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Orange phone bill!! Data Roaming HELP

Last month 200 pounds, this month 300 pounds!
My plan is for 25 pounds per month. Then suddenly this! And all on data roaming in Germany.
Firstly I do travel a lot to Germany but I always make sure data roaming is off. So how can this be?
I asked orange and they said that the phone used data. I told them I didnt use data at all abroad and the only answer they had was that the data was used. So I must be a liar.
I asked to cancel my contract but Ive still got 10 months left on it and it will cost around 180 pounds to cancel it.

Ive been a customer of theirs for around 10 years and now they do me like this.

What can I do!!!????? PLEASE HELP!
«13

Comments

  • DUTR
    DUTR Posts: 12,958 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Turn the data off, it has been discussed many a time on the forum, check the settings on the apps, eg my weather app has "only update when on home network" or something like that and it works!
    Been abroad several times with my phone and no big bills upon my return :D
  • cgk1
    cgk1 Posts: 1,300 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Unless you have prior agreement with Orange, you should have had a text at 40ish euros (depending on exchange rates) and then been cut off at 50. Ask Orange why that never happened.
  • Guys_Dad
    Guys_Dad Posts: 11,025 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Lots of threads and tips on this matter already on the forum. See if any apply to your handset.

    My tip would be to buy a basic handset with no frills and use that overseas.
  • NFH
    NFH Posts: 4,413 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    This seems to be happening to more and more people whose phones prove that the data wasn't used.

    My data usage is usually around 200MB to 400MB per month, but one month my Orange bill showed that I had used 916MB when my iPhone had recorded that I had used only 404.5MB (370MB downloaded and 34.5MB uploaded). Orange's customer service system showed that I had downloaded large quantities of data during short daytime periods on two days in the billing month, which if true would have severely drained my battery, but it hadn't done so because I didn't use the data. Also there's no way that my iPhone could have physically downloaded the alleged high quantity of data in the short periods stated. The difference between your case and my case is that my case was fortunately in the UK and just within the 1GB fair usage allowance so there was no cost or other implication. Nevertheless I asked Orange to investigate several times and made sure that copious notes were made on my account in case the same thing should happen in future when I'm roaming, but they failed to investigate. I'm sure Orange know all about these data billing errors but won't admit it. If these errors can happen in the UK, they can of course also happen when roaming which is when they become more obvious.
  • DUTR
    DUTR Posts: 12,958 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    NFH wrote: »
    This seems to be happening to more and more people whose phones prove that the data wasn't used.

    My data usage is usually around 200MB to 400MB per month, but one month my Orange bill showed that I had used 916MB when my iPhone had recorded that I had used only 404.5MB (370MB downloaded and 34.5MB uploaded). Orange's customer service system showed that I had downloaded large quantities of data during short daytime periods on two days in the billing month, which if true would have severely drained my battery, but it hadn't done so because I didn't use the data. Also there's no way that my iPhone could have physically downloaded the alleged high quantity of data in the short periods stated. The difference between your case and my case is that my case was fortunately in the UK and just within the 1GB fair usage allowance so there was no cost or other implication. Nevertheless I asked Orange to investigate several times and made sure that copious notes were made on my account in case the same thing should happen in future when I'm roaming, but they failed to investigate. I'm sure Orange know all about these data billing errors but won't admit it. If these errors can happen in the UK, they can of course also happen when roaming which is when they become more obvious.

    There was an article the other day that Microsoft were aware of windows mobile devices retrieving ghost data, all I know is my trusty handset does not :cool:
  • NFH
    NFH Posts: 4,413 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    DUTR wrote: »
    There was an article the other day that Microsoft were aware of windows mobile devices retrieving ghost data, all I know is my trusty handset does not :cool:
    Indeed, but according to the BBC News article, Windows Phone 7 devices recorded that the data was used, which is very different from Orange's phantom data billing errors where the phones didn't record the data being used (because it wasn't used).
  • Call Orange and ask them to verify the TAP Files. Also your phone as being in the EU should have been capped at 16MB if I remember correctly unless you have asked for the cap to be removed
  • NFH wrote: »
    This seems to be happening to more and more people whose phones prove that the data wasn't used.

    My data usage is usually around 200MB to 400MB per month, but one month my Orange bill showed that I had used 916MB when my iPhone had recorded that I had used only 404.5MB (370MB downloaded and 34.5MB uploaded). Orange's customer service system showed that I had downloaded large quantities of data during short daytime periods on two days in the billing month, which if true would have severely drained my battery, but it hadn't done so because I didn't use the data. Also there's no way that my iPhone could have physically downloaded the alleged high quantity of data in the short periods stated. The difference between your case and my case is that my case was fortunately in the UK and just within the 1GB fair usage allowance so there was no cost or other implication. Nevertheless I asked Orange to investigate several times and made sure that copious notes were made on my account in case the same thing should happen in future when I'm roaming, but they failed to investigate. I'm sure Orange know all about these data billing errors but won't admit it. If these errors can happen in the UK, they can of course also happen when roaming which is when they become more obvious.

    I know my Iphone has done over a 1GB by streaming video and live tv (if you think a 1 hour program from tvcatchup is 300MB it is very achievable)
  • NFH
    NFH Posts: 4,413 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    I know my Iphone has done over a 1GB by streaming video and live tv (if you think a 1 hour program from tvcatchup is 300MB it is very achievable)
    Yes, but your iPhone's data counter will have recorded that it used that data. We're not talking here about genuine usage but about usage that never happened because the customer didn't use the data and the phone's data counter proves this.
  • Hi richwoo123,

    If you are certain you did not use the data on your phone or have any active apps that may use a data connection my advice would be to contact the Billing Team and request to escalate the issue. You are well within your rights to do so. First you will need to speak to a Supervisor. As there is not always one available request a call back and take the CSR's extension number and the name of the manager who will call you for your reference. If they are still unable to resolve the matter you can escalate higher, you will need to request this at the time of the call.

    Hope this helps.

    Steve, Orange Helpers

    Twitter: @OrangeHelpers
    Facebook: Orange UK
    Official Company Representative
    I am the official company representative of Orange. MSE has given permission for me to post in response to queries about the company, so that I can help solve issues. You can see my name on the companies with permission to post list. I am not allowed to tout for business at all. If you believe I am please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com This does NOT imply any form of approval of my company or its products by MSE"
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