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Cell phones forum: Buying a smartphone then canceling data plan?

by: metroidnemesis13 September 5, 2010 9:07 PM PDT

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Buying a smartphone then canceling data plan?

by metroidnemesis13 - 9/5/10 9:07 PM

I have AT&T right now and I use a lot of smartphones I bought off craigslist (I have a Nexus One and iPhone 3GS) and I like to upgrade phones frequently. I have an upgrade next January but I don't have a data plan (I have the unlimited texting plan and a pretty good phone plan). I was wondering if I could sign up for the data plan and just cancel it. I know they charge a $175 cancellation fee for canceling the data plan but some of the time it's cheaper to pay that then paying, say $600 for a new phone outside of contract. My friend is under the impression that if he has an existing data plan then cancels in a month he won't have to pay the cancellation fee. What's their policy? anyone done this?


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Huh??

by birdmantd Moderator - 9/6/10 5:17 AM

In Reply to: Buying a smartphone then canceling data plan? by metroidnemesis13

At&t doesn't charge an additional fee for removing features. Only some authorized resellers (such as Wirefly, Let's Talk) do if features or plans are changed before 6 months. At&t does require data plans on certain branded devices and data features cannot be removed. The data requirement cannot be avoided, even if you are out of contract. Not sure why you think otherwise.


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Nope ..

by smgillard - 9/9/10 10:56 AM

In Reply to: Buying a smartphone then canceling data plan? by metroidnemesis13

If you upgrade to a phone that requires a data plan as per AT&T decree, it will be tacked on your bill and you can't get it off until you change phones. If you swap your sim card, even temporarily, into a phone that they say has to have a data plan, like a blackberry, their computer will automatically add the data plan to your bill. You have to get them to take the plan off manually once you change phones again. The data plan stuff is really messy since they mandated it.


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Don't forget...

by Pepe7 - 9/9/10 3:32 PM

In Reply to: Nope .. by smgillard

...that all smartphones do not trigger the mandatory data plan. ATT branded smartphones, iPhones & the Nexus One are generally the only ones you can be most certain of. Others may slip past the radar.


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