Gophone Data Package balance will NO LONGER rollover!

gophoneuser1111 · ‎04-18-2012

In light of the GoPhone data package policy change, I was going to switch today from the 10cent/minute plan to the $25 monthly plan. I don't use a lot of voice but data is important to me. So, I was going to bite the bullet because Tmobile (with the much better plan) has bad reception in our area. BUT according to the AT&T customer rep, I CANNOT rollover the balance on my data package even if I auto-renew the package before the expiration.

Either the AT&T rep doesn't know what she's talking about or the AT&T website is wrong http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-plans/pyg-cell-phone-plans.jsp.

Would someone credible from AT&T please respond and clarify your data policies. Thank you.

<<< CHAT TRANSCRIPT WITH AT&T REP >>

AT&T sales representatives are happy to assist you with your questions. Click below to begin your live text chat.

AT&T sales representatives will not have access to your personal account. This service is provided to you under AT&TsTerms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

You are now chatting with Holli, an AT&T sales representative.

Holli: Welcome to AT&T online Sales support. How may I assist you with placing your order today?

lani: Hi, for the $25 monthly gophone plan ... does the unused minutes rollover?

Holli: I would be happy to help you with GoPhones today. Minutes do not Rollover with our GoPhone plans.

lani: what about the data package?

Holli: Data does not rollover with any rate plan.

lani: Packages are good for 30 days as long as your account balance is not expired. Standard rates apply if package is not renewed after 30 days. Also, package balance rolls over if renewed before expiration date.

lani: That's what it says in your website

Holli: The balance on your account rolls over if you add additional funds to your account.

lani: The balance of what?

lani: If I have 50 MB left in my data package (for example), and I renew it before the expiration of date, we'll the 50 MB carry over to the next month?

Holli: No, it will not.

Holli: If you have $10 in your account and you add $15 the $10 will carry over.

lani: Of course the money will carry over -- that's how prepaid works. Your website its specifically stating "package balance rolls over if renewed before expiration date."

lani: Please confirm your answer

Holli: The information I am giving is correct.

lani: So your website is wrong?

lani: There is only one package that can be purchased with the $25 plan. That's the data package.

Holli: The website is referring to balance.

lani: No, it isn't ...

lani: Packages Packages are good for 30 days as long as your account balance is not expired. Standard rates apply if package is not renewed after 30 days. Also, package balance rolls over if renewed before expiration date.

lani: The heading says PACKAGES

lani: http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-plans/pyg-cell-phone-plans.jsp

Holli: Packages are valid for 30 days from when they go live on your phone.

Holli: They do not roll over beyond 30 days.

lani: Yes. And if you renew before the 30 day expiration, the package balance rolls over

Holli: However, if you have $5 in your account and you add additional funds to your account then the $5 will rollover.

Holli: Package features and minutes do not roll over.

lani: Holli .. I'm not asking about the money balance. I'm asking about the data package.

lani: You made it clear that data package doesn't roll over even if I renew it before the expiration date

lani: This means your website is wrong and you are misleading your customers

Holli: I'm sorry you feel that way. I will let my superiors know of your feelings.

lani: I'll post your response to the AT&T forum. Because the way it used to work, the data package rolls over.

lani: It seems that you have changed your policy.

lani: I was about to switch from the 10 cent plan to the $25 monthly plan. But you're telling me, I will lose all my data within 30 days even if I have auto-renewal turned on

lani: That's not the way it worked before

Holli: To change your rate plan you would need to call 611 from your phone.

Holli: Can I help you with anything else today?

lani: No, inform your superiors to modify your website

lani: thank you

Holli: You are welcome.

Holli: Thank you for choosing AT&T. Have a great day.

DomC · ‎10-03-2010

It doesn't surprise me that a CSR doesn't know what they are talking about. The recent change over got different responses depending on who you talked to. As you said, the site specifically says that Packages roll over.

Don't expect an answer from any AT&T people here. They never answered in the thread about the change over. They don't seem to be real helpful.

hnzw_rui · ‎09-07-2011

What DomC said. It's very rare to find CSR's who actually know what they're talking about.

Dr. Richard Kim… · ‎08-10-2005

DomC wrote:
It doesn't surprise me that a CSR doesn't know what they are talking about. The recent change over got different responses depending on who you talked to. As you said, the site specifically says that Packages roll over.

Don't expect an answer from any AT&T people here. They never answered in the thread about the change over. They don't seem to be real helpful.

I have also noticed that threads discussing the recent changes in GoPhone data plans tend to disappear from this forum, when alternative options are mentioned and/or their is negative talk about AT&T's new rules. It's their sandbox so they can decide who gets to play, but it one more thing that turns me off to AT&T.

Dr. Richard Kim… · ‎08-10-2005

Dr. Richard Kimble wrote:
DomC wrote:
It doesn't surprise me that a CSR doesn't know what they are talking about. The recent change over got different responses depending on who you talked to. As you said, the site specifically says that Packages roll over.

Don't expect an answer from any AT&T people here. They never answered in the thread about the change over. They don't seem to be real helpful.
I have also noticed that threads discussing the recent changes in GoPhone data plans tend to disappear from this forum, when alternative options are mentioned and/or their is negative talk about AT&T's new rules. It's their sandbox so they can decide who gets to play, but it one more thing that turns me off to AT&T.

I owe AT&T an apology. I just found the threads that I thought were deleted.

pl1 · ‎11-15-2004

Dr. Richard Kimble wrote:
I owe AT&T an apology. I just found the threads that I thought were deleted.

That's alright. AT&T is making off with a bunch of our pre-paid cash, so they should be making the apologies. AAMOF, keep the apologies and refund everyone who they cut off.

Dakota76 · ‎04-20-2012

I don't know why we can't get clarification on the roll over point.

I too spoke twice to customer (no)service & they told me data will NOT roll over.

Below was copied today from from ;

"Rate Plan Options"

"Feature Packages*

Feature packages are available for 30 days as long as your account balance is not expired. After 30 days or once your package has been depleted, usage will be charged according to your underlying rate plan. Renew before your package expires and any unused service will roll over to your new date. Unlimited packages do not roll over."

Come on moderators,speak up.

MaxBurn · ‎04-22-2011

For what it's worth my data did rollover on the $25/mo program. I changed to the $25/mo program on Monday and waited till today to add data/renew the data expire date, it added the data to my total and changed the date just like it always did.

Dr. Richard Kim… · ‎08-10-2005

I am among those who did not receive the text message about the changes. My current airtime expires at midnite and my port-out is in progress, but just for fun, I tried to add some data. This is what happened:

When I try to add some data, from my balance, I get this:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alert

To complete this transaction and add Data 50MB Feature Package to your account you must change your current rate plan. Any services included in your existing rate plan will be lost.

Please select a Rate plan from the list below.

$25 Monthly Plan
$50 Monthly Unlimited Plan
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I try to add a feature package, I get this:

We seem to be experiencing system issues, please call 611 from your prepaid phone for further assistance.

ilikewireless · ‎07-10-2011

Dakota76 wrote:
I don't know why we can't get clarification on the roll over point.
I too spoke twice to customer (no)service & they told me data will NOT roll over.
Below was copied today from from ;
"Rate Plan Options"

"Feature Packages*
Feature packages are available for 30 days as long as your account balance is not expired. After 30 days or once your package has been depleted, usage will be charged according to your underlying rate plan. Renew before your package expires and any unused service will roll over to your new date. Unlimited packages do not roll over."

Come on moderators,speak up.

I recall reading that rollover may not work when switching to a new plan. The previous post seems to confirm that. However, there's a post in Prepaid that seems to indicate the contrary. So it is very confusing right now.

--- I AM JUST A FORUM USER ---

drpeppergirl815 · ‎10-06-2010

I am not happy about the data package changes to the go phone pay per minute plan. But since I was paying about $25 per month for text, data and minutes, I figure I will go ahead and do the $25 monthly plan and pay a little extra for data. I have a few questions also about data rollover. I know how CSR's can be and not always have the correct info. Therefore the only way to know is ask someone who has been there, done that. I would like to know if my current 300,000 kb will still be there if make the change to monthly AND I would like to know if I can count on my ununsed minutes carrying over like it has with the data packages currently used on the per minute plan. I know I got screwed on the auto renewal once and never trusted it again, after ATT refused to reinstate my lost data balance and text balance. If anyone can shed some light on how this all works it would be greatly appreciated.

drpeppergirl815 · ‎10-06-2010

I want to correct myself.. second part of the question, I meant to say "I would like to know if I can count on my unused DATA carrying over like it has with the data packages on the per minute plan. Sorry... just want to know if unused data will roll over.

ilikewireless · ‎07-10-2011

I just read the posts once again. Here's what i get.

Account balance should roll over. I am talking about the dollar amount in your account when you add $15, 25, 50 etc denominations, provided that your account did not go past the expiration date.

A data feature package is not included with your smartphone $0.10/minute plan. It is a separate feature outside of the 0.10/min plan that you purchase separately as an add-on. Therefore, data balance should roll over when you switch out of the 0.10/min plan to a $25 monthly or $50 monthly plan.

The deciding factor is whether the data feature is or is not included with the 0.10/min plan. Because data is not included with the 0.10/min plan, it should be intact and then roll over when you switch out of the plan to a different plan, provided that you buy a new data package with the new $25 monthly or $50 monthly plan (before data expries).

pl1 · ‎11-15-2004

ilikewireless wrote:
I just read the posts once again. Here's what i get.

Account balance should roll over. I am talking about the dollar amount in your account when you add $15, 25, 50 etc denominations, provided that your account did not go past the expiration date.

A data feature package is not included with your smartphone $0.10/minute plan. It is a separate feature outside of the 0.10/min plan that you purchase separately as an add-on. Therefore, data balance should roll over when you switch out of the 0.10/min plan to a $25 monthly or $50 monthly plan.

The deciding factor is whether the data feature is or is not included with the 0.10/min plan. Because data is not included with the 0.10/min plan, it should be intact and then roll over when you switch out of the plan to a different plan, provided that you buy a new data package with the new $25 monthly or $50 monthly plan (before data expries).

When I switched from the .10/min plan to the $25/mo plan (BEFORE 4/17/12), my data carried over and I have the option to pay $5.00 more before the expiration date of 5/3/12 to roll over the data I still have. All of my prepaid money is also still intact less the $25 for the month I paid for.

MaxBurn · ‎04-22-2011

Me too, above I said that data does rollover. The whole story is I called in and had them switch me to the $25 a month plan, she asked but I chose not to renew data at that time because I knew I had about five more days. So now I was on a $25 a month plan and had my rollover data from the previous $.10 a minute plan. I couple days later I added the lowest data option and that both rolled over my previous data and changed my date expiration date like it always did on my old plan. Seems to all work like it should.