MSE news: Complaints over erroneous iPhone data roaming charges

bubblesmoney

yes i know, but often people seem to be under the misconception that turning off 3g means turning off data. guess thats one of the reasons for the popularity of 3g toggles. all switching off 3g will do is to have a slower 2g data connection instead.

switching off the APN will switch off all data access (roaming or not roaming). but best to check whether rebooting automatically switches on the APN setting back on. if your phone does that, then best option will be to modify the APN address by adding a few extra letters to it. if you need data back on then delete those extra letters and select the APN to swtich on then you get the data connection back, no need to do any other settings adjustments for roaming etc.

jtcowie

We've had our 3GS iPhones for nearly a year and used them in the USA without ever incurring data roaming charges. We always turn off Voicemail, 3G and Data Roaming before leaving the UK. We only ever connect to the internet and pick up emails via wifi hotspots and over wifi networks where we are staying.

However, we've just come back from Spain and incurred a total of £19 in data roaming charges between us, despite turning everthing off as usual and using our friend's wifi network. Luckily I checked our balances with o2 online after a couple of days or it would have been a lot higher.

I've just spent some time on the phone with o2 who said that "free wifi is only available in the UK and that using wifi abroad is chargeable" !!!! I stood my ground and eventually the person I was speaking to got fed up of going back to her supervisor and relaying messages between us. They say that they will refund the charges on my next bill and said that they will pass on my concerns to the technical department - I suggested they read the information on this website.

I also asked that o2 change the information on their website as clearly what they say (that turning off data roaming is all you need to do) is incorrect, but was told that they aren't in control of their website (!) and I need to email mycare@o2mail.co.uk; which I am about to do.

One question: what is the point of taking the phone abroad at all if you switch off cellular data and can't therefore receive text messages? Presumably if you turn cellular data back on to check if you have received any text messages this will let the data downloading through and I'll be back to square one with data roaming charges?

[Deleted User]

When abroad I take my SIM out before I leave the UK, leave my phone to deal with WiFi only, pick up my Voicemails over that through Hullomail, and call anyone back that I need to through Skype.

Simples.

hmd01

Quaff wrote: »

I travel abroard quite a lot so am aware of the need to turn off 3G and Data Roaming. But during the course of my trips I quite often connect to download emails, so expect charges.

However in June I went to Berlin for one day and was shocked to discover that I had incurred £150 in Data Charges!

I queried this with O2 and was shocked to discover what had happened. Whilst in Germany I had used my GPS to find my location. I switched of my Data Roaming after using the Map, but the Blue Location Dot was still on the Map. I checked several times and Data Roaming and 3G were switched off. The iPhone specialist admitted to me that if you have Location Service switched on, then regardless of whether you have Data Roaming ON or OFF, it will connect to the Data Network. This includes any App that use Location Service, Camera, Compass etc.

O2 agreed to credit me all my Data Roaming Charges back to 1st April, but I have it in mind to look back over my bills for the last 4 years and reclaim all.

The iPhone specialist also told me that if you connect to Wi-Fi whilst abroad, you must switch it OFF after using it. Because if you leave Wi-Fi switched On and move out of range the Wi-Fi host you were using, the iPhone will continue to try connecting via the Data Network, even if you have Data Roaming switched OFF.

Surely these charges are illegal, I have used iPhone for over 4 years and have never been told by Apple of O2 about these potential charges whilst abroad.

This has happened to me too. I got an iPhone 4 on T-Mobile in Sept 2010. A few days later we went on holiday to the US. Having had an iPhone 3G on O2 through work, I was well aware that I needed to
ensure data roaming was switched off. To be on safe side I mostly had it in Airplane mode as well, and as this was my own phone, I was even more paranoid about making sure data roaming was switched off.

On one occasion when we were out and about, I had to connect to the phone network to send a text message. Data roaming was still switched off though, so not sure how I received relatively small data charges that day.

However, on the last day, I used GPS briefly when we were in the car to confirm our location on the Maps app. It can't have been on for more than 2 mins, and then I immediately switched Data Roaming and 3G off again. Like you, I repeatedly checked this as the blue dot was still on the map. I thought perhaps it was just in the memory from where I had located us briefly, and once we moved out of the range of the map, it wouldn't update the map, so again, I thought it was all ok and data was off as the phone said it was.

I am now extremely upset and outraged to find T-Mobile have billed me £180 for 23MB of data usage on that last day. Surely I would have had to have download maps of the whole world to have used that much data. And, if the phone said Data Roaming was off, then the Map app has no business to still download data.

Most of the complaints so far have been about O2, and given that T-Mobile have only had iPhones available since September, that is not surprising. But has anyone else have any experience of dealing with T-Mobile regarding this problem please? Or, is this in fact a failure on the part of the Maps app/Apple?

I don't know what to do or who to complain to about this, and would appreciate any advice anyone can offer me please.

christineedge

hmd01 - complain to the executive office of T Mobile. If they give you a final decision on this then you can take it to the ombudsman which is CISAS.

My husband received a huge bill for data charges from 2 weeks we spent in Florida in Jully/August. Being very iPhone and technologically aware he made sure all the data roaming and mobile data was switched off and to be honest his phone didn't work half the time we were there (it said no service and showed no signal) The data charges equal £600 approx - £460 worth Orange are saying took place in one day (1st August) My husband asked them to investigate it and despite further repeated phone calls they never got back to him, we got a letter on Monday from a debt collection agency demanding £1647 (which was the bill and the rest of his contract)

I worded a strong email to the Executive Office people which they immediately replied to stating that 'applications on his phone may have caused the iPhone to update every hour thus incurring the charges'. Although I'm pretty certain you would need to have internet access to do this. They offered to credit him £200 straight away which seems to be just what they do to shut us up.

The data roaming was off, the mobile data was off - where have the charges come from?! And in one day!

I personally don't think they've got a leg to stand on - what is anyone else's view?

pigeonpie

if it's every network, surely it's a problem with the iPhone? I love Apple gadgets but as a company they never admit when they are wrong...
The only solution until sorted is to take a non iPhone with you as it only appears to happen on wifi abroad on iPhones. Pain in the proverbial; another reason to get a non iPhone smartphone!

Guys_Dad

pigeonpie wrote: »

if it's every network, surely it's a problem with the iPhone? I love Apple gadgets but as a company they never admit when they are wrong...
The only solution until sorted is to take a non iPhone with you as it only appears to happen on wifi abroad on iPhones. Pain in the proverbial; another reason to get a non iPhone smartphone!

Spot on. Also suggest christineedge reads up on bubblesmoney's post earlier on this page. These Iphones and some other smartphones are highly sophisticated complex devices and you really need to read every page in their manuals to avoid getting thumped for big bills when they are acting "silently" behind the scenes.

willoc

Hi a6v,

In response to your post below...

So if any of you gets a data roaming bill and no joy with their customer service team over the phone then do not hesitate to write to O2 as it will surely result in a refund. Let me know if you need the sample letter..

Could you please send me the sample letter? I have a data roaming issue with my iphone and i didnt have data roaming turned on. Theyre asking me to pay 360! Unbelievable.

Appreciate your help

Will
[EMAIL="oconnor.will@gmail.com"]oconnor.will@gmail.com[/EMAIL]

king100

I am in new york as I type this, out and about with 3G data roaming off. Needed to find a shop, turned on data roaming, found shop turned back off. 10 secs later text msg. You have spent £20 so far we will text you when you spend £40. Well thanks O2 think you will be getting an email from me.

In 2 mins did I really d/l 3 meg on. 3G network.

Bumfield007

Hi,

I've just come back from Cuba, had data roaming turned off on all application and the data roaming also turned off and i've come back with a bill of £186 I only sent half a dozen texts and no calls. I'm on the Tesco mobile and i've just spoke to them and they insist that i've used the internet. What shall i do.

Thanks