NEW and different iPhone4 data roaming charges problem?

Xenos

Please read this if you've used your iPhone4 abroad, I really, really want to know if anyone else has had this problem.

We all know that the iPhone is famous for using little bits of data even when roaming is turned off.

So, being a careful (some might say paranoid) person I decided to buy a 3MB data package from my provider, Orange, before I went away. It cost me £5, but I figured it might come in handy, and if the phone were to do something crazy when I wasn't looking I wouldn't suffer.

Before leaving the UK, I turned off everything on my phone (roaming, mobile data, push, location services - everything) AND reset my usage counters.

The last day of my holiday came and I hadn't used it, so I turned on roaming (gulp) and checked a few emails etc. Carefully monitoring my 'usage' in the iPhone's Settings menu.

I turned roaming off after using just over 1.5 MB (I told you, paranoid).

I checked the usage again and according to the phone it had SUDDENLY DOUBLED. Yes, doubled.

This put my over my 3 MB limit. I was cross. :cool:

When I got back to the UK I checked my account, and according to Orange I've only actually used 1.8 MB. Hm.

Ominously though, they say: "data roaming charges can take up to 3 months to appear" (why, WHY?). So it's possible this will appear in some distant future month long after I've remembered to make a fuss about it.

Has anyone else observed this? Please tell me, I'm very, very keen to know if it's an isolated incident or not.

sporedude

It can take up to 3 or so months for data/calls/ect to be reported from the foreign network, so the charges can be spread over a few months

Xenos

To be absolutely clear...

• I used roaming whilst abroad on my phone once and once only.
• I monitored my usage the whole time, in iPhone settings, and turned roaming off when it reached about 1.6 MB
• Having turned roaming off, I went back into usage, and it had doubled to just under 4 MB.
• The only way this could happen is if the iPhone isn't reporting usage accurately, which in all probability will lead people to under-estimate the charges they may be incurring.

Bear in mind it doubled. If I'd used the full 3 MB (paid for in advance for £5) would it have gone up to 6 MB? That would cost an amazing extra £9. If you bought a bigger allowance, say their £10 MB package and it doubled after you finished using it, you'd be hit with a bill for £30. And so on.