The whole idea of a GoPhone (or prepaid as we called it back in Europe) is badly twisted here.
After researching for prepaid plans I entered an AT&T shop, picked the cheapest AT&T GoPhone (19$) and a refill card of 20$. Went to the counter and surprise: the guy asks for my name to enter in the computer!
I give it to it slightly annoyed but thinking that maybe it is for the shop (loyalty cards or similar). Then he continues: "Address!"
I couldn't stand it anymore and I asked him: "Why?".
"The system needs it" - and he points helpless to the computer.
"Well, f*ck the system, don't give it to it. Tell it your home address."
"Full name and address must be entered to purchase this" he repeated unconvincingly.
"You're saying that if I refuse to give you these info, you refuse to sell me the phone? Is this the official position of the company or is a bit of a "playing by ear". I mean what's the point in having a prepaid phone if not to have the number associated with anything? "
"They said I should do it" he said softly and looking careful around, like "they" are listening, in an attempt to give me the impression he's actually on my side but he needs to play along.
Anyway... you got the point. AT&T (and probably all others) passed the task to the store assistants to get these info from the buyer.
I am sure there is no law saying that you must give these info, is just abuse. They want to know everything about you.
The good news is that, they just ask you for these info they don't verify it as in requiring your id or so. So the system can be fortunately easily fooled.
One more thing about this prepaid that is not prepaid: I can see lots of ads on tv for various mobile companies bragging that their prepay option gives you X minutes and Y text messages, all of these for only Z dollars per month.
Per month? So my prepaid becomes a... subscription? To which I commit for... months, maybe years?
So why do you still call it GoPhone or pay-as-you-go? It should be better called StayAsYouPay or simply StayAndPay to reflect their hidden thoughts.
I don't think they're stupid. Just abusive and intrusive and would love to hook you up in any way they can.
P.S. The 19$ Huawey phone from AT&T is the worst piece of crap I have ever used for a mobile phone. Is not that it "lacks functionality" or that "is what you get for this money" as some cool, trendy, following-the-hypes, blindly pre-ordering iPhone, gadget-freaks, corporate suckers would probably tell me. It is simply a fucking disgrace.
Lemme give you an example: have you ever seen a phone on which you can key-in a phone number after you lock the keypad??? (I mean a regular phone number not emergency or similar.)
It simply defies the "lock keypad" principle itself and lets you enter the phone number... Moreover, if you try to ring that number, it gives you an error about the network (!)
If you do the same with the keypad unlocked, it works. How stupid is this?
I think Huawey actually assembled a project team and spend a billion in researching how they could cripple a phone in such a way that could determine a user to buy another one in the shortest time. This bugger is the result.
After researching for prepaid plans I entered an AT&T shop, picked the cheapest AT&T GoPhone (19$) and a refill card of 20$. Went to the counter and surprise: the guy asks for my name to enter in the computer!
I give it to it slightly annoyed but thinking that maybe it is for the shop (loyalty cards or similar). Then he continues: "Address!"
I couldn't stand it anymore and I asked him: "Why?".
"The system needs it" - and he points helpless to the computer.
"Well, f*ck the system, don't give it to it. Tell it your home address."
"Full name and address must be entered to purchase this" he repeated unconvincingly.
"You're saying that if I refuse to give you these info, you refuse to sell me the phone? Is this the official position of the company or is a bit of a "playing by ear". I mean what's the point in having a prepaid phone if not to have the number associated with anything? "
"They said I should do it" he said softly and looking careful around, like "they" are listening, in an attempt to give me the impression he's actually on my side but he needs to play along.
Anyway... you got the point. AT&T (and probably all others) passed the task to the store assistants to get these info from the buyer.
I am sure there is no law saying that you must give these info, is just abuse. They want to know everything about you.
The good news is that, they just ask you for these info they don't verify it as in requiring your id or so. So the system can be fortunately easily fooled.
One more thing about this prepaid that is not prepaid: I can see lots of ads on tv for various mobile companies bragging that their prepay option gives you X minutes and Y text messages, all of these for only Z dollars per month.
Per month? So my prepaid becomes a... subscription? To which I commit for... months, maybe years?
So why do you still call it GoPhone or pay-as-you-go? It should be better called StayAsYouPay or simply StayAndPay to reflect their hidden thoughts.
I don't think they're stupid. Just abusive and intrusive and would love to hook you up in any way they can.
P.S. The 19$ Huawey phone from AT&T is the worst piece of crap I have ever used for a mobile phone. Is not that it "lacks functionality" or that "is what you get for this money" as some cool, trendy, following-the-hypes, blindly pre-ordering iPhone, gadget-freaks, corporate suckers would probably tell me. It is simply a fucking disgrace.
Lemme give you an example: have you ever seen a phone on which you can key-in a phone number after you lock the keypad??? (I mean a regular phone number not emergency or similar.)
It simply defies the "lock keypad" principle itself and lets you enter the phone number... Moreover, if you try to ring that number, it gives you an error about the network (!)
If you do the same with the keypad unlocked, it works. How stupid is this?
I think Huawey actually assembled a project team and spend a billion in researching how they could cripple a phone in such a way that could determine a user to buy another one in the shortest time. This bugger is the result.
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