MASSIVE Vodafone data roaming bill that doesn't make sense?

mkjones

I was recently in Florida for a week and have ended up with a £400+ bill which is ALL data charges.

I'm aware of the Vodafone rip-off-roaming charges so made sure to keep my phone (HTC Desire) disconnected from 3G when I wasn't using it and only connect when I needed to.

I was aware that I was using quite a bit of data as I received emails saying I'd used 5mb pretty much every day but made sure to ease off using the web after this.

As I'd been careful to clock up my usage I'd estimated £100/£120 in data charges NOT £400?

What also confuses me I went to Florida a few months before, again, just for a single week, and my bill was only about £60?

Is there any way to contest these bills? Will they send me a data log if I ask for one?

mrcamp

That usage is probably correct. These smartphones use data in the background. The fact that you used data at all (on a smartphone) all while roaming is always going to be potential for a big bill. See voda's charges for data roaming here: http://www.abroad.vodafone.co.uk/business/data-costs-and-coverage/

Jon_01

Data in the US is (or was last time I looked) changed at £10 a meg. So if you're using 5 meg a day that's £25 a day.

Also, I believe that some networks over there only change by the meg not in bytes. So if you used 4.5 you'd be changed for 5 and so on.

mkjones

mrcamp wrote: »

That usage is probably correct. These smartphones use data in the background. The fact that you used data at all (on a smartphone) all while roaming is always going to be potential for a big bill.

Indeed but as I said I switched off any 3G signal when not in use. I also had push email/twitter/etc all deactivated and only used manual updates on each app.

I'd say I probably used the phone twice as much for data compared to the first time I went - so unless some new app has started connecting without my knowledge I can't work out why the bill is so high.

mkjones

Jon_01 wrote: »

Data in the US is (or was last time I looked) changed at £10 a meg. So if you're using 5 meg a day that's £25 a day.

Also, I believe that some networks over there only change by the meg not in bytes. So if you used 4.5 you'd be changed for 5 and so on.

On Voda its £3 a mb for the first 5mb then £15 for the next 5mb. They send you a text when you get to the first 5mb limit, which is normally when I'd disconnect the phone.

Jon_01

You can ask Voda to check the usage. But it'll take a while to come through (or can do).

When the roaming network sends the info through its just the billing info (as it has to be sent within 48 hours). The usage info can be weeks/month behind that.
Voda 'may' suspend the collection of the bill until the usage info is with them (I don't know how they resolve roaming disputes).

The usage log will have detailed info of data used, when and the IMSI of the phone that used it (IMSI is like the IMEI and is unique to each phone like the IMEI). The roaming network logs the IMSI when the phone connects...

jen245

Couldnt you have used wi-fi? I went to Florida in September and used the wi-fi in our hotel, which luckily was free, and also the free wi-fi hotspots in Starbucks, McDonalds etc. I used the network data only a couple of times when I was out and about and needed to check account balances etc. My bill was only £36 compared to the £25 it usually is

Guys_Dad

I started another thread on this which, in retrospect, I should have added to here.

It is slightly different, but here goes. I have a Vodafone sim-only contract and last month, I made an one off internet connection for the first time to check on one fact from the net. This triggered Vodafone's 50p daily charge for that day. No problem.

My phone is an unlocked Nokia 5130 - basic phone, not smartphone. I am running no apps that I can see and, in any case, the Nokia is pretty basic indeed. Since then, however, I have been getting a 50p per day charge applied to my account - sometimes at 3.20 a.m. and my internet usage shows 2 or 3 small data transfers every day, triggering the 50p per day.

It's not email either as the last email I have on the phone is dated Oct 2009 when this phone was on the Orange network, so it is not accessing my Gmail account.

The Voda shop and I can see no way to turn off WAP on the phone and it is set to "as required" and not "always on" - the only 2 choices.

Obviously not happy at clocking up £15 and hopefully they will wipe it off, and the guys in the shop have changed my account to turn it off.

Has anyone else had these recurring 50p per day data charges without knowingly using the net?

mkjones

Update! Spoke to the advisor just now and its more like £300 - apparently I used 64mb which I find astounding considering what I used the phone for.

Now thinking the Android Marketplace MAY have auto-upgraded some apps in the background, that or ad-served games picking up new content?

I've asked them to call be back when I have more time as the lady I spoke with said they couldn't give me a data-log due to data-protection law, which seems odd as I'm sure Orange had no problem when I was with them?

I think I will have to take the hit this time and maybe write a letter explaining this situation to see if they will look kindly and give me a refund on 'some' of the charges. At least I hope they will, I only have a £20-pm contract so this single payment will double my yearly bill!

Techhead_2

Guys_Dad wrote: »

I started another thread on this which, in retrospect, I should have added to here.

It is slightly different, but here goes. I have a Vodafone sim-only contract and last month, I made an one off internet connection for the first time to check on one fact from the net. This triggered Vodafone's 50p daily charge for that day. No problem.

My phone is an unlocked Nokia 5130 - basic phone, not smartphone. I am running no apps that I can see and, in any case, the Nokia is pretty basic indeed. Since then, however, I have been getting a 50p per day charge applied to my account - sometimes at 3.20 a.m. and my internet usage shows 2 or 3 small data transfers every day, triggering the 50p per day.

It's not email either as the last email I have on the phone is dated Oct 2009 when this phone was on the Orange network, so it is not accessing my Gmail account.

The Voda shop and I can see no way to turn off WAP on the phone and it is set to "as required" and not "always on" - the only 2 choices.

Obviously not happy at clocking up £15 and hopefully they will wipe it off, and the guys in the shop have changed my account to turn it off.

Has anyone else had these recurring 50p per day data charges without knowingly using the net?

There are a number of misunderstandings in your post.
The choice between 'always on' and 'when needed' is simply whether the phone looks to see if packet data is available and when it looks. Think of it like the setting that a phone would have to see if 3G is available. Its nothing to do with actually using data or turning it off.
The 5130 has a number of features that will go online and use data. (for example: auto software updates, syncml, ovi services etc etc)
Have a look through the user guide and make sure you turn off anything that is on.

Or go to settings>configurations and delete all the configurations so it can't connect.

Guys_Dad

Techhead wrote: »

There are a number of misunderstandings in your post.
The choice between 'always on' and 'when needed' is simply whether the phone looks to see if packet data is available and when it looks. Think of it like the setting that a phone would have to see if 3G is available. Its nothing to do with actually using data or turning it off.
The 5130 has a number of features that will go online and use data. (for example: auto software updates, syncml, ovi services etc etc)
Have a look through the user guide and make sure you turn off anything that is on.

Or go to settings>configurations and delete all the configurations so it can't connect.

Thanks for that.

Vodafone shop changed access point to Orange rather than vodafone and it still connected! The main point was that I didn't make any changes to apps or anything else. I logged on to Google to check up one fact about Harry Hill (sad, I know) and that was all. From that moment on, it kept accessing the web, apparently, daily at different times.