Tesco mobile Unlimted £30/month rolling contract -huuuuuuge bill!

GwynO_2

Hi, I don't know what to do.. I have been on Tesco's £30 per month rolling contract for about a year now, and hardly ever use that much so was thinking of downgrading to a cheaper contract.

I was recently disconnected and told via text that I had gone over my allowance, apparently unlimited doesn't actually mean unlimited.

The thing is I haven't made hardly any calls or texts, all that was different is I used the internet through my laptop as I've been having problems with mobile broadband from 3 (the dongle keeps kaking out)

I spoke with customer services on Friday and they told me I had used something over a thousand pounds, she went off for a long while to work out the exact amount, when she came back she explained I was on an old version of the contract which gives an allowance of £700 worth of everything, that apparently is what they meant by unlimited and I would therefore be billed the usual amount as well as the excess which she couldn't calculate exactly but was going to be over £400.

She explained that the newer version of the contract wouldn't have incurred that much of a charge as they changed it to 3000 minutes, I don't recall how many texts, and 500 MB of internet, she changed my contract to that one and said she'd pass the matter on to her manager and that they might wipe it off as a first offence.

On Monday I called back and a different person in Customer Services saw a note on my account saying it can't be wiped off, I was put on hold again for a good while and then she explained that the data usage counted as extra calls made beyond what's covered by their contract.

I have no way to repay £400 pounds on top of the normal charge, I am recently out of work hence why I was going to reduce to a lower package anyway. I have nothing the debt collectors could take apart from a laptop I need to search for work and to stay sane, besides it has all my family pictures and everything.

I'm in a total state over this, I don't know what to do, I've had debt collectors letters in the past but luckily I was younger then and my parents helped me out, they are in poor health and have no money to help me this time.

I don't know what to do.. I plan to cancel the contract tomorrow, pay the normal £30 pounds due on the 15th as normal and then on the 15th of November when the monster bill is due, I can pay the £30.. I could even stretch to £70 or so if I live on rice and lentils (which I was planning to do anyway) but £400 I just can't possibly find that kind of money..

Are they likely to charge interest or penalty charges in which case it could grow to thousands?

Customer Services explained the reason the bill is so large is that they charge £4 per MB for the internet, but on the account it shows as time connected to the internet as though it was a call, charges of ten pounds or more for being connected for periods of an hour or less but as I had the internet on pretty much all day for a few days it racked up this massive huge bill.

I feel like having gone to an all you can eat restaurant and then being charged over a thousand pounds because I went one plate over, all you can eat meaning three plates and I had four kind of thing.. I just don't know what to do now. I'm bi polar and I can already feel a massive black hole swallowing me up which is why I need to try and sort this as soon as I can.

Please help

G.

Money_Grabber13579

Unfortunately, this is the key statement:

The thing is I haven't made hardly any calls or texts, all that was different is I used the internet through my laptop as I've been having problems with mobile broadband from 3 (the dongle keeps kaking out)

Using your phone for internet is a very expensive business as you will very quickly use huge amounts of data. A lot of contracts forbid this practice, so be thankful they haven't charged you for all the data you've used, not just the excess. It would seem that you are now on a worse tariff as well, unless there's some kind of very low cap on the account. Surely £700 worth of calls, texts and data would be much more than 3000 minutes, probably unlimited texts (i.e. 3000!) and 500MB of data...

I can't really see how they will let you out of paying it, however ask them if they will agree a payment plan where you can pay of a fixed amount each month for say, the next 12 months. While it doesn't wipe out the bill (which is probably what you were after), it may make it a little bit more manageable...

lozzaman

The problem is Tesco "unlimited" data is 500MB and each MB in excess in an exorbitant £4/MB. I can't see how they can justify it.

spiro

There are 2 ways you can use your phone to connect to the internet. One is to use it as a modem which means you are using minutes up. The other is 'tethering' which means you are using data allowance up. As the CSA mentioned 3000minutes it would appear to be the former method was used but can't be sure without knowing what the bill actually says.

Guys_Dad

I have been warning people about Tesco data charges for months. When Tesco and ASDA went head to head with cheap PAYG packages, many MSE members thought they were much of a muchness. However, the sting was in the data tail.
£4 per Mb Tesco
20p per Mb ASDA

Tesco's contract price is the same. Just how can they charge 20 times as much as ASDA? That's right - 20 times as much Unbelievable!

So be warned. Smartphones and Tesco - beware. Iphones and Tesco - you are having a laugh!!!! (except it's Tesco who has the biggest laugh here!)

maxtweenie

Don't under any circumstances cancel your direct debit until you've agreed with Tesco a payment plan or some other way of dealing with this. Otherwise you WILL find the debt increasing and debt recovery getting involved.

Andyblizz

Guys_Dad wrote: »

I have been warning people about Tesco data charges for months. When Tesco and ASDA went head to head with cheap PAYG packages, many MSE members thought they were much of a muchness. However, the sting was in the data tail.
£4 per Mb Tesco
20p per Mb ASDA

Tesco's contract price is the same. Just how can they charge 20 times as much as ASDA? That's right - 20 times as much Unbelievable!

So be warned. Smartphones and Tesco - beware. Iphones and Tesco - you are having a laugh!!!! (except it's Tesco who has the biggest laugh here!)

I agree that there out of bundle charging is stupid.

But if you are aware of the T&C the iPhone Deal offered by tescos is the best value for money. (as long as you stick within the data limits)

As my iPhone 4 32GB cost me £429 + £20 a month for 12 months.

Total cost £669