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Lawsuit claims AT&T cheats iPhone, iPad owners on data
ComputerWorld ^ | February 1, 2011 06:31 AM ET | By Gregg Keizer

Posted on 02/02/2011 11:08:28 AM PST by Swordmaker

Wireless carrier accused of inflating data transfers, billing for 'phantom' downloads

Computerworld - AT&T has "systematically" overcharged iPhone and iPad owners with capped data plans by inflating the amount of data they download and adding "phantom traffic," a lawsuit claimed last week.

AT&T said it would "vigorously" fight the suit.

The complaint, filed by Patrick Hendricks in federal court in California, claims that a "significant portion" of AT&T's $1.1 billion of wireless revenue gains in the last quarter came from the bogus charges and overbilling.

Hendricks' lawyers asked a judge to grant the lawsuit class-action status; if that happens, the case would be open to millions of iPhone and iPad owners in the U.S.

Citing evidence obtained by a consulting firm hired by Henricks' attorneys, the lawsuit contends that AT&T regularly overstates incoming data by 7% to 14%, and in some cases by as much as 300%.

"AT&T's billing system for iPhone and iPad data transactions is like a rigged gas pump that charges for a full gallon when it pumps only nine-tenths of a gallon into your car's tank," the complaint states.

Hendricks' suit also alleges that AT&T bills for data transfers that never took place. During a 10-day stretch, the same consulting firm found that AT&T billed a new iPhone's account for approximately 2.2MB of data transfers, even though the smartphone had had all push notification and location services disabled, no e-mail account configured, and no active apps.

"This is like a rigged gas pump charging you when you never even pulled your car into the station," the lawsuit states.

(Excerpt) Read more at computerworld.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet; Conspiracy
KEYWORDS: ilovebillgates; iwanthim; iwanthimbad; microsoftfanboys

1 posted on 02/02/2011 11:08:31 AM PST by Swordmaker
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To: ~Kim4VRWC's~; 1234; 50mm; Abundy; Action-America; acoulterfan; AFreeBird; Airwinger; Aliska; ...
AT&T sued for having thumb on the iPhone, iPad data plan scales... PING!

Please! No Flame Wars!
Discuss technical issues, software, and hardware.
Don't attack people!

Don't respond to the Anti-Apple Thread Trolls!
PLEASE IGNORE THEM!!!


AT&T data plan lawsuit Ping!

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

2 posted on 02/02/2011 11:11:42 AM PST by Swordmaker (This tag line is a Microsoft product "insult" free zone.)
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To: Swordmaker

I’d be happy if I could just get two bars of signal from ATT in the Denver area...


3 posted on 02/02/2011 11:25:02 AM PST by GRRRRR (He'll NEVER be my President, FUBO!)
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To: Swordmaker

Having a 3GS, I’m grandfathered in the unlimited data plan, so I’ve never had to worry about this. If I get a 3G iPad, I will.


4 posted on 02/02/2011 11:45:58 AM PST by AFreeBird
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To: AFreeBird
I have the 3G iPad. I am careful to turn off the AT&T cellular whenever I am not using it. Most places I can just use a wireless system.

Although there is one meeting room I go to where there is ethernet but no wi-fi. The iPad does not accept ethernet and At&T does not work there either. So I have to go online with my Verizaon mi-fi running the iPad. That one is unlimited.

5 posted on 02/02/2011 11:53:07 AM PST by angry elephant (Endangered species in Seattle)
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To: Swordmaker

If it becomes a class action suit and AT&T is found to have really screwed customers, the only winners will be the lawyers while the people who were screwed get a $5 coupon for their next upgrade.


6 posted on 02/02/2011 11:53:18 AM PST by OldMissileer (Atlas, Titan, Minuteman, PK. Winners of the Cold War)
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To: Swordmaker

If it becomes a class action suit and AT&T is found to have really screwed customers, the only winners will be the lawyers while the people who were screwed get a $5 coupon for their next upgrade.


7 posted on 02/02/2011 11:53:26 AM PST by OldMissileer (Atlas, Titan, Minuteman, PK. Winners of the Cold War)
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To: OldMissileer

I promise! I only clicked the “Post” button once!


8 posted on 02/02/2011 11:56:22 AM PST by OldMissileer (Atlas, Titan, Minuteman, PK. Winners of the Cold War)
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To: Swordmaker

My iPhone couldn’t possibly download any limit as the connection rates are too damned slow.


9 posted on 02/02/2011 12:04:56 PM PST by CodeToad (Islam needs to be banned in the US and treated as a criminal enterprise.)
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To: OldMissileer

AT&T provides the double post so they can charge you for for the bandwidth.


10 posted on 02/02/2011 12:39:21 PM PST by dangerdoc (see post #6)
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To: Swordmaker

I’m not having a problem believing this. Sucks that Cingular got bought by AT&T.


11 posted on 02/02/2011 12:52:52 PM PST by antiRepublicrat
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To: Swordmaker
The complaint, filed by Patrick Hendricks in federal court in California, claims that a "significant portion" of AT&T's $1.1 billion of wireless revenue gains in the last quarter came from the bogus charges and overbilling.

I think they should sue them for pretending to be a cellular carrier.
12 posted on 02/02/2011 1:03:23 PM PST by PA Engineer (Liberate America from the occupation media. There are Wars and Rumors of War.)
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To: Swordmaker

This doesn’t surprise me. It was dumb of AT&T to get rid of the unlimited data plans in the first place. You can’t monitor data usage like you can phone minutes or text. If I have a 200 text message plan, and send 199 texts, I know I can send exactly one more before I get charged. Same thing with minutes. But with data, if I have 200MB a month and I see I’ve used 195MB, what can I do? Will the next web page I go to have a huge image file I don’t know about that will put me over? What about my app that wants to update - is the update 50KB or 10MB? You don’t know until after you’ve used it, and you get the text message telling you you’re being billed for more data. (I wonder if they’d also charge you for the text if you had reached your text limit.)

The only way a limited data plan makes sense is if the cap is proactive - shut off data transfer when you reach your limit, and require a user action (such as a password entry) to accept the overage. Otherwise the 3G connection is disabled until the next billing cycle. Until they can do this, they should figure out what it costs for unlimited data and set the plan at that price.


13 posted on 02/02/2011 2:25:03 PM PST by Turbopilot (iumop ap!sdn w,I 'aw dlaH)
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To: dangerdoc
AT&T provides the double post so they can charge you for for the bandwidth.

Dang! You beat me to it...

14 posted on 02/02/2011 2:38:41 PM PST by Swordmaker (This tag line is a Microsoft product "insult" free zone.)
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