No Expectations

iPhone users can't get prepaid data in the USA: Why AT&T sucks #3024

by Kip Cole on Sunday, March 28, 2010 at 05:26 UTC (2 comments)

The biggest ripoff in telecommunications is roaming charges, with data roaming charges the most egregious. So prepaid seems the way to go when travelling and that was my plan on a week-long trip the USA. But if you have an iPhone it turns out that’s just not possible.

I have an unlocked iPhone. That’s the way they’re sold in Hong Kong where I live. Nothing nefarious. No jailbreaking. Therefore SIM-swapping is a good strategy (and one you lose badly if you’re locked in to a carrier contract as most US subscribers are). There are two GSM-based 3G carriers in the US - AT&T and T-Mobile (part of Deutsche Telekom). T-Mobile is up-front about it; no prepaid data plans. However AT&T advertises a ‘value added’ pack of pre-paid data.

Rolling up to the nearest AT&T store in NYC I purchased my SIM, with the advice to activate the data value-added pack separately. Voice service worked fine (on Long Island, not in Manhattan where service reputation is poor). Now the fun starts:

• The AT&T web site doesn’t accept international credit cards - the usual rubbish that doesn’t allow non-US addresses. We’re back in the 1970’s again, can’t buy the value-added data pack, have to revisit the store.
• Back at the AT&T store I was directed to a kiosk to buy the value-add data product. Apparently it’s better to have 3 staff standing around doing nothing and have the customer do all the work that it is to provide service. That should have been a warning sign. It’s relevant at this point to note that the staff in the store were well aware I have an iPhone 3Gs and of its provenance.
• I call to activate the service (automated of course, no humans allowed). After waiting a few minutes with no result I called the AT&T service hotline. Again, staff in the store are incapable and uninterested in providing service
• When I explain my problem - no activation of the product I purchased - the service representative explained that prepaid data wasn’t available for the iPhone. Interesting - I didn’t tell her I had an iPhone so clearly the customer service system is updated from the provisioning system. Which means that at the time I bought the data product I was knowingly sold something that is not supported.
• Now I’m in a situation where I’ve bought a product that I can’t use, and AT&T refuses to refund - even through I’ve been sold a non-working product. Note that there was no mention of this restraint of trade by the staff who knew what handset I had; and the automated systems already knew what handset I had when I bought the data pack. And the kiosk software has no such statement of limitation.
• As you would expect of a service provider there was no satisfaction, no restitution and no care.

The net affect is this: If you have an unlocked iPhone (which is common for non-USA customers) then there is no way to get a prepaid data plan when you visit the USA. Yes, you can spend the money. But you can’t get the service.

Service providers wonder why their churn is so high? Here’s reason #3024.

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