Database Users

TMOUS Customer Care

With all the horror stories, and rumors going around about TMO saying this and TMO saying that ...
And all the stories about how many returns the HD2 has had ..
I thought I would start a thread to share Customer care Triumphs and Horror Stories ...
The info we share may help someone who needs to deal with them in the future ..
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So Far I have had very good experiences with customer care, the trick is to ask for the smartphone department right off , they seem to actually know what you are asking then ....

It is now Stuck.

I was travelling internationally and wanted my account to be suspended as well as my HD2 to be unlocked.
They did it without any fuss at all! Incredible considering I still have not made the complete payment on the phone! I was hardly with t-mo for 10 days at that time.
And, the CC people were pretty good and (I always use the online chat as I need to call them from out side of the US) they were pretty good on the chat too!
A BIG thumbs up to T-Mobile!

chvvkumar said:
I was travelling internationally and wanted my account to be suspended as well as my HD2 to be unlocked.
They did it without any fuss at all! Incredible considering I still have not made the complete payment on the phone! I was hardly with t-mo for 10 days at that time.
And, the CC people were pretty good and (I always use the online chat as I need to call them from out side of the US) they were pretty good on the chat too!
A BIG thumbs up to T-Mobile!
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Yeah overall TMO has pretty good CSR's ...

Never had any issues with TMO CC. I've always got the best deals available to me.

Best advice I can give to anyone dealing with customer care is be nice and never yell at them. And never act like you are entitled to anything. Also customer service reps can not make android appear on your phone no matter what they tell you.

speoples20 said:
Best advice I can give to anyone dealing with customer care is be nice and never yell at them. And never act like you are entitled to anything. Also customer service reps can not make android appear on your phone no matter what they tell you.
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I agree...and they have always been great with me and always did what they could even when it comes to back dating services to save me money! Saving money is always a plus!

My first horror story with T-mobile was and maybe still is..... I have 3 lines with t-mobile my moms,gf and mines I always use my moms upgrades since I always buy my moms S60 unlock devices shes loves Geeky stuff as well. So I got the HD2 with my moms upgrade So after 2 months I notice Data services going up so I called Customer Care telling them why my moms plan was up 25.00 bucks? and they told me she was using a HD2 and I said No I have the Hd2 and I used her upgrade. So there was a big drama where they put a new rule that you cant use another upgrade and use it in another line with out paying the data plan. I was lucky and I got them to lowered the data and change it back to were it was at before and return me the money paid for the data. Now the bad part now I cant Use my moms upgrade anymore to get new High end Phones and im shocked that t-mobile will turn down money and 2 year slavery contract away. The bad part for them Im just going to buy unlock devices with t-mobile 3g and lower my data plan to 5.99 or 10.00 bucks which turns out to be cheaper but I think T-mobile its doing bad having this rule and it all started after the big request of HD2s

josemedina1983 said:
My first horror story with T-mobile was and maybe still is..... I have 3 lines with t-mobile my moms,gf and mines I always use my moms upgrades since I always buy my moms S60 unlock devices shes loves Geeky stuff as well. So I got the HD2 with my moms upgrade So after 2 months I notice Data services going up so I called Customer Care telling them why my moms plan was up 25.00 bucks? and they told me she was using a HD2 and I said No I have the Hd2 and I used her upgrade. So there was a big drama where they put a new rule that you cant use another upgrade and use it in another line with out paying the data plan. I was lucky and I got them to lowered the data and change it back to were it was at before and return me the money paid for the data. Now the bad part now I cant Use my moms upgrade anymore to get new High end Phones and im shocked that t-mobile will turn down money and 2 year slavery contract away. The bad part for them Im just going to buy unlock devices with t-mobile 3g and lower my data plan to 5.99 or 10.00 bucks which turns out to be cheaper but I think T-mobile its doing bad having this rule and it all started after the big request of HD2s
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Weird because I just did the same thing 2 months ago, and have had no issues, they did not give me any hassles .....
Could be the rep screwed up and did not want to admit it too ....

watcher64 said:
Weird because I just did the same thing 2 months ago, and have had no issues, they did not give me any hassles .....
Could be the rep screwed up and did not want to admit it too ....
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I wish thats what it was because I called 3 times after, asking the same question they all told me that it was true.

This pretty much describes my experience with TMobile...great people!!
they will bend over backwards to help me..been with them for 6 yrs now
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M_T_M said:
This pretty much describes my experience with TMobile...great people!!
they will bend over backwards to help me..been with them for 6 yrs now
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Yep, I have been with them since '03 they blow away other companies as far as customer service goes .... for the most part ....

josemedina1983 said:
I wish thats what it was because I called 3 times after, asking the same question they all told me that it was true.
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I am a 5 yr. T-Mobile employee. And ya its kinda a tough policy that you fell within. You see when you use your upgrade for any smartphone/data device with a 2 yr. contract, a data plan is required for the length of the contract. (same as at&t, verizon, sprint etc.) So in your case you upgraded on Moms line, so Moms line has the contracted data plan, even though you are using it on your line. (I know, trust me it's a somewhat flawed policy that I'm hoping someday will be changed or a little more lenient) There are a few alternatives, instead of having the required data plan you can opt for the cheaper required messaging plan, or there's also a new required phone first data plan (tmobile web/wap) thats a cheap option for symbian S60. You have to have a required feature, but having lower cost choices hopefully helps.

i used to work for at

sherlockpwnz said:
i used to work for at
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Did a a dragon eat you while you were typing?

xxkingpinxx said:
I am a 5 yr. T-Mobile employee. And ya its kinda a tough policy that you fell within. You see when you use your upgrade for any smartphone/data device with a 2 yr. contract, a data plan is required for the length of the contract. (same as at&t, verizon, sprint etc.) So in your case you upgraded on Moms line, so Moms line has the contracted data plan, even though you are using it on your line. (I know, trust me it's a somewhat flawed policy that I'm hoping someday will be changed or a little more lenient) There are a few alternatives, instead of having the required data plan you can opt for the cheaper required messaging plan, or there's also a new required phone first data plan (tmobile web/wap) thats a cheap option for symbian S60. You have to have a required feature, but having lower cost choices hopefully helps.
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I understand T-mobile Needs to make its money but it doesnt make sence I can go Fully unlock on any device pay 10.00 data on every line rather than 25 and I end up saving more money and contract free and the freedom to leave any time I want (not that I am at the moment) I call it some what bad business since If I was in charge I rather have people lock down in this 2 year plans and be my slaves than pushing this 20 25 data cost that as the phone market keeps growing and growing and data plans keeps getting cheaper you wanna have people lock down on two years especially now that people are been more aware of unlock devices. back in 2003 2006 nobody knew what was a unlock device.

I love T-Mobile CC
T-Mobile CC has never given me any problems. In fact, if you have been one of their customer customers for over 5+ years, they acknowledge your commitment and consequently provide special phone deals and options.

LOL
chvvkumar said:
Did a a dragon eat you while you were typing?
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^LOL. This was hilarious. At&T must have a spider crawling the internet for the mere mention of the word "AT&T" (especially after the recent CEO email / customer relations catastrophe).

josemedina1983 said:
I understand T-mobile Needs to make its money but it doesnt make sence I can go Fully unlock on any device pay 10.00 data on every line rather than 25 and I end up saving more money and contract free and the freedom to leave any time I want (not that I am at the moment) I call it some what bad business since If I was in charge I rather have people lock down in this 2 year plans and be my slaves than pushing this 20 25 data cost that as the phone market keeps growing and growing and data plans keeps getting cheaper you wanna have people lock down on two years especially now that people are been more aware of unlock devices. back in 2003 2006 nobody knew what was a unlock device.
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you can even switch to their even more plus plans if you're willing to pay unsubsidized prices for a phone... saving you even more per month without the need for a contract.
but as long as you choose to receive subsidized handset pricing, you have to have the data plan attached to the phone, as per the contract requirements, so they eventually make up the phone's discount.
tbh, i really dont understand how people still actively choose a contract plan on tmo instead of their non-contract even more plus plans. yes, you pay more upfront since the devices arent subsidized, but you will end up saving money after 2 years. most likely it's because people cant afford the device at full retail price upfront, but the EM+ plans allow for the device's cost to be split up over 20 months without interest.
basically, tmo offers customers a chance to save real money and without a contract, yet most of them actively choose to NOT save money simply because of the lure of the words "discounted price". personally, i think it's hilarious to see people screw themselves.
and i lurve, lurve, lurve my tmo service. i'm a fanboy of very few things, but t-mobile, especially once they started offering the even more plus plans, made me a fan. i have also never had a problem with their CS. they're always polite and i never have a complaint since my bills are always right.

edited because the n symbol was cutting off my words

Cheaper places to orderfrom?

anyone found any cheaper places to orderfrom? I just reserved through cellulardeals.com No tax and they are selling it for 240. But going to be an aweful B*tch to return if there is a problem. anyone ordered through them? every other place seems to want to charge tax and activation so I'm taking it twice. And this place is slightly cheaper as well.

I'm not expecting preordering, but I do expect Wirefly or more likely Amazon.com to have the Epic 4g at a discounted price. They are who I am counting on. Amazon had the captivate and vibrant for $50 off the new contract price on release day and $100 off the new contract price the very next day. I am hoping the Epic 4G follows a similar pricing pattern so I can order it for $150 on September 1st. This is all hopeful speculation though.

if you order from a place like this, and you port the number, what happens during shipping, are you without a phone for a few days?
And i assume if you don't like the service or whatever, you have to ship back to this place?
I'm debating on whether its worth it or I should just buy from best buy.
Also, amazon charges tax, wirefly i believe doesn't. wouldn't mind getting it from them but they don't have it on the site yet.

robl45 said:
if you order from a place like this, and you port the number, what happens during shipping, are you without a phone for a few days?
And i assume if you don't like the service or whatever, you have to ship back to this place?
I'm debating on whether its worth it or I should just buy from best buy.
Also, amazon charges tax, wirefly i believe doesn't. wouldn't mind getting it from them but they don't have it on the site yet.
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Well from Amazon.com, they don't have their sprint phones on amazonwireless, since it is in beta. I inquired yesterday about porting numbers and it looks like you have to call the provider when you get the phone to activate it and handle number porting stuff then. I am not fully sure about it, but here is the email I got and the link they gave me. Hope it helps.
"Depending on the carrier, local number portability may allow you to move your number from your current provider to a new service provider.
With Sprint PCS phones and plans, you will need to call the provider to start your service after you receive your phone. You will have the option at that point to port your number from your previous provider.
We recommend you consult with both your current provider and the potential new provider to determine any fees.
For more information on how Amazon.com supports local number portability, visit:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/?docId=1000452751
I hope this information is helpful, and thank you for your interest in Amazon.com's Cell Phones & Service Store."

I believe it's the same as if you were to order from Sprint through the mail. It will ship unactivated and when you get it, you'll be walked through the process of activating and porting the number (possibly over the phone?). It may take a couple hours for the port to move over, but I think it usually happens pretty quickly.

radar5 said:
I believe it's the same as if you were to order from Sprint through the mail. It will ship unactivated and when you get it, you'll be walked through the process of activating and porting the number (possibly over the phone?). It may take a couple hours for the port to move over, but I think it usually happens pretty quickly.
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when i preordered this morning through cellular deals, they asked for the account number and phone numbers for porting, thats why I think they activate it, free standard shipping means I could be without a phone for 3 days, thats not going to fly. But best buy is 50 dollars more, I don't have the money to begin with so 50 dollars more is 50 dollars more I'd rather not spend.

well call up cellular deals and ask them, but i don't think that's the case.

has anyone ever ordered from cellular dealers or wirefly, what happens if you don't like sprint, do you just send it back and they give you all the money back?

robl45 said:
has anyone ever ordered from cellular dealers or wirefly, what happens if you don't like sprint, do you just send it back and they give you all the money back?
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With Amazon.com you return the phone to them within the return period and call sprint to cancel ur service and get any refunds they offer. that's how it works.

ben7337 said:
I'm not expecting preordering, but I do expect Wirefly or more likely Amazon.com to have the Epic 4g at a discounted price. They are who I am counting on. Amazon had the captivate and vibrant for $50 off the new contract price on release day and $100 off the new contract price the very next day. I am hoping the Epic 4G follows a similar pricing pattern so I can order it for $150 on September 1st. This is all hopeful speculation though.
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Just talked 2 reps at Amazon Wireless, they both said, they are not authorized by Sprint to do upgrade, only new contract. Find the other Sprint phone, EVO, there and it's true. It's $200 with a new contract, $500 for existing Sprint customers, phone only, no contract upgrade. So, I guess Amazon is not the way to go for me unless I cancel my existing account (it's month-to-month right now) and establish a new contract again. The reps said, unlike other carriers, Sprint doesn't let them do upgrade ... wonder why.
EVO has been out for a while now and Amazon is still selling it at $200 with a new contract (same as Sprint). Judging from this, there may not be any discount for the Epic either.

FrankCummings said:
Just talked 2 reps at Amazon Wireless, they both said, they are not authorized by Sprint to do upgrade, only new contract. Find the other Sprint phone, EVO, there and it's true. It's $200 with a new contract, $500 for existing Sprint customers, phone only, no contract upgrade. So, I guess Amazon is not the way to go for me unless I cancel my existing account (it's month-to-month right now) and establish a new contract again. The reps said, unlike other carriers, Sprint doesn't let them do upgrade ... wonder why.
EVO has been out for a while now and Amazon is still selling it at $200 with a new contract (same as Sprint). Judging from this, there may not be any discount for the Epic either.
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You can always try newegg. They have the phone for $240 like wirefly or whoever is doing $240 preorders and they are a bit more reputable and can do upgrades. One thing anyone who is upgrading should keep in mind though, is that upgrade prices tend not to get as discounted as brand new contract prices. Even for the captivate and vibrant you will pay more if you are upgrading than if you are starting a new contract. Makes me glad to be coming from verizon, or actually tmobile since I need to get a temporary 1 month phone and tmobile has the $15 prepaid txting only plan.

ben7337 said:
You can always try newegg. They have the phone for $240 like wirefly or whoever is doing $240 preorders and they are a bit more reputable and can do upgrades. One thing anyone who is upgrading should keep in mind though, is that upgrade prices tend not to get as discounted as brand new contract prices. Even for the captivate and vibrant you will pay more if you are upgrading than if you are starting a new contract. Makes me glad to be coming from verizon, or actually tmobile since I need to get a temporary 1 month phone and tmobile has the $15 prepaid txting only plan.
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When you buy contract cellphones from NewEgg you are not buying them drectly from them, you're buying from a 3rd party that has a contract to show their service on their page so please do not confuse NewEgg's reputation with some mail order cellphone vendor, fact is I know someone who's ordered from there and had some problems.
The cellphone section of newegg is actually operated by:
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They ans WireFly have a pretty bad rep search for reviews online.

ForrelZ said:
When you buy contract cellphones from NewEgg you are not buying them drectly from them, you're buying from a 3rd party that has a contract to show their service on their page so please do not confuse NewEgg's reputation with some mail order cellphone vendor, fact is I know someone who's ordered from there and had some problems.
The cellphone section of newegg is actually operated by:
They ans WireFly have a pretty bad rep search for reviews online.
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Good to know, though I imagine it is irrelevant given that all they need to do is set up your account properly and give you a phone, working or otherwise. So long as you are smart enough to pay for sprint's TEP plan, replacing the phone due to any issues other than damaging it or losing it are covered for free at the sprint stores, where things are once again reputable and safe. right?

ben7337 said:
Good to know, though I imagine it is irrelevant given that all they need to do is set up your account properly and give you a phone, working or otherwise. So long as you are smart enough to pay for sprint's TEP plan, replacing the phone due to any issues other than damaging it or losing it are covered for free at the sprint stores, where things are once again reputable and safe. right?
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And you don't make any changes to that line within 6 months or they'll bill you a hefty fine, I know someone who swapped phones numbers after they got a mail order cellphone and got a 300 dollar charge on their credit card for violating their contract with the cell phone vendor which is separate from Sprint's. Other people have reported trying to return a cellphone to a mail order vendor and had their phone lost in the mail which meant they had to pay full price for a phone they actually returned. To me none of those prices are tempting enough since the level of customer service you get is the worst in the business and you really don't have anyone to talk to face to face if ever anything goes wrong, too many strings attached. These phones are much cheaper than in a store for a reason, always been a firm believer of you get what you pay for.

ForrelZ said:
And you don't make any changes to that line within 6 months or they'll bill you a hefty fine, I know someone who swapped phones numbers after they got a mail order cellphone and got a 300 dollar charge on their credit card for violating their contract with the cell phone vendor which is separate from Sprint's. Other people have reported trying to return a cellphone to a mail order vendor and had their phone lost in the mail which meant they had to pay full price for a phone they actually returned. To me none of those prices are tempting enough since the level of customer service you get is the worst in the business and you really don't have anyone to talk to face to face if ever anything goes wrong, too many strings attached. These phones are much cheaper than in a store for a reason, always been a firm believer of you get what you pay for.
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Why would you swap phone numbers after you buy the phone? At least with sprint, if I buy from amazon.com (who according to their page is the direct seller for sprint phones) I need to call in to activate the phone, and handle number porting there, so you only get one number, either a new one or your old one from another carrier. Now if this was on another carrier I'd understand. However knowing these terms and conditions is part of reading the contracts you agree to, and $100+ in savings is in my book, worth the risk, especially with amazon at least. I know they work in my situation, I trust them, and they are the direct seller.

ben7337 said:
Why would you swap phone numbers after you buy the phone? At least with sprint, if I buy from amazon.com (who according to their page is the direct seller for sprint phones) I need to call in to activate the phone, and handle number porting there, so you only get one number, either a new one or your old one from another carrier. Now if this was on another carrier I'd understand. However knowing these terms and conditions is part of reading the contracts you agree to, and $100+ in savings is in my book, worth the risk, especially with amazon at least. I know they work in my situation, I trust them, and they are the direct seller.
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Well there are a number of reasons you may want to swap a number with another on your account, say you don't like the phone and you give it to your daughter or significant other and you want to keep your number so you exchange numbers thats a direct violation of the 3rd party contract since Sprint will cancel the rebate the 3rd party was suppose to get from your sale, see the 3rd party will collect your rebate and make a commission certain changes will void their payment from Sprint and they will come directly at you. That was just a real world example I gave from a friend's experience but if you read reviews from sites like WireFly there are nightmare stories floating around of bad CS and unauthorized charges as well as missing returned phones that get lost in the mail.

ForrelZ said:
Well there are a number of reasons you may want to swap a number with another on your account, say you don't like the phone and you give it to your daughter or significant other and you want to keep your number so you exchange numbers thats a direct violation of the 3rd party contract since Sprint will cancel the rebate the 3rd party was suppose to get from your sale, see the 3rd party will collect your rebate and make a commission certain changes will void their payment from Sprint and they will come directly at you. That was just a real world example I gave from a friend's experience but if you read reviews from sites like WireFly there are nightmare stories floating around of bad CS and unauthorized charges as well as missing returned phones that get lost in the mail.
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How could you end up not liking a phone though, unless of course you didn't try it out beforehand, and/or didn't know about the potential or real problems discovered with it soon after release? I do see your explaining things, but these are all things that shouldn't happen. When you get a phone from these places you need to be 100% sure of a few things
1) You won't return the phone
2) You won't change the contract in any way for at least 6 months, not even swapping phone numbers.
3) Read all of the terms and conditions to make sure there is nothing else problematic.
They can't just add fees if you sign up, get a phone, and pay your monthly bill and change nothing. If they do you can call them up and ask about it, ask where in the contract you agreed to such fees were mentioned. If they can't offer proof, threaten legal action. Customers in America have a lot of power.
I do see what you are saying, I understand that there can be issues when dealing with these companies and that customer service sucks. However when buying a BRAND NEW PHONE, and knowing what you are doing, I don't think there is really anything to worry about other than the phone not making it to you in shipping.

ForrelZ said:
And you don't make any changes to that line within 6 months or they'll bill you a hefty fine, I know someone who swapped phones numbers after they got a mail order cellphone and got a 300 dollar charge on their credit card for violating their contract with the cell phone vendor which is separate from Sprint's. Other people have reported trying to return a cellphone to a mail order vendor and had their phone lost in the mail which meant they had to pay full price for a phone they actually returned. To me none of those prices are tempting enough since the level of customer service you get is the worst in the business and you really don't have anyone to talk to face to face if ever anything goes wrong, too many strings attached. These phones are much cheaper than in a store for a reason, always been a firm believer of you get what you pay for.
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I have already pre-ordered on Sprint and I think I am going to stick to it. Right now everyone is at the same price anyway. The chance that some resellers will sell it cheaper down the road may or may not come and I want it now. I agree w/ ForrelZ, the potential saving of $50 or even a $100 is not that tempting to me. Not that I am rich, but the peace of mind of knowing that I will be dealing w/ Sprint instead of some faceless, out of state 3rd party reseller outweigh the saving (I always get very good services and resolution from Sprint when there is any problem w/ my phone/account.)

FrankCummings said:
I have already pre-ordered on Sprint and I think I am going to stick to it. Right now everyone is at the same price anyway. The chance that some resellers will sell it cheaper down the road may or may not come and I want it now. I agree w/ ForrelZ, the potential saving of $50 or even a $100 is not that tempting to me. Not that I am rich, but the peace of mind of knowing that I will be dealing w/ Sprint instead of some faceless, out of state 3rd party reseller outweigh the saving (I always get very good services and resolution from Sprint when there is any problem w/ my phone/account.)
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True enough, different situations make it more convenient for different people. For me Sprint just chose to release the phone 4 days too late and so I will be at college in VT when it comes out, so I can't preorder in a physical best buy or radioshack, and sprint stores don't offer preorders in vt, there aren't any within the biggest city in vt that offer perorders. At that rate I know there is 0 chance of me getting the phone on launch day unless I walk into a best buy or radioshack and they happen to even carry sprint phones and have non reserved epic 4g's. Even if I do that, I won't be able to keep my current NJ cell phone number, which I am hoping at least MIGHT be possible if I order online from amazon. Given those low chances and the fact that amazon.com does seem to be a safe online retailer of phones, even if the others aren't, I think I don't really mind waiting til the day after launch, just to see if the phone does hit a lower price point. I really am just in the worst possible position here, even without mentioning my verizon contract being up on september 1st and needing to get a tmobile phone and prepaid plan for a month just to make sure I don't end up without service for a few days.

i ended up cancelling with cellular deals and buying through radioshack. no mail in rebates and I got 2 10 dollar off coupons from radio shack which I was assured I can use one on each of the 2 epics we are getting. So the net difference versus online or radio shack is 30 dollar for 2 phones, and radio shack is in walking distance if I need to return the phone and I get it on the actual release date.

Good bye Verizon!

Since the WiFi only XOOM has been officially announced, I just requested my return label from AmazonWireless. I would just like to thank Motorola for doing the smart thing and releasing the WiFi only version in a timely manner. I never had service with Verizon and didn't plane to since I have a Perfect condition Nexus One with unlimited AT&T data. It's a shame that Verizon forced Motorola into that ridiculous price point for a new/unproven product. Don't get me wrong I love my XOOM and thought the $799 price was some what justified, but now that the WiFi only version is about to be available for $599.99 I don't think the Verizon XOOM will sell very well. Also I completely understand that some users want/need built in 3G/4G and more power to you, but I would definitely tell you to consider a WiFi XOOM with a MiFi or a Smart phone with wifi tethering if your trying to save some bucks. Well I guess my little diary entry is over.
P.S. I think it's funny how over the past 2-3 weeks all the post where like "I'm returning this POS XOOM it cost to much and I didn't want data and when I want to look a 5 HD porn streams it freezes and I can't play my MKV movies on it but my iPad plays them in 1080p just fine sarcasm and it doesn't have flash and I need the Micro SD card to work now!" - To these people I say "F*CK OFF!"

JC3 said:
Since the WiFi only XOOM has been officially announced, I just requested my return label from AmazonWireless. I would just like to thank Motorola for doing the smart thing and releasing the WiFi only version in a timely manner. I never had service with Verizon and didn't plane to since I have a Perfect condition Nexus One with unlimited AT&T data. It's a shame that Verizon forced Motorola into that ridiculous price point for a new/unproven product. Don't get me wrong I love my XOOM and thought the $799 price was some what justified, but now that the WiFi only version is about to be available for $599.99 I don't think the Verizon XOOM will sell very well. Also I completely understand that some users want/need built in 3G/4G and more power to you, but I would definitely tell you to consider a WiFi XOOM with a MiFi or a Smart phone with wifi tethering if your trying to save some bucks. Well I guess my little diary entry is over.
P.S. I think it's funny how over the past 2-3 weeks all the post where like "I'm returning this POS XOOM it cost to much and I didn't want data and when I want to look a 5 HD porn streams it freezes and I can't play my MKV movies on it but my iPad plays them in 1080p just fine sarcasm and it doesn't have flash and I need the Micro SD card to work now!" - To these people I say "F*CK OFF!"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First of all, let me say that it's more difficult for me to agree with you since I got $100 price matched off my purchase and used $465 in gift cards to begin with when I bought mine. That said, I have to ask you if it's really worth a couple hundred bucks to lose out on the ability to pull up 3g/4g down the road if the need arose? I have been in 3 specific situations to date that had me out in the boonies and when the AT&T network was in the can the Verizon network saved my bacon. I live and work in the greater Houston area and there are a few places where service is spotty.
I think Verizon will ultimately remove their head from their rear end and kill activation fees alltogether, and being able to sign up for 3g in a pinch and then use it for a few days and turn it off effectively costing you at most 30 bucks would be something I think I would greatly regret.
Just my opinion

Oh I have to mention that I too own a Google Nexus one on the AT&T network, and quite often I am a walking hotspot

cwizardtx said:
First of all, let me say that it's more difficult for me to agree with you since I got $100 price matched off my purchase and used $465 in gift cards to begin with when I bought mine. That said, I have to ask you if it's really worth a couple hundred bucks to lose out on the ability to pull up 3g/4g down the road if the need arose? I have been in 3 specific situations to date that had me out in the boonies and when the AT&T network was in the can the Verizon network saved my bacon. I live and work in the greater Houston area and there are a few places where service is spotty.
I think Verizon will ultimately remove their head from their rear end and kill activation fees alltogether, and being able to sign up for 3g in a pinch and then use it for a few days and turn it off effectively costing you at most 30 bucks would be something I think I would greatly regret.
Just my opinion
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you get $100 price matched off your purchase?

cwizardtx said:
I think Verizon will ultimately remove their head from their rear end and kill activation fees alltogether, and being able to sign up for 3g in a pinch and then use it for a few days and turn it off effectively costing you at most 30 bucks would be something I think I would greatly regret.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I thought we could rely on Verizon to do this, I'd keep my 3G/4G version as well. We can't today, however, and we have no idea if they will, and so I'm returning my 3G and getting a wifi-only as well. I'll use the $200 (or $250 if the Sam's Club rumor holds true) to pay for 3G/4G as I need it--on-demand--via my Sprint Epic hotspot.
FYI, no, I'm not into rooting, and so I'm not going to go that route to get tethering for free. I'd love to see someone like PDAnet, though, make a solution that will work with the Xoom.

blackout203 said:
How did you get $100 price matched off your purchase?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went to Best Buy during the sweet period of time that a promotional coupon worked online, and talked a floor manager into allowing the price match after showing him the checkout process up to the point of entering the coupon. It was iffy, but in the end he did it. To me, that was the right move because I try to show loyalty even to big box stores in my area. My brother works for Best Buy in another location so I feel good about buying there for that reason too.
In response to the OP, that's really a good enough solution for you then I guess... the nexus one does wifi hotspot without any root required btw.
I for one got nailed with the 35 dollar activation and once again with a little sugar and honey (and persistance) was able to get that credited off my 1st bill.

3G is a must for me. Even if im paying $600 for a mobile device...damn well better have internet/email access when im not on wifi.
Now, some will say they will just tether to there unlimited Android phone. But come on...that gets old, kills your battery, drops in and out, kinda slow..etc. So no thanks.

Aaron636r said:
3G is a must for me. Even if im paying $600 for a mobile device...damn well better have internet/email access when im not on wifi.
Now, some will say they will just tether to there unlimited Android phone. But come on...that gets old, kills your battery, drops in and out, kinda slow..etc. So no thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the up front cost is minuscule when compared to $20 a month for only 1gb of data.... but yes I agree the 3G shouldn't be an up-front premium of $200 just to enable the connection.

martonikaj said:
... $20 a month for only 1gb of data
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But if you're as connected as I'm gonna assume most folks around here are, that's the perfect plan for the few times you don't have WiFi; I've got 10 days left on my month and have used about 300MB.

Yea I'm picking up the xoom wifi on day one here. I already have a sprint 4g overdrive mifi so with unlimited data and aan att nexus one too so in certainly nit gonna pay verizon for data on top of that. I currently have a sprint galaxy tab and I just use the mifi to get data on it when I'm not on home or work wireless.
Sent from my SPH-P100 using XDA Premium App

kcrudup said:
But if you're as connected as I'm gonna assume most folks around here are, that's the perfect plan for the few times you don't have WiFi; I've got 10 days left on my month and have used about 300MB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure. Different people have different usage. But if I'm using 2gb+ per month on my phone, there's no way I can stay under 1gb on my tablet.

martonikaj said:
But if I'm using 2gb+ per month on my phone ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. I (used to) use my EVO for everything (web, calendar, E-mail on two accounts, updates, etc.), and I checked my usage with Sprint before signing onto a VZ data plan to see about what I was using for that, and most I'd ever run up was ~450MB.

kcrudup said:
Interesting. I (used to) use my EVO for everything (web, calendar, E-mail on two accounts, updates, etc.), and I checked my usage with Sprint before signing onto a VZ data plan to see about what I was using for that, and most I'd ever run up was ~450MB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow. I don't understand how you use that little data lol. I easily use 2gb-3gb a month.

This is my data usage for my Nexus One on AT&T. I didn't even have a smartphone for like the first 5 months on the chart. Even the 4GB month I had a Samsung Impression with unlimited internet for $10 a month.
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To any one wanting the S3 on verizon read this.( Unlimited data ending)

They are going to KILL YOUR unlimited data like this: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/16/verizon-cfo-says-grandfathered-unlimited-plans-on-the-way-out/
I think If I get this phone now it will be unlocked on AT&T.
Just wanted to give the 2 gig news.

Did I miss something or does that article not mention Galaxy SIII on Verizon whatsoever..?
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2

It clearly mentioned Verizon and it's pertaining to those who would upgrade to the s3
Sent from my iPhone killer.

I_FLY_Z3R0 said:
It clearly mentioned Verizon and it's pertaining to those who would upgrade to the s3
Sent from my iPhone killer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That what this thread is about, becuase I know some of you are waiting for it to come to verizon and have the unlimited data plan.

I_FLY_Z3R0 said:
It clearly mentioned Verizon and it's pertaining to those who would upgrade to the s3
Sent from my iPhone killer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I must not be reading the same article. This linked article doesn't mention GS3 ANYWHERE. ..its about unlimited data, data share, grandfathered customers and LTE.
I read it twice and it still doesn't mention the Galaxy SIII
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..would you mind telling me where it "clearly" mentions upgrading to the S3?
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2

Coreym said:
I must not be reading the same article. This linked article doesn't mention GS3 ANYWHERE. ..its about unlimited data, data share, grandfathered customers and LTE.
I read it twice and it still doesn't mention the Galaxy SIII
..would you mind telling me where it clearly mentions upgrading to the S3?
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its right there, between the lines. Can't you see it! Geez!

This is for any one waiting for the S3 to come to verizon, but likely would not want to lose there unlimited. Just giving a head's up to them. I know most here are on AT&T like I am, but I wanted to give verizon user's a head's up so they can do what ever fit's there needs best.
Now I don't think verizon will get this phone, but some do and this is for them.

myredfast said:
Its right there, between the lines. Can't you see it! Geez!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha.. dude, I'm not reading it again. It mentions 3G but no S3. Sorry. And its not even about the device its about the data plan and grandfathered 3G users being forced into a "shared" data plan with new LTE phones.
Did you read the article?
*edit* maybe I misunderstood the title of this thread. My bad.. you made it sound like it was article about Verizon getting the gs3, then after I read it it turned out to be an just article about data usage and grandfathered customers. Maybe the thread title could use a different title but meh.. that's just me.
Lol.. nice title edit!
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2

Yeah, it's about the plans. You can't upgrade and keep the unlimited data but you can buy the phone full price and keep your grandfathered plan.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

So are you saying that it is not worth trying to hold out for either the Razr HD or the SGS3 on Verizon in the event that you are sacrificing one last subsidized phone purchase for the next two years? I'm at a stand still here, because as long as I'm still able to retain my unlimited I wanna see if something comes out before the new plans come into place and I won't be able to keep it without paying full retail for one (course I'm gonna keep doing that as long as I can maintain my unlimited, And when they MAKE me change I will leave them immediately and never look back). However! I actually have a line on my account right now that still has a $100 2year loyalty discount attached. This is why it would be awesome to be able to hold off as long as I can to see if i could snag a Razr HD or SGS3 with that discount before I wont be able to use it.
Obviously my two main choices are the RAZR maxx and the Galaxy Nexus. I absolutely hate that the razr max has that weird resolution tho and no removable battery so I'm much more inclined to the Galaxy. What are your guys thoughts on this? My brother has the galaxy and i love its size and plenty of awesome roms to choose from which completely negate its typical bad ratings in battery life. This is coming from the HTC droid incredible and I was able to get a max of 36 hours on CM7 with incredikernal... mind you it has a weenie 1300mah battery... So I'm excited to finally get a 4g phone seeing the speeds it can produce!
On top of that im so sick of seeing people saying that it is impossible to use over 2g of data in a month with regular usage. I tested out this month on my 3g incredible using it as lil as I possibly could and still have gotten right about 3.2gb after only 18 days. This is with hardly any youtube at all approximately 18mb worth so far, and absolutely no wifi (if im paying for a service.. aka unlimited data, why bother using my wifi which can be throttled by my cable company as well for overuse.) With my family we currently use between 6-10gb per DAY.. of data on our home internet! So how are you possibly going to tell me 2gb is sufficient for phone data. Anyone who says that doesnt use their phone for anything it is capable of doing.. which makes me wonder... why have a SMARTPHONE when you dont use any of its features?
Verizon has been pushing it uses of several different apps and to be used on its network now.. and with phones having hd screens and 4g capability the usage is only going to continue to grow more and more. I could see myself easily capping over 10gb per month with a 4g enabled phone. seeing as how my average currently over the span of my 3g phone is sitting somewhere close to 5gb.
It is simply easy to rack up this kind of data use with it being usable pretty much anywhere and with the mobile hotspot feature being very useful on trips. So let me ask you.. how much do you think I'm going to want to use, and will use, when my speeds increase to 10mb/s+ from my current 3mb/s at the best it can get. I don't feel sorry for Verizon in the least, they have the infrastructure to handle a lot more then you think. I guarantee they have been showing profit gains every Q for the past 3 years with the huge expansion of smartphone growth.. they don't need to nickel and dime the hell out of us to give us unlimited data at a reasonable price. They simply choose to because the market is too stupid and will flock to them simply because they offer the best service. I pay them enough as it is for their "premium service" therefore they should offer me a "premium service" not an inferior one.

Nothing?

Verizon sucks...they will get the gs3 very late may be during holidays when the next nexus and other new round of high end devices release. Buy an international version and be on a GSM network and be happy
Edit: I have nothing aganist Verizon but in general all carries suck with their monopoly and control over phone manufactures.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

Well I think they suck too for this and for them kicking and screeming trying to get out of replacing a BAD phone. I had too call them 10+ times just to get them to send me a "new" one and then the POS still did not work right intill they pushed an update. Even now it still loses 4G, but at lest I don't get 600kbs any more from 4G. There 3G= sprint and it sucks. H+ is not allways the best, but over all better for every thing - 1080p/720p video. ( Verizon's LTE falling back to 3G loading a web page laying on a table or upload hang and so on.)
I have both AT&T and Verizon unlimited data plan's and I would take AT&T any day of the week for data. voice, ok verizon you win becuase I can still make a call in the sticks if your pre-loaded app's did not kill the battery runing in the back or lock the screen up.
Verizon I hope you eat some cow, becuase the one line I have with you will be killed and odds are I will never come back.
I too think all carries suck with there price fixing and control, but verizon took 1st place on my most dis liked co list. (That I have had to deal with that is. Acer was #1, but at lest geting them to fix there crap DID NOT TAKE 10+ CALLS.)

yeah.. my plan has been without unlimited data plan because they got rid of the plan for whoever tries to add the data plan. I think they are discontinuing it even for the existing customers. Already expected that

They can have my unlimited data when they pry it from my cold, contract ending hands. I just blew my upgrade on a Nexus two weeks ago, coming from a Thunderbolt. Planning on ordering the S3 with an upgrade from another line. Once they start forcing people onto shared plans, I'll do whatever it takes to keep what I have. I use around 40 gigs a month lol
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

I was going to do the same, but they have really limited LTE this month. the best speed I can get is 10mbs and that's at 1am! If your on the "list" and now I am on the list for using 4GB, I can only get .5mbs down load. yea for me

4ktvs said:
I was going to do the same, but they have really limited LTE this month. the best speed I can get is 10mbs and that's at 1am! If your on the "list" and now I am on the list for using 4GB, I can only get .5mbs down load. yea for me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very strange. I used 46 gigs last month and between 30-80 GB/month CONSISTENTLY since LTE came to my area around this time last year. No throttling, no warning, nothing. I get between 11 Mbps and 24 Mbps down depending on where I am and the time of day.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

ive pre ordered and up'd my contract an additional 2 years, WITH unlimited data, so for two years i wont be loosing it and I will have sgs3..... have i missed the OP's point?

Only applies if you're updating from G3 phones!
4ktvs said:
They are going to KILL YOUR unlimited data like this: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/16/verizon-cfo-says-grandfathered-unlimited-plans-on-the-way-out/
I think If I get this phone now it will be unlocked on AT&T.
Just wanted to give the 2 gig news.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This has probably been pointed out, but it ONLY applies if you're updating from a non-G4/LTE phone! I updated mine, the new one (which VerizonWireless now says "they made a mistake" and it won't be delivered for a month" - after collection several billion dollars to float for a month having originally stated it would ship on Wednesday for Thursday delivery ) still has unlimited data. I came "up" from a Moto Bionic, so I already had an unlimited G4/LTE data plan grandfathered from my Droid Incredible G3 plan when they still let you upgrade to G4 from G3 and keep unlimited data.
BOTTOM LINE: IF YOU HAD UNLIMITED DATA ON AN LTE PHONE, YOU STILL WILL HAVE UNLIMITED DATA!

^^I agree and I do not think that the "grandfather killer" has come into effect yet.

[Oct. 12 2012 update] Benefits of International Samsung Galaxy S3 for US (AT&T) users

[Oct. 12 2012 update] Benefits of International Samsung Galaxy S3 for US (AT&T) users
Hello Everyone,
Most of this information is already obvious to many users out there, I just made this information available to some new users who have a few questions about why should we (in US) buy an international phone and not a US branded phone?
1. Price: International phones are less expensive.
Yes International phones are less expensive than carrier branded version (especially AT&T). Please have a look at following calculations.
1.1 Calculation for AT&T 2 Year contract plan for 3GB data usage per month.
Optimistic price of phone = $199.99 + about 7% sales tax + $18 upgrade fee= $232 approx. (EDIT: upgrade fee is $36 now)
Price of Data plan ($30 for 3GB/month) for 24 months = $30*24 = $720
Total cost with 3GB data plan for 24 months = 232+720 = $952.
1.2 Calculation for International GS3 with unlimited data
Cost of phone to me (from Expansys) = $695
Price of Data plan ($10 for unlimited/month) for 24 months = $10*24 = $240
Total cost with unlimited data plan for 24 months = 240+695= $935.
Instructions to get unlimited data is in second post.
So International version is less expensive (952-935) by $17. I know its minimal difference but it breaks the myth that international phones are costlier than AT&T's subsidized versions.
Now here is where it gets interesting. If you are sure that you are going to use this phone on AT&T for next two years then here is one more cool thing that you can do. Upgrade and buy a GS2 skyrocket from Amazon wireless (current price $39 at the time of writing this article) and get into contract for 2 years. Now, sell it off craigslist/ebay for 375-400 and make another 300-350 bucks profit on it. Pros: more profit, Cons: Contract bound​2. Freedom: Unbranded international phone
With $17 profit, you get an additional freedom from any contracts. You can switch to any other provider at any time.​3. Development Support: Great for International Phone
If you are on XDA, you know that you always want a huge developer support. with likes of chainfire, indie, nitroz and more to join, we know that we are covered.
Quoting the great Entropy512
"LTE is not yet mature and will continue to be a battery hog for at least a year. Everyone who says LTE is awesome seems to be completely oblivious to the fact that even HSPA+ makes it VERY easy to hit your data cap.
2GB RAM so far has little benefit - current devices are doing just fine with 1GB
International S3 development work will be 90% nonportable to the North American mangled carrier variants. If you don't believe me - look at the T989 and I727 forums and compare them to the I9100 forum. Compare the I717 forum to the GT-N7000 forum in terms of development.
This becomes especially obvious when you look at AOSP bringups. Because the international S3 is highly similar to the international S2, the CM9 bringup for that device is progressing rapidly. Meanwhile, the T989/I727/I717 CM9 bringups are still in "alpha" quality stages due to the lack of documentation on Qualcomm SoCs and the lack of commonality with international variants.
This is one of the big keys - North American carriers are highly notorious for long delays with updates. This means that you will not see updates or kernel source for your specific variant for a long time after international variants receive updates. Now, if your carrier variant is highly similar to the international device (SGH-I777 vs. GT-I9100), the international device's kernel source release may be all your need. If your carrier variant has a completely different SoC - you're SOL."
​4. Lockdown bootloaders and AT&T Bloatware
AT&T phones have always suffered from this issue. AT&T makes it look like this: they subsidized the price of phone, they own it and therefore they can install apps that we don't want them to.​5. Unlimited HSPA+ Data
In this section I speak for just my self and a few friends whom I know. I have stayed in cities that have LTE and also that don't have LTE. 90% of time I am close to wifi. So do I need LTE?
Lets say I am traveling for next 8-10 hours and I would really like to enjoy 'super fast high speed LTE' what do I do? Do I start watching Netflix on my phone? Do I stream HD Youtube for hours? Probably not, because I have data cap. All i would like to do is surf internet, listen to music, watch saved videos (but may be its just me)
HSPA does the job for me. I get 3500-6500 kbps down and 1500pbks upload speeds on HSPA+. It is sufficient for me to even stream videos!
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​Please let me know your thoughts and if you agree or disagree with me. I will update the OP with more facts if I have missed any.

So here are the steps to get non smart phone data plan for 10 bucks (if you already have unlimited messaging) or 15 bucks if you don't have unlimited messaging.
1. Before yesterday (06/06/2012) I was on 3GB $30 plan.
2. Take the simcard out of your AT&T smartphone and put it in galaxy s3 (or preferably an old AT&T dumb phone)
3. Dial *#06# on your phone and note down the IMEI number. Now, dial 611 (AT&T customer care)
4. Ask operator to switch your data plan to 'non smart phone unlimited data' as since you are not using an at&t smart phone any more.
5. Operator will ask for imei number. Now you have two choices:
5(a): Preferred choice: Get an old AT&T dumb phone and provide the IMEI number from that phone.
5(b): Risky choice: Provide IMEI number from your GS3.
I went with the 5(b) but I do think the 5(a) is a more preferred path because it doesnt make any sense to provide AT&T your IMEI number from the GS3. This way you will have less chanfes of getting your device flagged.
6. For me, she said the IMEI number is showing as an unknown phone so she will add the unlimited non smart phone data plan to it. (If she asked what kind of phone it is just say you have no idea. May be a Samsung phone.)
7. All set. Working unlimited data.
There is no cap on it. And they don't throttle us as well.
Update: As of today (08/06/2012), I am still on unlimited plan. My billing cycle restarted a few days back and I used gigs and gigs in last month
Downloading omega rom on torrent:
If you want to verify that this switch worked, log in to your AT&T account and navigate to
myAT&T->Wireless->Manage Features and verify the following:
Edit 1: My APN settings (these were automatically detected by phone, I made no change)
Edit 2: In case you are facing issues with text messaging after switching to unlimited data please have a look at this post:
SlimJ87D said:
I figured out what happen with my SMS. After changing my phone plan, the SMS message center int the settings disappeared. Here is the number everyone should have to have working SMS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Edit 3: In case you are facing dropped calls then verify you have correct sim card and checkout this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1698511
tomtorre said:
PROBLEM SOLVED:
I just installed the MicroSIM Card I bought on Amazon.com (SKU 73054) and removed the AT&T Furnished iPAD MicroSIM Card (SKU 72288) - the AT&T Tech admitted they gave me the wrong MicroSIM Card - TWICE. Proud to say that I am now getting 3 to 4 Signal Bars in My Basement where I was hardly getting 1 bar before. I highly recommend purchasing the 73054 Card from only ABE-123 on Amazon.com (all others are cut cards) to anyone that may be having Signal Issues. Thank You EVERYBODY for all your help and suggestions
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Edit 4: You can buy international version from expansys USA from the following link:
http://www.expansys-usa.com/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-android-smartphone-marble-white-unlocked-232311/
PS: I'm not related to Expansys in anyway. I recommend them based upon their great customer service and my experience with them.
Edit 5: In case you wanna know if android system really uses four cores then I just took a short snapshot for you guys.
Edit 6: An early comparison between the two devices.
Edit 7: There was a sweep done on October 4th by AT&T and all of us who had their GS3 IMEI in the system got pushed to 3GB data plan. To fix this have a look here and follow the steps as mentioned.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=32380929
After following this, I'm back on the unlimited plan.
October 4th, 2012 -
October 7th, 2012 -

This is true. What's the point of 4G LTE if my data is capped and limited? I'll be calling 611 later today to say I got a Samsung Flip phone from China.

SlimJ87D said:
This is true. What's the point of 4G LTE if my data is capped and limited? I'll be calling 611 later today to say I got a Samsung Flip phone from China.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This trick works only on international phones. But it is really amazing.

Thanks for the informative post.
I was all set to get the Int. version to benefit from the unlimited cheaper data plan, etc. But with the launch fiasco I ended up cancelling and will be getting the AT&T variant.
One major factor with going with the US variant is dealing with exchanges/returns/warranty issues. The international has some great benefits but say I get my Int. S3 and have issues off the bat with whatever, the whole process of getting a new one seems like it would be a pita vs walking into an AT&T store and swapping it that day.

MoJoePin said:
Thanks for the informative post.
I was all set to get the Int. version to benefit from the unlimited cheaper data plan, etc. But with the launch fiasco I ended up cancelling and will be getting the AT&T variant.
One major factor with going with the US variant is dealing with exchanges/returns/warranty issues. The international has some great benefits but say I get my Int. S3 and have issues off the bat with whatever, the whole process of getting a new one seems like it would be a pita vs walking into an AT&T store and swapping it that day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 and also with 2gb vs 1gb of ram makes this a no brainer to me. I'm not worried about the bootloader. I had the Note for a while and it was fine.

ceo.mtcl said:
This trick works only on international phones. But it is really amazing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I returned my HOX and moved onto this phone. So they'll still switch it? I guess maybe I should get a Square and Trade warranty too since I was paying 6 dollars a month for an ATT warranty.

MoJoePin said:
Thanks for the informative post.
I was all set to get the Int. version to benefit from the unlimited cheaper data plan, etc. But with the launch fiasco I ended up cancelling and will be getting the AT&T variant.
One major factor with going with the US variant is dealing with exchanges/returns/warranty issues. The international has some great benefits but say I get my Int. S3 and have issues off the bat with whatever, the whole process of getting a new one seems like it would be a pita vs walking into an AT&T store and swapping it that day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you order from a few reputed sellers line expansys or negri, they process the warranty for you. Usually these phones do not have issues though.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

ceo.mtcl said:
If you order from a few reputed sellers line expansys or negri, they process the warranty for you. Usually these phones do not have issues though.
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I'm sure there will be issues, I've seen things posted already that would have me back in a store for an exchange. From the screen inking, to some with bad batteries, etc. The unrealistic weight we put on tech these days will lead many to at least want an exchange if the littlest things come up. I dont' want to pay $700+ for a device and have to "live" with a little annoyance if I could have just exchanged it easily.
I err on the side of caution, it's better piece of mind IMO knowing I won't have to ship the phone back to the US distributor, then they ship to Samsung International, figure out what's wrong, than I pay out the a$$, then they ship back to the distributor, then the distributor ships back to me. Meanwhile the Galaxy Universe S1 would have launched .

SlimJ87D said:
I returned my HOX and moved onto this phone. So they'll still switch it? I guess maybe I should get a Square and Trade warranty too since I was paying 6 dollars a month for an ATT warranty.
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Yes they will still switch it. I upgraded to sky rocket last Friday and got a $30 data plan on my line and sold it to make money. Once I put the sIm card in gs3 and called, they switched it to unlimited
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Quick question...cant currently afford the sgs3...but would the unlimited data trick work if I put my sim in an old non smartphone Samsung called and used that imei...then after that's done put it back in my smartphone? Or would they detect the imei on smartphone after j put it back in and put me back on a smartphone plan...(I'm stuck with the $15 200mb att plan)
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MoJoePin said:
One major factor with going with the US variant is dealing with exchanges/returns/warranty issues. The international has some great benefits but say I get my Int. S3 and have issues off the bat with whatever, the whole process of getting a new one seems like it would be a pita vs walking into an AT&T store and swapping it that day.
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this is actually why i've been swayed over to buying from brick and mortar stores in the US like ATT/best buy/amazon/etc. the past 2 smartphones i imported i had issues with after the 15-day (yes, 15) exchange window and i was basically screwed. in cases like this i'd have to ship my phone off and be phone-less until the issue was fixed.
those were the first, and last, two phones i'll import for myself. guess what they were? Samsung Galaxy S-i9100 and Samsung Galaxy Nexus. the issue with them? bad displays.

americasteam said:
+1 and also with 2gb vs 1gb of ram makes this a no brainer to me. I'm not worried about the bootloader. I had the Note for a while and it was fine.
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Well, I dont wanna drag 2gb vs 1gb and quad core vs. Dual core here. That is being discussed in another thread. I'm assuming that both the phones will perform almost similar.
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mrvirginia said:
this is actually why i've been swayed over to buying from brick and mortar stores in the US like ATT/best buy/amazon/etc. the past 2 smartphones i imported i had issues with after the 15-day (yes, 15) exchange window and i was basically screwed. in cases like this i'd have to ship my phone off and be phone-less until the issue was fixed.
those were the first, and last, two phones i'll import for myself. guess what they were? Samsung Galaxy S-i9100 and Samsung Galaxy Nexus. the issue with them? bad displays.
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my point exactly & based on actual personal exp, US all the way for me

ceo.mtcl said:
So here are the steps to get non smart phone data plan for 10 bucks (if you already have unlimited messaging) or 15 bucks if you don't have unlimited messaging is still there.
1. Before yesterday (06/06/2012) I was on 3GB $30 plan.
2. I took the simcard out of my at&t smart phone and put it in galaxy s3
3. Dialed 611
4. Asked operator to switch my data plan to 'non smart phone unlimited data' as I'm not using an at&t smart phone any more.
5. Operator asked for imei number. I provided the imei number from gs3
6. She said it's showing as an unknown phone so she will add the unlimited non smart phone data plan to it. (If she asked what kind of phone it is just say you have no idea. May be a Samsung phone.)
7. All set. Working unlimited data.
There is no cap on it. And they don't throttle us as well.
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What are your APN settings?

mg2195 said:
Quick question...cant currently afford the sgs3...but would the unlimited data trick work if I put my sim in an old non smartphone Samsung called and used that imei...then after that's done put it back in my smartphone? Or would they detect the imei on smartphone after j put it back in and put me back on a smartphone plan...(I'm stuck with the $15 200mb att plan)
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Once you put your sIm card in At&t branded smart phone network will detect it and it will pot a smart phone data plan on it.
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mrvirginia said:
this is actually why i've been swayed over to buying from brick and mortar stores in the US like ATT/best buy/amazon/etc. the past 2 smartphones i imported i had issues with after the 15-day (yes, 15) exchange window and i was basically screwed. in cases like this i'd have to ship my phone off and be phone-less until the issue was fixed.
those were the first, and last, two phones i'll import for myself. guess what they were? Samsung Galaxy S-i9100 and Samsung Galaxy Nexus. the issue with them? bad displays.
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May be I and many friends were just lucky but we have all imported and nothing bad has ever happened. However we so have warranties just in case from expansys/negri being the middlemen.
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ceo.mtcl said:
May be I and many friends were just lucky but we have all imported and nothing bad has ever happened. However we so have warranties just in case from expansys/negri being the middlemen.
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true. but you have to ship your phone off. i'd be phone-less for much longer than i would if i just bought from US instead. it's a trade-off that i personally don't want to make anymore.

Look guys, there's pros and cons to both sides. Yes you can walk into the store and get help right away assuming if you have insurance and pay a $200 deductable later.
Most of the benefits you guys speak of is within the 30 day, 1 time exchange policy. Yes, I have my HOX receipt here and that's what it says. That includes a $35 restocking fee I think. So yes, at the end of the day you can easily go and swap your phone one time in 30 days. but this is where you make a decision if it's worth having this cool service for 30 days or paying less on your monthly bill on a dumb phone plan with a smartphone in addition to unlimited internet. But you get what you paid for, if you pay double the price you get that cool 4G LTE limited data plan. So weigh your pros and cons.
But lets not turn this into a positive reinforcement to make ourselves feel better about our decisions. I think there is a thread for that already, and it's called International vs USA.
This thread is just for the benefits of the International on ATT where you can get unlimited data and save around $1000 dollars or more on your phone bill. Lets keep it that way and lets keep the "defend our decision" in the International vs USA thread. Thank you.

Zabalba said:
What are your APN settings?
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The apn settings are automatically detected by the phone. Do you still want me to post them ?
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