My Email to AT&T re:Atrix / Android

[jess.hickey]

So, I had an issue with AT&T last week because they inexplicably removed something from my account. This coupled with their announcements on the Atrix yesterday really rubbed me the wrong way so I sent them the following email...(and figured why not share it with y'all)


I have been a ?valued? customer since 2000. I have supported your company and have sold family and friends on your service over these 11 years (in fact, 4 people in the past 2 months?for this I?m sure you are appreciative?!?!?) I even stood behind your company in light of the recent CR rankings.

Recent events with my account (which I?m still contemplating reporting to the BBB) and your announcements regarding the Motoroal Atrix have ultimately left a bad taste in my mouth.

For years your organization has been able to hang its collective hats on the iPhone. Well, you all do realize those days are over, correct?

Your next best thing is (was???) Android. You now have managed to stifle yourselves in this venture. You were able to procure the top-of-the-line Android (Motorola Atrix) and then proceed to lock it down while at the same time fill it up with your ?bloatware?. As with all of your Android devices you prevent the installation of applications that are available on Android Market and to other cellular providers (because you deem them inappropriate???). You also prevent users from installing other applications that have yet to make it to the market (ex: Swype, which actually comes on some of your phones preinstalled). So, lets recap this?you can force applications on me (that I can?t remove) with the ?bloatware? but won?t allow me to install what I want? And you have no issue with this?

Now to ice the cake, so to speak, you have gone and told potential buyers of the Atrix that if you want to browse the web on a larger screen you have to pay an additional $20 per month to ?tether? it to a keyboard and larger screen? We pay for an ?unlimited? data plan. Why does it matter what size screen we view our ?unlimited? data on?

With this device, the top ranked phone at CES, you stood the chance to not lose ground with Verizon?s announcement of the iPhone. What is to keep someone with AT&T now? A pretty smile? New carpet on the sales floor? With your recent announcements, it surely will not be equipment that stands out from that of others.

Sincerely,
Jess

I'm sure I will get a bucket response back but I figured I had nothing to lose.

 

[mrro82]

I think you'll get a bucket resonse like you stated. Never hurts to let them know. They won't care more than likely but at least you stated it.

 

[stone_ship]

Great letter. I too was very disappointed to find out the true details of the Atrix (pricing, tethering plan, sideloading, etc.).

 

[ka3yan]

I don't know. I wrote them recently about something that concerned me and I got a response back that was actually from a real person and they explained what was going on and that the company has been considering a recommendation that I made because others had voiced similar concerns.

The end of the email was just standard AT&T rubbish, but the first half was an actual response. I think you'll get a little more than a bucket response, but who knows. I might write to them with my concerns too. It's going to take more than just you to change their dirty ways.

 

[defdrums]

Good letter and well said. It never hurts to let the big guys know whats up. I still don't know what I'm going to get next and the latest news on the Atrix is making me have second thoughts.

 

[Chris Kerrigan]

Well said letter, and although I don't have AT&T, I can totally understand your concerns. I fear you'll get some generic response from someone who truly doesn't give a damn, but I hope they at least read your letter and take it into consideration. I'm sure you're not the only one feeling this way, and customers will eventually speak with their wallet.

 

[LotusLord]

Unless they bring back "unlimited" data, they've lost me as a customer already.

 

[Kaspern]

Great letter! I was too looking forward to this phone and just like everyone else i was left with great dissapointment after yesterdays announcement.

The only thing, they are not charging you tethering because you are using a bigger screen but because you are using a full version of firefox which uses double or triple the data a mobile browser uses. Just like a laptop would use if u were tethering it with any other device.

The only thing is they should not force you to buy the tethering plan if you plan to use the dock in wifi only, and the browsing simply does not work on the dock while on 3g if you do not have tethering plan.

Just my 2 cents but ATT thought they were too mighty with the iphone and now they think they are even better with the hottest android device.

 

[jess.hickey]

Unless they bring back "unlimited" data, they've lost me as a customer already.

Fortunately, I SHOULD be grandfathered in ...

unless this is a tidbit of info they've yet to release and end up requiring some "4G" data plan...which after the past week wouldn't suprise me in the least

Also, I can speak from experience, if you are able to get the right rep on the phone and a nice floor manager, they can override and add the unlimited (if you previously had it). Long of the short, AT&T "accidentally" removed the unlimited plan from one of my phones and a manager was able to override the system and add it back. [for what it's worth]

 

[jess.hickey]

The only thing, they are not charging you tethering because you are using a bigger screen but because you are using a full version of firefox which uses double or triple the data a mobile browser uses. Just like a laptop would use if u were tethering it with any other device.

Are they not? I'm paying for an "unlimited" (capped at 5GB???) plan that I should be able to use how I see fit (kb per session or mb per session). As has been previously discussed, charging for tethering is double dipping is it not? By adding "tethering" do I now get super-unlimited data? I mean I currently have the N1 so I use it as a wifi hotspot constantly...what differs here is AT&T has now told me how I can use my data. How many of us are running PDANet? My point is, you don't get any extra data by paying for the tethering.

By no means are my questions (or my disgust) directed at you Kaspern , it's just silly the way AT&T is going about this.

 

[zhelf]

Unless they bring back "unlimited" data, they've lost me as a customer already.

yea i think they were hoping all of the other providers would follow but they didnt i was stuck on at&t for a while because my fiance lover her iphone but now that its on vzw i might get her to switch when they get the iphone 5 my only reluctancy is i have had bad experiences with their customer service.

 

[Kaspern]

Are they not? I'm paying for an "unlimited" (capped at 5GB???) plan that I should be able to use how I see fit (kb per session or mb per session). As has been previously discussed, charging for tethering is double dipping is it not? By adding "tethering" do I now get super-unlimited data? I mean I currently have the N1 so I use it as a wifi hotspot constantly...what differs here is AT&T has now told me how I can use my data. How many of us are running PDANet? My point is, you don't get any extra data by paying for the tethering.

By no means are my questions (or my disgust) directed at you Kaspern , it's just silly the way AT&T is going about this.

No worries =) trust me I completely agree with you and everyday i stay with att i hate them more and more. There should be some class action lawsuit.

 

[anon(41845)]

Not that it makes the AT&T situation much better...but I heard from my AT&T rep that the tethering plan will include 4GB of data over the existing 2GB for 45/month.

That should for most people solve the issue of data use.

Still...sucks that the dock is so expensive and the tethering is required.

 

[zhelf]

Not that it makes the AT&T situation much better...but I heard from my AT&T rep that the tethering plan will include 4GB of data over the existing 2GB for 45/month.

That should for most people solve the issue of data use.

Still...sucks that the dock is so expensive and the tethering is required.

there was an article a few weeks ago that at&t would be offering unlimited data back to those who lost it as iphone customers i bet with enough fuss we could get it back as well.

 

[ka3yan]

Ok, so I decided to write to AT&T also. Here's my e-mail:

----------------------------

I have been following the status of the new Motorola Atrix over the last few months with the intent on changing from BlackBerry to Android. In the past I have been very happy with my AT&T service and have never once had any issues with the quality of customer service.

Yesterday I received word through multiple media outlets that AT&T would be pricing the Motorola Atrix at $199 on a new 2 year contract, which I thought was very reasonable. What I did not find reasonable was the announcement that the laptop dock accessory would be $300 on a 2 year contract, plus a $20 per month tethering charge. I feel like this is an outrageous price for this accessory considering its capabilities. Additionally, the laptop doc accessory is not a computer without the phone as its brain, so I’m not sure why there would be a tethering fee to use it.

This has soured my taste for this device and from what I have read on the various online forums, it seems to have soured the tastes of many potential Motorola Atrix users. I even read several contributors who said that they had planned on switching from other carriers to AT&T until they read the news about pricing and forced tethering charges. This has been very disturbing news indeed.

I must be honest in saying that I am considering all options for my next phone, including a switch to another carrier. My two year contract is up on February 11th, 2011 and I’ll be judging who has the best deal on the best device available. In a time when AT&T no longer has exclusive rights to its cash cow, this might be the time to reevaluate customer needs and wants. I am not financially tied to AT&T and have the freedom to choose.

There is also a rumor that Verizon will allow those users who currently have unlimited data plans to maintain those plans, at the current $30 per month rate, when the company introduces its next generation 4G LTE phones. Can AT&T compete?

J.B.M.
----------------------------

I guess we'll see what they have to say.

 

[jess.hickey]

Ok, so I decided to write to AT&T also. Here's my e-mail:

Nice letter. If they could get a decent handful of these things over the next couple of days we may actually get some feedback.

Were you able to find an actual email addy for them or did you have to go through the "click here to email" form on their website like I did?

Thx,
J

 

[ka3yan]

I went through the "click here to e-mail," but I do have an e-mail addy. It is icare301@amcustomercare.att-mail.com

 

[notyourdaddysphone]

I feel your pain

And that is why i am with Verizon....I have had them all AT&T, T-Moble, Sprint, and Nextel... Verizon is by far the best.... Good luck with AT&T...

 

[maxim6194]

While i think the pricing is rather high, im sure there was alot of research behind the pricing and the effects it would have on the companies other plans. The dock itself seems to be excessive considering it doesnt even have components in it, it is only a battery, screen, and I/O's.

Secondly, those who have the unlimited plan and complain about the 5gb max. Dont forget even verizon has a cap on theirs.


Lastly, those who think its green over in red land. If you use over 2GB of data your speed will be cut.

(The average speed of Verizon calculate by engadget on an iPhone 4 was, 1.01mbps down, and .43mbps up.)

(ATT's on the other hand with an iPhone 4 was, 2.7mbps down, and 1.06 up.)

So consider that

 

[project.in.process]

you raise a valid point, and it all has to start with one person raising their voice to get others to raise their own (not to bring Egypt into the forum, but look what happened there because of one guy)

don't know how close you are to your end of contract, but Sprint might be a good option...or at least the threat of changing carriers while speaking to a less than accomodating Rep