AT&T to restructure its texting plans leaving unlimited texting only come August 21st
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If you’re not among the texting heavyweights, you can always use the per message rate running you $.20, while for multimedia messages the price stands at 30 cents. But if you were aiming for that sweet average spot, you’d be better off signing a contract in the couple of days left before the transition takes place as the $10/1,000 texts plan is grandfathered for current customers.
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And with smart devices shifting the focus away from traditional voice calls, this partly makes sense. But with less options comes less choice and higher bills for some. Are you going to miss AT&T 1,000-message plan?
source: AT&T via Engadget
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35 Comments
2. kmichalec posted on 18 Aug 2011, 08:07 6 0
Another reason to leave AT&T once my contract is up. Thanks for making the choice easy, AT&T...
4. kmichalec posted on 18 Aug 2011, 08:22 1 0
The more I think about this, the more upset I get. What garbage! People, please don't let AT&T get away with this! Send them email(s) and let them know that you won't stand for this (I already have). They are basically trying to screw those of us who don't use that many txt msgs in a month or don't have kids who send 10,000 msgs in a month, and charge us more, while not providing us anything more for the higher fee. Why should I have to pay $20 for unlimited, when I consistently only use 500 txts or less in a month, and the $10 plan is sufficient? If enough people complain, maybe they will reconsider. However, if people just accept this, they will realize they can screw us over however they want.
And yes, I'm aware that if I'm currently on the cheaper plans, I'm grandfathered in, but that's not the point. Pure and simple, it's price gouging. Txt msgs are so cheap from a company infrastructure perspective, yet they charge a ridiculous amount for it, now they want to charge more?
5. bigdawg23 posted on 18 Aug 2011, 08:31 0 2
I have unlimited so I don't care. They are likely doing this because of the people who plug the phones up with going over the 1,000 limit. I can easily dropped that if I wanted by using Google Voice. However its cheaper on a Family to get the Unlimited Message and Mobile to Mobile Plan. Since I using a lot of Mobile to Mobile Minutes for work it is just cheaper. My guess is AT&T has looked and they have small amount of folks on that plan it won't matter.
Now lets look at the loss of Unlimited and how that would kill AT&T... How has that gone?
6. Kitezfly (unregistered) posted on 18 Aug 2011, 08:35 0 0
AT&T said for user who already have the $10 sms plan it will be grandfathered in. The only users that should be irate about this should be the customers who come in after AT&T cuts the $10 messaging plan. The fact is sms messages are cheap, but the world we live in is all about money and who can get the most of it. Companies are willing to go to extremes to make more money, AT&T will do what it wants and so will all other cellphone companies (companies in general) as long as users continue to pay. This is proven with AT&T trying to buyout T-Mobile to "improve their coverage." Read Sprint's research on AT&T's current coverage and how they can improve it by about 600% or 700% if they put the money that they're planning on spending to buy T-Mobile towards improving their current spectrum for customers. They don't really care about the customers, sad to say.
8. davecann2 posted on 18 Aug 2011, 08:51 3 0
^^^^^ Troll
There cant even be one artical on this site without some loser posting a negative comment about Apple!
12. taco50 posted on 18 Aug 2011, 09:13 5 1
Smh I don't even see how this has anything to do with Apple.
17. The_Miz posted on 18 Aug 2011, 09:49 4 2
Exactly. Can't even comment on an article without an Apple potshot.
20. dandirk posted on 18 Aug 2011, 10:37 0 0
I agree with Taco and Miz... oh my better get a lottery ticket!
9. Anonymous Coward (unregistered) posted on 18 Aug 2011, 08:53 2 0
So unlimited is good enough to be the only option for texting but not good enough to even be an option for data. Go to hell ATT.
10. JeffdaBeat posted on 18 Aug 2011, 08:56 1 0
I can't believe they are doing that. And their excuse is entirely bulls**t. Most of our customers either have unlimited or not. That's crap. For years, I had first time texters ask for the $5 plan, which they nixed or that newer $10 plan. They act like having that $10 is taking up room in the warehouse or something. AT&T is probably the most ass-backwards company I've ever seen...
22. Whateverman posted on 18 Aug 2011, 11:28 0 0
Agreed. Even if it were true that most of their customers prefer unlimited plans, why make make that the ONLY option for new customers? These only makes ATT less competitive to other carriers. But i'm sure they're banking on the monkey see-monkey do game that they and VZW like to play.
13. taco50 posted on 18 Aug 2011, 09:13 6 0
Awful move by AT&T. I'd be pissed if I was an AT&T customer.
14. ALF (unregistered) posted on 18 Aug 2011, 09:32 1 0
Just another way to screw people out of money...very badly done ATT!
I still have the 200 msgs for $5.00, and with all the other texting and communication options I don't use half of that....only when I need to msg my friends who don't have any data plan at all.
When my husband retires I SHOULD be able to add the $5.00 for 200 for him (that's all he'll need) but NO can do, and paying by the message is arcaic and pricey.
I wish we could change carriers.
15. Chance (unregistered) posted on 18 Aug 2011, 09:37 0 0
The $10 plan for 1,000 text messages equals out to .01 per message. Now people will have to pay .20 per message? That is a 2000% rate increase! I am glad I am not with AT&T. Unfortunately, when one major carrier changes their plans to increase revenue, the other carriers seem to follow.
16. gargoyle posted on 18 Aug 2011, 09:45 0 0
lol i just renewed my contract and kept the 200 msg which they don't offer anymore yet they still let me keep it. so anyone that is already in att should have nothing to worry about
18. CobaltBlue (unregistered) posted on 18 Aug 2011, 09:50 0 0
Just go with Google Voice. The Android app is awesome. Yes, about once a month the system gets delayed messages, but to save $20/mo, it's well worth it.
19. box (unregistered) posted on 18 Aug 2011, 10:01 0 0
This seems illogical: they just introduced the 1000 plan in January or February, why would they be getting rid of it so soon?
