phone bill jumped from £40 to £4400 in oe month after buying HTC desire!

investor999

I got the new phone which by default setting updates your emails every half an hour. I soon realised it was doing this and switched it off. I have received a bill for £4400 for one months usage and have not been abroad.

Has anyone else come accross this and what can be done about it?

I have asked for a itemised data usage list to try and confirm its just my email updates.

Surely Orange should have stopped the bill getting this high and called me or capped it?? They tried to take the £4400 out of my account without warning, fortunately I dont earn that in 2 months so the money wasnt there. £4400 represents 8 years worth of normal bills.

I feel sick!!

investor999

p.s.

I use the internet on the phone about 4 or 5 times a day for a quick email update or check facebook. It is never plugged into my laptop or other browser!

reehsetin

did you have an internet bundle on your package? unless you were roaming it would be REALLY difficult to get a bill that high - did you download any video or music/iplayer/youtube!?!

withabix

Without a data bundle you are probably looking at at least £2/MB. Some networks charge even more.

A Smartphone will use a lot of data unless you stop it.

I can use my 500MB bundle quite easily, especially if using certain data-hungry apps (which stay ON) or watching YouTube or TV-streaming etc.

500MB without a data bundle could easily cost you £1000.

£4400 would only buy you just over 2GB.

EDIT: Orange appear to charge £3/MB unless you have re-contracted since 30th March 2010, so at £3 that is 1.5GB, which is possible.

Get a data bundle.

investor999

Thanks for your reply

you tube no data steaming.... just email and facebook when out and about, nothing else. This was whilst I had free broadband in my flat and was working from home!

J

4743hudsonj

investor999 wrote: »

Thanks for your reply

you tube no data steaming.... just email and facebook when out and about, nothing else. This was whilst I had free broadband in my flat and was working from home!

J

download a lot of apps on the net? they can eat 20mb each for some of them. Plus some connect to the net a lot. Also not using the mobile version of facebook can eat up a lot more than you think.

All i can suggest is arranging a payment plan once its confirmed your usage.

Also get 3g watchdog to monitor your future usage with or without a bundle as even if you have one, at 1.5gb you will still be going over.

bubblesmoney

apparently loansharks are illegal, but this sort of day light thuggery by networks charging extortionate amounts for data is legal. it is high time such thuggery is penalised by the govt and a limit placed on the amount that can be charged for data. there should be a limit of probably twice or max 3 times the pay monthly charges for out of bundle charges. 3£ per mb is ridiculous data charges in this day and age. hope the government does something about such exploitative charges.

parallax_20

Youtube would be the killer. i watched 4 short clips at high quality and that was about 28Mb x £3per Mb = £87 for around 10mins of time wasting. so it can mount up frighteningly quick. I have an android phone but switch everything data related off until i need it. Avoid live widgets if u can. £4400 is a heck load of money and no email or video is worth that!

Sorry, i can provide anything helpful regarding your bill

bubblesmoney

i would advice the OP to try contacting the newspapers like the sun, daily mail etc and see if they are interested in covering the issue. although i suspect the networks must be dishing out such bills often. it is time something is done about such predatory tactics by networks.

secretmsg

Billing Error,Calls CS and find out why you being charged so much for?

Snakeeyes21

I'm sorry but surely if you were using facebook and emails whilst out and about you knew what the per mb charges would be?. just looking at a few emails thats £3 gone already.
Im sorry again but only a fool would use the internet on a phone without having a data bundle, and a smartphone without a data bundle thats just plain daft.