Has anyone been able to successfully renew their expired ONLINE PACK WITH DATA PLAN here in the US? My 1-year "plan" stopped working around mid-August (couldn't tell the specific date as initially I thought it was a temporary glitch - there have been many in my year of ownership), even though I purchased my vehicle on September 11 of last year. Despite repeated reboots and resets, and a couple of software updates, it hasn't come back. The connectivity screen says the SIM is still connected to AT&T, wi-fi will still connect to my network at home when I pull into my garage, but no more wi-fi hotspot, no more Spotify or Deezer streaming, the touchscreen just says "buffering" forever when I attempt using any of those music apps. Weather app still works, though. 😏

Meanwhile, my 1-year subscription really did expire a few days ago, it says so on my InControl dashboard, see below. However, there seems to be no way to renew it through that portal, which would be the logical place to put a "Renew" button. AT&T says my Defender's VIN is not valid / not found when I attempt to renew the service online at https://myvehicle.att.com/.... even though I've been using their service for a year. Emails sent to Land Rover via their "Support" page have gone unanswered, big surprise there. I don't want to waste time driving to my dealer as I am about 100% sure they will be of zero help for these types of esoteric matters they just can't grasp or comprehend.

Any ideas or suggestions appreciated. I realize I could just use Android Auto instead (that's what I've been doing since the blackout started), but I would rather pay a yearly fee than relying on my phone - for one, I like the native music apps in Pivi Pro better than those through Android Auto. Sometimes, I just like to keep the phone in my pocket. My daughters enjoy the always-on car hotspot for their iPads when we go places. Sound quality also is better - or at least louder - via the native apps. But apparently neither Land Rover nor AT&T seem to want my money, which is unheard of.

 

I've been waiting for that to happen to me. Ok, dreading it. What's the damage? How much do they want to extend it? Or is it just flat out impossible to find out?

 

It's $120/yr for our F-Pace. Should be the same?

 

According to the above link, AT&T wants $200 for a 1-year, prepaid unlimited in-car data plan if you are not an existing wireless customer - I am not. That should be the ballpark, but who knows. Nobody has renewed that subscription on a Pivi Pro system so far, as far as I know. LR's older infotainment system (Touch Pro, I believe) can be renewed online.

 

Hi ,

I had a similar incident at the one year anniversary for my Defender and the Data pack stopped working but I did not receive any messages that my plan had expired. I called Land Rover Customer Service and opened up a case on how to renew. The CSR was great and she escalated the problem immediately. I followed up a few times and she explained to me that the SIM card is embedded in the vehicle and is a special IOT device that works via satellite and can connect to any local cell provider. I also called what looked like the local cell provider in Canada and the technician was kind enough to look up the origin of the SIM card via the IMEI and it was associated with a carrier from the Netherlands which was owned by Tata industries. About a week and half later the data pack started to work again and thinking that Land Rover fixed the problem, well that was not the case it fixed itself and when I contacted Land Rover again they could not explain it either. From what I understand they do not have a fix for renewing the data pack yet since it was working I have not followed up again with the CSR. I had some similar issues recently where the data pack stopped working again but it is now related to a charging or battery issue that the local dealership still has not figured out. I actually had the battery die on me four times now and escalated the problem with Land Rover North America and still in the process of resolving the battery issues. I think it was the data pack that draining my battery because it only started happening when the new apps like Spotify were included in the last software update. I am doing some tests now but not sure at this point or it may be a bad alternator. I did some more tests on the alternator and the voltage was decreasing progressively. Oh its been fun now to say the least being an owner of the Defender. I love the vehicle and was planning to keep it for a long time but if its unreliable I will need to look for something else.

Hopefully Land Rover will be able to figure out how to renew the data pack and also figure out my battery issues.

Regards

 

That doesn't work for the Defender. Although my subscription has expired, I am given no options or links to renew it, either through the InControl portal or the phone's Remote app. Simon was renewing subscriptions for an older vehicle (a 2015 Sport in his case) in the video, which works just fine here in the US as well. This seems to affect only Pivi Pro equipped vehicles.

 

Based on my (hard lesson) experience there is a methodology to follow - bear with me, there is a method to this madness :
1- do you remember the email you have signed up with, or which one was used when you picked up the vehicle ? that is your account for the data plan
2- before it was terminated, you have received about 3 or 4 emails form J.L.R. about your data plan - which was about to end ( look through spam email ) - probably a month or so before the end date
3- on those emails there is a link - I think is unique to you to renew the plan
If all else fails, you may have to: (a) call JLR and make sure that you get a case open (b) go to the dealership with that case and have them "fix" your plan.
Since the launch of Defender(s), TATA Motors or Nitra factory, decided that an eSIM is the way to go. There will be no physical SIM anymore. TATA Communications, the provider of your data for your vehicle is an MVNO ( Mobile Virtual Network Operator ) which may use ATT, or TMO at times, as they see fit. You may not "feel" that, because is transparent to you, while using the data.
I do not think ATT will or may activate your vehicle on their plan. More than likely they won't "see" your vehicle in their system. You may get the following message: VIN not found. Please enter a valid VIN. TATA COMMINICATIONS, do not share the info with any carriers in US, as they mark up the price, for the same exact plan you could buy from ATT or TMO, or Verizon.
One last and more viable alternative would be, to get a hotspot "puck" and use the vehicle to connect to the WiFi ( the "puck" ) and you are back in business. Probably cheaper than JLR service, and less stupid procedure.

 

I was wondering about what you would lose in that configuration (it is Land Rover after all). I know I could use my phone as the hotspot but then the app wouldn't work (obviously).

Other than that, the hotspot would need power.

 

Thanks.

2. and 3. I didn't receive any such emails - I checked my spam folder as well. Did you? Do you remember the subject of the email you received? How much was the renewal?

Regarding the hotspot device, that wouldn't work with the Pivi Pro apps, would it? I can connect to my home wifi right now when I am parked in my garage, but no joy with any of the apps, they don't work. That's the point of me wanting to renew the InControl subscription, I like using the built-in music apps (have subscriptions to both Spotify and Deezer, and TuneIn is free to stream a gazillion internet radio stations) and also feel like the reception is usually better via the embedded AT&T eSIM than through my Verizon phone, probably because the built-in system uses the car antenna and my phone doesn't.

I'll get on the horn with Land Rover to see what they say.

 

@allegedly - you are right, some "native" apps may not work. However, there isn't much love lost there. The JLR apps are so flaky, that I gave up, and I am using my android, or when I need my phone handy, I have another old Samsung with no service, which I put on the hotspot, and is kinda dedicated for everything I want, car related apps. On the Pivi I am successfully using the hotspot data for Maps updates, Weather, and software updates when they push them.

@umbertob - yes, as mentioned above, it would break some apps. The way Pivi, or JLR is routing their data / services, is the most assbackwards ... You will get a LOT more using an old(er) android phone, or apple, connected to the hotspot. Apps which you will never see on the Land Rover. It feels more and more that the entertainment center was an afterthought and thrown there hastily. My aftermarket radio head unit on my 20 year Ford does more than Pivi or any JLR apps.
Emails: yes, I got emails asking me to renew, and sent me a link. It was more expensive than Verizon's puck. I think it all came to be about 220...or 230 $. With Verizon I am paying 10 $ / mo and I couldn't be happier. I had ATT before, and it was ok(ish) but not great. TMO never worked good for me. Is fine and fast in the city, but outside, good luck ! So far Verizon served me best.
You can stick the puck or whatever hotspot you get on the dash, or as I set mine, near the mirror. You can also use a " " for 14 $. It works pretty good, and I have this on my truck. It emulates an external (out of the car) connection.
One last thing @umbertob : if you already have Verizon, they will sell you the data plan at a discount price. Depending on your plan, you may even get it 50 % off ... but not sure exactly. Still a good deal in my book.