Issues with AT&T handeling false dataplan activation.

A data plan is REQUIRED on regular plan with ANY smartphone. If you switched to a smartphone, a data plan is automatically added. It is in the terms of service and required. If you do not want a data plan but want to use a smartphone, your only option is to change to a gophone plan. Data is not required on a gophone plan and you can use a smartphone.

I am happy to explain: I have family plan with 3 phone lines. One of the 3 numbers I am using for a years is for voice forwarding to my corporate phone only. Last time I used Blackbey Bolt on this number to activate call forwarding to my corporate number and it was more than a year ago. Then I turned it off and never used since.

There were no problem with this number until January 2015. All the sudden, 3GB Blackbery Data plan was added to the line which I am using for voice call forwarding.

After many long conversations with many different specialists, this plan was removed.

I also was advised by AT&T manager to remove SIM card from the Blackbery phone (for voice call forwarding no physical phone requers). I removed SIM card from phone which was not turned on for long, long time (more than a year)

In March of 2015 I got bill with 3G Blackbery Data plan again added to number which I am using for voice forwarding only.

I am not sure if it would be appropriate to post names for all specialists and if AT&T need names, they may contact me directly. I am working for IT department at big company...and if my group would handle our clients the same way AT&T did with me, I am not sure if I still would have my job.

In short, I was told: I have to pay for Data plan regardless if I ever turn my phone “on” or not. .. Also there is nobody above escalation manager I could talk and resolve this issue...and lastly I was offer to pretend I used my Blackbery, so AT&T could "help me" and decrease my data plan from 3GB to 300MB (AT&T checked - there is 0 bit usage - none), but I need to provide my BlackBery id, so they could add it to their system and make it looks like it was used. My respond was - it is piracy (I hope all conversations are recorder by AT&T and it would be easy to verify).

I end up buying basic phone at Walmart and activate it, so AT&T would stop adding data plan to line with 0 bytes of data usage. I have much more details about unpleasant experience I had with AT&T and I am trying to identify the best way to properly share it with responsible party at AT&T and AT&T community.

I am just wondering, how many more customers having similar experience? Is it just me or it is common for this provider?

Yes, very strange business. I am considering couple of options. As soon as my obligations are over I am considering to try other providers.

I suspect that your problem is that you have a smartphone IMEI attached to your account because you put your SIM into the Blackberry and turned it on to enable the call forwarding.  One quick way to solve this is to put the SIM into a non-smartphone and turn it on long enough to register that phone's IMEI to your account.  This would remove teh association of the smartphone IMEI and it should stop the automatic adding of the data plan (which you never use).

I'm not sure where I stand on the automatic adding of a data plan for accounts which have a smartphone associated to them and no current data plan.  Since AT&T does state that they require a data plan for all post-paid plans, they are not scamming by adding the data plan, and it will keep the "less than ethical" customers from claiming to not have a smartphone, then usiong a smartphone to use data without paying for it.  In cases like yours, where the phone is not even turned on, it is more of a grey area because you're not even using the phoen they have registered on your account.