Got my notice from AT&T that I'm not allowed to use Bluetooth to my car stereo

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CZ Eddie

Senior Member
Sep 27, 2011
6,397
2,442
Austin, TX
They sent me a warning letter that I have been using "tethering" on my phone.
So I called them up and they said they detected "tethering" on January 21st.
Discovered that was because I used my phone to stream Pandora to my car stereo that day.

They say I'm not allowed to do that on the "unlimited plan" and they will migrate me to a "tethering plan" if I keep doing it.

FU AT&T
 

XxlemonxX

Senior Member
Aug 30, 2012
244
35
Re: Got my notice from AT&T that I'm not allowed to use Bluetooth to my car stereo

What! Lamo that's ridiculous

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elementaldragon

Senior Member
Feb 21, 2011
1,006
165
I would fight that in any way possible. Syncing your phone to your vehicle's head unit to play music over it's speakers via Bluetooth in no way should be considered "Tethering". If you do it more, and they call again, tell them what you are doing that is causing high data usage. If they still insist that what you are doing is tethering, i'd suggest informing the CSR that you'd like to speak to a supervisor on the issue, and if that doesn't go anywhere, I do believe a breach of contract would be feasible....
 

lthary

Senior Member
Jul 28, 2012
131
14
Re: Got my notice from AT&T that I'm not allowed to use Bluetooth to my car stereo

What a MF company

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greystealth

Senior Member
Jan 30, 2007
312
77
Re: Got my notice from AT&T that I'm not allowed to use Bluetooth to my car stereo

They don't know what they're talking about..Speak to someone else.
 

Jaspah

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2012
170
52
Syracuse, NY
Makes me wonder how AT&T actually monitors for unapproved tethering. I used it briefly a few times on my phone flashed with Task650's AOKP and haven't gotten any notices. Unlimited data plan, too.
 

tterb1980

Member
Feb 16, 2012
20
3
If they continue to harass you about the "tethering" call customer service and ask to speak to a manager. You don't want to get to the point where they actually put you on a tethering plan because there is the possibility that you could lose your unlimited data plan, and once that happens you can not get it back.
 

elementaldragon

Senior Member
Feb 21, 2011
1,006
165
Makes me wonder how AT&T actually monitors for unapproved tethering. I used it briefly a few times on my phone flashed with Task650's AOKP and haven't gotten any notices. Unlimited data plan, too.

Supposedly it could have something to do with packet data... something being different in a way that they know the information coming across their network is destined for an alternate device... but who knows.
 

CZ Eddie

Senior Member
Sep 27, 2011
6,397
2,442
Austin, TX
I've been using the same data plan with multiple iPhone and Android devices. Have been streaming Pandora and iHeart Radio to my car stereo for a few years now.
Matter of fact, I've mostly stopped doing that for the last several months. Ever since I started using USB-Audio instead.
Other than that one day I tried Bluetooth for whatever reason.

Just goes to show. Though the Bluetooth streaming/tethering "warning" from AT&T hasn't happened to you yet, I have to suggest that it may just be a matter of time.
 

krakerx

Senior Member
Dec 29, 2008
94
8
Long Island, NY
They sent me a warning letter that I have been using "tethering" on my phone.
So I called them up and they said they detected "tethering" on January 21st.
Discovered that was because I used my phone to stream Pandora to my car stereo that day.

They say I'm not allowed to do that on the "unlimited plan" and they will migrate me to a "tethering plan" if I keep doing it.

FU AT&T

I know in CM10, in the Wireless & Network | Tethering & portable hotspot there is a option for "Bluetooth tethering", I don't know if that exists in the stock rom (I've been off of stock since CM10 was released), but make sure that all tethering options are off. Your radio may be pulling data for updates.
 

dratsablive

Senior Member
Feb 20, 2011
1,325
250
HARRISBURG
I know in CM10, in the Wireless & Network | Tethering & portable hotspot there is a option for "Bluetooth tethering", I don't know if that exists in the stock rom (I've been off of stock since CM10 was released), but make sure that all tethering options are off. Your radio may be pulling data for updates.

I am on stock rom and Blue Tooth Tethering is available.
 

Death&co

Senior Member
Jun 13, 2012
226
65
It seems to me that Bluetooth doesn't even matter. like if you were to use Pandora in your car using headphones wouldn't they still "detect" that. I would be livid if that happened to me.
 

CZ Eddie

Senior Member
Sep 27, 2011
6,397
2,442
Austin, TX
They told me I could use Pandora to my headphones or a dock station.

But I was not allowed to use it to my car stereo via Bluetooth, without upgrading to a "tethering" plan.

Crazy that this would just now become a problem for them.
 

wildkarrde21

Member
Jul 25, 2010
49
2
They told me I could use Pandora to my headphones or a dock station.

But I was not allowed to use it to my car stereo via Bluetooth, without upgrading to a "tethering" plan.

Crazy that this would just now become a problem for them.
I think I'm more concerned that they can track your phone's audio output. If they are able to tell you're outputting your music to a bluetooth device, they should probably be able to tell that it's transmitting over AD2P and is not IP packet data (apologies if I'm mangling the technical terms/process). My guess is they're just using this as a flimsy excuse to force you off your unlimited plan.

I use bluetooth to my car stereo as well and have never gotten a notice (I'm on a tiered data plan).
 

Ends

Senior Member
Oct 24, 2011
408
76
South Boston, VA
Re: Got my notice from AT&T that I'm not allowed to use Bluetooth to my car stereo

It's it your phone or the car stereo that is doing the streaming? If your running Pandora from your car radio and using your phone's Bluetooth to download that music then they are correct. However, if your using Pandora from your phone only and using the Bluetooth for strictly the sound, your ok. I suspect it may be the first

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CZ Eddie

Senior Member
Sep 27, 2011
6,397
2,442
Austin, TX
This is the way I've been doing it for years now, without any problem. Until now all of a sudden.

  • Power on my phone. Connect it to my car stereo via bluetooth.
  • On my phone, I open the Pandora app and press "play".
 

wolverine423

Senior Member
Feb 22, 2011
83
31
Tennessee
This is the way I've been doing it for years now, without any problem. Until now all of a sudden.

  • Power on my phone. Connect it to my car stereo via bluetooth.
  • On my phone, I open the Pandora app and press "play".

I find it odd that if you do this regularly, then why did they only detect "tethering" on January 21.

Either way its ridiculous.

Way to go ATT. :rolleyes:
 

sneakyws6

Senior Member
Oct 18, 2007
90
2
There is no way for a phone to use the BT profile to download the music from the cellular data network, even if it did that type of file transfer has nothing to do with the cellular data system and only "transmits" the data the phone is downloading via the cellular network and then sending that audio data to the cars stereo system to play the sounds.

Sounds like a call to someone higher up at ATT in store.
 

dLo GSR

Senior Member
Mar 7, 2011
1,315
221
Los Angeles
that's impossible. they can't track that you're using bluetooth for audio out, and it has nothing to do with tethering. the CSR is mistaken. someting else triggered them.
 

Bruce Lee

Senior Member
Jan 20, 2011
2,212
418
Ohio
plus.google.com
Re: Got my notice from AT&T that I'm not allowed to use Bluetooth to my car stereo

ATT nailed me back a while ago while I was on the unlimited plan with a Motorola Atrix 4G. I was forced to change to tethering plan since I need tethering for college work. I was mad too. My dad was more since the bill was bigger. Lol

Then they throttled me when I didn't switch right away to the tethering plan. Not cool stuff.

This can happen to anyone. Hope you can work something out.

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    I think that you guys are giving AT&T a lot more credit than they deserve.

    There is no way that they can detect an A2DP connection on their end. All they look for are anomalies. You normally use X amount of data and that day you exceeded you normal usage by some factor. They assume it is tethering as they do, indeed, want you on a tiered plan.

    We are all fairly technically savvy here. Could you imagine if that notice goes to someone with only a rudimentary knowledge of how phones work? Chances are that they agree and give up their unlimited data plan. It is a shady business driven by the bottom line.

    Call them on their crap and make them prove that you tethered your phone. That is the only way that they can hold you in breach of your contract and force you off of your unlimited data plan.
    1
    Re: Got my notice from AT&T that I'm not allowed to use Bluetooth to my car stereo

    Also according to att using the micro USB to HDMI they provided with the Samsung infuse to your TV is also tethering. Just tossing that out there along with all the other bull****tery

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