charging for data

azngurl9330 · ‎03-27-2011

i have a question. i was just wondering if my mms is charging my data? i have unlimited messaging.

i went online to check my charges and it says that i used internet/media net. and it says i used 46kb. i look at the time and it was at the exact time that i recieved a mms. so i was just wondering if that is gona charge me? or does it just show that bc mms uses internet?

Planet-Ed · ‎07-09-2005

No there is no data charge for messaging. The cost of the data that MMS message use is included in the price of the message (pay-per-use or messaging plan).

What your seeing is regular internet usage. When your phone connected to the internet for message anything else on the phone that needed data would have been able to transfer at that time. It can also be a coincidence at data is not alway reported right away so data at that time could have actually been from an earlier time.

seajohn · ‎11-08-2005

If you don't have a data plan, you'll be charged $2.00 for this accidental internet access. After you receive your bill, you can call customer service and request them to remove this charge.

joelwnelson · ‎09-14-2007

FYI though - some phone CS reps are taking a "tough" policy on this now, saying that (a) even with unlimited MMS, data charges apply for using the feature, and (b) that even accidentally opening the web browser and closing it again warrants a non-refundable charge. Never had trouble before but I had a very difficult time get a refund for $2 this month, and she claimed she'd noted on my account that I was not eligible for any further $2 refunds in the future.

enigmachine · ‎04-13-2011

then what you need to do is call the custr care center for ATT and request a data block if you find taking the time to call ATT every month is too much trouble to get the charge removed. and that is correct, the $2/Mb charge is valid...that is what the data block is for.

I am an AT&T employee and the postings on this site are my own and don't necessarily represent AT&T's position, strategies or opinions.

JFizDaWiz · ‎10-27-2010

and so you are aware a data block blocks mms as well.

“I am an AT&T employee and the postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent AT&T’s positions, strategies or opinions.”

taralynn7 · ‎04-14-2011

We are very new to a Smartphone, (HTCInspires) first one we ever owned. We opted for the 200 mb of data service.

We also were told that wehn home the phone would use our wi-fi instead of the mobile. So after owning the phone for 3 days, (which one broke already) we have used up all our Data. Which I only looked at my email once yesterday while out on the road.

Apparently my phone sent something for 18,000 MB at 3 am, I guess my ghost was playing on the internet. But do I have to make sure the mobile data setting is turned off when at home? I assumed the home wifi would just take over. My husband is livid with me, saying all my emails from my Gmail account did it. He had to use my phone when traveling on the road for a couple of days and my emails kept coming in. So 20 emails a day wears out the Data? Is it really that quick? My children all have 200 MB and say as long as they do not download anything they never run out, and they post to Facebook daily.

So what did I do wrong? And must I alwyas make sure my Mobile data is truned off when at home using my home wifi?

Also do you think the Inspire is such a great seller that the store sells out of them daily? That is what we were told when my husband went back 2 days after purchase to trade his since it broke. We have had to wait 3 days to get it replaces. How new is hte Inspire? I went in wanting an I-Phone, the gal kept running them down and said we should go with the Inspire....not so sure I did the right thing there.

monzo1969 · ‎04-12-2011

Is it necessary to be so rude? YOU are the very type of person that makes it impossible to deal with CS at AT&T!. Yes, it is not something anyone wants to do--calling AT&T for help---because the reps are so horrible to the customers!

joelwnelson · ‎09-14-2007

Just as a FYI... I've been in touch with a couple managers at AT&T the last couple days, and (a) the cost of the data used in MMS messaging is part of the MMS fee, or included as part of the unlimited messaging plan, so either way no additional data charges, and (b) there is some known internal confusion over this in the lower tiers of customer support and it sounds like training materials will be updated to make it clearer. Also, (c) there are some cases of corrupt settings on an account causing MMS messages to result in billed data, but when this happens it is an error.

So from the conversations I've had, I've learned:

1. MMS messaging should not trigger an additional data charge, other than the MMS fee if not covered under a messaging plan, and if it does it needs to be reported.

2. Accidental pressing of the web button will bill data, but if Customer Service can prove it was accidental then it is supposed to be taken off.

3. It is possible to block data on most handsets themselves (including app and ringtone downloads) without disabling MMS as they have separate profiles. However, in some cases this requires an unlock by upper-level support.

enigmachine · ‎04-13-2011

that is tru joel

I am an AT&T employee and the postings on this site are my own and don't necessarily represent AT&T's position, strategies or opinions.

seajohn · ‎11-08-2005

joelwnelson wrote:
3. It is possible to block data on most handsets themselves (including app and ringtone downloads) without disabling MMS as they have separate profiles. However, in some cases this requires an unlock by upper-level support.

I wish that were true, but it goes 100% against what I've been told by many, many AT&T CS people. ALL of them that I have talked to, (nearly every month) have claimed that there is absolutely no way for AT&T to distinguish between MMS and data, and there is no way to set up a phone to prevent interenet access without also blocking MMS.

JFizDaWiz · ‎10-27-2010

on some phones you can dummy out the apn settings so it doesn't know how to connect to the internet but mms still works.

“I am an AT&T employee and the postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent AT&T’s positions, strategies or opinions.”

vicki362436 · ‎11-16-2010

Why can't there be a second level of security before accessing the internet. Oh I don't know...maybe something like "are you sure you want to access the interent?" then you can hit yes or no depending on the situation. I mean my phone asks me if I'm sure if I want to delete messages from my inbox and outbox. It should ask us if we are sure we really want to go online, because I don't. But if I'm not really paying attention, I will hit the button accidentally and away I go to being online, however I never make it online because I frantically hit the end browsing session to stop it and then I'm upset that I hit that button. Because now I know the $2.00 charge is coming. Well I have already decided that I will not pay for anymore of the internet charges. My contract is almost up....ATT can suck it. I pay the contract rate and that is it. And they are now trying to charge me $5.00 a month late fee, but on the back of the bill it states that I should only be charged 1.5% of the unpaid charges because of where I live. ATT likes to scam people. So let's see. 1.5% of $4.00 is 6 cents. NOT $5.00. I can handle 6 cents.

And the other bad news is that I was planning on switching back to T-mobile when this stupid contract is up, but it turns out that ATT just bought T-mobile. More crappy service from ATT. Wow. What a great day.

JFizDaWiz · ‎10-27-2010

the late fee is assessed from the total bill amountnot the remaining. and the at&t merger isn't official just yet

“I am an AT&T employee and the postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent AT&T’s positions, strategies or opinions.”

ddlar · ‎04-26-2011

>> the late fee is assessed from the total bill amount not the remaining.

Just another way that AT&T alienates customers. I have no idea if this is legal, or not. But, it sure doesn't help customer relations. One has to wonder about AT&T management when one sees these sorts of policies. Surely, the amount of money collected is tiny when compared to the cost of lost customers, CS time, legal fights, etc.? That does not even take into account customer good will, which certainly has real financial value.

All I can do is scratch my head and leave AT&T, just like the original poster.

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

ddlar wrote:
>> the late fee is assessed from the total bill amount not the remaining.
Just another way that AT&T alienates customers. I have no idea if this is legal, or not. But, it sure doesn't help customer relations. One has to wonder about AT&T management when one sees these sorts of policies. Surely, the amount of money collected is tiny when compared to the cost of lost customers, CS time, legal fights, etc.? That does not even take into account customer good will, which certainly has real financial value.
All I can do is scratch my head and leave AT&T, just like the original poster.

Why single out ATT? ALL companies do this - read the agreement terms, this is not only for Walmart, Target but the agreement with your credit cards has the exact same terms

ddlar · ‎04-26-2011

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wingrider01 wrote:

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ddlar wrote:

>> the late fee is assessed from the total bill amount not the remaining.
Just another way that AT&T alienates customers. I have no idea if this is legal, or not. But, it sure doesn't help customer relations. One has to wonder about AT&T management when one sees these sorts of policies. Surely, the amount of money collected is tiny when compared to the cost of lost customers, CS time, legal fights, etc.? That does not even take into account customer good will, which certainly has real financial value.
All I can do is scratch my head and leave AT&T, just like the original poster.

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Why single out ATT? ALL companies do this - read the agreement terms, this is not only for Walmart, Target but the agreement with your credit cards has the exact same terms

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Wingrider01,

I don't know if all companies do this, or not? However, even if true, I hardly think that's a good defense of a bad policy. Are you really going to argue that AT&T should engage in outrages billing practices just because someone else also does it?

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

ddlar wrote:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
wingrider01 wrote:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ddlar wrote:
>> the late fee is assessed from the total bill amount not the remaining.
Just another way that AT&T alienates customers. I have no idea if this is legal, or not. But, it sure doesn't help customer relations. One has to wonder about AT&T management when one sees these sorts of policies. Surely, the amount of money collected is tiny when compared to the cost of lost customers, CS time, legal fights, etc.? That does not even take into account customer good will, which certainly has real financial value.
All I can do is scratch my head and leave AT&T, just like the original poster.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why single out ATT? ALL companies do this - read the agreement terms, this is not only for Walmart, Target but the agreement with your credit cards has the exact same terms

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wingrider01,

I don't know if all companies do this, or not? However, even if true, I hardly think that's a good defense of a bad policy. Are you really going to argue that AT&T should engage in outrages billing practices just because someone else also does it?

I am not claiming anything, you made your comments, made mine, both are opinions that differ. My opinion is that it is not worth ruining a credit rating over a few dollars, pay it then dispute it.