US Note users on AT&T - how are you dealing with the accusatory "tablet" text?

I have been with ATT sense 1994 when they toke over Cingular who I was with.
I have the PDA unlimited plan.

I put my sim card in.
Set APNs

Received text about 30 days later. (called them and thought all was good)
They turn off my data 14 days after that.
They turn data back on the next day after 2 hours on the phone with them.

If you can edit the poll, it would be good to have an option for no dreaded SMS received yet.

I haven't received the SMS yet, despite how vocal I am against AT&T.

SMS date: none yet
Start date: 11/11 (36 days)
Plan: 2GB smartphone data
Mods: no /efs folder nor IMEI modifications
Location/market: Austin, TX
APN settings: the "phone" one for 4g smartphones

My vote would have to be "other", if that were a choice. I have never been with at&t for wireless, and when I took my Note in to get a sim card, they would not even set me up with a voice plan at all. I have just data on it now. The manager claims they were told in a managers' meeting not to activate the note as a phone. They don't/won't support it, according to him. (he as a total d**k, by the way)

I've been on medianet for 7 years and I've never got the text. Currently 4 days of note usage with no issues here.

ericshmerick said:

Why would managers be told not to activate a smartphone they plan on bringing to their own network in the first quarter of 2012??

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Probably because they haven't crippled/screwed over the phone to work on their network yet. As with most carrier subsidized phones, they want to remove features, fill it with bloatware etc...
I've had 3 non branded phones, and they always work better than the bloated ones. My favorite complaint, back in the pre-smartphone day was the stupid button placement that would almost always guarantee you that you would easily hit the button to take you to the internet, incurring a data charge. Oh, I'm sure they didn't do that one on purpose LOL.

I've been using this phone since November 2. No text message from ATT. APN settings: name ATT, APN phone, MCC 310, MNC 410, APN type internet + mms and everything else not set. Works fine with edge, 3g and HSPA.

couldnt you just go down to an at&t store and have someone who works there check out your phone and call at&T themselves to confirm you do have a cell phone and not a tablet?

seeking said:

couldnt you just go down to an at&t store and have someone who works there check out your phone and call at&T themselves to confirm you do have a cell phone and not a tablet?

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People have tried that. It may work sometimes, but some have said they go home and the next day they get the message again. It's a computer doing the flagging. Even if a manager overrides the system at the store, they can't change the system, so chances are it'll happen again.

seeking said:

couldnt you just go down to an at&t store and have someone who works there check out your phone and call at&T themselves to confirm you do have a cell phone and not a tablet?

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All their systems are centralized and corporate makes the policies. Some rep at a b&m at&t store doesn't have the power to make any changes. They can just update your profile to reflect a new IMEI but if the system keeps flagging the phone as a tablet they can't change make any changes to prevent the system from recognizing your note and blocking you again.

ericshmerick said:

That's why I'm prepared to fight AT&T at the corporate level to get them to change their system to recognize the IMEI as a smartphone.

I've already contacted Samsung UK outlining the issue and asking them to send the IMEI's to AT&T in the US.

I will be relentless in my quest!

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Personally, I think the deathstar is doing this on purpose. They are "suppose" to have the Note next year (crippled, different processor to handle LTE, no home button, bloated etc...)...can't have an international version over shadowing their version can they? LOL.

lol, bloody american carriers.

There would be outrage if they tried that sh!t here.. You're paying for a data service... who are they to dictate what device you use that data on!

I'm willing to bet that this issue is less about the Note itself and more about trying to get people off of their grandfathered data. How many people on tiered plans have received the text? I bet none.

---------- Post added at 11:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:16 PM ----------

ericshmerick said:

This is why I'm strongly considering renaming the EFS folder or spoofing the IMEI.

I'm not interested in going round and round with AT&T every few weeks fighting their automated computers with attempts to prove my device is not a tablet.

At this point, I don't care if it's allowed to do that. I paid a ton of cash for this smartphone and am an AT&T Premier customer with multiple lines. Not putting all of this in jeopardy because they just don't know what this device is.

With any luck, I will snag an Atrix IMEI, flash it to the device and be on my merry way.

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And how exactly will you do this? I wasn't aware such a thing was even possible...

ericshmerick said:

What bearing, exactly, does this have on anything? As long as I don't tether (which I never do or plan on doing) that suddenly doesn't give AT&T the right to single out unlimited users while ignoring others.

Again, I'm sure the FCC would be interested to learn of this discrimination.

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It has a lot of bearing actually. Think about it. AT&T stopped offering unlimited data a year and a half ago now, and since then it has done as much as it can to try to get people off of those plans (like convincing the uneducated consumer that they need "new" tiered plans for their smartphone when they decide to upgrade etc).

I ran into this exact same problem early on this year with my original Galaxy Tab, and after much (fruitless) deliberation with a rep from the CEO's office, the argument basically came down to this:

AT&T: You're using a device on our network in ways we did not intend for it to be used. Cease and Desist!

Me: How exactly am I using my device on your network in ways which you didn't intend? As far as the hardware is concerned, my Galaxy Tab is basically identical to a smartphone with the exception of screen and battery size. I love using my Tab this way! It literally is my "do-everything-all-in-one" device! Tablet, phone, GPS, media player, e-reader, etc.

AT&T: That's just it. Your "do-everything-all-in-one" device is bad for business. We don't want you to be able to do "everything-all-in-one." We want you to buy a smartphone, and a subscription for that -AND- we want you to buy a separate piece of hardware for your tablet and pay a subscription for that too (or at least pay additional for the ability to tether to your smartphone). See, as you pointed out, the bigger screen allows you to do much more with that device than a "normal" smartphone, in much the same way as you can do more on a laptop. Basically, bigger screen generally equals more data usage and thus more strain on our network.

Me: OK. So what? I'm on unlimited data.

AT&T: Exactly. So we're not getting any more money out of you, where we would ordinarily be collecting overages from everyone else on tiered plans. So here are your options: 1. Stop using voice on your line, and use this as a data-only device. 2. Stop using data on your line, and use this as a voice-only device. 3. Use both data and voice, but only if you forgo your unlimited data and go onto a tiered plan instead, and pay for tethering. 4. Go somewhere else.

Me: Screw you AT&T! *deletes /efs folder and continues to use Tab as originally intended by Samsung. AT&T no longer see's Tab IMEI and see's "fake/generic" IMEI instead*

I've been with them for a while. I have the grandfathered plan but I have 5 lines and maybe that's why I never received a text from them. I tether as well.

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