One more point; in the past AT&T has allowed me to retroactively upgrade my data package when I went over a limit; that is, I had a lower limit package that I wildly exceeded (not sure what happened exactly but the total seemed believable) and I was allowed to upgrade to a larger package that allowed me to not pay the extortionate rate for going over the data allowance.
I imagine I could not do this regularly (and I now take a larger package when I travel) but my sense is that if you get caught using more data than you thought you would you do not have to pay for it at the highest rate.
nmenaker
Dec 6, 2011 5:28 am
For domestic issues, people have been able to upgrade a data plan to a higher plan to cover a data overage, but I THINK they require it to be in place for six months before changing back. As for int'l, I haven't heard of people being able to ADD an int'l data plan to an account to try and cover a high int'l usage hit. I HAVE heard of people (most people) who have this happen can get it removed ONCE, the FIRST time.
ckendall
Dec 7, 2011 8:52 am
Just to note that my comment was for international data; I chose a plan (for a two week trip) that had been adequate in the past but was too small; they allowed me (once) to up my plan retroactively to a larger plan with no excess charges for my international data use.
OskiBear
Dec 7, 2011 5:54 pm
Did the same thing on a trip recently. started using data and then added the plan a day or say later to take effect retroactively.
Steve M
Dec 10, 2011 12:25 am
Originally Posted by nmenaker
(Post 17575054)
As for int'l, I haven't heard of people being able to ADD an int'l data plan to an account to try and cover a high int'l usage hit.
Maybe not once you get the bill (perhaps except for a "one-time exception") but it's easy to do retroactively within a statement period. Now, they make it really easy to add, remove, or change the int'l roaming data plan online via the web portal. When you make the change, you have the option of making it effective on the day you're making the change, as of the beginning of the next statement cycle, or retroactively to the beginning of the current cycle.
If you have a data plan in effect for part of a statement cycle, they pro-rate the monthly charge to the number of days it was in effect, and scale the monthly MB allowance in the same way. Any usage within that period is counted against the monthly plan allowance before generating overage charges. So, for shorter trips, depending on when in your billing cycle your trip occurs, you can manage the size of the package and the number of days it's in effect to closely match your actual usage, even if this is done after your trip begins or even when you get back, as long as it's done by the end of the statement cycle within which the usage occurs.
