Using my T Mobile in USA

Carolr

I have recently returned from my Wedding holiday in Florida with my family and today received my mobile phone bill, which to my horror is £606??? Apparently a large amount of it (£412.78) was mobile data using 55 MB 39 KB 10B outside of my allowance? I was ill informed of the charges, of course I expected a higher bill for uploading photos and internet usage due to the nature of our trip and all I was aware of was the dial up charge! Surely this should capped or alerted when abroad if excessive charges are made or at least alert the user. I have requested a detailed breakdown and are in conflab with T mobile, has anyone had this experience or knowledge of this area??
Appreciate some useful comments:mad:

deano23285

always check with your contract provider what their international rates are, its all on their website.

you would have been better off using a camera for photos and then using an internet cafe to upload them if you couldn't wait to do it back home

probably not a useful post, just an obvious one

macman

It's impossible to alert you or cap the charges, as they are made by the local US operator over which T-Mobile has no control. The charges are not notified in real time-T-Mobile may not receive them until several days later by whch time it is too late.
The issues of high data roaming charges are extremely well documented on these boards and elsewhere. You are liable for the full data used and all you can do is appeal to T-Mobile to see if you can get a 'goodwill' reduction.

Carolr

I did use camera ovbviously whilst away, we saved thousands of pounds over the last 2 years for this wedding/holiday and it was fantastic and to get back to a bill of this size is indeed appallingly expensive. Have noticed a lot of talk about reducing the rate and many people getting stung, as i have whilst using their mobile abroad using phone o/s EU, I just feel really upset that as honest hardworking people, that this cost to use your phone abroad is an outrage

thatsean

With all due respect - how hard is it to call them before you leave to check rates?

Anyway, rant over. Is the amount of data that's billed about right? Other than that - there isn't a great deal I can suggest I'm afraid. If you're a long standing customer then you might be able to negotiate a discount, or a payment schedule

samwsmith1

The cost will be data roaming, when I went to Italy a couple of weeks ago I got a text from O2 saying how expensive data was abroad and advising me not to use any data.
Did T-Mobile not send you a similar text?

Edit: Heres the exact message I got (just found on bluebook)

Please be aware it's expensive using data on your phone abroad. Browsing the web, watching videos and reading emails with attachments can use over 1MB/min. Using data abroad costs £3/MB in the EU and £6/MB outside. Calls to UK/EU are 35ppm (18ppm to receive).Text is 11p (free to receive). Data £3/MB. Further info freephone 2266. Prices inc.VAT. Emergency services call 112.

Carolr

No T mobile did not advise me at all about the expensive roaming rate, this is my point!! As if I had known I wouldn't have used the internet, but as the laptop in our villa was not working, I had no choice. I hadn't planned to use my phone you see, that's why I didn't check cost for using it in the States before I went away!!

Anyhow all i can do is appeal to their good nature as I am a long standing customer to try and sort out this huge bill!
Great start to our married life together, this whole saga makes me feel sick

macman

You could have used any local free wi-fi service (Starbucks, MacDonalds etc). You had plenty of choice, you just chose the easy option.

Carolr

Thanks for the reply, hindsight is wonderful thing but we just didn't have time to sit in McDonalds, Starbucks or Taco bells and hook up??!!?? We'd planned a wedding in the USA and needed internet access which was promised to us at the Villa, but didn't work?? So yes we took the most convenient option little did we know that it would be the biggest rip off option ever!!

Thank you samwsmith1 for your comments you have been most helpful.