Unlimited Data Option Gone from iPad 3G

Remember when AT&T announced its ridiculous (or ridiculously awesome, depending on whom you ask) new data plans? The one where unlimited data would forever be gone? Yeah, well the unlimited option finally disappeared from the Apple iPad 3G today and we shed a single tear. However, for those who purchased the iPad prior to June 7, when the new data plans took effect, the unlimited data plan will be grandfathered into their plans when they receive their tablet computers if they haven’t already.

AT&T has officially said that while the option isn’t appearing on the iPad, further details will follow. I think I know what that means… “Hi, thank you for calling AT&T. If you’d like to speak to a real live human being, press zero and hold for 15 minutes. Then when your rep comes on, explain the situation and ask for the unlimited data plan. Wait another 12 minutes for the customer service rep to verify that your information is accurate. When the rep finally comes on and says it’s okay to add the plan to your iPad 3G service, wait another 10 minutes for the rep to finalize everything. But before we get started, if you’d like to participate in a brief survey after the phone call, press one…”

If you’re a data gobbler, I hope you bought your iPad before June 7!

[Via: Engadget]

About The Author

Marc Flores

Marc has been a mobile fanatic for the better part of a decade and has had more devices pass through his hands than he would care to count. Originally from Los Angeles and briefly in San Francisco, Marc now lives in Brooklyn where, unlike Will Park, he longs for simpler times and simpler technology. All the while, he writes about gadgets and wireless technology as he tinkers, hacks and ultimately breaks most of his gadgets in the process. Marc has written about the mobile industry for Boy Genius Report, MobileCrunch, Laptop Magazine and has had his work appear in the Wall Street Journal, Gizmodo, CrunchGear and more.

ipadcranky

Now entering hour two on hold with AT&T to be grandfathered in…
- Hayward
  
  Should call 800-331-0500, took me less than 10 minutes this morning, got an agent right away.
  - hlj
    
    thx, worked
  - Steven
    
    Worked for me almost immediately. I had purchased the $25 plan per their instructions earlier and all they did was swap the plan for me. As stated below by Dianne below, they will verify with Apple the date you got the plan and if it doesn't jive, they will drop you back down. The funny part was when he said, "Can you verify you purchased the iPad before June 7th?" Yes. "Ok we will get you switched over to the unlimited plan." Lol but obviously they verify with Apple later.
Matt H

My unlimited service renewed with no issues, although I can't see how I would get it back if I ever decide to try one of the other plans. Maybe I am one of those who doesn't really need unlimited (my cellular usage is only 2.1 Gbytes since I got the 3G), in which case I may be spending an extra $5 a month because of an irrational fear I obtained from reading posts like this…
Kent

Well, the new procedure…

1. Call AT&T Customer Service
2. Wait fifteen minutes for a Representative
3. Give them your account information, again, because the computer did not capture it the first time
4. Have this REP ask you your story, listen and then tell you that there's a new phone number that you have to call for this option. BTW, they don't even know the dept. they're sending you to…it could even be Apple–they told me.
5. Call new number and…well…I'm 1 hour and 25 minutes on hold without talking to a single person.

Good ol' AT&T
- Mark
  
  Share the new number with us?
New AT&T Custimer

Kent. Did you ever get through to the "new" number? (BTW.. the number I was given was 866-640-5125)

Ordered my iPad on June 5th, with the assurance from Apple that I would be able to get the unlimited plan once I received my iPad.

It arrived yesterday, and I called Apple, and they said I needed to call AT&T.

After begin shuffled around between several AT&T reps, the last one finally said she was connecting me the department that could get me set up. The first couple reps initially insisted that NO ONE could get the unlimited plan any longer. This included a supervisor.

I was put on hold last night for 2 hours, until 10:30 EDT, when a record apologized for being unable to connect me, and then hung up on me.

continused…
New AT&T Customer

Tonight I tried again and 30 minutes later I had to give up to go out to eat. When I got home it was after 10:00 pm EDT, and I tried again and got a recording that said they were closed, and to call back when they were open. Of course the recording did not say WHEN that was.

This is my first experience with AT&T. Now I remember why my cell is with Verizon.
Sam

866.640.5125

Be warned I was on hold for 5 hours…and never got a real person. I gave up at 10 pm EST, which I was told was closing time when I was transferred.

Apparently the standard wireless att tech can no longer activate the plan and you must go through this call center….which appears entirely unmanned.
Sam

Your article is overly optimistic regarding how long it will take to activate the unlimited data plan.

I was on hold with the specialized section at&t setup for unlimited data plan ipad orders for 5 hours this evening (June 22) without ever reaching a real person. Ironically I can opt in to the tiered data plans at any time. I would be lying if I thought At&t was trying to avoid grandfathering anyone into the system at this point.
Kyle

Same story here.. on the phone for 2 hours when my AT&T serviced iphone dropped the call. I was able to save $50.00 a month on my iphone bill based upon my initial call to AT&T. Called the 866 number again this morning.. never answered after 2 hours..
JKC

What happens if you use more than 2 GB on the 2 GB plan?
RobLoathesAT&T

IPad ordered 6/5; arrived 6/21. 3G attempted 6/22. Customer service call to 800-331-0500. Given “special team” number of 866-640-5125. Called latter number on 6/22 for 1 hr wait; gave up. Tried 6/23 at 7:59am EDT–closed. Tried 1 min later at 8:00am and got SAME recording as day before quoting a >20 min wait. Waited 1 hr–no luck. Went to work, tried again, waited FOUR hrs–no answer. Called original number again tonight, told to call the second number tomorrow.
RobLoathesAT&T

OMG. On day three of trying, after roughly ten hours total of being on hold, it worked. There IS someone one the other end of 866-640-5125!!!
- engrish
  
  what happened?
  - RobLoathesAT&T
    
    …I didn’t gripe too much nor did I ask too many questions about the wait so as not to annoy the nice lady
    - RobLoathesAT&T
      
      (Weird. My first half of post has vanished). In summary, perseverance paid off.
jill

just did it with the 866-640-5125 # – one minute on hold, verified when i purchased & they switched me over to unlimited. polite & apologized for my short wait. thanks for the tip om the phone # to call.
- gabi
  
  thanks for the number, just set up my unlimited option with no waiting and no delays or hazzle.
BrianC

After being on hold for 2 hours this morning, I called in.. They asked for my current data phone number.. which I provided and then was asked if I wanted unlimited data? I replied yes, verified my account and within 30 seconds had a message on my iPad stating I had a plan change with unlimited data… Couldnt be a happier camper… that and a new iphone today…
jill

grr – they neglected to activate & now i'm back on hold – rep just told me – we have no unlimited plan & i never heard of this grandfather deal??? urkeys – i bought this with the understanding id have unlimited annoying!!!
- dbd
  
  Sue the bastards!
sam

called and was able to sign up last night. Unfortunately I am being told that I need to continue to pay every month if I want to keep it. Thanks for false promises AT&T.
Dianne

The 866 number works. The process has changed. You have to ask for the ipad support team. Then you'll have to provide your IMEI number (under settings/general/about). Then you activate the $25 plan and get your cellular data number. Then they cancel that account and activate unlimited. They WILL verify with Apple that your ipad was purchased before the June 7 cutoff. And, once you activate, you can never, ever, let it lapse or you're done on the unlimited plan. Took me four calls (and many transfers) before I called the number recommended here. The process for two ipads took about 45 minutes.
And, since we have one more pad to do, they arranged to call us back at our convenience to finish the process. Not too horrible (but certainly time-consuming).
donthinkso

This is crap. I get to the party a week late and I'm stuck with 2GB? Either they give the the uncapped plan, or I return the iPad.
- Jared
  
  Then return the iPad. you think that they care. they can sell the returned one in 2 seconds
Dianne

The 866 number works. The process has changed. You have to ask for the ipad support team. Then you'll have to provide your IMEI number (under settings/general/about). Then you activate the $25 plan and get your cellular data number. Then they cancel that account and activate unlimited. They WILL verify with Apple that your ipad was purchased before the June 7 cutoff. And, once you activate, you can never, ever, let it lapse or you're done on the unlimited plan. Took me four calls (and many transfers) before I called the number recommended here. The process for two ipads took about 45 minutes.
Eileen

After reading these comments last night I was dreading calling AT&T this morning but I was done in 45 minutes. and I could have cut that in half if I had signed up for a plan before hand. I spent half my time with the operator on line opening an account and waiting for it to process Basically what they do is have you sign up for one of the existing plans the –2gb plan– and then transer you to the grandfathered unlimited plan. I called 1800 331-0500 –selected speak to an operator- the operator had to look up up who to transfer me to which took a while. (FYI if you encounter this problem you may want to ask the operator to transfer you to someone on AT&T's ipad support team this may speed up your call transfer). They are going to ask you for the date you purchased the ipad. and a couple of other verifiying questions and they are going to ask you for your cellular data number …which comes in an e-mail to you you receive after you open the account and then the ipad support person cancels your 2 g plan and enrolls you in the unlimited plan. I think it would have taken me 20 minutes if I had already enrolled in a plan.
renee

So, I have two ipads we received on April 30. On one ipad, I activated the unlimited plan plan on June 3rd no problem. The other ipad was activated with 14.99 plan on the same date. Now when I review the either ipad accounts, the option to get unlimited data has disappeared, it's either the 14.99 or 25. plan. I don't need unlimited on a monthly basis and it appears the only way I might be able to keep the unlimited if I let it auto renew on the first ipad. If I read these postings correctly, I can't get unlimited any longer….even though I purchased both before the changed rate plans with the understanding I could get unlimited at 29.99 when wanted. Any comments or suggestions?
Sye

I called the 866-640-5125 and told them that I had purchased my ipad on the 4th and they put me on hold for 20mins and then another rep asked me the same and she switched me to the unlimited plan.
dave

Sux that i got con'd into buying the ipad before june 7th by an apple online rep who promised, swore, gave me their word that If i didn't activate any plan, including the unlimited plan, i always had the option to get the unlimited plan… Say in like 2 yrs, i only used WIFI then decided, hey i want to sign up for the unlimited 3G plan I would go to the pad and activate it… The Rep said, Yes you will be able to do that… So i was like cool… I'll get the pad.. Got the 32 G was hapy, then today got an email saying i have to activate by July 15th to get the unlimited pan.. Am i the only one on the internet that this bothers? why aren't you people talkign about this.. this was deception!!! please lets get a law suit together and i believe i got the most screwed and should get the most out of the settlement! I was blatently lied to! andyou people aren't discussing this? what gives?
Mike

If I purchased my iPad on June 7th, arrived on the 25th, am I still eligible for the unlimited data plan if I call into AT&T?? This definitely blows if I am not eligible!
dbc

I was considering an IPAD until I found out the unlimited plan was no longer available.
Mark J

I called in this morning, got through in less than a minute to a wonderful operator, Maureen. She was able to help me right away and I was transferred to my unlimited plan within 5 minutes. I don't know was all these horror stories are about, but I am satisfied.
Jay

My card failed to autorenew (had a hold on it due to suspicious activity), so my ability to renew my unlimited plan was toast. Customer service were very helpful, but it was called a ‘one time courtesy’ to allow me back into the unlimited plan when i updated the credit card info.
Dr. Feltersnatch

At@t reward their longtime customers and comcast reward only new customers. I hope to get the unlimited plan for my iPad , if not perhaps I can cancel the long distance service I’ve had for 12 years as a counter childish maneuver.
Dr. Feltersnatch

At@t reward their longtime customers and comcast reward only new customers. I hope to get the unlimited plan for my iPad , if not perhaps I can cancel the long distance service I’ve had for 12 years as a counter childish maneuver.