I'm panicking BIG TIME!!! tesco Mobile...

f1ameboy007

I thought I was in an unlimited internet contraact but have been hit with a £500 bill for going over my 'fair usage policy'

I cant afford that, what am I going to do???:(

Thanks

Parva

Assuming that you accept that you have run up this data bill (albeit mistakenly) then all you can do is phone customer services and explain your error, plead with them for a reduction as a 'goodwill gesture' and arrange a payment plan to pay off the remaining bill. Don't ignore it and hope it will go away, that's the worst thing that you can do.

That said, I would be requesting details of exactly what data you used and at what rate it was charged before you admit anything. It's fairly easy to get such a huge bill if you're abroad and using 'data roaming' but it's quite some feat to achieve that if you're on UK soil!

myfairrlady

I believe their unlimited use/fair usage policy means up to 500 MB per month, sorry! I think companies should not be allowed to advertise internet unlimited when it is not really unlimited.
Link to Tesco fair usage policy here:
http://www.tescomobilepaymonthly.com/Terms.aspx

gjchester

myfairrlady wrote: »

I believe their unlimited use/fair usage policy means up to 500 MB per month, sorry! I think companies should not be allowed to advertise internet unlimited when it is not really unlimited.
Link to Tesco fair usage policy here:
http://www.tescomobilepaymonthly.com/Terms.aspx

I don't disagree however the ASA has repeatedly ruled they can do so, and it's unlikely to change.

victor2

From Tesco's Pay Monthly T&Cs:

6.3 We reserve the right to monitor your usage and, if we reasonably determine that your use is abusive or in breach of our fair usage policy, we may do any or all of the following:

(i) request you to moderate your use;

(ii) impose further charges in respect of your atypical or abusive use; or

(iii) transfer you to a tariff that does not include Inclusive Credit.

Assuming they never contacted you, you could as already suggested, contact them and ask for some consideration. If you know what caused the high usage, you may just have to find a way to pay the bill. They might be more sympathetic if it was something you could have done by accident or through a rogue app though.
It still sucks when you believe you've got unlimited use and get hit by something like that, but it seems they are quite within their rights to do so.

Techhead_2

victor2 wrote: »

From Tesco's Pay Monthly T&Cs:


Assuming they never contacted you, you could as already suggested, contact them and ask for some consideration. If you know what caused the high usage, you may just have to find a way to pay the bill. They might be more sympathetic if it was something you could have done by accident or through a rogue app though.
It still sucks when you believe you've got unlimited use and get hit by something like that, but it seems they are quite within their rights to do so.

Aren't those terms and conditions referring to the unlimited calls and texts?

Edinburghlass_2

I have a Tesco monthly sim and check my bill online. Every single text, call and date usage is recorded with their price against it and provided you haven't gone over the limit the bill shows all your usage as being free. There is also a summary page which shows you what you have used and what you have left and the date your new minutes etc start.

spannerzone

wow poor OP.... however you surely knew you can check your account online, well I guess not.

Firstly call them and explain your shock at how unlimited in reality means 500mb a month then hope they don't asky why you didn't check the terms and conditions, pricing and your online account, as said already, plead with them for some help on this.

Tesco charge £4 per megabyte on some monthly contracts (see their pricing for info) but they're reducing this to 60p per mb soon. Tariff changes here

If using abroad the data taiff goes up a lot, in the EU there's £40 cap now I believe but not for non EU countries which is something like £8 per megabyte....

Terms and conditions here

I thought the EU data cap applied in the UK as well?

I also read in the SIM only monthly contract:
Account maximum limits
All Pay monthly accounts have a maximum limit of 3 times your monthly subscription this excludes iPhone see details below:
iPhone £20 tariff where limit is £200/month
iPhone £35 tariff where limit is £250/month
iPhone unlimited tariff where limit is £300/mont


So might be worth querying how yours is so high.... good luck

Wintermute

spannerzone wrote: »

I thought the EU data cap applied in the UK as well?

I also read in the SIM only monthly contract:
Account maximum limits
All Pay monthly accounts have a maximum limit of 3 times your monthly subscription this excludes iPhone see details below:
iPhone £20 tariff where limit is £200/month
iPhone £35 tariff where limit is £250/month
iPhone unlimited tariff where limit is £300/mont


So might be worth querying how yours is so high.... good luck

The EU data cap purely relates to roaming, I believe the same legislation sets an upper cap on how much it costs to use your phone while roaming, but there's nothing to say networks can't impose whatever price place they want within the UK.

neil40

Really poor from Tesco.Not even sending a warning e-mail or text to tell you that you have reached your 500mb limit.The only thing you can do as said above is to call them to try to get a reduction.If you can leave your contract,do so and switch to Giffgaff who run on o2 network too but offer totally unlimited internet without a fair use policy.

Neil

Guys_Dad

I have warned and warned about Tesco's charges for internet out of bundle. It is scandalous although the reduction mentioned above will be welcomed. It will still be one of the most expensive going, though.

My advice still is if you intend to use data DO NOT USE TESCO MOBILE !!