you probably could have gotten in back, but not anymore..

The text plan is gone - not sure this can be carried over, same with the 25.00 2GB data plan. you may have to go into a att corporate store and handle it all through them, just depends on how critical the grandfathered features are to you

[ChrisB01]

Thanks for the feedback, but I was hoping to get some actual answers from the AT&T moderators before going out to a store...

For example, I mentioned two specific features... Messaging 1000 (I think I read in an AT&T press release that existing subscribers can keep this feature) and 2GB DataPro Plan (not sure about this).  So, either I can keep these, or I cannot... if I can, do I have to do the upgrade over the phone or in an AT&T store because it requires special handling that cannot be accomplished on the web site?

With regard to the unlimited data plan from the past... I feel a little duped, because I was told by the rep that I couldn't keep the unlimited plan because my first phone was the original iPhone and when I upgraded to the iPhone 3G, it require a new/different plan.  However, I've heard of many people upgrading from unlimited "pre-3G" to unlimited "3G" plans when they upgraded their phones.  I'm not sure how I would "asked about it shortly after" when I was told it could not be done, and I only heard information to the contrary over period of time via internet and a few personal acquaintances.  There was no way for me to believe anything other than what the rep told me, other than hearing (over time) of others being able to do it.  Now it seems people are carrying their unlimited plan even as they upgrade to 4G phones.

As you suggest, I guess I can just call customer service or go into a corporate store.

[youngjm ACE - Professor]

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ChrisB01 wrote:

Thanks for the feedback, but I was hoping to get some actual answers from the AT&T moderators before going out to a store...

For example, I mentioned two specific features... Messaging 1000 (I think I read in an AT&T press release that existing subscribers can keep this feature) and 2GB DataPro Plan (not sure about this).  So, either I can keep these, or I cannot... if I can, do I have to do the upgrade over the phone or in an AT&T store because it requires special handling that cannot be accomplished on the web site?

With regard to the unlimited data plan from the past... I feel a little duped, because I was told by the rep that I couldn't keep the unlimited plan because my first phone was the original iPhone and when I upgraded to the iPhone 3G, it require a new/different plan.  However, I've heard of many people upgrading from unlimited "pre-3G" to unlimited "3G" plans when they upgraded their phones.  I'm not sure how I would "asked about it shortly after" when I was told it could not be done, and I only heard information to the contrary over period of time via internet and a few personal acquaintances.  There was no way for me to believe anything other than what the rep told me, other than hearing (over time) of others being able to do it.  Now it seems people are carrying their unlimited plan even as they upgrade to 4G phones.

As you suggest, I guess I can just call customer service or go into a corporate store.

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ATT will not usually respond to your questions here in a public forum.  It is for customer to customer help.  You can try to reach out to Jamileh who is a community manager here and is authorized by ATT to provide assistance with customer issues.  Others who are identified as ATT employees in their signature lines are here in their personal life and their posts do not represent any committment by ATT do act upon.  Here is a link to her profile.  http://forums.wireless.att.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/2548143  Send her a private message and see if she can help.

[21stNow]

I was in the same situation with the unlimited data plan and was told the same thing that you were. I also had read the official statement on this website that said that I could keep my unlimited data plan. I pushed it up the chain two years ago and got unlimited data back. I think that you are too late now.