PSA: StraightTalk does not allow streaming Audio or Video!

[6tr6tr]

While I'm sure a lot of people are using StraightTalk and streaming audio and video without issue, I've also read of people having their service canceled despite not going anywhere near the monthly limit of data. This could be why:

Terms and Conditions

6. STRAIGHT TALK UNLIMITED TALK, TEXT AND MOBILE WEB ACCESS PLAN INTENDED USE: Straight Talk Unlimited Talk, Text and Mobile Web Access Plans may ONLY be used with a Straight Talk handset for the following purposes: (i) Person to Person Voice Calls (ii) Text and Picture Messaging (iii) Internet browsing through the Straight Talk Mobile Web Service and (iv) Authorized Content Downloads from the Straight Talk Mobile Web Store.

The Straight Talk Unlimited Plans MAY NOT be used for any other purpose. Examples of prohibited uses include, without limitation, the following: (i) continuous mobile to mobile or mobile to landline voice calls; (ii) automated text or picture messaging to another mobile device or e-mail address; (iii) uploading, downloading or streaming of audio or video programming or games; (iv) server devices or host computer applications, including, but not limited to, Web camera posts or broadcasts, automatic data feeds, automated machine-to-machine connections or peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing; or (v) as a substitute or backup for private lines or dedicated data connections. This means, by way of example only, that checking email, surfing the Internet, downloading legally acquired songs, and/or visiting corporate intranets is permitted, but downloading movies using P2P file sharing services and/or redirecting television signals for viewing on laptops is prohibited. A person engaged in prohibited uses may have his/her service terminated without notice or a refund.

They also have some weird restrictions:

Straight Talk will presume you are engaging in a prohibited use in violation of these Terms and Conditions if in Straight Talk?s sole opinion, you are placing an abnormally high number of calls, or repeatedly placing calls of unusually long duration, or if your talk, text or Mobile Web usage is harmful or disruptive to the Carrier?s network or services.

The Straight Talk Unlimited Plans MAY NOT be used...(v) as a substitute or backup for private lines

WTF?! So if you dump your landline and use the cell phone to replace it, they can cancel your service? How would they even know you're using it to replace your private line?

 

[gone down south]

What Straight Talk is doing is giving themselves a lot of options to throttle or cancel your account if they feel that you're overtaxing their network.
The definition of 'overtaxing' depends on how busy the local network is and how much attention you draw to yourself. Some people stream videos all day long and hit 5gb/month without incident, others get kicked off or throttled at as low as 1.7gb in a month.

 

[Citizen Coyote]

What Straight Talk is doing is giving themselves a lot of options to throttle or cancel your account if they feel that you're overtaxing their network.
The definition of 'overtaxing' depends on how busy the local network is and how much attention you draw to yourself. Some people stream videos all day long and hit 5gb/month without incident, others get kicked off or throttled at as low as 1.7gb in a month.

This. It's not a guarantee or promise, just legal wiggle room for them to kick you off.

 

[saeufer]

This. It's not a guarantee or promise, just legal wiggle room for them to kick you off.

Yeah, and I seriously doubt anyone has gotten so much as a friendly phone call for streaming audio. Ever looked at Pandora's data usage on a high-speed connection? It caches a couple minutes at a time, so it's only pulling data 5 seconds or so per minute.

It sucks that they don't publish an actual limit, but as long as the current rumor that you get warned then throttled is true, it seems fair enough--if they throttle you, you can just drop them.

 

[mrplayer66]

I used about 700MB worth of web browsing, netflix and google music, and I was throttled right away, I only had the service for about two weeks.

 

[gn2moab]

Found this Straight Talk Responds to 'Unlimited' Complaints | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

 

[nickacs]

Found this Straight Talk Responds to 'Unlimited' Complaints | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

Nice find... As the author of the article states, ST is still BS'ing it's customers by throttling waaaayyy below the 2GB "invisible threshold" even with no tethering/live streaming. It's all sunshine and stars in their response, but it's complete and utter BS. Just take a look at the other main ST thread and see how many people are throttled, even under 1GB. Ridiculous

 

[runtmms]

The main reason I stayed far away from Straight Talk. I can't believe they don't have a ton of customers leaving. (Like all the ones using T-Mobile sims.)

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[greydarrah]

In my personal experience, ST (at least the AT&T version) blows. Could not go one single day without being trottled while having downloaded less than 100 mg. That article is complete BS.