3 Messages
International travel, AT&T disabled my data plan, can't contact/reach anyone at AT&T
I'm traveling internationally (EU) and have the AT&T international unlimited plan option enabled on my account. It was working fine in Spain. While in France, though, I received a text message that my data usage has reached 50MB, then a minute later 100MB, and that "to protect me" AT&T disabled my data plan and SMS altogether, and to contact them at a number in the text message.
These amounts are ridiculously low to warrant deactivating my "unlimited" data plan. I've tried calling AT&T at the number provided, the automated message insists on entering my phone number verbally only, can't type it in, but it doesn't "hear" anything I'm saying and gets stuck in a loop.
Can't select an option to talk to a human.
I went to att.com website on a wifi connection, looked up support numbers, tried calling, and every single time the automated system hangs up mid-sentence while asking for my account number - I can't even get to that point, it just disconnects.
I've tried the 611 number (included in AT&T SMS messages), this one gets worse - just get a recording "this number is not in service.”
I've tried the billing/accounting number, poor girl had no idea what to do with international data issues and just hung up on me - this is after about 4 hours trying to get through to a human being... I've tried calling back, but can't get past the automated system (it was a miracle someone answered in billing on the previous call).
I've tried the website chat option, which says it's available 24x7, but it just displays a message that they can't connect me right now, try again later - it's been over 24 hours since I've started this process, still same message.
And finally, I've tried to just log in to my att.com account, but it tries to send me a verification code via SMS, which AT&T disabled along with data plan, so I can't even get that to validate my login to access my account.
This is the most frustrating experience ever. I've traveled in the past with this international data plan and it has always worked great - this is the first time I'm having issues, and trying to reach ANYONE at AT&T is a complete disaster - whether by phone, or online chat, or trying to log in to my account to see if there's some "self-service" option to re-activate my data plan.
I’ve been without data or SMS access on my AT&T phone for over 24 hours now, yet have received two messages that “I’m on the best international data plan available at only $12/day, enjoy your unlimited data, text and calls!” - which is 100% lie because other than phone calls, I can’t use data or SMS whatsoever.
Responding to text messages sent by AT&T is useless, they are all bouncing back as undeliverable.
Does anyone know some magical way to reach AT&T from France or Italy (I'm heading to Florence tonight).
In the meantime, my friends traveling with me on T-Mobile are giggling, because their international data works without issues. This makes me seriously want to switch, after 25+ years with AT&T...
formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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118.4K Messages
1 month ago
It sounds like you did not add international Day pass to your line.
Without international Day pass you would be charged pay-per-use charges as follows $2 to $5 per minute for phone calls. $0.50, for every text message sent $1.30 for every multimedia message sent. Data is $2.05 per megabyte. At that rate 100 MB of data is already going to cost you over $200.
611 and other short numbers as well as 800 numbers do not work. When you are in a foreign country. You have to dial the full number which is free for travelers abroad
+1.314.925.6925
Is there anyone else on your account?
(edited)
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formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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118.4K Messages
1 month ago
T-Mobile customers have to be on a compatible plan to roam without additional charges. This guy wasn't
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/florida-mans-trip-overseas-ends-in-shock-over-143000-t-mobile-phone-bill/
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ATTHelp
Community Support
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232.9K Messages
1 month ago
Hello @remik, we hear you and understand the importance of International Roaming. Let's get the help you need!
The Community Forums are a public support option where other users, and AT&T, will try and assist with high level support needs. This means we won’t be able to look into account specific concerns. To get the help you need for your unique issue, please review our Contact Us page (https://www.att.com/support/contact-us/), and choose the best option to reach out to us. You can call, chat, or reach out via social media, and we can review your specific issue and provide you support. If you feel your issue isn’t account specific, and can be answered generally, please let us know, and we’ll be happy to help.
Thank you for contacting AT&T Community & Forums,
Ken, AT&T Community Specialist
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remik
3 Messages
1 month ago
To answer some questions to comments posted above:
I *did* add international data plan, I have been using it just fine in Spain and one stop in France, it stopped working in Monaco and is now not working still in Florence Italy. I'm not a dummy, I know how these plans work, and I have travelled internationally in the past with the same plan without issues.
AT&T: You can't call that number on the contact page during EU hours, your offices are closed, even though it says it's a 24x7 support number for international data plans. When I call 611 or the other number that AT&T sent to my phone via SMS to notify me my account was suspended (data + SMS), it again only works in the US timezone, which means I have to call you in the middle of the night here. And when I call, I can hear your operators just fine, but they cannot hear me. I've called dozens of times. What is wrong with your system or your AT&T service that a simple phone call cannot be made properly?!?
AT&T - also - why is your online chat not working?? It either says it cannot connect me to a person right now, or comes up with an error message similar to this one:
Service Unavailable
The server is temporarily unable to service your request. Please try again later.
Reference #6.3676d317.1716500712.caf516
https://errors.edgesuite.net/6.3676d317.1716500712.caf516
It's so frustrating trying to reach AT&T to reactivate my data plan and SMS. All the while (3rd day now) I keep getting SMS messages from AT&T that I'm on "the best international data plan available, $12/day, enjoy your day"... Well, I'm certainly NOT enjoying it, and I'm NOT paying $12/day for services I'm not getting and you suspended for some unknown reason because I've reached a whole of 100MB of data transfer (is that a joke?!?)
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remik
3 Messages
1 month ago
To update this post:
I was ***FINALLY*** able to reach an AT&T person on the phone, had to call from a regular 5G connection, not wifi calling (which I originally tried, since my data/SMS was disabled), and in the middle of the night here in Italy so it was USA working hours. They were able to re-activate my data/SMS, and once again, everything is working again.
Still, the process was frustrating. The prompts keep asking you (3 times!) for your account number or phone number, only for the representative to ask you for the phone number as the first thing. Why, if I've already entered it 3 times? Why isn't the online chat available 24x7, when it says it is? Why isn't the number for international support available 24x7 when it says online it is?
Anyway, I'm off, considering this issue closed. Life's too short to dwell on this, I'm off to another Italian city to explore (saved the Leaning Tower of Pizza from falling yesterday, so at least that monument remains standing for future generations).
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formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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118.4K Messages
1 month ago
SMH AT&T either needs to hire more people or stop saying that it has 24/7 support
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